Apple Board’s Search Ends With Google CEO

Google Inc. Chief Executive Eric Schmidt is joining Apple Computer Inc.’s board of directors, the computer maker said Tuesday, creating a close tie between two iconic Silicon Valley companies.

The addition of Schmidt brings the number of board members to eight, including Steve Jobs, Apple’s co-founder and CEO, and former U.S. Vice President Al Gore.

Schmidt was elected Tuesday, a spokesman for Cupertino-based Apple said. He also sits on the board of Mountain View-based Google and Princeton University’s board of trustees.

“Apple is one of the companies in the world that I most admire,” Schmidt said in a statement. “I’m really looking forward to working with Steve [Jobs] and Apple’s board to help with all of the amazing things Apple is doing.”

Schmidt joined the Web search leader from software maker Novell Inc., where he was chairman and CEO. Previously, he was chief technology officer at Sun Microsystems Inc. In the early 1980s, he worked at Xerox’s Palo Alto Research Center, Bell Labs and chip maker Zilog.

Other Apple directors include the heads of Intuit Inc., J. Crew Group Inc. and Genentech Inc.