Increasingly, Apple and Google are becoming business rivals rather than partners. One of the more intriguing battles to come may be between the cultists who worship at the feet of each technology company.
Anyone who writes for the Web has experienced the kind of comment-storm that arises anytime they say anything remotely critical of Apple. I've certainly been victimized by that numerous times in the past. It's a well-known phenomena. Not as well-known, though, is that Google also has a sizable cohort of true believers, even if they aren't as fervent as the Apple faithful.
The signs of low-level warfare between Apple and Google are everywhere. Apple wouldn't let the Google Voice App into its App Store, for example, and soon after that Eric Schmidt, Google CEO, resigned as a member of Apple's board of directors. True, there were other reasons behind that resignation, but the increasing tension between Apple and Google certainly contributed to it.
In addition, Google's Android operating system for mobile devices certainly isn't sitting well with Apple, considering that the new operating system is aimed straight at the iPhone. Then there's the potential for rivalry between iTunes and YouTube, Gmail and Mail.app, and plenty of other services as well.
How will the faithful react to the rivalry, which may ultimately turn bitter? For the moment, it's too soon to tell, although my guess will be that Apple's fans will be far more vocal and vociferous than Google's. Apple can lay its success, at least in part, to the passion with which its fans believe in its technology. So I fully expect the Apple true believers to begin targeting anyone who praises Google at the expense of Apple. I'm not quite as sure about Google's fans, though. They certainly haven't been as vociferous as Apple's in the past. It's also harder to become emotionally attached to a Web site than it is to a beautiful piece of hardware.
Eventually, I expect that Apple fans will begin targeting Google, although not with the same passion that they deride those who favor Windows. That hasn't happened yet, but as the business battle between Apple and Google heats up, it's most likely only a matter of time.
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