[Infowarrior] - Google Chief Resigns as Apple Director

[Richard Forno]

  Google Chief Resigns as Apple Director

By JACK HEALY
Published: August 3, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/04/technology/companies/04apple.html?hp

In a sign that two longtime allies in the computer world are beginning  
to compete for more business, the computer maker Apple announced on  
Monday that Eric Schmidt, chief executive of Google, was stepping down  
from its board.

Apple cited “potential conflicts of interest” as Google makes a play  
into the market for computer operating systems.

Mr. Schmidt had been on Apple’s board since August 2006, but Apple’s  
chief executive Steven P. Jobs said in a statement that Mr. Schmidt’s  
position would have been “significantly diminished” because he would  
have been forced to recuse himself from more of the meetings as Google  
and Apple began to compete head to head.

Apple said Mr. Schmidt’s resignation was a mutual decision, a  
statement echoed by Mr. Schmidt.

“I have very much enjoyed my time on the Apple board,” Mr. Schmidt  
said in a statement. “It’s a fantastic company. But as Apple explained  
today we’ve agreed it makes sense for me to step down now.”

Last month, Google said it was developing an operating system for  
personal computers based on its Chrome browser, a move that  
effectively started a foray into Apple’s core business, and would also  
compete against Microsoft’s Windows operating system.