Apple snuggles up to Google with Schmidt joining BOD

In a move that could lead to some fascinating collaboration, Apple just announced that Google CEO Eric Schmidt has joined its board of director. As the battle heats up between Google and Microsoft for online services and between Apple and Microsoft for media (not to mention computing) this is an important move that signals an alliance between the companies. Schmidt is now the eighth member of the Apple board.

Google just unveiled its first formal move towards an online office suite Sunday night. Everyone is watching to see how Apple will bring new media content online through iTunes and the company already dominates the portable media market. Could close collaboration between online giant Google and Apple hardware pose the most viable threat yet to Microsoft’s long held personal computing leadership? It certainly seems possible. Google alone is frightening enough for Microsoft. One way or the other, this could mean exciting things in the future. Granted, you’ve got to give a nod to the “Google is Evil” perspective and this budding partnership might end up being awful – we’ll see! I at least can’t help but be intrigued.