Mobile Computing News

Photo: Matthew Yohe / Wikimedia Commons

Apple CEO Steve Jobs was the guest of honour at this year’s All Things Digital conference – D8 for short since it is the eighth such event – giving a lengthy interview with Walt Mossberg and then briefly taking questions from the audience thereafter. Given Apple’s recent history, it’s no surprise he had a few tasty soundbites on everything from Google Android, to AT&T and even Adobe Flash.

On Google and Android

Mossberg asked Jobs if he felt Eric Schmidt and Google entering the smartphone business was a form of betrayal to that relationship to which Jobs responded, ‘My sex life is pretty good’, drawing huge laughs from the crowd. Clearly Apple’s growing conflict with Google is a sore point for Steve Jobs who, one imagines, formed a very close relationship with Eric Schmidt while Schmidt was on the Apple board. Steve’s answer deflects the Google Android question somewhat, but we get the sentiment.

On AT&T

Photo: AT&T

Many have felt that AT&T and its struggling network were one of the only areas where the iPhone was not stellar in the US, to which Jobs gave two vastly differing opinions. He first acknowledged that ‘AT&T took a big leap’ for Apple in supporting them when it was unclear if Apple could crack into the smartphone market at all. But in answering an audience question regarding the inability to make calls, Jobs joked it gets worse before it gets better and, judging by the current situation, it should get a whole lot better soon. Stinging? You bet.

On Adobe Flash

When asked about Adobe Flash, Jobs responded by saying Apple has always been in favour of technologies on the up, implying Flash as a platform was not that. He said: ‘Flash looks like it had its day but it’s waning, and HTML5 looks like it’s coming up.’ People thought the omission of Flash in favour of HTML5 would hold Apple back, but Jobs pretty much squashed those fears, saying the company was selling an iPad every three seconds since the launch of device. Remarkable.

Circles, circles, circles

Photo: Apple

What came across in this interview with Mossberg was that Jobs and Apple try concern themselves as little as possible with what the competition do, and rather focus on making the best possible product. Apple is winning with the iPhone, but Google Android has clearly become a legitimate competitor. AT&T were a great enabler, but the time for bad service appears to be coming to an end. And the omission of Adobe Flash is clearly not slowing iPad sales. Like the strategy or not, to Jobs credit, this all seems very good for business.