Apple CEO Steve Jobs and Google CEO Eric Schmidt were spotted and photographed drinking coffee Friday in Palo Alto, California.
“Photos of Schmidt and Jobs talking were snapped and sent to Gizmodo,” AppleInsider reports. “Jobs was in his trademark mock turtleneck and jeans at the cafe Calafia in the Town and Country shopping center. The establishment is owned by former Google chef Charlie Ayers.”
MacDailyNews Note: According to eyewitnesses, that’s a menu, not an iPad on the table.
AppleInsider reports, “Jobs was overheard by the photographer as saying two things: ‘They’re going to see it all eventually, so who cares how they get it,’ reportedly said about Web content. And, ‘Let’s go discuss this somewhere more private,’ after a crowd began to gather around the two. The report said that Schmidt was mostly quiet and listening while Jobs did most of the talking.”
AppleInsider reports, “‘The fact they’d meet in a neutral place like this implies, although does not prove, they chose a public place for its neutrality,’ Gizmodo’s Brian Lam wrote. ‘Or they just wanted coffee and inevitably started talking shop, albeit in public. But since when do billionaires have to step out for coffee? The only thing that adds up is that neither felt comfortable meeting at each other’s HQs, and this is the start of talks that will inevitably be tense for both sides.'”
Jobs’ familiar Mercedes-Benz SL 55 AMG was also spotted parked out front.
Full article here.
Gizmodo’s full article is here.
MacDailyNews Take: This was obviously done in public in broad daylight for a reason (to be announced at a later date). Also, the body language is fairly screaming. Who looks comfortable and who doesn’t?
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “iWill,” “Babakool,” “Michael W.,” “JMS in TX,” and “Scarbro” for the heads up.]
Talkin’ merger.
Neutral place? The territory is controlled by a guy with known ties to Eric Schmidt. There’s not telling what he slipped in SJ’s cup.
Or here’s a theory: Maybe they’re just getting COFFEE!
I heard that before the pic was shot Jobs was enjoying a Danish while Schmidt was eating crow…..
What’s up MDN, no vitriolic thoughts regarding the “mole”
Body Language tells the story. In looking at the photo of Steve Jobs talking to Eric Schmidt, Jobs looks conciliatory, while Scmidt looks downright contrite!
Yo, TowerTone,
Maybe a cucumber Danish made with corn oil margerine…
Speculation about World War III in the tech world overblown much?
Whatever the reason, I do think it was a deliberate move to meet in so public a place, to be seen and reported on.
Let’s see, Steve Jobs and Eric Schmidt hanging out outside, in front of the coffee shop… in Palo Alto!! How long did it take for the mob to gather? Definitely agree this was a photo op.
But I don’t expect Android on iPad anytime soon.
I’m no body language expert, but it does appear Jobs looks much more comfortable than Eric T. Mole
does.
Aw, Schmidt wasn’t wearing his Pink Cowpoke outfit.
I dunno about comfortable… I do know “Real Men Don’t Eat Quiche” and I don’t think they sit with their legs crossed quite like that either…
Love to see Jobs wardrobe in his closet… l bet it’s one side blue jeans, the other side, black turtlenecks, sweatshirts and tees.
“Eric, I’m super concerned about the threat to both MAC and the Googles from Micorsoft’s Bing, Windows Phone 7 and their popular, breathtaking and innovative Live initiative on the internet. What should we do?”
“Steve, you are right to be concerned. Microsoft is killing us both. I’m afraid all we can do is see what they come up with at the next Comdex and try to copy it.”
Your potential. Our passion.™
Steve appears to be asking his bud Eric “After I so courteously answered my customers emails, why do you think my magical new device is still getting such poor press?”
Also I thought Steve declared that people don’t drink coffee anymore.
I actually heard Steve say to Schmidt ” Would you like 1 lump or 2?” I think Steve is gonna give that weasel, er, I mean mole several lumps.
There is a strategic relationship between these two men and their companies that terrify others. The press has been played to put forward a narrative of discord between them. These guys know who is playing them and why. The sidewalk visit was a public chess move to disrupt the narrative.
Android never was and never will be a play in the iPhone space. It is a disruptive play against Windows Mobile to dilute the open platform developer space.
The silicon valley boys know the game, they won’t be played.
Don’t overanalyze everything, people! They were just talking about Lost.
Oh and Eric just needed to go to the toilet.
They’re talking about “Hey lets screw HTML and Java all together, lets make a new web implementation with webkit and object-c or lite-objective-c, that’ll bulldoze the bastards down. “
“Insist it has to be a public place: a bar or restaurant at the height
of the dinner hour. So I’ll feel safe. They’ll check me when I meet
them so I won’t be able to carry a weapon; but Schiller, figure out a
way to have one planted there for me.”
Ha… did you guys hear about this iAd stuff? It’s crazy…
Now here’s a worthwhile example:
Even adversaries can sit at the same table have a civilized conversation…
Eric T. Mole looks like he’s thinking “Oooohhh…shit.”
Fake photo??
Look at the reflections in the glass…
Curious.
Looks like Eric got called to the office. I wonder how many detentions Steve gave him?
“Eric you rat bastard, if only we were not in public I would shank you”.