Google’s Larry Page: Steve Jobs Waged War On Android “For Show” To Rally The Troops

Alex Heath (2:19 pm PDT, Apr 4th 2012)

Larry Page, a Google co-founder, accepted the position of CEO in April of 2011.

Late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs famously said that he intended to wage “thermonuclear war” on Android. The rift between Apple and Google has been growing wider over the years, and the two companies have essentially become sworn enemies in most areas of business.

In an interesting profile by Bloomberg Businessweek, current Google CEO Larry Page says that Steve Jobs’ public defamation of Android was “for show” to rally Apple around its obvious enemy. Page also talks about topics like the current state of Google, the Motorola acquisition, and more.

I think the Android differences were actually for show. I had a relationship with Steve. I wouldn’t say I spent a lot of time with him over the years, but I saw him periodically. Curiously enough, actually, he requested that meeting. He sent me an e-mail and said: “Hey, you want to get together and chat?” I said, “Sure, I’ll come over.” And we had a very nice talk. We always did when we had a discussion generally.
He was quite sick. I took it as an honor that he wanted to spend some time with me. I figured he wanted to spend time with his family at that point. He had a lot of interesting insights about how to run a company and that was pretty much what we discussed.

When pressed further about the “for show” comment, Page said:

I think that served their interests. For a lot of companies, it’s useful for them to feel like they have an obvious competitor and to rally around that. I personally believe that it’s better to shoot higher. 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.

Jobs called Android a lot of things over the years, including a “stolen product.” He said, “Make no mistake they want to kill the iPhone. We won’t let them” while also calling Google’s “don’t be evil” motto “bullshit.”

Walter Isaacson chronicled Jobs’ dying wish to see Android destroyed in the former Apple CEO’s biography. Many believe there is deep-seeded resentment of Android at Apple because former Google CEO Eric Schmidt served on Apple’s board while the original iPhone was being developed. Google publicly announced Android shortly after the first iPhone launch, and Schmidt parted ways with Apple.

Source Bloomberg Businessweek

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Comment »

AlanLiddell
“I personally believe that it’s better to shoot higher. 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.”
You’ll see this attitude reflected even in the difference between Cult of Mac and Cult of Android. Several of the articles on CoM are just about Apple stuff… but so many of their other articles have a thing or two to say about Android, and it’s never good.
Over here, on the other hand, we like to talk about Android too – where it is now, where it’s going. Any mention of The Other Phone or The Other Tablet is entirely incidental.
- Cold_dead_fingers
  That’s because Android is the gremlin that came out of Gizmo. Android is really iOS in Linux form. Back when Android was just a failed copy of BBOS, Eric was getting all of the inside scoop on iOS innovations. UI is the biggest piece taken from iOS. That was enough.
  - AlanLiddell
    1. Apple fans have no business talking about stolen UIs.
    2. You’re going to have to qualify what you mean by “iOS in Linux form.” If you’re talking about the UI again, try harder. A user interface an operating system (even an Apple operating system) does not make.
    3. Your specious claim of a stolen UI is enough for what again? Eternal butthurt from Apple fanboys? U mad?
    - quentin
      1. Apple licensed the OS from PARC, not stolen. IBM didn’t really know what to do with it on a large scale, Apple gave it life.
      3. You’re the one trying to act all high and mighty with your idiotic “Android users are better, just look at what we talk about” nonsense. It’s perception bias, get over yourself.
      - AlanLiddell
        No. You’re assholes. You come over here and act like you’re better than us. I get that CoA crossposts over on CoM to get readers, but I for one would much prefer they didn’t. You contribute nothing good to these discussions.
      - quentin
        Haha, wow, what a tool. FYI, I own an Android phone. Seriously, get over yourself. Also, as for contributing to discussion, you’re the one parroting untrue nonsense.
    - gareth edwards
      You don’t know your history. Go read up on PARC before saying such dumb stuff. All it does is make you look either ill read or stupid. You can’t pick and choose.
      Android® was Schmidts little dirty secrect. His bastard tech child behind Apple’s back. You can say it ain’t so, but you’re in a box with people that believe Elvis works down a chip shop, Hitler is alive and well on the moon, Republicans are normal people and Tony Blair told the truth.
      Android exists because of Apple and the iOS dev. Period. Concept. Shop. Apps, the works. You can draw lines backwards to a point of origin on this stuff. Or you can still say the earth is flat. Your choice.
      As for dear Larry and this ”I personally believe that it’s better to shoot higher. 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.”
      Hahahahahahahah – really Larry? Is that why Google has, over the last 10 years, stolen every remotely interesting idea from competitors and slapped a Google® sticker on it and said “look what we just did, aren’t we cool?” rather than actually innovate? Don’t make me laugh Al.
      I would never suggest that Apple is infallible (far from it) but one thing is for sure, Google is the most insidious Tech company on the planet. If you trust them the way they want to be trusted then you are an idiot. They are an advertising platform before all other things and this colours EVERYTHING they do. If you don’t fully understand what advertising means I suggest you do some reading. Next time you post on an AppleFanboy site like this say something smart or go back to playing in Android’s GoogleGarden with the rest of the blind children.
      - AlanLiddell
        You mean something you agree with, right? No, that’s okay. It won’t be constructive to argue with you, and singlehandedly responding to everyone’s comments has eaten up far too much of my time as it is. Enjoy your little rage party. You won’t be hearing from me.
- drexyl9944
  not everyone has the courage to take a step back, take a real long introspective look at themselves and come to the conclusion of ‘dear God I’m awesome and so is everyone that agrees with me’. Nice job Alan.
  I bet you also find that people with beards are just plain old smarter, friendlier and serve their fellow man more that those bastard over at cultofcleanshavenfaces.com.
  - AlanLiddell
    That’s not quite the conclusion I was drawing. If you want me to be more explicit, then here you go: in my experience, and CoM is a significant factor in this, Apple fanboys are assholes. (To clarify, I know plenty of iPhone/Mac owners who just like them and aren’t pricks about it. I’m not making a blanket claim about all users of Apple products.) For whatever reason, they think they’re better people, or at least act like it. But it’s not enough to just think so, they have to say so, loudly. And it’s not enough to just say so in the echo chamber (though they love to do that). They have to come over here to do it. Every time an article here is crossposted at CoM, Apple fanboys come over here and tell us how inferior Android is to iOS. You’re welcome to believe that, I don’t care. But I already got it, you don’t need to tell me every time.
    td;dr: What you think I said: We’re awesome. They’re not. What I really said: we’re not assholes. They are. And you really are, pal. Nothing excuses your behavior.
    Also, I don’t care who’s got a beard or not. Try to stay on topic, okay?
    - quentin
      Do you realize that you’re doing that exact prickish “think they’re better people” thing throughout this thread? You’re the Android fanboy side of the coin that you’re hating against CoM users for.
      - AlanLiddell
        It’s clear you still don’t get it, so I’ll clarify for you. I won’t say anything else to you, so you can go ahead and get in the last word if you want. Here goes:
        I’m sure there are plenty of level-headed, rational discussions over there, just like there’s no shortage of fanboying here. You caught me, partner, I’m guilty. But I don’t make a habit of going over to CoM and hating on iOS. That is my specific complaint. Closing arguments, please.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Miki-Matkovcik/100000283995916 Miki Matkovcik
Well everyone knows without iPhone android wouldn’t be how it is today, that’s obvious, nobody can refute that. However, Steve jobs was a little naive in wanting to destroy android. Sure, it must have been a pain in the ass to watch android succeed, but compared to iOS, it falls short as a business model. Considering apple is making so much $$$ with iOS and that their original goal was to catch just 1% of the smartphone market, i think they did very well. Even if Android somehow dies, another competitor would emerge anyway so the point is moot. But I do agree with Jobs that Eric Schmidt does seem like a bit of a sleaze.
Rafael Ribeiro Pires
Nice try Google!
Hoser Man
Dream on dude, Job’s was after your ass from day one of the Android phone. If he was still alive he would still be on your ass.
- AlanLiddell
  I sincerely hope don’t think you’re actually talking to Larry Page. And if not, then who are you talking to?
http://twitter.com/scatteredthings Sam
“I personally believe that it’s better to shoot higher. You don’t want to be looking at your competitors.”
Funny, I thought that Android and Google+ were exactly that: looking at your competitors and trying to copy their solution. My mistake… coming out with a copycat product not once, but twice, is definitely shooting higher…
@AlanLiddell: 1. Hoser Man’s comment what rhetorical – he didn’t expect Larry Page to read and/or answer.
2. Your comment about UI not making an operating system is only half true. From a general consumer point of view, the UI *is* the operating system.
3. Your first post re. CoM and CoA was somewhat confusing. I’m not sure whether you’re saying CoA is better because they are positive on Android and rarely mention iOS, or whether you’re saying CoM is better because they focus on Apple and sometimes mention Android, albeit in a negative light.
- AlanLiddell
  1. I know, I just found his comment not very constructive.
  2. From a consumer point of view, sure. I know many Android users, myself included, who care more about the guts than the UI. To be completely honest with you, openness and price are the major, if not the only, reasons I expect most people to prefer Android to iOS.
  3. It was the former. I prefer a positive attitude in tech coverage. There’s a lot of critical coverage of Android over on CoM, which is fine. But I’ve noticed far less of an “us vs. them” mentality here, except in the comments. Most coverage is about this or that manufacturer, carrier, Google, whatever. Anything that involves Apple is crossposted at CoM so they can come over here and discuss it. No such courtesy is afforded us.
http://www.facebook.com/creckardt Carlos Rincon Eckardt
Yeah I’m sure that’s why he did it… thats why the youtube app on iOS continues to be un-updated! yeah sure!
AlanLiddell
Real mature, guys. Disagreeing with you isn’t the same as violating the terms of use. And if I’m wrong about PARC? Still not a violation. I don’t care how heated the discussion gets, you don’t get to suppress dissenting opinion.
- AlanLiddell
  Okay, I’ve had enough of this.
AlanLiddell
Hey Alex, feel like cleaning up the spam? I’d report this profile, but for whatever reason Disqus won’t let me step on this roach.

About the author

Alex Heath is a news contributor for Cult of Android. He previously served as an editor for iDownloadBlog. You can find out more about him on his personal site and also follow him on Twitter.

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Posted in Android, News, Top stories | Tagged: Android, Apple, Google, iPhone, Larry Page, steve jobs |