“At a leadership seminar in California Friday, Motorola CEO Ed Zander talked about his role in rebuilding the phone maker’s brand. But when answering a question from the audience about the iPod Nano, Zander apparently lost his cool saying, ‘Screw the Nano. What the hell does the Nano do? Who listens to 1,000 songs?’ Motorola, however, has fired back and claims IDG News Service, which first reported the outburst, is taking the comment completely out of context. Company officials say Zander was smiling and joking when he responded to the question, and he did praise Apple and its iPod,” Nate Mook reports for BetaNews. “‘Motorola has a great partnership with Apple. Unfortunately Ed Zander’s comments, made at a conference in California on Friday, were taken out of context,’ Motorola said in a statement.”
Full article here.
Motorola. It never ends. You can take the clowns out of the circus, but you can’t take the circus out of the clowns. Next time, instead of making jokes, how ’bout making an iTunes mobile phone that people actually want to buy? What, no laughs from the Moto boardroom for that one? Hey, lighten up guys, we were just joking.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Motorola’s next-gen RAZR2 to sport Apple iTunes software – September 26, 2005
Motorola CEO Ed Zander on Apple iPod nano: ‘Screw the nano’ – September 26, 2005
Cingular partnering with Apple to launch iTunes direct-to-phone music download service in 2006? – September 22, 2005
Fortune’s Lewis: Apple iTunes software the only cute thing about Motorola’s ROKR mobile phone – September 21, 2005
Consumer Reports: Apple’s iPod nano ‘sizzles,’ Motorola ROKR mobile phone ‘fizzles’ – September 21, 2005
BBC: Motorola ROKR iTunes mobile phone design ‘feels like yesterday’s phone by UK standards’ – September 17, 2005
Hands on review of Motorola ROKR Apple iTunes mobile phone – September 12, 2005
Motorola ROKR iTunes-enabled mobile phone greeted with cool response – September 12, 2005
If Apple isn’t working on their own iPhone, they’re making a stupid mistake – September 12, 2005
Music phones pose no threat to Apple iPod – September 09, 2005
Does Apple need a mobile phone of its own design? – September 09, 2005
USA Today: Motorola ROKR iTunes mobile phone provides ‘snazzy’ first impression – September 08, 2005
NYT’s Pogue: Motorola ROKR iTunes phone ‘great-sounding, reasonably priced and a lot of fun’ – September 08, 2005
Tech pundit Enderle: ‘iPod Nano is a hit,’ Motorola ROKR ‘simply doesn’t have enough Apple in it’ – September 07, 2005
Video of Steve Jobs introducing iPod nano, ROKR iTunes phone now available online – September 07, 2005
Apple announces Motorola ROKR iTunes phone, Cingular partnership, iTunes 5 – September 07, 2005
Apple, Motorola & Cingular debut world’s first iTunes mobile phone – September 07, 2005
Motorola ROKR Apple iTunes mobile phone availability dates for Europe, North America, and Asia – September 07, 2005
Steve called Zander and said one word.
Nokia.
“Next time, instead of making jokes, how ’bout making an iTunes mobile phone that people actually want to buy?”
Ah, caustic, yet surprisingly tart with more than a subtle hint of harsh bite. I like. No, actually, I love.
Thanks, MDN for being MDN!
Come one Zen, Your main competitor is no ipod Nano, but Nokia and other handphone who plays MP3. Stay calm.
Err, the ROKR is a joke. And not all that funny.
Just because something is a nano doesn’t mean it doesn’t have feeling either!!!
So many are complaining about this poor phone all the time. Sure it’s not the greatest but who would expect it to be without an Apple logo on it? Look at the good side, Apple is willing to license fairplay to someone and possibly get the ball rolling on other devices. It’s just a start and perhaps they wanted to see how the market reacted to this before going further with it.
“how ’bout making an iTunes mobile phone that people actually want to buy?” Did MDN forget the RAZR is coming out with iTunes capability? A little behind the times, aren’t we?…
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1035_22-5575567.html
I think the guys at motorola are not used to people actually caring about and listening to what they say – at least not on this scale.
Arg, posted wron link. But various pictures of the RAZR 2 have come out.
http://www.phonescoop.com/articles/moto_2005_07/index.php?p=rp
I’m so glad Motorola doesn’t “get” why people would want 1000 portable songs.
screw motorola. GO APPLE PHONE
Isstick Moto’s vibratnn fonies upsmyaccess then callsmyself.
Just kidding, I’m smiling here SEE SEE 😀 😀 😀
Zander is an o.k. guy. His remarks whether serious or not come at a time when there is a lot of flak surrounding the impossibly thin Nano and its ability to survive pockets. If bending cases and scratching screents are issues, it needs to be redesigned pronto. Apple might just have to part with some cash for an exchange program for early buyers.
Until the issues are resolved I wouldn’t buy one, and I am sure I am not alone. A more robust model with Firewire would be worth more. Even if made slightly larger. No Firewire is a show stopper for me.
So my preference would be for the full size iPod (soon to be updated?)with the storage capacity needed to back up files. Music is but one of many uses for the storage capacity. But really, given the xD cards I use in my Olympus cameras, which come in 1 Gig sizes, why not have an iPod with removable cards???? If flash storage is the in thing, then why not interchangable parts?
Perhaps the reason Apple wanted to wait for the Moto phone announcement is to place it with the nano because the moto phone doesn’t havethe same design sensibilities of an Apple product and Steve standing on the stage with just the Moto in his hand would have frankly been a significant let down. I don’t think Moto fully appreciates the total package. If they did they would have announced the Razr vs Rokr with iTunes first. I’m sure Moto’s brilliant marketing dept wanted to roll out using the “cool” naming convention for the phone. Smart marketing was to surround the announcements with music – all music. Yes, the nano blew away the Rokr because it’s form & function. Apple gets it – Moto is still learning.
goodbye moto