Steve Jobs Reaction to Google TV - Tepid at Best

written by: Richard Kastelein

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Published on Wednesday, 02 June 2010 10:19

All Things Digital has published an interview with Apple's Steve Jobs yesterday from the The Wall Street Journal’s D8 Conference which contained a few interesting nuggets from the cranium of Jobs on Google TV and the future of TV in general.

7:54PM Q: Hi, I'm from Hillcrest Labs... do you think it's time to throw out the interface for TV? When will Apple do something there?

A: The problem with innovation in the TV industry is the go to market strategy. The TV industry has a subsidized model that gives everyone a set top box for free. So no one wants to buy a box. Ask TiVo, ask Roku, ask us... ask Google in a few months.

7:56PM Steve: So all you can do is ADD a box to the TV. You just end up with a table full of remotes, a cluster of boxes... and that's what we have today. The only way that's going to change is if you tear up the set top box, give it a new UI, and get it in front of consumers in a way they're going to want it. The TV is going to lose in our eyes until there is a better go to market strategy... otherwise you're just making another TiVo.

7:57PM Q: In the phone area you were able to partner with a carrier... would you do that with TV?

A: Well then there's a problem, providers are local... it's a Tower of Babel problem...

Kara: Everyone, Steve Jobs!

7:58PM And that's that! Time for dinner! Thanks for reading!

The weird thing is here - is Google IS partnered with Sony. And Will likely get into bed with Samsung (according to the Korean Herald) and possibly other TV and Consumer Electronics (CE) players.

They are doing a dual STB and Connected TV play. Which totally makes sense. Because if Google can get the ergonomics down and can get the convergence nailed right, every "Joe Bloe" who sees it in action on his friend's new Google connected TV does not have to buy a whole new set - he can simply get the box.

I don't get it? And this somewhat discredits the recent leak on a new Apple TV by Engadget somewhat. Jobs says Apple TV is still a 'hobby'.