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Stringer: Apple's Jobs is "Greedy"

By BetaNews Staff, BetaNews

July 20, 2007, 1:13 PM

Sony's CEO Howard Stringer had a few choice words for Apple CEO Steve Jobs last Thursday, calling Jobs "greedy" because he wants a world where only he makes money, the New York Post reports. Stringer was part of a panel that included Barry Diller of IAC, Jeff Bezos of Amazon, and Sergey Brin of Google.

Stringer made the comment in response to Jobs' own comments on record industry executives being greedy over the price of music downloads. Moderator Anderson Cooper tried to change the subject, but Diller interjected, repeating the Sony CEO's comments. When Cooper went back to Stringer to elaborate, he reportedly played down his earlier comments.

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By filmguy666

edited Jul 23, 2007 - 2:06 PM

This coming from the CEO of a company that makes tapes that only work in Sony machines, and has a different data cable, and or power cable for every single item they make so that you can't use one you've already got. Oh, memory stick, anyone?

Score: 0

By Lionel Mandrake

edited Jul 23, 2007 - 7:01 AM

Stringer is not the first senior Sony guy who has badmouthed Apple. Prior to Stringer's ascendence into the Sony #1 slot, another key Sony guy, D Komiyama, publicly made less volatile, but similarly-toned comments. Something like (while viewing Apple's initial success in the iPod business) "Yeah, the iPod is good for Apple right now, but they're just a one-trick pony."

At the same time, other than their now universal and extreme "screw you and get out of my way" attitude, the Apple deference towards Sony has usually been been one of great respect.

When Sony founder, Akio Morita, died in 1999, Steve spent about 5 minutes at an Apple employee meeting at Flint Center explaining why this man was great, and why he should be mourned by all.

Sony's OEM relationship with Apple dates way back to the first Macs when Sony's 3.5" floppy drive, complete with Steve's favorite "auto-suck" disc insert feature, introduced the world to this new media.

When Apple introduced the first desktop Mac II's, it was Sony's monochrome and later color monitors that made Apple's OEM (but made by Sony) products stand out.

Later when Apple determined, after producing the groundbreaking but gigantic Mac Portable, that they really didn't understand how to make things tiny, it was a joint venture between Apple and Sony that produced what is often regarded as one of the pivotal products of the era, the Powerbook 100, Apple's first notebook. With the Mac Plus-based internal hardware design from Apple, and the manufacturing supplied by Sony factories in San Diego and Nagano, the PB100 was a technical, if not commercial success.

Curiously, as it turns out, while Sony knew how to make tiny things, they knew little about how to simultaneously produce computers localized in 12 languages on a single continuous line, a feat that Apple had mastered. In fact, Sony had failed twice in this localization effort in the past before Sony's PB100 "A-Project." It is perhaps not concidental that the then-leader of Sony's A-Project, Bob Ishida, later became the President of Sony's Vaio business. In this
third attempt at the global computer market, Sony finally understood how to localize.

No question that Sony over the years has often attempted to insert control in a market where it has sought domination of the technology and IP as reasonable, perhaps sometimes unreasonable, payback on R&D investments.

For decades, Sony had successfully set some of the key agendas in the consumer electronics industry.

Sony's response that Apple isn't playing fair suggests that he's very uncomfortable with Apple now taking this lead role, not just in computers, where Sony has always been at the mercy of Bill Gates, but in gadgets and consumer hardware, a market that Sony invented and once owned.

Sony is paying the price of HW innovation without vision, a business now run by bean-counters, determined to milk every penny of amortization out of fading developments (like Mini Disk for example), and a nearly total lack of software vision.

And the world is now dancing to the tune of Apple's arrogant, but well-studied, and expertly strategized vision.

Sorry Howard. Most humbly sorry.

Score: 0

By rsx508

posted Jul 22, 2007 - 9:39 PM

Does Stringer want some French Cries with his Wha-burger?

Score: 0

By chowmein

posted Jul 22, 2007 - 6:38 PM

Whenever looking at criticism, it is valuable to look at who is offering up the critique in the first place. In this case, with someone from Sony offering up those comments, I can only laugh endlessly.

Score: 0

By jgra

posted Jul 22, 2007 - 11:42 AM

I love apple, but it goes without saying they are greedy and they are trying to reach a monopoly status, without anyone noticing. Disagree, well look at the numbers

Score: 0

By cranbers

posted Jul 21, 2007 - 3:49 PM

I have a feeling this is due to Apple having a closed ipod system, won't increase song prices and won't share ipod profits like microsoft is with the zune.

When it comes down to it, apple has a good business model, great innovative products and they are continuing to improve everything. The more money they get the more successful they become, iphone just another example.

Sony has a record label, mp3 players and everything else. So if apple is doing a great job and they are not, naturally steve jobs is greedy. The most greedy thing of all, take out drm to open the closed system. NOw that is selfish. Oh wait they will sell more songs that can go on all the other mp3 players out there oh damn. Charge more for the song in the process, oh damn.

Score: 0

By Comit

posted Jul 22, 2007 - 1:21 AM

Only innovative things they come out with is the slick interface. Apple's been taking what's already been around for years and just marketting the hell out of it - good example, PPCs been around for years and do all the iphone does and more, for cheaper, but few people even know about them or just assume they're too confusing or expensive. Kudos to apple's marketing dept.

Score: 0

By maniakmx3

posted Jul 22, 2007 - 5:10 AM

I agree, The only reason Apple is winning is because of Smart Marketing. I'm sure if Other phones got 1min TV commercials and endless radio advertising thanks to ATT they would be more popular too... But this iStuff is just a Phad that will be phased out soon enough.

Hell, Just a few years ago it was "Hello Moto *crazy music* Hello Moto" man, everyone wanted a RAZR. lol

Score: 0

By alphatrigon

posted Jul 21, 2007 - 1:47 PM

complicated word...i'm a nintendo fanboy who doesn't own a Wii. I've never owned any playstation console (did have an xbox for a while)...but I'd rather buy a Sony product than an Apple one. That Steve Jobs/Apple world is too full of greed and arrogance for my tastes...just personal "opine" of course.

All corporations like profit, but some swim in that ocean of greed...to me Sony isn't one of them...Apple is most definitely. But consumers can support who they will.

Score: 0

By Dsfargeg

edited Jul 21, 2007 - 12:21 PM

You possibly can't get any more hypocritical than Stringer - I'd say he's even more greedy and would like nothing more than being the only one making money.
However, Mr. Stringer, if you just churn out one turd after the next (Betamax, MiniDisc, Psp w/ Umd, PS3 w/ BluRay), that's never going to happen, and people will only point fingers at you and your arrogance and laugh.

Score: 0

By burfadel

posted Jul 21, 2007 - 8:48 AM

I think they both are greedy in their own ways. Apple made the big mistake with their computers of having only one type of everything. If apple did actually win, we'd still be paying $4000 for a computer because there would be no competition to keep prices down. Instead of competition between computer types, the competition is between different brands, something which would not exist under apple. We'd all be using the same drives, same graphics card, same monitor, same everything. They should have stuck to letting others make their own apples, and still make their own with configurable parts and concentrate on operating systems. Worked well for Microsoft!

Score: 0

By luxovonfersen

edited Jul 23, 2007 - 2:29 AM

Most people believe it or not don't give a s*** about making their own computers. All they care about is if it works. That's why Apple have gained a religious following on their computers, computers that are based on simplicity and reliability. Besides, you're wrong anyway; you can build your own Macs when you order it off Apple's website. You can get different monitors. You can get 3rd party peripherals.

There may seem to be more freedom in choosing what you want from 3rd party computers in Windows machines it's true, which some prefer. But it's at the cost of flexibility when new technologies and architectures are developed since all this time and effort has to be spent researching to see if your bits and pieces will work together anymore as you upgrade. Are some sections incompatible with the next-gen graphics card? Bad example maybe. On the other hand with Apple, everything's configured and engineered by the company to fit with their maxim of simplicity and ease of use.

This is also a recent trend you can observe in videogame consoles - where PC gamers used to have to download patches and install them, Xbox live patches the games automatically

Score: 0

By bobthegoat2001

posted Jul 24, 2007 - 1:33 AM

"you can build your own Macs when you order it off Apple's website"

I laughed when I read that.

Score: 0

By Natrunner

edited Jul 21, 2007 - 6:27 AM

Like the pot calling the kettle black. A bit hypocritical.

Score: 0

By DudeBoyz

posted Jul 20, 2007 - 11:09 PM

What a bunch of sissy-boy crap. Sony blows.

Score: 0

By bobthegoat2001

posted Jul 20, 2007 - 7:13 PM

Sony is just mad because Apple is beating them at there own [Sony's] game.

Score: 0

By Lawrence01

posted Jul 20, 2007 - 6:32 PM

Don't forget, Sony also put rootkits on their music cd's to infect your computer and if it wasn't discovered by a security firm, they might still be doing it today!

Don't buy Sony products!

Score: 0

By kprovance

posted Jul 21, 2007 - 9:04 PM

I thought Mark R. from SysInternals busted Sony out?

Score: 0

By deminicus

edited Jul 21, 2007 - 1:36 PM

while i agree sony was a total moron for doing that, I would also point out that sony only put the rootkit into a tiny number of their products. Based on that I dont think you can find one company that has not done something shadey. I think sony is so big it often doesnt know what the rest of it is doing.

Score: 0

By kitkatbreak

edited Jul 20, 2007 - 3:45 PM

Um.. Sony--the king of "our products must have proprietary technology"--i.e. memorystick and blu-ray (and Betamax back in the day and more--I just can't think of it because my head is spinning from the ridiculousness of Stringer's comment)..
Seriously, who's calling who greedy?? Sony should try to WORK with other technologies to give consumers better and simpler experience instead of batteries setting people's houses on fire.
Think before you speak, Stringer!

Score: 0

By ogman

posted Jul 20, 2007 - 4:20 PM

I'm really getting sick of whiny billionaires!

Instead of making a better product and vigorously competing, all they seem to want to do is complain about competitors and customers. When that fails, they go out a sue someone and then they call their Congressman and beg for tort reform.

Just a few weeks ago the idiot that runs Comcast was crying because customers have wrongly caused them to have a reputation for bad serve, especially being late for appointments. Since then we've gotten to witness the customer service attitude that flows from the head office down through the Sprint organization.

Heck, I'm starting to like Steve Ballmer. At least instead of sniveling he tosses a chair and curses somebody out.

Score: 0

By bourgeoisdude

posted Jul 20, 2007 - 4:51 PM

Heck, I'm starting to like Steve Ballmer. At least instead of sniveling he tosses a chair and curses somebody out.

Word.

Score: 0

By phenomnaruto

posted Jul 20, 2007 - 3:47 PM

Lol its funny how people defend Steve jobs and Apple and yet can't wait to put a negative spin on the 4 billion dollar profit the Microsoft made.

Yes steve jobs is greedy, he made a revolutionary device that only his company can control. When Microsoft came out with the Xbox they didn't have windows only games on it and price up their xbox by 400$ lol.

Score: 0

By Heero

posted Jul 20, 2007 - 3:33 PM

Of course Jobs is greedy... Find me a big company with a CEO that isn't. =P

Score: 0

By bourgeoisdude

posted Jul 20, 2007 - 3:25 PM

Wow--5 comments so far in this section and I can agree with all five of them? Hmm, this is rare...

Score: 0

By WeezulDK

posted Jul 20, 2007 - 2:51 PM

Hello Pot. Meet Kettle.

Score: 0

By ogman

posted Jul 20, 2007 - 4:02 PM

Agreed. They should both shut up and count their cash!

Score: 0

By GoodThings2Life

posted Jul 20, 2007 - 3:19 PM

Exactly!

Score: 0

By Scotch Moose

posted Jul 20, 2007 - 2:28 PM

I believe both of them. It does take one to know one.

Score: 0

By TomeOne

posted Jul 20, 2007 - 2:17 PM

If Sony were doing well in the areas Apple are then Stringer wouldn't be going on about himself being greedy, would he?

Wah wah wah, whine b**** moan.

Score: 0

By iamtux

posted Jul 20, 2007 - 2:12 PM

It's funny that someone who wants to abolish DRM, something bad for the consumer and only good for the record companies, is called greedy by the CEO of a company that supports it.

Score: 0

By Program86

posted Jul 20, 2007 - 3:42 PM

OMFG, You just hit the nail on the head...

Stringer, You are calling Steve greedy??? Are you serious? You are calling him greedy when your company pushed its own (very expensive) proprietary formats (memory Pro Duo, is just one example) on consumers that only want compatibility, not restrictions.

Go smoke some more crack there Stringer.

Score: 0

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