Apple's (AAPL) Jobs Talks Microsoft, Adobe and Google

In addition to calling the passing of Microsoft's (NASDAQ: MSFT) stock valuation "surreal," Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) CEO Steve Jobs touched on a wide range of topics and took a couple shots at Adobe (Nasdaq: ADBE) and Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) in an interview at The Wall Street Journal's "D: All Things Digital" conference on Tuesday.

Jobs reiterated that HTML 5 is better alternative to Flash, saying that Adobe's product is on the decline and added that consumers pay Apple to make the choice as to which software is best for its products.

In addition to the ongoing war with Adobe, Apple now faces a competition brewing from Google in the smart phone marketplace, as well as the areas of operating systems, Web browsers, video and music.

Jobs said that the competitive relationship started when they "decided to compete with us." He did say that Apple will continue its working relationship with Google, which provides search applications from the iPad and iPhone.

As far as the Web browsing market, Jobs said that his company does not really care about this due to not being a significant player in the space. He noted that Apple, as well as Google, are significantly behind the titans of the industry, Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Mozilla's Firefox.

When asked about a possible move into the television industry, Jobs said it's not easy as people are happy with their set-top boxes, and added that if you want to know how hard it is to sell consumers a box that they can otherwise get for free, just ask TiVo Inc. (Nasdaq: TIVO) and pretty soon ask Google. He noted that this "squashes" any room for innovation in the television market.

"All you can do is add a box on to the TV system," he said. "If we wanted a better TV there's no way to get it to market."

Jobs was asked if a working relationship with a cable provider could mimic the partnership that Apple has with AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) for the iPhone, he replied that the problem is that there is no national cable provider. The cable operators are too regional, which is the same problem Apple faces when moving the iPhone to other countries with different regulations.

As far as the ongoing issues with network troubles with AT&T that have results from so many iPhones and iPads on the network, Jobs said that the problem would have come up with any of the wireless providers.
Jobs did not rule out the iPhone and iPad moving to other carriers in the future, while adding that many areas in the U.S. will be seeing better service by the end of the summer.

Th iPad has been a wide ranging success for Apple in the two months following its U.S. launch, with over 2 million units sold in the first 59 days, but Jobs said that the iPad was actually the inspiration for the iPhone.
Jobs said that he was shown a prototype of a device with the multi-touch scrolling display in the early 2000s, to which he responded to by saying "My god we can build a phone out of this." So the tablet was put to the side to pave way for the creation of the now iconic iPhone.

The iPad has also been seen as a potential saving grace for the journalism industry, a benefit that Jobs sees as crucial moving forward.

"I don't want to see us descend into a nation of bloggers... I think we need editorial oversight now more than ever. Anything we can do to help newspapers find new ways of expression that will help them get paid, I am all for."

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