Do you know how Android got here?

Andy Rubin's nickname at Apple: Android
"Father of Android" Rubin (Andy Rubin)

Last June, Robert Scobb, a famous American technology blogger and Technology Disseminator, Scoble that Rubin was about to leave Google for a start-up team called Cloudcar. But soon Rubin responded that Cloudcar was a friend of the entrepreneurial program, and he just offered free office space. "I don't have any plans to leave Google," Rubin said. ”

Now Rubin has not left Google, but is no longer responsible for Android development. What will happen in the future, do not know.

What we don't know is more: The Verge, because it's so obsessed with robots, Android is actually a nickname that his colleagues gave him during his work at Apple. That was 1989.

Rubin also seemed to like the nickname. He later purchased android.com as the domain name for his personal site, which has been in use since 2004 to 2008 years. As Rubin joins Google,android.com into Android's home base.

If you have a snapshot of Google pages, you can also see the andorid.com of the year, the following pictures from the stray Pixels-

In 2004, Rubin bought the domain name, and android.com was his personal website. The first link on the page is connected to Danger's home page. At the time, Rubin was Danger's CEO.

In the May 2004, Android.com suddenly appeared as a metal portrait, with a deep sci-fi look. Maybe Android was a company at the time, but it was in an undisclosed state. After that, the metal portrait appears sometimes and does not appear.

June 2004, Metal Portrait Return, click, there will be a cartoon, describing the story of the Ants Quarrel, the end of a humorous "a lazy ant, destroying the entire Earth's ecology." ”。

April 11, 2005, Android.com appeared three maps marked the location, one is Seattle, one is Boston, the other is Palo Alto. The picture is of unknown significance.

Later, someone speculated on the meaning behind the map: Danger's company was headquartered in Palo Alto, and the company later cooperated with T. The latter company is in Bellevue, 10 kilometers away from Seattle. And another Android founder, Rich Minner, was in Boston.

And looking back at Android's history, this picture may have another meaning. Android was set up in Palo Alto, where the co-founders included Rich Minner, Nick Sears from T, and Chris White.

December 10, 2005, the mysterious map disappeared, android.com back to normal. What's changed is that Arubin@robot.net's e-mail address appears at the top of the page. But on the network, can not find robot.net information. It could be smoke bombs, and then we all know that Google bought Android 2005 years ago.

In 2008, Android.com became the official website of the OHA (Mobile-Open Alliance). With an open strategy against IOS. Now, with 750 million phones using Android and 25 billion downloads, that's what Rubin's exploits are all about.

"I like to work with Andy because he has the ability to do things that seem impossible," says Urs Hölzle, vice president of infrastructure at Google. He is very talented and very active. I'm not sure anyone else can make Android. ”

The problem is that Android can make a face for Google, but there's no way to bring more benefits. Some people say that Microsoft may make more on Android than Google because of royalties. Last year's news was that Google's revenues on the IOS platform exceeded its revenues on the Android platform.

"Andy is a solo artist who likes to move in one direction and ignore the other people's glances," he said. "When Android grows to a point where it needs more complementarity and cooperation, both internally and externally, he starts to get frustrated and powerless to manage such a business," said a senior mobile industry official with Rubin. Android has grown to the point where Andy is out of control and, to be honest, I don't think he knows the next direction. ”

Is Rubin a good place to play, but not a man to keep his own land?

Four years after Rubin and his companions founded Danger, the board appointed Hank Nothhaft as the CEO of the company. He spoke with approval of the board's arrangement, but soon left the company to start again. Others could see that Rubin was resentful.

He was often exhausted, but he did a lot of work unconsciously. "I've seen him work all night and seem to be on the verge of collapse, but the next morning he was in a clean white shirt, ready for an interview or business meeting," said one former Danger with Rubin. ”

Danger produced by the SideKick popular in Silicon Valley, which is a product beyond the times, but in business, but failed. The reason the board wants to find another person as CEO is also very good. Danger early investor Joanna Rees said, "We have a very clear plan, Andy is very helpful in landing." Was at the stage of execution. Products have been innovative. And so we introduced hank--because he knew how to reach a bigger deal and get bigger partners. As Ceo,hank let the company forward a steadfast step forward. ”

Soon after, Rubin left the company to start again. Rees said, "I remember saying, ' He won't stay here long. ’”

2005, Google secretly bought Andorid. In Google's "troika", only Larry Page appreciates Rubin's idea that the open handset operating system, led by Google, and the rising global movement, will give the power of mobile phone innovation no longer a mediocre and boring thing.

Rubin, who was a newcomer, was surprised by the relaxed atmosphere inside Google, who said Steve Levy, author of the Plex, that he "found Google crazy". His limited-edition German car, by Google's standards, is too ostentatious.

Android has grown by leaps and bounds over the years in Google. But Rubin's prized OHA (the open-cell-phone coalition) began with a massive effort to integrate manufacturers, carriers, and promote Android handsets, but soon it became "something behind the scenes", with Huaiguitai handset makers making Android fragmented. Another Andorid Update Alliance's performance is very general.

After leaving Android, what is Rubin going to do next? Page wants him to bring a "rise to the Moon", combined with the personality he likes to invent things, Google X may be a good place.

Another possibility: Rubin will be tempted to start again. (Chen Yibin)