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Video: Steve Jobs biographer takes back Apple criticism after calling Google more innovative

Published Jan 31st, 2014 5:30PM EST
Walter Isaacson Interview Apple

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Walter Isaacson, who is best known for writing the authoritative biography of Steve Jobs, is walking back some of his criticisms of Apple. A couple of weeks ago, Isaacson said that Google had taken over Apple’s role as the tech world’s biggest innovator and suggested that Apple would have already released another game-changing product by now if Jobs were still the CEO.

“Steve Jobs was a disruptor,” Isaacson said at the time. “I think that now Tim Cook has done this big thing in China, he’s got two things to do now: take over the company … In the late February shareholders meeting, they probably have to start thinking about who should be on the board next. This board is all Steve Jobs’ people. They aren’t exactly the Tim Cook fan club. Second, he’s got to say ‘What am I going to disrupt? Is it going to be wearables? Is it going to be a watch? Is it going to be TV?’ We ought to see, in 2014, Apple do something huge.”

Now, however, 9to5Mac has spotted an interview that Isaacson did with Bloomberg TV this week in which he says that while Google is a very innovative company, “innovation ain’t everything.” Instead, Isaacson says that execution is more important and that Apple still executes its products better than any other company around.

The video of Isaacson’s interview is posted below.

Brad Reed
Brad Reed Staff Writer

Brad Reed has written about technology for over eight years at BGR.com and Network World. Prior to that, he wrote freelance stories for political publications such as AlterNet and the American Prospect. He has a Master's Degree in Business and Economics Journalism from Boston University.