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Google CEO Larry Page Talks Apple, Android, Google+

Nerval's Lobster writes "Fortune magazine managed to score an exclusive interview with Google CEO Larry Page. While he doesn't reveal a whole lot about the company's future plans—CEOs are great at offering fuzzy generalities, if nothing else—he manages to reveal just a bit about the ongoing competition with Apple, the evolution of search, and monetizing mobile devices. Google's rivalry with Apple has descended into massive lawsuits, but Page doesn't exactly channel Genghis Khan when it comes to his own feelings on the issue. 'I think it would be nice if everybody would get along better and the users didn't suffer as a result of other people's activities,' he told the magazine. 'We try pretty hard to make our products be available as widely as we can. That's our philosophy. I think sometimes we're allowed to do that. Sometimes we're not.'"

17 of 136 comments (clear)

  1. Ack! PTHPPBPTH!! by bmo · · Score: 4, Funny

    "Larry Page Talks Apple, Android, Google+"?

    Gorbachev Sings Tractors: Turnip! Buttocks!

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    BMO

    1. Re:Ack! PTHPPBPTH!! by u38cg · · Score: 4, Informative
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      [FUCK BETA]
  2. Apple has a big card they have yet to play by the+computer+guy+nex · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Currently Google is pre-selected as the search engine for iOS devices. We all know Google hardly makes a dime from Android directly - they are an advertising company. Google ironically makes more money from iOS due to the higher usage of iOS devices around the world (and, in turn, more ad impressions).

    Something as simple as having the user select their search engine of choice during device setup, and having the list alphabetical (Bing, Google, Yahoo) would cause a significant revenue decline.

    If these behind-the-scenes talks with Apple and Google get worse, this will be the big sign.

    1. Re:Apple has a big card they have yet to play by ameen.ross · · Score: 3, Informative

      Look like slightly obscure sources to me.
      According to statcounter, Android had topped iOS for half a year already, with 32% and 24% market share respectively last month.

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      $(echo cm0gLXJmIC8= | base64 --decode)
    2. Re:Apple has a big card they have yet to play by thetoadwarrior · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Market share doesn't matter. iOS people use the web more. Not all android owners have a nexus or s3. They have cheap phones on cheap contracts which is why they don't surf the net much if at all and avoid paying for apps.

    3. Re:Apple has a big card they have yet to play by Nadaka · · Score: 3, Informative

      Or maybe the iphone is inefficient with its data packing. Or maybe it spies on you more than android and sends more data back to apple. Or maybe android appeals to a wider range of users, including those who don't use their phones constantly.

    4. Re:Apple has a big card they have yet to play by DragonWriter · · Score: 3, Insightful

      For every iOS device sold, there are 3 Androids. Yet the traffic for Android devices is only 50% higher than iOS? What are people doing with their android phones?

      Maybe they are more frequently doing productive things, which tend to be less bandwidth intensive than, say, exchanging party videos and streaming movies. Or maybe Android -- and apps that are popular on Android -- makes more efficient use of bandwidth; the way that Google's voice search does more on the device whereas Siri relies on backend servers for the same functionality. Or maybe -- as was especially confirmed to be a particularly bad problem in the initial release of iOS 6.0, but has been mitigated in subsequent updates -- iOS makes repeated and spurious extra requests for remote resources.

  3. Re:come on by the+computer+guy+nex · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Google is rich and powerful. If they were seriously interested in changing patent and copyright laws that stifle innovation, they would put their where their mouth is and lobby for real change. Instead they talk it when it suits them, but they know those some laws can be used to protect their profits. Ergo hypocrisy and no real change.

    Google just purchased Motorola Mobility for their patent portfolio, and is already using it aggressively vs M$ and Apple. They are playing the game, not changing it.

  4. Re:Philosophy? by DragonWriter · · Score: 4, Interesting

    It's not a philosophy at all to Google. It's a business model.

    The two are not mutually exclusive. And, actually, its not a business model; it may be either a philosophy, or the core principal of a business model, or both, but its not, in and of itself, a business model, any more than "collect underpants", by itself, is.

  5. Re:come on by Fastolfe · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So if Google stood up and said "we're not playing the patent game anymore", and got rid of all of their patents, what do you think would happen? Until the system changes, it would be kind of stupid to just sit back and get destroyed by everyone else's patent litigation. Participation doesn't mean that their primary goal isn't changing the system.

  6. Re:Philosophy? by Fastolfe · · Score: 3, Informative

    It's not a philosophy at all to Google. It's a business model. Let's call a spade a spade.

    It can be both. People don't cease to be passionate about things when they become employed.

  7. Re:come on by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Google just purchased Motorola Mobility for their patent portfolio, and is already using it aggressively vs M$ and Apple. They are playing the game, not changing it.

    You need to look at this from the cold war perspective. Neither the US nor the USSR wanted nuclear war, but it would be utterly stupid for either of them to just get rid of their nuclear weapons.

    You have to make an agreement where everyone involved weakens their arsenals simultaneously. Until that happens, you must work to increase your arsenal to higher levels than your opponents, or risk being destroyed.

    By not entering into cross-licensing agreements, Apple is essentially behaving like North Korea, as if they don't understand the concept of MAD, and just getting all the other nuclear powers angry.

  8. Re:come on by the+computer+guy+nex · · Score: 3, Interesting

    So if Google stood up and said "we're not playing the patent game anymore", and got rid of all of their patents, what do you think would happen? Until the system changes, it would be kind of stupid to just sit back and get destroyed by everyone else's patent litigation. Participation doesn't mean that their primary goal isn't changing the system.

    Most believed Google would be using the Motorola patents defensively. Instead they are using the Motorola Mobility patent portfolio to ban everything from smartphones, to tablets, to the Xbox 360.

    http://www.redorbit.com/news/technology/1112740990/motorola-microsoft-xbox-lawsuit-120312/

  9. Re:I thought Chromebook would fail by Sedated2000 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I got one of the chromebooks google shipped out for testing. I love it a lot more than I thought I would. It is the laptop I read sites/chat/watch youtube on before sleep. Very light, very quiet and it doesn't generate a lot of heat.

  10. Re:come on by Methuseus · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Some people believe that they are trying to get the whole patent system changed by making it unprofitable for anyone else. The more players lobbying to change it,t he better.

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    Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity, though I'm not yet sure about the universe. - A Einstein
  11. Re:come on by ifiwereasculptor · · Score: 5, Insightful

    How do you use a patent "defensively"? It's like a gun: virtually useless in stopping other bullets, but it can protect you in a firefight by forcing your opponent to worry about not exposing himself to your bullets, and thus adopting a less efficient offensive behaviour. Of course, if your opponent knows you're not going to shoot back, then your gun is entirely useless in aiding your survival. And Microsoft has picked on lots of Android vendors for the last two years with litigation (is it HTC that ended up having to pay them a fee for every device sold?), so I don't see your point.

  12. Re:come on by scot4875 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    That's the best link you have? One regarding the result of a case that had been pending since before Google bought Motorola? That sure doesn't lend a lot of credence to your claims.

    What specific products has Motorola (post-buyout) tried to take off the shelves?

    Seriously, try a little harder, bonch. This is just pathetic.

    --Jeremy

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    Jesus was a liberal