Because Google’s new Chrome OS would compete with Apple’s own computer software, Schmidt said on Thursday he would talk to the Mac computer maker about whether he should recuse himself from Apple’s board.
“I’ll talk to the Apple people. At the moment, there’s no issue,” Schmidt told reporters at a Sun Valley media and technology conference organized by boutique investment bank Allen & Co.
While Google and Apple compete directly or indirectly in a number of areas – the most obvious being the smartphone market – Google’s announcement this week that it will launch an operating system raised more questions about the relationship between their boards.