Larry Page is a busy man. The Google CEO wants his company moving quickly and decisively. That, in turn, means eliminating the plodding exchanges fostered by Gmail.com. Who invented that thing, anyway?

"He does not much like e-mail," the New York Times says of Page today, "even his own Gmail, saying the tedious back-and-forth takes too long to solve problems... He has put his personal imprint on the corporate culture, from discouraging excessive use of e-mail to embracing quick, unilateral decision-making."

But, hey, maybe we're setting up a straw man here. Gmail has always been one communication tool among many, alongside Gchat, phone calls, and face to face meetings. No one ever suggested Gmail was built to solve all communications needs, right? Actually, "Gmail solves all of my communication needs" is a direct quote from the Gmail launch press release. It was attributed to one Larry Page. Apparently he's walking that one back!

[Photo of Page via Getty Images]