Walter Isaacson Says Jobs' Rage Over Android Was Real

MacRumors · Apr 5, 2012

Steve Jobs biographer Walter Isaacson says Jobs' anger over Android was real and not "for show" as alleged by Google's Larry Page in an interview this week. Macworld UK attended a lecture Isaacson gave at the Royal Institution and the biographer said that Jobs felt Android's similarity to iOS was "history repeating itself", and compared it to Jobs' feeling that Microsoft's Windows was a rip-off of the Macintosh.

He did the integrated system again, iPod, iPad, and it worked, "but what happens? Google rips it off".

Isaacson continued: "It's almost copied verbatim by Android. And then they licence it around promiscuously. And then Android starts surpassing Apple in market share, and this totally infuriated him. It wasn't a matter of money. He said: 'You can't pay me off, I'm here to destroy you'."

Isaacson went on to say that he believes that Tim Cook will handle things differently and "will settle that lawsuit." Apple is currently involved in a number of lawsuits over Android with manufacturers around the world.

Article Link: Walter Isaacson Says Jobs' Rage Over Android Was Real

pooprscooper · Apr 5, 2012

MacRumors said:
Jobs felt Android's similarity to iOS was "history repeating itself", and compared it to Jobs' feeling that Microsoft's Windows was a rip-off of the Macintosh.

Which it was.

Ca$hflow · Apr 5, 2012

This really had more truth then Larry's truth. I would also like to ad that Steve Jobs motivation isn't money, it's more of how he can change the world in a simplistic style.

gorskiegangsta · Apr 5, 2012

Well, of course it was real. Page seems to be thinking that just because Jobs agreed to be his mentor that everything was alright between Apple and Google. In fact Jobs was most furious at Schmidt, for doing what he did - being on Apple's board, learning about the iPhone project and then using that info to modify Android based on iOS and launching a competing product.

That would be a dick move by anyone's standards, not just Jobs' or Schmidt's. Jobs is perfectly justified in being enraged by it, especially since it is "a history repeating itself".

darkslide29 · Apr 5, 2012

Jobs was the wealth creator, and now Cook will act as the wealth keeper.
As much as I would like Cook to go on with the thermonuclear war on Android, with his role as wealth keeper he will likely settle and make compromises.

But part of me continues to think that it would be fun to see Jobs truly try to destroy the Android platform with Apple's cash.

applesith · Apr 5, 2012

Larry Page, Mat Cutts and all of them are full of it. They always make stuff up or outright lie when when they talk about Google. Ever listen to Mat's search related statements for Google? He just lies.

Hey Larry, why wait until Steve is dead to talk about this?

SockRolid · Apr 5, 2012

MacRumors said:
It wasn't a matter of money. He said: 'You can't pay me off, I'm here to destroy you'."

Maybe Larry Ellison and Oracle have taken over that responsibility.

Reeebo · Apr 5, 2012

Hearsay >.>

camnchar · Apr 5, 2012

We can file this under the "no ****, Sherlock" heading.

iDisk · Apr 5, 2012

Tim Cook

Apple's soon to be problem appears to be Tim Cook.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Jobs gave Apple a vision to carry for 5 years.

Part of that vision was to destroy Google's Andriod OS. Cook seems to not share what Steve wanted Apple to continue with.

I wonder if a person like Forstall might have been more of the right choice for Apple, if he was more seasoned.

I hope Cook isn't the 21st centurey Sculley, with his "play nice mentality". Apple can't afford that a 2nd time around. Cause their won't be a 3rd Coming of Jobs to the rescue.

RoboCop001 · Apr 5, 2012

The Anger was never quenched,
Never satiated, It could not be tamed,
For It was deeply entrenched,
Real and, like fire's flame, could not be blamed,
For the Wrath was full on, never to mend,
Full on, to the end.

Yes, thank you. Thank you. No, I know. I should have become a poet.

SirYossi · Apr 5, 2012

Cook is making a big mistake by appeasing Android. Bury Android once and for all. BUt in the end Android will fall the way of IBM to many hands in the pot and the implode on itself. Main reason why i do not use google is that is sucks so bad. Google might be open source but they get their money by scamming others and spamming them with adds!

----------

Maybe Apple buy Google and thus no more issues!

gpat · Apr 5, 2012

You simply can't destroy Android. Google is a bigger reality than Apple, and is backed by every OEM except Apple itself. It has the patents of Motorola, which kind of invented the mobile phone, and makes money off every smartphone, including, and especially, the iPhone.

Tim did the right thing over there, accepting Android and making money from it. Steve was a genius, but his mentality was simply too closed sometimes.

SirYossi · Apr 5, 2012

iDisk said:
Apple's soon to be problem appears to be Tim Cook.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Jobs gave Apple a vision to carry for 5 years.

Part of that vision was to destroy Google's Andriod OS. Cook seems to not share what Steve wanted Apple to continue with.

I wonder if a person like Forstall might have been more of the right choice for Apple, if he was more seasoned.

I hope Cook isn't the 21st centurey Sculley, with his "play nice mentality"

The makers of android and google do not play nice so why play nice back - either destroy them or buy them out end of story

iDisk · Apr 5, 2012

SirYossi said:
Cook is making a big mistake by appeasing Android. Bury Android once and for all. BUt in the end Android will fall the way of IBM to many hands in the pot and the implode on itself. Main reason why i do not use google is that is sucks so bad. Google might be open source but they get their money by scamming others and spamming them with adds!

----------

Maybe Apple buy Google and thus no more issues!

I agree, Cook is slowly showing that he doesn't view Apple the way steve did. Actions speak louder then words.

----------

SirYossi said:
The makers of android and google do not play nice so why play nice back - either destroy them or buy them out end of story

if they buy them out, they should shut them down, after acquistion.

TehFalcon · Apr 5, 2012

The one thing android just can't do right, is have a smooth OS like iOS, barely any freezes in graphics, 60fps, just smooth. The day that android accomplishes that, apple will destroy them.

DakotaGuy · Apr 5, 2012

Did Jobs really believe that he would own 100% of the market and no one else would come up with a touch screen phone? I mean if it hadn't been Google with Android someone else would have jumped into the market with a competing product.

Mr. Gates · Apr 5, 2012

WAM2 said:
The one thing android just can't do right, is have a smooth OS like iOS, barely any freezes in graphics, 60fps, just smooth. The day that android accomplishes that, apple will destroy them.

You are confused.

Doc750 · Apr 5, 2012

Tim cook is Judas, Brute, and Benedict Arnold rolled into one ...

Gemütlichkeit · Apr 5, 2012

Some people are very passionate about their work.

nagromme · Apr 5, 2012

But... what if Isaacsonss insistence that Jobs rage was real is mostly for show?

Mr. Gates · Apr 5, 2012

DakotaGuy said:
Did Jobs really believe that he would own 100% of the market and no one else would come up with a touch screen phone? I mean if it hadn't been Google with Android someone else would have jumped into the market with a competing product.

Microsoft and Nokia had them first.

Steve was just pissed off that Android did it better

dgree03 · Apr 5, 2012

So F'in what!? Not even Steve Jobs himself provides specific examples of how google "stole" ideas from Apple.

So what did they steal?

TehFalcon · Apr 5, 2012

Mr. Gates said:
You are confused.

Not confused. Use any android phone with an iPhone 4s, heck even a 3gs or 4, and put them side by side then swipe to the side, I Can Guarantee you that the android phone is going to have some kind of lag,freeze,low fps, or something, iOS is just so refined that its a joy to use.

(Yes, I Am aware google makes android, I Personally despise google, their privacy policy is so disgraceful When I Owned an Android phone I just didn't feel safe. Now I'm on an iPhone 4.)

Asclepio · Apr 5, 2012

jobs was a hater.

Walter Isaacson Says Jobs' Rage Over Android Was Real

macrumors bot

macrumors regular

macrumors 6502

macrumors 65816

macrumors 68000

macrumors 68030

macrumors 68000

macrumors newbie

macrumors 6502

macrumors 6502a

macrumors 68000

macrumors regular

macrumors 68000

macrumors regular

macrumors 6502a

macrumors 65816

macrumors 601

macrumors 68020

macrumors 6502a

macrumors 65816

macrumors G5

macrumors 68020

macrumors 65816

macrumors 65816

macrumors 6502a

Our Staff