People have been speculating on an Apple-Google merger ever since Google CEO Eric Schmidt joined Apple's board of directors in August of 2006. The most recent speculation comes as more of an aside, in New York Magazine's excellent cover story on Steve Jobs, understatedly entitled, "iGod." But an Apple-Googel merger deserves more than an aside. So here's one outrageously far-fetched (or insanely great) wedding plan:
This perfect union will be entirely consensual, and out of a biological imperative in the DNAs of both companies to bring forth the most beautiful and brilliant progeny the world has ever seen. Google and Apple don't just complete one another. A full blown DNA mash-up creates something exponentially more powerful than the sum of its parts.
Apple has elegance and taste (even Bill says so). They make the best and most lickable software on the planet, including the prettiest and one of the safest operating systems. But they sell OS X to an infinitesimal market. Google is the Yang to Apple's Yin (not to be confused with Yahoo, whose Jerry Yang has nothing to do with any of this). Google is all about reach. With an ever increasing dominance over the technology that actually matters, Google will soon marginalize Microsoft out of our consciousness, if not fully out of existence. But Google makes some pretty unpretty software. Can you imagine if Google's web apps looked as cool as Apple's sweet iLife suite. And if Google Gears allowed you to work seamlessly on these apps from the desktop, phonetop or web? You'd probably want a single, unified operating system, one with great security features, to tie that all together. Hmmmmm . . .
Okay, so we all know that OS X could run on a Dell, iGod willing. That "whole banana" spin has appeal, but don't be tripped up by it. They could put OS X on a Dell tomorrow. And the thing already screams on Intel hardware and is only getting faster.
Rumors of a GoogleOS have been slipping around the Net for years. But nobody wants a butt-ugly OS. With the marriage to Apple, they'd have the sexiest mainstream OS on the planet. And they could probably offer it for free on every PC sold. How? Microsoft charges a licensing fee for its crummy OS. Why wouldn't Apple-Google need to charge for OS X? Because they have Google's revenue model built around advertising and CRM. Think Dell would like to sell a computer with a free OS instead of paying Microsoft? How about HP? IBM? Of course, Apple could continue making computers for the BMW and Mercedes set -- people willing to pay more for style and fit. But I don't think that would last long. Even the most devout Mac-heads, myself included, would be unable to resist a $400 desktop Mac, or a tiny, Flybook sub-notebook.
The death of Apple's "Computer" hardware business (dead already, in name) would allow them instead to focus on embedding that amazing little OS into a new generation of consumer electronics. They could design insanely great hardware prototypes for Google and Intel to use as reference platforms, but let the other guys worry about the tiny margin hardware game. License the OS to everyone. For free. Sony. Panasonic. Phillips. Sanyo. Hell, you could even license it to Nokia and Motorola for use in their phones! Because it isn't about hardware. It's about reach. And advertising. And world dominance in every arena that isn't hardware.
Apple and Google, when are you going to get married already and start making babies? We're not getting any younger and would like to play with the kids and grandchildren while we still can.
One More Thing
