“Nokia CEO Stephen Elop said rumors that Nokia was for sale were ‘baseless,’ amidst reports that the struggling handset maker’s Chief Technology Officer has taken an indefinite leave of absence because Nokia is replacing its MeeGo project with Windows Phone,” Sara Yin reports for PC Magazine.
“Nokia CTO Richard Green was taking an indefinite leave of absence for ‘personal reasons.’ Henry Tirri, head of Nokia Research Center, will act in his place,” Yin reports. “The Next Web cites two sources saying that Green will be away at least until the end of the year, and probably won’t return to Nokia afterwards… A Finnish newspaper cited in The New York Times reported that Green was unhappy about Nokia’s reported plans to phase out the MeeGo smartphone platform, now that Nokia has partnered with Microsoft to bring Windows Phone 7 to Nokia handsets.”
Yin reports, “During Elop’s keynote at the Open Mobile Summit, he also credited Apple for giving birth to its biggest rival, Android: ‘Apple created Android, or at least it created the conditions necessary to create Android. People decided they could not play in the Apple way, and they had to do something else. Then Google stepped in there and created Android…and others jumped on the Android train.'”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: “You know, I brought you in this world, and I can take you out.” – Bill Cosby
Bill Cosby loved this phrase from romanticism classics http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taras_Bulba
Wow, and I thought I was the only person who ever saw Yul Brynner and Tony Curtis in Taras Bulba.
At least we know that Elop is smart enough to recognize how Android gained its success.
Yes, but by default he’s admitting that no one wanted to jump on the WinMo train, HPalm train, Meego train, Symbian train or the Nokia train.
And they still don’t.
Great take, MDN.
I second that!
Apple did create Android if you want to think of it in a Apple created Windows kind of way.
Apple made the original masterpiece and others painted from a photo of that masterpiece in Architect Digest.
Apple created a vacuum behind it, and Android drafted its way in.
Will the anti-Apple whining ever cease???? Grow up Elop. This is the 21st century. Either contribute in a way that benefits 21st century consumers, or STFU. BTW…attempting to dance with Microsoft is perilous, at best.
Well said!!
Elop said, ‘Apple created Android, or at least it created the conditions necessary to create Android. People decided they could not play in the Apple way, and they had to do something else.”
What he forgets is that Nokia had something else too. Can it also be said then that, “‘Nokia created MeeGo (or was it something else?), or at least it created the conditions necessary to create Android. People decided they could not play in the Nokia way, and they had to do something else.
Elop’s only goal is to eventually drive Nokia into the arms of MS. He is a double agent working for MS. Poor Nokia, so naive.
Like dancing with an elephant.
Or a monkey
“People decided they could not play in the Apple way, and they had to do something else.”
That is not what happened. Google enviously decided to steal some of Apple’s genius. An AT&T rep told me yesterday, if Androids were being given away cheap or free, they wouldn’t be activating any.
“An AT&T rep told me yesterday, if Androids were being given away cheap or free, they wouldn’t be activating any.”
Surely you mean unless not if.
Perhaps he meant to say weren’t and not were.
Yeah, sorry. What I meant: “if Androids weren’t cheap or free, they wouldn’t be activating any.” Recomposed the sentence in the middle of writing it.
I don’t always preafrood my posts.
So, it is substantiated once again that without Apple laying out the groundwork, Google would never would have had any idea how to take the smartphone to the next level. Google is just another one trick pony like Dell – one original thought and back to sleep they go. I heard a woman recently going on and on about her son working at Google and about all the great benefits they have. Never once did I hear her talk about any great product. How exciting to work at a company where the best thing you can say about them is that they provide free meals. The homeless shelter does that for crying out loud!
He has it wrong, Nokia and Microsoft created Android! Apple was innovative and gave the world a usable and enjoyable phone that showed how useless the existing (and current) Nokia and Microsoft based phones were/are. Android followed Apples lead but Nokia and Microsoft could not get their act together and compete or even copy and innovative leader!
Android was coming regardless of Apple or Nokia. Pre-iPhone builds of Android were BlackBerry clones. Google has made a very technically sound mobile OS but clearly lacks in terms of UI innovation. The iPhone came out and made all other phones immediately seem antiquated. Android didn’t have an existing user base, so they were able to morph their UI the quickest to copy Apple’s lead. Seeing that Nokia and Microsoft move at glacial speeds, OEM vendors had no choice but get on the Android train or simply be steamrolled by the iPhone. The fact that Android was free didn’t exactly hurt it’s adoption rate either.
No, Apple wouldn’t let Motorola, Nokia, etc use iOS, and they immediately saw the writing on the wall – build a touch screen smartphone or die.
Google just happened to be the first to release a reasonable competitor, and it had a great price for the device makers. What remains to be seen is what the long-term costs to the makers really are once all the patent issues surrounding Android get resolved.
wow he really does not know his history or is just ‘simplifying’ the whole thing.
Android was started back in 2003. Android Inc. was founded by ex Danger guys.
Google bought Android Inc. in 2005. I do not know what state android was in back then, but I’m sure that at least some changes were made with the information likely provided to Google from when Eric was on the BOD at Apple.
As Steve (above) comments, when Google acquired Android, that system was styled to be a BlackBerry clone. Eric “Weasel Spy” Schmidt tipped off Google in time to put a total remake on the Android project.
I’ll have to dig for some old screenshots, would love to see what it originally looked like.
Brings to mind that Arnold Schwarzenegger movie “Twins”.
Elop is right- do it the Apples way:
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Or
Do something else- Android, Megoo….
Danny Devito
Yup, nailed that one right on top of the nailhead- Elop. Although, you may have let the truth out with that Freudian slip.
Android and Google didn’t have squat in terms of iOS type UI. Until the mole saw what was happening and fast track Android to copy Apple iOS.
meanwhile – Windows 7 phones are now on sale for just 1 cent ($0.01 plus two year contract) for the month of June!
http://www.electronista.com/articles/11/06/09/promotion.aims.at.gaining.market.share/
talk about sheer desperation. boy Nokia is sure going to make a lot of money selling WP7 phones! oh yeah.
And we should listen to Elop on this subject, why, exactly?
I can’t tell you exactly, but I can tell you generally.
Google needed a mobile OS host for its identity-sucking ad network and saw a cherry opportunity in Apple’s exclusivity agreement with AT&T. Once the iOS UI was known, Google changed the course of its smartphone development, “appropriated” Android and crafted the turd as a free alternative to desperate manufacturers and carriers.
Elop’s characterization of Android’s creation is about as well thought-out as you’d expect from a former Microshill.
Eric the mole stole ip from apple when he was on apples board.
The biggest fuck up for steve jobs in 20 hrs was getting that guy on the apple board.
Eric had access to the inner sanctum of apple and hence the iPhone ripoff from google was born.
Steve jobs eventually realised but it was too late – the damage had been done.
Without this happening google wouldn’t have created android.
I always tell the Fandroid idiots that if they love Android, they should thank Steve Jobs.
Before iPhone, Android looked like a BlackBerry. After iPhone, they stopped copying RIM and copied Apple.
So they should thank Steve Jobs.
Here’s that first android phone – about six months after iPhones were on the market.
http://m.gizmodo.com/334909/google-android-prototype-in-the-wild
My how quickly the PRESS and Fandroids forget. The idiots that brag about Android being in dev back in 2005 conveniently forget that it never even looked closed to what was released by Google courtesy of the MOLE. Jobs is too trusting and The MOLE is an evil liar.
Come to think about it- Nokia was a much a reason for the development of the iPhone and iOS.
If they would have only produced a solid and well excuted UI, then Apple would have never had to reinvent the smart phone market.
In hind sight Nokia was the largest phone maker and was directly responsible for the iPhone. Microsoft is responsible for the continued development of Mac OS as well. Without all the problems, Steve would never have to correct and expand on what is not being done right.
WELL DONE!! Keep up the good work Elop and Balmer. You are producing the greatest products at Apple!! LOL