Chrome OS may push Google CEO off Apple's board

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You may be aware that the CEO of Google, Eric Schmidt, is currently positioned on the board of directors at Apple, helping oversee the workings of the company. You may also be aware that the search giant just announced an operating system based on their Chrome browser. You may finally be aware that Apple is well known for their iPhone device, and that Google has their Android operating system respectively, two technologies which go head to head against one another. This last fact, when tied with the fact that Google's new operating system would compete with Apple's OS X, means that Google's CEO may very well be kicked off the board of directors that he currently sits on.

Schmidt already has to excuse himself from iPhone meetings with the board, as it would conflict with the Android division of Google, however, despite this, the FTC has been investigating the link between the companies to ensure that there is no anti-trust violations. Let's take a quick review; Schmidt is currently not sitting in on iPhone meetings, after the release of Google OS chances are the same will happen with Mac OS meetings... so he's left with overseeing the iPod.

Neither company has said anything so far regarding plans with Schmidt, but no doubt something will happen closer to the release of the Chrome OS. Journalists are urging the Google CEO to resign from his position on Apple's board, with Tom Krazit saying, "If Apple's board doesn't ask you do to so, please submit your resignation so both companies can free themselves of this obvious conflict of interest, and continue to develop the amazing products and services you have been separately creating."

#1 surrealvortex on 09 Jul 2009 - 10:10

Why is he on the board in the first place? Is he a shareholder?

#2 kolp on 09 Jul 2009 - 10:17

http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2006/aug/29bod.html

(2 replies) #3 roadwarrior on 09 Jul 2009 - 10:28

Chrome OS is not designed to compete with OS X, since it it primarily going to be for netbooks, which Apple doesn't sell.

#3.1 Julius Caro on 09 Jul 2009 - 12:51

roadwarrior said,

yeah well. apple didnt sell phones either. never say never!

#3.2 +Smigit on 10 Jul 2009 - 01:51

Netbooks still compete with laptops and the software is still an operating system of some sort.

I think you would be clutching at straws to say otherwise. Netbooks and laptops are both portable computers in the end of the day with very little distinguishing them.

#4 manmohanjit1 on 09 Jul 2009 - 10:37

It is possible, but Apple is hard to take on.

(snipped)

Last edited by GreyWolfSC on 09 Jul 2009 - 14:50

(1 reply) #5 Septimus on 09 Jul 2009 - 10:38

I hope he does quit, it would be nice not to be forced to use Google/Yahoo in Safari/iPhone etc etc which is more of a possibility if the links aren't so strong.... without patches or hacking.

#5.1 geoken on 09 Jul 2009 - 16:56

Septimus said,

I wouldn't bet on Apple enabling anything Microsoft related unless it was absolutely necessary (Google board member or not).

#6 bbfc_uk on 09 Jul 2009 - 10:38

He should not be on the board of a competing company, especially since Google produces products that compete with Apple - Android vs iPhone, and now Chrome OS vs OS X.

Like the article states, its an obvious conflict of interests! But if Apple were so worried about it surely they would of ousted him by now?

#7 badblood on 09 Jul 2009 - 11:43

Oh god, if this is true, it really does seem that Apple like throwing their toys out of the pram!

Unless there is a conflict of interest, ie Chrome OS competing directly with Apple OS on PC's and laptops, I can't see why Apple don't just acknowledge this and move on. Apple are very lucky with their products as the majority of the creative media industry (web design, photogrpahy, musicians, etc) all regard Apple as the defacto standard and that isn't going to ever change. Even though the majority of the applicaitons (Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Cubase, etc) are all available on the Windows platform, that won't make those user migrate from a Mac to a Windows based PC/Workstation. And even though we have Vista on Mac's, that still didn't prompt a big migration.

#8 turk4n on 09 Jul 2009 - 12:10

Well, would be awesome if Apple creates Macnote/Macnote Pro. Which is their version of netbooks

(1 reply) #9 red77stars on 09 Jul 2009 - 12:23

Google is trying too much. They should stay and focus on what they do the best, and that's search.

#9.1 brolicboy on 09 Jul 2009 - 12:41

red77stars said,

(snipped)

What company doesnt want to take risks or expand? Everybody wants to grow at some point in life. I guess you don't.

Last edited by GreyWolfSC on 09 Jul 2009 - 14:52

(1 reply) #10 Julius Caro on 09 Jul 2009 - 12:50

"he's left overseeing the ipod"? what kind of wild ass assumption is that? considering the ipod pretty much runs on the same OS as the iphone, that would rule that out too. unless they hold super important meetings about ipods nano and shuffle, but I dont see where a google person fits in that

#10.1 roadwarrior on 09 Jul 2009 - 14:44

Only the iPod touch uses the iPhone OS. The Classic, Nano, and Shuffle don't. Also, there is no reason that he couldn't attend meetings talking about other hardware products (you know, the majority of products that Apple sells?).

(2 replies) #11 NeoandGeo on 09 Jul 2009 - 13:07

Is Apple going to create a $1,200 9" netbook in the future??

#11.1 Airlink on 09 Jul 2009 - 16:49

Yes. Yes they are.

#11.2 PsykX on 09 Jul 2009 - 22:04

$1,200 ? Even the MacBook is less expensive than that ($999 US) and it's 13-inch.

(2 replies) #12 carmatic on 09 Jul 2009 - 16:16

why dont they just release Chrome for OSX?

#12.1 toadeater on 09 Jul 2009 - 21:03

carmatic said,

Maybe they will?

#12.2 PsykX on 09 Jul 2009 - 22:04

LOL yeah, it's about time they do this...

#13 M_Lyons10 on 09 Jul 2009 - 16:26

I find this quite intriguing... Has anyone noticed that Google is getting real buddy buddy with companies, and then releasing competing products? They became real buddy buddy with Mozzilla, supporting and pushing the Firefox web browser, building their own add ons, etc. and then they released the Chrome web browser (To Mozilla's surprise if anyone remembers). They then immediately discontinued development of their products for the Firefox web browser.

Now, they got all buddy buddy with Apple, sat in on all sorts of meetings discussing who knows what about the iPhone operating system and the iPhone market itself, and then they release their own mobile phone operating system. Probably to Apple's surprise.

Meanwhile, they were sitting in on all sorts of meetings discussing who knows what about the Mac operating system, and then they turn around and announce their own operating system. Again, probably to Apple's surprise...

If I was running one of the big tech companies, I would be very concerned if Google wanted to be my friend...

(3 replies) #14 P1R4T3 on 09 Jul 2009 - 16:31

I dont think so. Chrome OS is not a full fledge OS, its designed for netbooks. So how can it compete with Mac OSX?

#14.1 Joshie on 09 Jul 2009 - 18:05

I think the concern is that there have been rumors of Apple getting into the netbook market eventually. They may not be there now, but for all anyone knows, there's a MacOS in development for netbooks as we speak.

Whatever their development process is actually like.

Probably involves unicorns and rainbows somehow.

#14.2 M_Lyons10 on 09 Jul 2009 - 18:28

P1R4T3 said,

The announcement said "Initially"...

#14.3 +Smigit on 10 Jul 2009 - 02:00

Joshie said,

I think the concern is that there have been rumors of Apple getting into the netbook market eventually.

I don't see how Apple releasing a netbook really even matters. They sell laptops which are a competing product. People get too stuck to the term "netbook" when really it's just a smaller form factor laptop anyway. It's not like theres any real standard out there defining what the differences are.

They may have started out as 8" ir so devices but now some are over 10", have dedicated graphics or whatever. Where do you draw the line between them and 12 or 13" laptops?

(3 replies) #15 Akaruz on 09 Jul 2009 - 16:50

err just a question

Why the FRACK Journalists demand him to resign ? Tom Krazit ? he's anything related to those 2 companies ?
Come on give me a break

If he didnt got booted by Steve Jobs or any Top Dog , why the heck a Journalist have to say that ? Envy ? Apple Fanboy that doesnt like to see a guy who works on Google on the Apple Sit ?

#15.1 PCBEEF on 09 Jul 2009 - 18:05

Err it's like having Steve Jobs on the Board for Microsoft. Google dominates the internet, you wouldn't want to have Google dominate a section of the OS market as well. Apple would be cutting their own throats. Google should rethink their business model. Releasing an OS for free? How do they expect to get the revenue back? You don't make an OS overnight.

#15.2 M_Lyons10 on 09 Jul 2009 - 18:31

PCBEEF said,

By bundling their services and software so that users use that. Kind of like what Microsoft did with IE and Media Player (Though now companies should all know better)...

#15.3 +Smigit on 10 Jul 2009 - 02:02

How do they expect to get the revenue back? You don't make an OS overnight.

I'm pretty sure their accounts department would have considered that by now...

#16 soldier1st on 09 Jul 2009 - 20:07

apple is garbage so what do you expect from a garbage company/products? apple should thank google instead of being dumb.

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