Google and Apple

New York Times has an interesting article about the evolution of Google's relationship with Apple. If three years ago Google was an important partner for Apple, Android's launch and its growing popularity eroded the relationship.

"In the last six months, Apple and Google have jousted over acquisitions, patents, directors, advisers and iPhone applications. This month, Apple sued HTC, the Taiwanese maker of mobile phones that run Google's Android operating system, contending that HTC had violated iPhone patents. The move was widely seen as the beginning of a legal assault by Apple on Google itself, as well as an attempt to slow Google's plans to extend its dominion to mobile devices."

While Steve Jobs, Apple's visionary CEO, says that "Google wants to kill the iPhone" and "<<Don't be evil>> is a load of crap", Google's co-founders "spoke very openly about their admiration for Jobs and how he's a role model for them." It's an interesting antithesis between Apple and Google that goes beyond the openness of the mobile ecosystem: for Google, the process is more important than the results. Android's goal is to "get mobile OS development moving more rapidly" and that's not a selfish ambition.

This quote is meaningful:

"People close to the company say [that Larry Page and Sergey Brin] are disappointed that the relationship with Apple has soured. Still, they and other Google executives see the company's push to open up the industry and to succeed in mobile computing as too important to sacrifice just to placate Mr. Jobs."

Google doesn't want to "kill the iPhone", it only wants to push things forward.