Google's Larry Page Claims Steve Jobs' War on Android Was 'For Show'

[sir1963nz]

Point?

Apple attempted to create a social network and failed miserably. Ping.

At least Google+ is actually growing. It cant be denied that Apple quite simply sucks at online services. Google has a lot more experience in that field, and suck when it comes to hardware.

Apple is great at hardware/software and creating an ecosystem around that. They are crap at online services.

Google is great at online services as evidence by a large number of hugely successful ventures. They suck at hardware (Google TV as an example) and aren't exactly great when it comes to creating usable software (Android fragmentation).

Both companies have their strong points and weak points. Heck if they were actually put together they would probably create something amazing.

Go back further to eWorld.

Online services don't fit into Apples ecosystem , ping was an attempt to get iTunes users to encourage others to try/buy more music based on what ever. It would have been a better fit with Facebook or some other system as it would have probably bought in new users too.

Google is a search engine. The (Only ?) product they sell is you, i.e. your anonymised aggregated data they use to get advertisers to part with their money. The more information they can get on you the more targeted the ads (and search) become, thus making your data more valuable.

Google+ may have a lot of "users", but they don't spend much time there, it is NOT a success story (yet?), Facebook has a far better user interaction statistic.

 

[AllieNeko]

I know I'll get thumbs-downed on this, but there's probably a lot of truth in that. Every concept had already existed, and much of the iPhone was fairly obviously the "next step" in phone design for years... the iPhone itself heavily resembled the design language of the LG Prada phone.

Innovation keeps the world moving. Aggressive patent wars over vague, obvious, natural concepts don't. I love Apple's products. The patent wars, though, tick me off enormously. I just got a new iPad - nothing else like it. But Android PHONES have got darn good. I have an iPhone 4S now. Next phone? Who knows... but a point AGAINST Apple will be the lawsuits.

Legitimate, major new inventions deserve patents. Natural interface concepts, design language, simple math (remember the GIF LZW patent....), etc? Maybe, but for much shorter times - maybe two years, if that, to let the designer of the concept get a head start in the market. And with a lot more scrutiny from the patent office as to the obviousness of the patent.

 

[newyorkone]

Larry Page has no backbone...

Whatever Larry. I guess you're not man enough to say something about a person while they're still alive and can challenge your claims. Instead, you resort to disrespecting Jobs with unsubstantiated BS like this for the sake of marketing. Boo! Double Boo!

 

[yakapo]

The primary concern of any company is the bottom line.

The bottom line for me is the best product for the lowest possible price. The more companies "emulate" apple's successful ideas, the more competition there is. Apple didn't invent the touch screen, siri, etc. who cares? I only care about what benefits the consumer. I hope apple and google continue to "shamelessly steal" (steve jobs words about apple policy of taking ideas) from each other and anyone else.

Anyone who has been using computers since MS dos knows that windows is a big rip off of mac os. The result was a better product for the world. (although I had a hard time switching to windows)

 

[dwsolberg]

X

 

[bobenhaus]

This comments from Larry Page have me boiling with rage. What planet is he on!?!?!

But it's cute he thinks the war is over. It's not. Us loyal Apple fans will never be satisfied until iOS devices have 100% marketshare. Android needs to be made completely irrelevant. We all hate everything about nasty Android.

You guys are taking this stuff to personally. You guys are getting all upset because of a hardware company. Are you really that loyal to apple and other company to talk all this hating on a human or company? I'm laughing reading this stuff . There are more important things to worry about like your family, health and a job??

 

[JAT]

'fraid it wasn't Jobs. May I suggest Google to help you along? Once you've done your homework do the right thing and send a "thank you" card to Bill Gates for making sure you can enjoy Apple wares today.

Edit: I saved you the trouble. Hear the words from the man himself. You're welcome.

http://www.businessinsider.com/appl...10#1997-partnering-with-the-enemy-microsoft-1

No, no. Please! I beg you. Get it wrong, over and over and over and over. Homework, indeed. LOL.

 

[econgeek]

should not be looking at their competitors and instead should simply be doing their best to improve the world.

I'd love for Google to do this, but instead they choose to copy the iPhone and totally stole Apple's intellectual property.

If they want to do good for the world, they should shut down Android and start working on actually innovating instead of stealing.

Until they do that, this nothing but spin, and Page can kindly shut the f up.

 

[cdmoore74]

I know I'll get thumbs-downed on this, but there's probably a lot of truth in that. Every concept had already existed, and much of the iPhone was fairly obviously the "next step" in phone design for years... the iPhone itself heavily resembled the design language of the LG Prada phone.

Innovation keeps the world moving. Aggressive patent wars over vague, obvious, natural concepts don't. I love Apple's products. The patent wars, though, tick me off enormously. I just got a new iPad - nothing else like it. But Android PHONES have got darn good. I have an iPhone 4S now. Next phone? Who knows... but a point AGAINST Apple will be the lawsuits.

Legitimate, major new inventions deserve patents. Natural interface concepts, design language, simple math (remember the GIF LZW patent....), etc? Maybe, but for much shorter times - maybe two years, if that, to let the designer of the concept get a head start in the market. And with a lot more scrutiny from the patent office as to the obviousness of the patent.

I completely agree. These lawsuits over the most basic actions have to stop. People will buy your product if it's reliable, have a good ecosystem and show innovation. I don't want Apple to sue the competition out of business. Where's the innovation in doing that? For me it's a cowardly way to do business when you sue someone over a bouncy effect.
The last innovating item I've seen on the iPhone was the retina display and that was June 2010. The iPad retina display is nice but I don't consider it a must have do without feature especially when you have to double up on gpu cores and install a huge battery that take's much longer to charge. Adding dual core to a system that's already fast to begin with, adding a better camera and a voice assistant is not pushing the limits. Just today Google displayed it's Google Glasses project. Ok, some people may hate the glasses but it's still a killer concept. That's called innovation. I really hope Apple shows us something new and exciting this year. Adding LTE to a 3.5 inch iphone or releasing a $1000 plus Apple TV is not innovating. I don't want lawsuits, I want innovation!!!

 

[Yield85]

Why is it people ignore the LG Prada phone in these cases? LG never threatened war on Apple for "stealing", and its pretty obvious the Iphone was "inspired" by the Prada. Woo-Young Kwak had a right to pissed.

And why are you personally attacking the guy? He basically said how amazing your apparent messiah is!

I love apple but its fans actually make me doubt buying it at times. I hate being associated with you people.

 

[jimbobb24]

Tim Cook is a better businessman than Steve. He doesn't let emotion interfere with his decisions.

This is true in some sense - Tim Cook is very good. But without the original genious of Jobs Apple is nothing. Also, Jobs is pretty amazing in his own right in the way he structured Apple and in making decisions such as having OSX secretly on Intel. Jobs was pretty amazing.

 

[unlinked]

How about how Steve Jobs wanted to use "every last dime to right this wrong" by launching lawsuits against Android? Clearly not just for show.

He didn't come anywhere near to doing that. Over the time period in question Apple ended up with what 60 or so billion dollars more in the bank. Granted it wasn't his money personally but still.

 

[LagunaSol]

Oh look, another thread full of "Android is a copy of iOS" without any shred of insight into what Android actually copied from iOS.

Pinch-to-zoom? Swiping? Slide to unlock? Scrollbar-less scrolling?

Only a true Google fanboy believes Android to be an original work completely uninspired by the iPhone. Google. Masters of design.

 

[Michael Scrip]

Why is it people ignore the LG Prada phone in these cases? LG never threatened war on Apple for "stealing", and its pretty obvious the Iphone was "inspired" by the Prada. Woo-Young Kwak had a right to pissed.

And why are you personally attacking the guy? He basically said how amazing your apparent messiah is!

I love apple but its fans actually make me doubt buying it at times. I hate being associated with you people.

I never quite understood the LG Prada thing.

The first time anyone outside of Korea even saw the LG Prada was in September 2006.

I'm pretty sure, by that time, the iPhone was in its final phase of testing for the January announcement.

What do you think happened? Apple was making a flip-phone... then they saw the LG Prada... and then Apple decided to switch to a capacitive touchscreen phone instead?

Steve Jobs already said they started working on capacative touchscreens in the early 2000's... so did the LG Prada really inspire the iPhone?

I don't think anyone at Apple had even HEARD of the LG Prada while they were designing the iPhone...

 

[LagunaSol]

Why is it people ignore the LG Prada phone in these cases? LG never threatened war on Apple for "stealing", and its pretty obvious the Iphone was "inspired" by the Prada.

Sweet Maria, can we move past this stupid LG Prada chestnut already?

Does this look like the iPhone to you? Yes, this is the LG Prada. Note the scroll bar.

Not only did iOS look nothing like LG's Prada, but the Prada did not predate the iPhone by enough time for Apple to have copied that crap even if they wanted to.

Unlike, say, the amount of time Google had to "refine" Android after the iPhone announcement. *cough*

 

[vrDrew]

I think Page's claim that Apple (and Steve Jobs') legal assault on Android was "for show" is mistaken.

Whilie its a mistake to let one's personal feelings guide business (and especially legal) decisions, I suspect that Steve Jobs felt deeply hurt that a trusted board member (Eric Schmidt) was overseeing the development of Android at the same time as Apple was bringing out the iPhone. One of Steve Jobs' greatest strengths was that he learned from his mistakes - and the mistake he made with the original Macintosh was that he didn't patent the hundreds of little details that made it such a revolutionary device. Not so with the iPhone and iPad.

I also find Page's comment to be somewhat hypocritical, since he is attempting - by dint of his purchase of MMI - about to become by far the biggest copyright troll the world has ever seen. And since he'll be using that company's Standards Essential (ie. "FRAND") patents to do so, is in dire danger of bringing massive Antitrust actions on three continents against his company. I don't know if his lawyers have told him that yet - but if he is ignoring them on this, he's a fool.

 

[whoartie]

To twist a man's comments AFTER he's dead is blatantly insensitive and unethical, whatever his opinions may be. In fact, that's a really brainless move on Larry's part. Now he gets bad PR and reveals himself to be clearly insecure about his and Google's perceived image.
You certainly don't gain goodwill or positive vibes by correcting a dead man's words.

 

[Stella]

Pinch-to-zoom? Swiping? Slide to unlock? Scrollbar-less scrolling?

Only a true Google fanboy believes Android to be an original work completely uninspired by the iPhone. Google. Masters of design.

Apple has been inspired by other companies to produce the iPhone. Apple isn't an island.. it gets its inspiration from elsewhere, as well as within, just like any other company, which leads me on to Pinch to Zoom.

Pinch to Zoom - an Apple invention? Think again:
http://marypcb.livejournal.com/393543.html
Furthermore, during the development of the iPhone, Apple was very much aware of the history of multi-touch, dating at least back to 1982, and the use of the pinch gesture, dating back to 1983.

 

[Renzatic]

Pinch-to-zoom? Swiping? Slide to unlock? Scrollbar-less scrolling?

Only a true Google fanboy believes Android to be an original work completely uninspired by the iPhone. Google. Masters of design.

If those are your examples of what Google's copied, then your argument is weak.

Scrollbar-less scrolling? I've been doing that since I got my first wheelmouse back in...99, I think? Doing the same with your finger is a natural transition.

Pinch To Zoom? Apple didn't even invent the concept, they were just one of the first to implement it in a product.

Slide to unlock? Well, you've got me there. The fact they were able to patent something so innocuous goes to show how stupid some software patents are.

Swiping? If you're talking about using your finger to flip pages, I'd consider that yet another transition. People have been doing similar gestures since...books. Just because you're doing it on a touchscreen rather than a physical page shouldn't make it patentable.

Google: Masters of Copying, or Implementing The Obvious?

 

[koruki]

Tim Cook is a better businessman than Steve. He doesn't let emotion interfere with his decisions.

This emotional businessman saved Apple from bankruptcy and pushed it to become the worlds most valuable company in the world.

----------

If those are your examples of what Google's copied, then your argument is weak.

Scrollbar-less scrolling? I've been doing that since I got my first wheelmouse back in...99, I think? Doing the same with your finger is a natural transition.

Pinch To Zoom? Apple didn't even invent the concept, they were just one of the first to implement it in a product.

Slide to unlock? Well, you've got me there. The fact they were able to patent something so innocuous goes to show how stupid some software patents are.

Swiping? If you're talking about using your finger to flip pages, I'd consider that yet another transition. People have been doing similar gestures since...books. Just because you're doing it on a touchscreen rather than a physical page shouldn't make it patentable.

Google: Masters of Copying, or Implementing The Obvious?

Yeah doesnt that seem all very standard now that there are a few hundred million iphones roaming around. No wonder no phones before it had any of the items mentioned

 

[Renzatic]

Sweet Maria, can we move past this stupid LG Prada chestnut already?

Does this look like the iPhone to you? Yes, this is the LG Prada. Note the scroll bar.

Image

Not only did iOS look nothing like LG's Prada, but the Prada did not predate the iPhone by enough time for Apple to have copied that crap even if they wanted to.

It doesn't look exactly like it, but there are similarities. In much the same way that OS7 looks sortakinda like OSX. One's an early example, the other the latest and greatest.

I mean comeon. You can see the similarities. Not saying that Apple copied LG, rather their implementation is a natural progression thereof.

 

[ChrisTX]

Thats awesome, I didn't know Google was developing all these variations of Android. They're obviously responsible for all these devices with Android. Derp.

Obviously not, but it's still pretty stupid IMO. Android shouldn't be a selling point with appliances.

 

[Renzatic]

Yeah doesnt that seem all very standard now that there are a few hundred million iphones roaming around. No wonder no phones before it had any of the items mentioned

It's like waving bye at someone. It's a natural gesture, sure. People do it all the time with their naked hand. But doing it wearing a specific brand of gloves, and suddenly you're infringing on 5 different patents.

It's like I use my fingers to turn pages all the time. But doing the same in an ebook on an iPad is somehow a concept novel enough to patent, and any other platform that tries the same are copycats? That's dumb.

 

[AppleScruff1]

This emotional businessman saved Apple from bankruptcy and pushed it to become the worlds most valuable company in the world.

I thought Microsoft saved them from bankruptcy.

 

[Pyrrhic Victory]

At what point can we stop caring what Steve Jobs thought about every single topic under the sun? I mean sure. the guy was a great businessman and innovator, but he's dead. Some of his ideas may still be relevant but his stance on Android isn't one of them. I don't think Tim Cook or anyone else is going to wage "thermonuclear war" on Android for some foolish reason like continuing Jobs' legacy.