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Google CEO Larry Page thinks Steve Jobs’ Android hate was just ‘for show’

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In an interview with Businessweek, Google CEO Larry Page took some time to discuss the direction of the tech giant now that things have settled after a shakeup that saw him assuming his new role while other, like Eric Schmidt, were moved to new positions within the company. Of the many topics touched on, Android came up more than once. In one of the more revealing moments, Page says he actually had a good relationship with Apple founder Steve Jobs. The brain behind the iPhone was somewhat of a mentor to Page, seeking him out to offer advice after learning of his new role as CEO of Google.

More surprising still is that Page believes much of Jobs’ disdain towards Android was “for show.” He explains that it would be “useful for [Apple] to feel like they have an obvious competitor…to rally around.” So Jobs’ famous utterance to biographer Walter Isaacson stating that he would spend every last penny in Apple’s bank to see Android wiped from the face of the earth was just for show? Or were his words, as Page suggests, simply designed to be a hot fire poker to the rear of Apple’s employees? Or perhaps a bit of chest thumping from the silverback gorilla of the tech world? As strange as it sounds, it makes sense. Jobs was far too smart to really believe that taking out a competitor was so important that it was worth running his company into the ground.

Page’s views are different, and perhaps mirror the true thinking of Jobs. “You don’t want to be looking at your competitors. You want to be looking at what’s possible and how to make the world better.”

[via Businessweek]

Kevin Krause
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35 Comments

  1. Make the world better by actually releasing Google Wallet on more than one device!

    And I’m really doubting he’s in it only to make the world better.. I mean c’mon they’re not exactly a not-for-profit organization.

    1. Google Wallet not being on more that 2 devices (Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus) has nothing to do with Google.  It has everything to do with carriers and hardware manufacturers.  Can’t very well put an NFC-based payment system on a device that doesn’t have an NFC chip, now can you?  And you can’t offer an NFC payment service on a device that supports it if the carrier it’s on disallows its use because they want to use their OWN NFC payment service.

      1. The Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus are not the only Android phones with NFC hardware. And Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile USA are most definitely not the only carriers in the world.

        1. Fair enough, but my point is made.

        2. No, but they are the major carriers in the US and Google is based out of the US with stone chiseled contracts to those companies and their OEMs. Google Wallet is the format that remains in the NFC minority in the US, which is the largest purchaser of smartphones. Until it is settled here, it will take longer to happen elsewhere. No one wants to have mixed standards; which is the biggest problem with the cellular carriers in the US today.

    2. Non profit organizations are BS for the most part where the money received is never see a 100 % of the donations go to the needy. Google on the other hand is innovating the world and expanding the human mind. What they did in Egypt with the revolution is more than any non-profit organization has done. What they also did to back up villages in Africa that were being slaughter by Contractors from XE (Black Waters) is amazing. As long as they keep their motto, “DO NO EVIL”. Google will keep expanding the human minds it touches and help this ignorant world we live in change.  

      1. Nick I dont mean to insert a bit of logic here so brace yourself. 
        If a charity didn’t exist that would mean that 0% would go to the needy. 
        Maybe your math is different. 
        If they take 30% off the top to cover expenses and (GASP) pay employees what is the problem here?

        1. I know that, that is my bad for not making my self make more sense. Still though for google to turn into a no profit organization is just idiotic… Even more than my logic above!

          1. 30% off the top wouldn’t be bad.  Many of them take 80% or more.  

  2. I want Eric Schmidt back and Google+ gone…

    1. Why would you care if google+ exists or not?  Just don’t use it if you don’t like it.

      1. Agreed.  I rather like Google+.  It’s superior in most ways to FB.  It still needs an event system that integrates with Google Calendar, and they opened it up way too late, which will probably be the reason it fails, but even still I like it better.

      2. Google has been becoming an evil and corrupt company centered around G+, no more creative time for the employees or anything…

        1. Once they get things going again there will be, right now Google is playing catchup in the social network area.

    2.  how does google + affect your life.  who cares

  3. Nah he and Hitler both hate Android, for reals.. just look at my link above, it is proof!!!

      1. Whats with all these sad people needing to spam their crappy links here in phandroid. 

  4. Apple is not long for this world.

    http://bit.ly/dI3hcF
     

  5. Makes sense, but doesn’t improve my notion that Steve was DEFINITELY not a great man, perhaps even the opposite.
    It would make him appear smarter, but not better.

    His legacy is not Apple, that will be forgotten eventually
    His legacy is hatred for anything non-Apple. That will live on!

    1. That wil live on…among haters everywhere.

      The rest of the world (99%) doesn’t care.

      1. uhm encase you haven’t noticed, that 1% (which I think is optimistically low) happens to be the exact kind of people I usually see posting in articles containing flamefests (which on engadget is almost every iOS/android/google/WP7 post)

        Yeh I know, ignore them….but it can be hard to see such ignorance being posted so blatantly……*inner peace*

        1.  …if you dislike the flaming so much, why draw it to yourself with such a post? 

          Flaming Steve J. isn’t going to bring that inner peace you are looking for…

          1. you’re right :)

  6. I’m 54 and have been involved in the tech world since I was 17.  Jobs wore his emotions on his sleeve and, like so many others that do the same, he was also a hell of a showman.  Like P.T. Barnum, his real genius was playing the crowd.

  7. no actually steve jobs was a dick whose 30 year old tech company is going to be eclipsed by a newer one.

    1. Not only are we the number one purveyor of top quality stories around the globe but we also have a fantastic selection of socks, locks and kitchen clocks.  Come on down to Brool Story Co. for the best products and unbeatable bargains!

      1.  calls steve jobs a dick and the comment gets left up… everyone comments without curses or slandering of any kind and comments get removed. phandroid, u mad?

        1. No, and your characterization of what was removed is far from accurate. Nice job trolling tho.

  8. Is it me, or does Larry Page look like one of those guys you see on a short bus?

    1. Oh damn he’s died his hair.  The mission statement is imperiled, evil is taking him!!

  9. If 
    “You don’t want to be looking at your competitors. You want to be looking at what’s possible and how to make the world better.” is a true statement, then what is the reasoning for the patent trolling wars that Apple instigated? They were even trying to get patents for technology they don’t even have in their phones (face unlock). I really believe he was senile and had full intentions on spending as much as necessary to destroy this “stolen technology” lol. He talked mad shit about Bill Gates who was supposedly his friend and his company’s savior. I have no respect whatsoever for Jobs, but I guess it would take a snake like him to succeed in the corporate world…

  10. I made this for you guys ;)

  11. I read different. There was an incident where jobs stormed the office of both Page and Schmidt and it wasn’t to congratulate them for android. 

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