Wow. That would be nuts. Google and Apple are two of them most diametrically opposed companies out there, and I think it's worked out amazingly for the marketplace. I don't really like Apple much (though I used to be a bit of a fanboy), but I think their existence and stance on things has pushed Google to do a lot of things they otherwise wouldn't have. And Google has in turn pushed Apple in the same way, which then pushed Google more. Hopefully this cycle will continue for a long time.

What's happening now is what could have (maybe should have?) happened in the '90s, had Microsoft not become so insanely dominant. As much as I prefer Android, I think nothing would be worse for the platform than if it became as dominant on mobiles as Windows is on PCs. The existence (and popularity) of iOS means that Android will continually have to get better and better. And that's just wonderful.

So thank God this didn't happen. The world needs a Steve Jobs - a focused and determined man who has to have things done exactly right, and exactly his way (which may make him a bit of an arrogant prick, but I digress) - and an Eric Schmidt - someone who is willing to push the boundaries quickly, even if things aren't always perfect. Put the two at the heads of competing companies, and we have the insanely quick pace of innovation that we have today.

Thanks, Steve, for saying "No."