ooh... Motorola's CEO bad-mouthing Apple...

[gerbick]

Jerry, Jerry, Jerry...

Motorola's CEO Ed Zander, who expects companies such as Apple and Dell to offer their own hybrid communication/computing devices, offered a few harsh words for Apple's iPod nano, which analysts believe took the spotlight from the company's launch of Motorola ROKR iTunes phone. "'Screw the nano. What the hell does the nano do? Who listens to 1,000 songs?' Zander said. People are going to want devices that do more than just play music, something that can be seen in many other countries with more advanced mobile phone networks and savvy users, he said."

Now... this comes from a company that's offering a phone that artificially limits you to 100 songs on their ugly-ass-sin ROKR phone?

Anyway, read about an overly emotional CEO here...

[PAlexC]

F*ck him. Motorola of all companies shouldn't talk sh*t about lackluster features. The ROKR was their ball to drop and they did so.

Zander doesn't get the concept of simplicity, hell try to use any of their phones. The last half-decent UI was the Startac. Guys like this assume the more is always better.

Sour grapes.

[Markp.com]

F*ck him. Motorola of all companies shouldn't talk sh*t about lackluster features. The ROKR was their ball to drop and they did so.

Zander doesn't get the concept of simplicity, hell try to use any of their phones. The last half-decent UI was the Startac. Guys like this assume the more is always better.

Sour grapes.

Yup, agree... Motorolas phones suck... not just the phones themselves, but the UI... its just wrong, its overly complicated, has a bajillion usless features and generally is a pain in the arse.

That rocker was freeeeeeking ugly, great, carry some songs around... but why can't they just slap a 1GB drive in a normal phone? Then you can keep it a small compact size... anyway, motorola have bigger problems to worry about if they don't sort out the look and UI of their phones

[zakp0]

[size=1]Now... this comes from a company that's offering a phone that artificially limits you to 100 songs on their ugly-ass-sin ROKR phone?

What ARE you on about? Why would Motorola put that limit on? Think about it, what do we have to lose if you put all the illegal songs you could on your phone? Nothing. What does Apple (iTunes) have to lose if you put all the illegal songs you could on your phone? Sales.

It's not Motorola who put the limit, it's Apple's iTunes. Which is why if you dont want to use iTunes as your MP3 player of choice, you can still use Motorola's based MP3 player which has no song limits as long as you have the memory.

And yeah, I agree, Motorola's UI sucks. But they're working on it. Trust me. There's been a hell load of commotion about that, and they're definately working on it. Just dont...criticize a company because of its UI. And other than the Moto E680/E680i, we've rarely ever heard anyone talk abut the form of the phones being ugly. MarkP being one of those rarities.

[PAlexC]

What ARE you on about? Why would Motorola put that limit on? Think about it, what do we have to lose if you put all the illegal songs you could on your phone? Nothing. What does Apple (iTunes) have to lose if you put all the illegal songs you could on your phone? Sales.

That makes absolutely no sense at all. There's no iTMS on the phone.

[Visionray]

Ed Zander was on Jim Cramer's "Mad Money" show a couple weeks ago. (CNBC)

I got the impression this guy is a clueless moron.

Cramer was pumping up Motorola's stock, getting all excited about it, then he gets Zander on the phone and Zander tells him to calm down it's not that big of a deal.

LOL what kind of CEO wouldn't take the bait when given the opportunity on national television. I own a little Motorola stock and I'm dumping it. Everyone I talk to says the Itunes phone sucks a big one. The ROKR phone is weak, the RAZR phone is cool though but apparently you can only get it if you have Cingular which makes it worthless for many people.

[PAlexC]

Verizon is getting the RAZR shortly.

I don't understand why we have this problem with phones being bound to certain networks in the U.S. It's stupid.

[Visionray]

oh really? Didn't know that about the RAZR.

Yea it is stupid, the whole entire wireless system is completey insane.
I still don't understand why you have to sign these contracts that bind you to the
company and if you want to cancel you have a 175 termination fee.

How do these companies get away with that? I don't have to sign a contract with my cable company or landline phone company.

And all the BS taxes that get added to your bill.
A 39.99 monthly plan is more like $50

[PAlexC]

No sh*t. I have a $39.99 plan and never run over on minutes, somehow tops $50 every month.

I'm all for capitalism, but we seriously let some sectors get away with murder in this country.

You'd think in an open market consumers would get more choice because of competition. Seems like we get less and less.

[zakp0]

That makes absolutely no sense at all. There's no iTMS on the phone.

ROKR Phone = iTunes. Apple knows that the number of people putting legal songs that were bought from iTMS is very little compared to the huge number who use illegally downloaded MP3's. The only way they can restrict this is by putting the 100 songs limit. The number of songs the phone can play does not bother Motorola at all, which is why they've not got a limit in their MP3 Player.

It's Apple who decided to put the limit, not Motorola.

[PAlexC]

Following that logic, why wouldn't Apple place a restriction on iPods/Shuffles for non-iTMS songs?

I really think the song limit has to do with Apple not canibalizing iPod sales, and very very little to do with iTMS purchases.

[deadbeat]

I really think the song limit has to do with Apple not canibalizing iPod sales, and very very little to do with iTMS purchases.

Exactly...

K.

[zakp0]

No, the E1, like many other older phones that Motorola announced, was meant to have EDGE. The whole point to getting the Moto-Apple phone when this idea formed was to have people able to download songs off iTMS. That, obviously, didnt happen. I dont know if it was Motorola who removed EDGE or if it was Apple who decided it shouldnt happen.

Most likely Apple though, as you've raised the point, trying not to drop sales of the iPods. The fingers obviously cant be pointed towards Motorola though, as said before, they've made their MP3 Player play songs without any limits as to how many you have.

[silverx2]

so i did an image search for motorola sucks on google, and the third to last image is a girl holding her boobs.

just thought id pass that along to everyone.

[Ask The Geezer]

Verizon is getting the RAZR shortly.

I don't understand why we have this problem with phones being bound to certain networks in the U.S. It's stupid.

Because they can't work together. None of them have even tried to work together since Ma Bell was forced to split up. Something about a monopoly?

[zakp0]

Isn't it just the GSM - CDMA difference? Or do the carriers in US run on different frequencies too?

[TallGuyLittleCar]

I think the networks may pay to have rights to a certain phone.

[Markp.com]

so i did an image search for motorola sucks on google, and the third to last image is a girl holding her boobs.

just thought id pass that along to everyone.

I can confirm this is true... but its not worth googling, she's just a tiny thumbnail...

On a more interesting note, google says: Results 1 - 10 of about 548,000 for motorola sucks.

Thats alot of people hating Motorola... I think they do suck!

If Motorolas are sooooooo attractive, show me one, other than the razor that looks good... Each time I see the Razor I think it looks more and more like the early startrek tricorder things... its really lame and the build quality is appaulling, all those keypads cracking... tut tut...

Anyway, I'm not trying to bait you here or anything Zako, I'm just saying you shouldn't have such blind faith in a company we all know sucks

Come on, show me a sexy Motorola phone...

[gerbick]

ROKR Phone = iTunes. Apple knows that the number of people putting legal songs that were bought from iTMS is very little compared to the huge number who use illegally downloaded MP3's. The only way they can restrict this is by putting the 100 songs limit. The number of songs the phone can play does not bother Motorola at all, which is why they've not got a limit in their MP3 Player.

It's Apple who decided to put the limit, not Motorola.

I'd require proof. Anybody that's willing to continuously delay a product - blame Apple for all I care on that one too - but it's limited to just 100 songs via iTunes - guess what, not all of my mp3's are bought, the majority of mine come from my own CD collection.

With that said... allow me to continue down the path of why the ROKR sucks. USB1? WTH were you guys thinking. You can't buy songs over the air. I'd swear that was in the early Apple release notes. Not in the final. The UI - look above... it's despised. The design... dude, even the PEBL looks better than the ROKR.

But what kills it for me... he's bad-mouthing a product that does what his product can't do. Sell well.

[zakp0]

I aint saying Zander isnt an *******, or that the ROKR is a good phone. Hell no, infact, I hate what it looks like, I've hated the Motorola E398 too (what the ROKR is based off, or rather pretty much a complete copy of). Infact, I'm not trying to say ANYTHING about Motorola being good at all. MarkP, you're right, most of our phones aren't aesthetically pleasing, but we still sell. Most of our phones are feature laden, rather than design laden. We take "form follows function" true to our heart. I'm not saying I like it, all im saying is that its not wrong.

What I AM trying to do here, is defend a company from ONE product that you all seem to be bashing. Tell me, do you think the Nokia 8800 is better than the Motorola RAZR? Or, lets take something from this generation, what do you think of the Nokia 8800 compared to the Motorola V1150, design wise? See the difference in features, they're both fashion phones (although V3X not so much, but it's following the path so far), and then compare the prices. The 8800's selling here for NZ$1800, and the V3X estimated price will be NZ$899.

Motorola makes affordable and feature laden phones. Dont bash a company because of ONE of their products being silly. And, as for the UI, I told you, they're working on it. Honest. Hopefully.