5 ms·

Eric Schmidt wants to set the record straight

36 points by ssclafani 16y ago

mjuhl24 16y ago
It's interesting that he downplayed the idea that Google is competing with Apple and Facebook. Does this show that most of the Google/Apple competition is fabricated by the respective fanboys?
- jacquesm 16y ago
  The competition is real enough for a board member of both companies to have to relinquish his seat.
- RickHull 16y ago
  One major area Google competes with Facebook is for talent.
- travisjeffery 16y ago
  Perhaps it's because Google is behind in the markets that they're competing with Apple and Facebook in, mobile and social, respectively. There's no doubt there's competition, they're just passive aggressive about it for the most part. Jobs was quoted as saying that Google wants to kill the iPhone -- that's pretty convincing to me. I don't think we'll see the real competition between Google and Facebook until Google unveils their social network that's been rumored.
- gwern 16y ago
  Why would he say the opposite, that they are fiercely competing with Apple and Facebook? If there aren't many reasons, then this statement is akin to the commonplace that someone stepped down to spend more time with his family. No doubt there are people who have genuinely stepped down for that reason, but nevertheless...
powrtoch 16y ago
"They managed to build an elegant, scalable, closed system. Google is attempting to do something with a completely different approach." Surprised he didn't want to clarify that...
- edge17 16y ago
  If you're familiar with both ecosystems, there's nothing to clarify. Both companies make a lot of money, Apple does so with an elegant closed system. Google does so with a janky open system. People love to argue about whats better; both of these companies win through press and exposure every time that argument happens. They've managed to recruit armies of people willing to go to battle for them at no cost.
jacquesm 16y ago
I think people are really waiting to see what Larry Page will have to say in his capacity as CEO. Maybe that will really set the record straight, Schmidt has a habit of saying lots of words without moving the needle. That's actually a good trait in a publicly traded company, the few times that he said stuff that bit it didn't do google much good. Facebook, Apple, Google, Yahoo, AOL and every other media or media related company are all in competition with each other to some extent. The arena of choice for now is 'mobile' and whoever hits the ball out of the park will be around for a long long time. For now it looks as though Apple has the lead, Google is playing catch-up, Facebook is still a wannabe but very well positioned, Yahoo and AOL have dropped the ball. Microsoft is - interestingly enough given their history - in the position of a very distant underdog but I wouldn't count them out. Time will tell.
- megaduck 16y ago
  How is Google playing catch-up? Android is the clear market share leader, and is still accelerating. According to Google's most recent numbers, Android is shipping 300,000 devices per day. While Apple has a lot of mindshare, the reality is that they're in a solid #2 position in the US, and #3 worldwide.
  - danilocampos 16y ago
    Google is playing catch up in a big way in terms of making money for themselves and developers. Apple, and iOS devs, are definitely way in the lead in terms of monetizing mobile, and Google isn't even close at this point.
  - othermaciej 16y ago
    iOS is reportedly shiping on 360,000 per day: http://www.macrumors.com/2011/01/19/highlights-of-apples-1q-2011-conference-call/ http://www.macrumors.com/2011/01/19/highlights-of-apples-1q-... That would be a greater number than 300,000. If you look at browser traffic share, either iOS has a much larger installed base, or Android users surf the Web a lot less.
Charuru 16y ago
Facebook, on the other hand, "has clearly stated they don't want to get into the search business. Facebook users tend to use Google search. Facebook's ads business does not displace our advertising. I'm somewhat perplexed by the obsession because I don't think the facts support it. Things are going great for Google." I'm not sure if this means Google still doesn't 'get' social. But I'm very disappointed to hear this...
- r00fus 16y ago
  Either they don't get it, or their external message is all you're hearing. If they're not worried about Facebook, they're silly. If Facebook reinvents search (ie, search+trust-web = social search), Google just became Yahoo.
  - de90 16y ago
    "Social search" is only good for things like business recommendations, and idle time activities (games). Why would search of informative websites need to be influenced by what friends\family like? Not saying Google doesn't need to vamp that up, but I just don't see where Facebook has an edge on Google in the realm of informative search.
    - zaidf 16y ago
      Business recommendation is where the money is in search. Google doesn't make a lot of $ when you're researching for a paper.

36 points by ssclafani 16y ago

It's interesting that he downplayed the idea that Google is competing with Apple and Facebook. Does this show that most of the Google/Apple competition is fabricated by the respective fanboys?

jacquesm 16y ago
The competition is real enough for a board member of both companies to have to relinquish his seat.
RickHull 16y ago
One major area Google competes with Facebook is for talent.
travisjeffery 16y ago
Perhaps it's because Google is behind in the markets that they're competing with Apple and Facebook in, mobile and social, respectively. There's no doubt there's competition, they're just passive aggressive about it for the most part. Jobs was quoted as saying that Google wants to kill the iPhone -- that's pretty convincing to me. I don't think we'll see the real competition between Google and Facebook until Google unveils their social network that's been rumored.
gwern 16y ago
Why would he say the opposite, that they are fiercely competing with Apple and Facebook? If there aren't many reasons, then this statement is akin to the commonplace that someone stepped down to spend more time with his family. No doubt there are people who have genuinely stepped down for that reason, but nevertheless...

powrtoch 16y ago

"They managed to build an elegant, scalable, closed system. Google is attempting to do something with a completely different approach." Surprised he didn't want to clarify that...

edge17 16y ago
If you're familiar with both ecosystems, there's nothing to clarify. Both companies make a lot of money, Apple does so with an elegant closed system. Google does so with a janky open system. People love to argue about whats better; both of these companies win through press and exposure every time that argument happens. They've managed to recruit armies of people willing to go to battle for them at no cost.

jacquesm 16y ago

I think people are really waiting to see what Larry Page will have to say in his capacity as CEO. Maybe that will really set the record straight, Schmidt has a habit of saying lots of words without moving the needle. That's actually a good trait in a publicly traded company, the few times that he said stuff that bit it didn't do google much good. Facebook, Apple, Google, Yahoo, AOL and every other media or media related company are all in competition with each other to some extent. The arena of choice for now is 'mobile' and whoever hits the ball out of the park will be around for a long long time. For now it looks as though Apple has the lead, Google is playing catch-up, Facebook is still a wannabe but very well positioned, Yahoo and AOL have dropped the ball. Microsoft is - interestingly enough given their history - in the position of a very distant underdog but I wouldn't count them out. Time will tell.

megaduck 16y ago
How is Google playing catch-up? Android is the clear market share leader, and is still accelerating. According to Google's most recent numbers, Android is shipping 300,000 devices per day. While Apple has a lot of mindshare, the reality is that they're in a solid #2 position in the US, and #3 worldwide.
- danilocampos 16y ago
  Google is playing catch up in a big way in terms of making money for themselves and developers. Apple, and iOS devs, are definitely way in the lead in terms of monetizing mobile, and Google isn't even close at this point.
- othermaciej 16y ago
  iOS is reportedly shiping on 360,000 per day: http://www.macrumors.com/2011/01/19/highlights-of-apples-1q-2011-conference-call/ http://www.macrumors.com/2011/01/19/highlights-of-apples-1q-... That would be a greater number than 300,000. If you look at browser traffic share, either iOS has a much larger installed base, or Android users surf the Web a lot less.

Charuru 16y ago

Facebook, on the other hand, "has clearly stated they don't want to get into the search business. Facebook users tend to use Google search. Facebook's ads business does not displace our advertising. I'm somewhat perplexed by the obsession because I don't think the facts support it. Things are going great for Google." I'm not sure if this means Google still doesn't 'get' social. But I'm very disappointed to hear this...

r00fus 16y ago
Either they don't get it, or their external message is all you're hearing. If they're not worried about Facebook, they're silly. If Facebook reinvents search (ie, search+trust-web = social search), Google just became Yahoo.
- de90 16y ago
  "Social search" is only good for things like business recommendations, and idle time activities (games). Why would search of informative websites need to be influenced by what friends\family like? Not saying Google doesn't need to vamp that up, but I just don't see where Facebook has an edge on Google in the realm of informative search.
  - zaidf 16y ago
    Business recommendation is where the money is in search. Google doesn't make a lot of $ when you're researching for a paper.