News Analysis: Apple CEO Steve Jobs has a real issue with Google. And it's highly unlikely that his disdain for the search giant will subside over time.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs took to
his company's quarterly earnings call on Oct. 18 to heap invective on RIM,
tablets and Google. But it was his comments on Google's Android platform that
proved to be the most striking. And in some ways, the Apple CEO
that many look to as one of the top executives in the world, showed just how
little respect he has for the search giant.
Whether Jobs has a right to feel that way toward Google is up
for debate. During his tenure at Apple, Jobs has been featured in many more
enemy-making headlines than friend-making headlines.
His reputation as a CEO is
that of a fierce competitor determined to beat any and all challengers. But he
has been unable to beat Google. And that frustration seems to be coming through
in almost every comment Jobs has made recently.
Simply put,
Steve
Jobs can't stand Google. Read on to find out why.
1. They used to be friends.
Before
Apple
and Google became enemies, the companies worked closely with each other. In fact, Google CEO
Eric Schmidt served on Apple's board of directors. That relationship was
fostered through Apple and Google's mutual disdain for Microsoft. And together,
they seemingly plotted to take the software giant down. But with Android OS,
Google and Apple's relationship fell apart. Now, the search giant is arguably
one of Steve Jobs' most-hated competitors.
2. He dislikes all competitors.
Steve Jobs doesn't spend much time saying nice things about
the competition. In fact, he spends most of his time trying to find ways to
take the competition down. That's a prime reason why he can't stand Google. It's
not necessarily what Google stands for all the time. It's simply that Steve
Jobs doesn't like any of his company's competitors.
3. Android OS is winning.
If there is one thing that Steve Jobs can't stand, it's losing.
And right now, the Apple CEO is losing. His
company's
iOS
platform might be selling extremely well, but it's still being outpaced by
the collection of Android devices on the market. For his part, Steve Jobs is in
denial about the ultimate impact all those Android devices will really have
over time. But it's hard to argue with the sales figures, and he isn't happy
about them.
4. Google doesn't act like RIM.
When Apple beat RIM, that company simply rolled over and
admitted that it was defeated. In fact, the handset maker has done little to
match Apple's products any step of the way. But Google is different. In the
beginning, when the Android OS was being beaten handily by Apple products, the
search giant hunkered down and delivered an improved mobile operating system
with features that people wanted. The strategy worked. And now, it's well on
its way to beating Apple.
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