Friday 21 October 2011

Steve Jobs: 'I'm going to destroy Android'    [ 21-10-2011 17:30 ]

Author: Serge Novikov   Source: BBC     Translation by: Paul Smith     

The Steve Jobs biography by Walter Isaacson is sure to be a sure fire hit when it is released, but already some excerpts and stories have been emerging in the press. One story in particular is causing a bit of a fuss in the blogosphere today: Jobs wanted to destory Android.

In an interview with Isaacson Jobs told him that he viewed Android as 'grand theft' because of its similarity to Apple's iOS platform. Jobs went on to say:

I'm going to destroy Android, because it's a stolen product. I'm willing to go thermonuclear war on this.

If that sounds strong then what was to come in another interview really underscores Jobs' sense of betrayal at Android's release and his feeling that it was nothing more than an imitation of iOS.

I will spend my last dying breath if I need to, and I will spend every penny of Apple's $40 billion in the bank, to right this wrong.

Apple had had a close relationship with Google prior to Android's launch. Eric Schmidt, Google's former CEO, had even sat on the board of directors at Apple. That relationship quickly deteriorated in the aftermath of Android's launch and subsequently Schmidt stepped down from the Apple board. It's also interesting to note Jobs' use the of the term 'wrong' here. Google's decision to release Android wasn't just taken as a rival company trying to steal Apple's marketshare, it looks like Jobs took it personally.

Ultimately Jobs didn't live long enough to carry out his threat, but nevertheless Apple continues to sue Android manufacturers around the world. There has been no sign of those protracted legal disputes ending any time soon, but perhaps that was because of Jobs? Perhaps with his passing Apple might feel it is able to extract itself from those battles, but why would it? So far Apple has been winning its 'thermonuclear war'.

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