Eric Schmidt is saying goodbye to Apple:
SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) – Google chief executive Eric Schmidt resigned Monday from the board of Apple due to potential conflicts of interest as the two tech giants increasingly become rivals.
“Eric has been an excellent board member for Apple, investing his valuable time, talent, passion and wisdom to help make Apple successful,” said a statement from Apple chief executive Steve Jobs.
Schmidt, who had been a member of the board since August 2006, could not function effectively with Google entering more of Apple's core businesses, such as the smart phone and personal computer operating system markets, said Jobs.
This move should have happened weeks, perhaps even months, ago. It's about time Apple bid farewell to Schmidt. The Monster of Mountain View is or will soon be competing against most of Apple's products (the iPhone? Android. Mac? Chrome. Safari? Chrome).
Don't be surprised if at some point Google tries to launch GoogleTunes and partners with some lowly digital music manufacturer to create a would-be iPod rival. Google is gaming to compete with everybody in the hope that it will be able to own the digital experience for at least a hefty percentage of consumers. The whole world is probably out of reach, though it can be done… ask John D. Rockefeller.