Jon Rubinstein sits down with Kara Swisher at CES 112
A few months ago we were laughing at/with Palm investor Roger McNamee after his All Things D interview with Kara Swisher and Walt Mossberg. And this year at CES, Palm saw fit to send just CEO Jon Rubinstein into the gauntlet, and even in the face of what some may call some rather nonsensical and unnecessarily combative and prying questioning from Swisher alone, he held up well. Sure, Swisher wanted to know what’s coming next, but Rubinstein would have nothing of it and refused to divulge any new details. That said, there were still some interesting things to take away from the interview, like Rubinstein’s admission of having never used an iPhone.
The revelation came up during talk about Apple, where Rubinstein oversaw the development of the iPod. He admitted that he didn’t pay attention “day-to-day” what competitors were doing, “This may sound strange, but I don’t pay much attention to the competition.”
Most any successful businessman will tell you this is the one of the better ways to do business. Worrying about the details of your competitor’s business often leads to losing sight of the big picture, which in the end is more likely to determine the success or failure of a product and a company. The surprise was when Rubinstein admitted to not only not owning an iPhone (actually, that’s not much of a surprise), but actually having not even used an iPhone.
While we could quote Sun Tzu and The Art of War, we’ll instead look to a successful CEO with not one, but two turnaround stories under his belt. That CEO would be Alan Mulally of Ford; almost every day he drives home a different car, and often that car is a competitor’s. He does so not only to see what the competition is doing, but to understand it by using it as a consumer would use it. While we wouldn’t dare say that Job Rubinstein doesn’t understand what his competitors in the smartphone space are doing, it does seem an odd revelation for the CEO of a tech company to not have used the chief competition’s product.
But the iPhone wasn’t enough Apple talk for the evening, as Swisher also broached the subject of iTunes sync, which Rubinstein unveiled during his last sit-down with her. If you’ll recall, at the time Rubinstein said that Apple wouldn’t mind – saying that more iTunes customers would be a good thing for Apple (and ignoring the fact that the point of iTunes is to sell iPods and iPhones). Clearly, Apple did mind, but Rubinstein is pleased with the multiple third party sync solutions that have been released recently. Further down the road Palm’s head is in the clouds, with the belief that all data - even media like music - will eventually be stored in the cloud (bandwidth is another question entirely).
Apart from that, much of the talk was how Palm is executing on its roadmap with the recently announced expansion onto Verizon and SFR and new products like the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus, revealed earlier during CES.
But lest we forget the discussion of apps. To the unsophisticated blogger, journalist, or consumer, it comes down to numbers. There are more than 100,000 apps available on the iPhone, some 16,000 on Android, and a little over 1,000 on webOS. Sadly, it seems like much of the badgering over apps in this interview was over numbers, when we at PreCentral would say that the bigger issue is quality of apps, not sheer quantity.
While there are steps to be taken on the road to better quality apps on webOS, the announcement and demonstration of the new PDK are starting to render even that point moot. Additionally the opening up of the developer program and the release of the Project Ares online development environment have led to what Rubinstein has described as the “democratization” of app development.
Also important to Palm’s app plan is the openness of app distribution, with developers now getting access to their unfiltered app upload system where a developer can now get a URL and market their app as they please without being tied to the devices. Additionally, the opening up of the App Catalog, as evidenced in PreCentral’s webOS App Gallery, will provide further opportunities for easier and more creative marketing of apps.
Do we miss having McNamee out as the occasional public face for Palm? Yeah, but in the grand scheme of things Rubinstein’s more restrained approach to these kind of interviews is probably the better one, discussions of mirrors notwithstanding.
112 Comments
She is such bitch I so happy Jon mocked her at the end. WIth her rude comment "oh that's cheap"
I wonder if Palm will place the new ARM A9 cortex processor for pre 2 on sprint along with the new graphic card SGX545. That would be sweet.
I like reading the distraught reaction of many Apple fanboy who cannot fathom that Ruby hasn't used an iPhone... You should see them, they are offended like that girl in highschool in the cheerleading squad that you kept avoiding even if she was hot. She just couldn't understand the disdain, and that's how they feel about Ruby, calling him all kinds of things because he doesn't play with an iPhone...
agree totally!
Ruby did not make the Pre. FORMER Apple engineers that work at Apple did. He probably has an idea how the iPhone works cause they both are somewhat similar. The business model he knows is Apples. We should be proud that Apples business motto of "Think Different" is spreading.
Ruby is either a fool or a liar. A CEO that does not no what is going on with the competition and market leader, at least those that are ahead of his company, is a fool. I dare say SJ has used every smart phone available to get a sense of the user experience if nothing else.
I suspect that because of the many "similarities" of the Pre and the iPhone, Ruby feels the need to distance himself from his obvious inspiration in case there is ever a legal challenge. If you actually believe that Ruby has never used an iPhone and does not consider the competition, you are a bigger fool than he is.
I love how everyone seems to have their own opinion about how being a CEO must be. How to do business must be.
And yet, the bloke's the CEO of Palm, and did in two years what a lot said was lost - revive Palm.
So basically, if he doesn't care about Apple. So be it. The man is good enough to know what he's doing and how he should be doing it.
But I guess "if it were me" comments are internet's ways...
Yeah .. he doesn't care .. he just hacked into iTunes and used iTunes syncing as a feature of the Pre ... until Apple push Palm out completely .. LOL .. now there's no mention of it.
"hacked into iTunes"
Enjoying your iPhone, are you?
Well, it's indeed a good device.
However, it's not a hack.
Oh well, I've had this discussion numerous times.
I think there's a danger in assuming that every company is run like Apple. Palm may be a small company, but it's by no means a one-man show. Assume for a minute that Rubenstein never did use an iPhone. That in no way means that the team developing the Pre was unfamiliar with it. Hell, it doesn't even mean that Rubenstein is unfamiliar with it. All it means is what he said: That he's personally never used one.
I really think that this one was ridiculous for the press to go after Rubenstein for. He said a lot less than people seem to think he said on the issue.
Even if he had, I'm perfectly fine with the front he put forward which is basically: "Why the heck would I? They aren't as good." :)
The interviewer was really mean spirited. Im no fan boy but she was just plain mean. You dont have to be mean to have a hard hitting interview
Why must Jon R. lowered himself talking to this nitwit bitch.I am sure he has better thing to do.I've never seen such a lousy interviewer.
Now, I'm pretty new to this scene, but JR seems like the type of guy who will march straight into the fire if that's what needs to be done. Last year, they honored this rude ignorant lady with their presence, and so I believe that JR's perspective was that he wanted to show her their success despite her obvious negativity.
I admire that.
And I can't stand this lady. I can't imagine being somebody who is actually close to her in her daily life and having to put up with snide remarks and her I-have-to-get-the-last-word-in attitude.
I swear Kara is on of the worst interviewers ever. Every time she interviews someone she ask and says the most stupid comments you could think of. I mean when you have a person like Rubi in front of you, you'd think she would ask good questions and not act stupid. However it's funny how everyone throws her ridiculous comments back at her. Ok rant done.
Wow, this woman is repulsive. Also, she's a complete idiot. No redeeming qualities whatsoever.
agreed,she think she is funny!I think she is half man and woman,what a complete IDIOT!!A quality BITCH!
super bitch
Only attractive women should be allowed to be this annoying.
agreed
Thank you!
Quote of the year!
wait, wireless syncing... what has wireless music syncing.. i want that now!
when he said that i wondered the same thing
he also bluetooth sync i think he just misspoke
either that or just hoping someone will do it. as am I.. as am I. hopefully before the pre becomes useless to me.. heh
http://www.webos-internals.org/wiki/Wireless_Music_Sync_with_Amarok_1.4
anybody tried this??????
Soon Apple will have it
Damn I couldn't last listening to her for more then a minute-thirty.
Another reason why he is a good CEO he can deal with people like her. THats a skill. I would totally have ripped her a new asshole
7: She is kind of a butt.
11: I really hate her lol.
13:45: I guess my phone is a starter phone lol.
18:20: Do people use itunes for other than ipods??
22:20 OMG, she is so ignorant. let the man finish!
34:55: i hate how she compares it to apple all the time.
Just got done watching and I hated this interview. I didn't hate Jon, I hated that lady. She acted like an complete ass. Instead of complaining about ads and apps, she should have asked about features that the phone is missing and timetables for them. I wish he could have had a more respectful Host.
I'm a broadcast journalist at a TV station and if I conducted interviews like this I would be fired.
She's an amateur and quite green.
Her interviewing skills are awful.
Plus, she's a stank-nasty bitch!
"she's a stank-nasty bitch!"
very well put
I couldn't have say it any better," kara is a stank-nasty bitch" and it just rolled in the mouth so beautifully!lol'
"if I conducted interviews like this I would be fired"
I never heard of her before this interview and I hope to never hear her speak again.
Kara Swisher is an idiot! She is soo annoying, it was hard to watch it from start to end because her! AHHHHH!!!!
BTW, good job Ruby for fighting her off!!! Exspecialy, when she wouldn't even let him finish his sentences!!!! This is why I love my Pre & Ruby!!!!
I wished he would have stood up and walked off the stage and call her "you're a stank-nasty bitch!"lol'
LMAO & ROTF!
The interviewer was quite annoying but I did actually learn something. Seems like Rubenstein mentioned that the Verizon version will have double the RAM and double the Flash memory. He mentioned these two separately right around the 14:45 mark. He referred to the RAM as internal memory and then spoke about the bump from 8GB to 16GB. Did anyone else pick up on this? I've heard a few times about the storage being bumped to 16GB, but nothing on the increased RAM. Anyone have details on this?
Jeeter, this was revealed at CES and was suspected before the event took place. Yeah, it kind of sucks, but that's what happens when Palm starts expanding to other carriers 7-8 months after the initial release of the phone. By this summer, you can likely expect that the Pre 2 will be announced for sprint, and it will be better than the verizon pre plus...speculation on my part, but seems to agree with some of what has been floating around the net.
They mentioned this at CES, although I don't remember it in the video. I found this out from Engadget's Podcast the night that Palm did their Presentation. I really don't care about memory or the outer differences. But the fact that it has double the RAM!!! Now I want it!!!!
not only has it been mentioned, but highly debated on what "double internal memory" referred to.
When it's mentioned separately like that, it's quite clear it's system memory they are talking about. Even CES vids at the Palm booth showed it, but people were still skeptical and in disbelief.
It's progress, and pretty much to be expected in technology. I knew full well what Verizon would get would no doubt be better, even if only by a little. But the plans were too expensive. It was more a carrier jump for me, and the Pre happened to push me a little faster in doing it.
I think Jon had a different shirt on! It was blue instead of gray, or was it my graphics card?
Yes, it's definitely a different color
There's nothing wrong with aggressive questioning. CEO's would like these interviews to be a free showcase for their wares, however, viewers expect some tough questions. Women should be able to ask hard questions without fanboys resorting to the tired B-word. Are you serious?
Remember when the question from Mossberg at D7 was something to the effect of "Why would Apple allow you to sync with iTunes?" Both Rubinstein and McNamee both said it wouldn't be a problem. Really? When company officials say things that are ridiculous, journalists should probe deeper. That would have been useful to the people who bought the Pre thinking that they would happily sync with iTunes.
Aggresive questioning is one thing, but people are talking about how she ask those questions and her little slick remarks.
Aggressive Questioning!?!?!?!?!?! NO, there is a huge difference between aggressive questioning and what she was doing up there. More like the sound that comes right before someone says "UR FIRED!!!!!!!"
There is nothing wrong with aggressive questioning. You can do that, however, without disparaging asides. She made a few rude/snarky comments that were clearly intended to make the audience think she was funny and/or clever, but had no chance of eliciting more info than a more civil inquiry.
If she were a man, people would have called her a d**k instead of a b**ch. It's not about the terminology or the gender, it's about a person being annoying as hell.
@UntidyGuy: Yes it's nothing wrong,but I questioned her quality and untidy(no pun intended)interview.She interrupted the guest more than she talk.
Jon is absolutely right about getting used to the gestures. I find myself using gestures on other Phones LOL. It's just so easy...
LOL!! I tried using a iTouch the other day and I can't count how many times I back swiped and swiped up to minimize!!!
I've done the same thing on a few different models. Glad it's not just me.
Heck, I just tried showing my wife her new laptop and when she wasn't doing something fast enough, I tried gesturing her darn non-touch screen laptop.
Gestures have ruined me!
It was kinda funny, her iphone was not working in Vegas LOL
Feeling really sorry for Kara's significant other right now.
don't feel bad for him/her. I am sure they enjoyed a little silence
I can't stand this chick. I reached my breaking point around 27 mins.
I can't stand this B***** either. She's an Alpha male wanna be!
wow! that's awful and I like the way you put it!right on.
I just think she needs to get laid while looking in the palm pre mirror!!!!
hahaha excellent comment
@etrade18: you're bad!I feel sorry for the guy or gal who is doing the.............and for the mirror on the pre.lol'
I hope she read this forum.
Aggressive Questioning is one thing, this is combative.
John really needs to see what the other companys are doing. how can you run a business and not know what a major competitor does right?(apple,android,black berry) as much as software is important you still need good hardware. i hope that they come out with a more powerful pre in the summer not just the palm plus(i know that it's only bin 7 months). and he talks about the touch stone and that a terrible product. i know that it sounds like I'm not a fan of palm ,but I'm a huge fan i just wish that they would come out with something that people can show off and be really proud of....... bigger screen, faster thats all that it would really take.
OK, do you really think he doesn't look at other companies? Maybe he never used an iPhone, but that doesn't mean he doesn't know anything about it. I mean, he was a main contributor to the creation of the iPod! HELLO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's the same damn thing! Only difference is the 'phone' on it (which, with ATT, doesn't work very well either. lol)
Bottom line: With Flash 10.1 comming full bore next month, I am officially certain now that webOS is better than the iPhone operating system. Truely no comparison. Only thing the iPhone has over webOS is apps, and that's gonna be solve throughout the year. Guaranteed.
Although, I'll give it to you in one aspect: this OREO thing is KILLING me! It hasn't busted yet, but the wobble is worse than ever. I've got a very older model, so that could explain it, but if it was sturdy as iron, then I'd have no problems with it at all.
However, the stylistic differences between the two of them serves to make Jon look extremely good. In contrast to Kara's abrasive style, Jon appears thoughtful, patient and reasonable.
While she and Mossberg are unapologetic Apple fanboys (or girls? boys and girls? fan-boy-girls?) they are generally good technology reviewers. Walt's even called Apple out on a few occasions for various issues.
But Kara's constant interruptions and snarky comments really detract from the quality of the interview, interrupt the information flow, and don't - as she genuinely seems to think - create an impression of "hard-hitting-journalism."
Dude. Seriously? Not paying attention to the competition is "one of the smarter ways to do business."
Listen. Of course these guys know what they're doing. Of course the inroads there making with WebOS is phenominal. But jesus. I would love for a pioneering, intelligent man like JR to hang out with an iPhone for a week.
S**t. Include him in your next Round Robin. Good, bad or indifferent the insight and comparison would definately bare fruit for us Palm/WebOS fans. I know it.
detroitkruk
Kara is a mean spirited and sarcastic; she doesn't interview but mocks the other person incessantly. He was trying to be "gracious under fire" but she really deserved a hard slap in the face! She should be fired like yesterday!
This lady made me feel embarrass, you know like that shame you feel for other people. Also felt like punching her through my laptop screen
If Rubinstein was replaced with Steve Jobs in this interview, most of you guys would be eating it up.
Ruby is a CEO #1, and a salesman #2. Of course he won't want to talk about the negatives, but good job for Kara for not being a blatant ass-kisser. I agree that the girl in the Palm ads was creepy and that McNamee's comments regarding the mirror were out of line. It's the truth, and stuff like that shouldn't be ignored.
Kara is abrasive for sure, but I do admire her ability to try and really get at issues instead of the usual song and dance. And of course, since they were so direct, it was plainly visible how far Rubinstein would go about info on products without revealing future plans, which of course isn't very much at all. Why should a CEO violate his own NDA? Overall, good interview. Much better than a simple rehash of the keynote speech, which this could have easily become.
McNamee's comments about the mirror were out of line? Fuck that. The way his comments were taken out of context and flipped back in his face by the piece of shit interviewers were out of line. It gets pretty tiresome with everyone expecting everything to be 100% cut-and-dry politically correct all the time. Sure, his words may have slipped up a little and came out a little differently-however they were misconstrued immensely into something he didn't even come CLOSE to meaning.
Yes you make some good points and I did not think the interview was really that bad...
This is what the WSJ does and Kara's not going to change for anyone...why should she?
To be honest, I liked the interview and found it revealing. Either way, John held his own and did a great job covering what he wanted to cover.
As I've mentioned before mainstream media like the WSJ and CNET interviewers are journalist...they are not tech specialists (CNET hosts are happy to point that out...they are mostly journalist...with degrees in tow) who use the hardware/software, test, and try it out putting it through the motions.
she deserves to get mushroom stamped
Look how she talks about her own kid ~7:40. definitely a heartless B-
DUDE... I don't follow Kara Swisher at all, thus I do not know much about her, with that being said, She's a BITCH..! That did not seem like an interview, more like a sarcastic interrogation. How do you call your own children stupid, and not even one good word about the Palm. All she could do is point out the negatives (which is part a good interview but not the only subject matter) and even made some up, talk about your biased reporting she belongs on FOX News. She even referred to there marketing as Fascist, this lady does not deserve to be in her position.
No she belongs on MSNBC. Talk about about being biased.
@Johnathank: look up above you,there are a few iphone fanboys defending the Bitch! Wow!!Looks like she got some fans.
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i gotta tell you guys i kingd of like the way she did the interview she didnt hold back at nothing which is cool
kind like those type of womens
My God that woman was annoying! She was rude and very unprofessional. If I was being interviewed by her I would simply hold my Pre to her and say 'talk to the Palm coz the face ain't listenin'
I don't think I've ever felt more embarrassed for someone just by reading something they typed online.
So you've got no sense of humour? That's good to know!
I guess if sense of humor means I have to say things that would make a teenage girl snicker and blush, then I guess you're right. No sense of humor.
Yes I am right, because I haven't said anything worse than the 100+ comments saying pretty much all sorts of things one can imagine. So stop acting like you're the internet police or something. Nobody gives a shit.
Wow, I hate her. Just watching minute 25 to minute 27 made me want to punch her through the screen. Who are you that the CEO of a company is gonna tell you exactly what dollar amount will be spent on promoting their product. Being in business like I am, there's something called confidentiality when it comes to financial numbers, especially when you are trying to balance your hold in the stock market. It wouldn't be smart business telling a blow hard like her exact numbers. Wouldn't a more pertinent question be 'how much do you anticipate seeing the Palm being advertised on Verizon?' That would be a smarter way of asking a CEO how much is being spent on product awareness. It's almost like she got her degree studying "Journalism for Dummies". I do like how Ruby essentially just said 'shut the F up' three times and then practically ignored her retarded quip about it being 'informative'. I care about the PHONE. Not how much is being spent on advertising.
And honestly, who does an interview and makes condesending, tail-end remarks after certain comments just to sound like you are smart? Also, what was with the whole fascist comment?!?!? Next time I just wanna see McNamee in football gear do a 40 yard dash/bum rush on stage out of nowhere at about the 35 minute mark and just take her out of her chair. God, that would have been hilarious. Would have heard the applause for miles!
When the WSJ goes for a round of employee cuts and this awful interviewer is sending out her resume, Dieter, I want to you rip hers up and throw it in trash. She is awful, do not hire her. PS did you hear what she said about her kid? Is that suppose to be funny.
Yeah, she's definitely a Bia... with some serious psychological issues. Nevertheless Jon did a really good job putting up with her. He also seemed much more relaxed and cooler than at the CES presentation, where he looked very anxious. Good stuff!
Amazingly bad interviewer. I wasn't a huge Mossberg fan to begin with -- ever -- but his association with this worthless "reporter" really brings what little respect I had for him down. "I'm sure one of your minions could get one" is not really how you grill a CEO. There is no informative value in her questions whatsoever, and her comments are disrespectful. If she didn't have her head so far up her ass, she'd be embarrassed with her performance here.
This woman is a tosser
Yep, she was pretty aggressive to the point of being rude as a interviewer; almost like one would cross examine a "witness for the other side" on trial... it kind of made me wonder if she was trying to expose some Palm scandal or something.
Actually, to be quite honest, this interview was much more about HER than about JR, at least, thats how I see it, and, quite frankly, I don't find the relevance of her as a reporter anywhere near as intriguing as I would JR, the CEO of Palm, in the midst of a rebirth of his company.
What is it they say about reporting? Be careful to report the news, and not make/be a part of it... or something to that effect.
Oh, and for the record, if she were interviewing ANYONE, including Steve Jobs, and she behaved this way while the interveiwee was able to remain poised and focused as JR did, I'd feel exactly the same way about the interview.
Worked in Broadcast for a number of years, now in print media, dealing with aggressive reporters and such. Her skills as an interviewer are one way of getting to what she wanted. Ultimately she wanted to trip him up, get something more from him. She wanted, and did not get I might add, something that was not announced during the actual CES. Thats her job, its one tact to take, her real problem is that she is not very good at it.
The 'stupid little comments' she made during the interview were designed, I would hope anyway, to put him off his 'script', again it did not work. Is she a lousy reporter/interviewer? .......yes.
I think she's just an f'n bitch!! F HER! Good for Ruby!
Wait a tick...Palm doesn't pay attention to Apple...wasn't Palm going back and forth with Apple for iTunes? They even took it to the USB governing body to try and get it on their side. I don't believe him at all.
luxury bali villa
He said that 'HE' does not follow Apple, not that Palm does not follow Apple.
Of course Ruby lied about not using an iPhone. What else are you going to do when dealing with someone like her? He simply needed to deflect attention away from a stupid, going nowhere subject and line of questioning. Ruby handled her well, too bad she did not return the courtesy.
She thinks she's Ellen Degeneres, think about it - just as Jonathan A. Smith or whatever from ESPN thinks he's Denzel Washington from Training Day
She obviously was holding everything up to the iphone, maybe rightfully so in her myopic world, but still, i'd rather have dinner at a 5 star than a buffet
This interview is the pits, not because of Palm but because of what's-her-face... Swisher. I never heard of her before and I never want to hear of her again. Jeez, is she rude.
I like the attacks and how Ruby just deflected everything with politeness. The fact that Swisher was aggressive and kind of obnoxious may be the only way she can stay up with men in her position so I really didn't have a problem. Blame it on society's standard on how women are to be cute, gentle creatures.
But..., I like cute and gentle creatures......
@ likeobama: yes, until she grew a moustache and a penis!!
lol
This lady is like the Anne Colter version of technology. At least if you put tape over Colter's mouth you can...ahhh well.. u get it. Swisher = bag over head.
She's not just a bad interviewer but horrible all around. Here she is at CES and thinks she can get a Nexus One in the store. Talk about not being well informed about your job.
Reading this remind me about how I felt about my junior high school math teacher.
She does have her card and Ruby played the game well. Good show Ruby!!
She looks old but acts like a teenager. Honestly I don't know why interviewers are always condescending? Can anybody tell me why... is it that they are trying to extract information out of their guests?
After reading some of these comments I expected the interview to be alot worst. I didnt think she was that bad. Dont get me wrong she did make some stupid comments, but I did think Ruby handle it well.
This woman is a disgrace. I was looking away from the screen at some points because the interview was so horrible.
I can't stand this Feminazi. She is wound up so tight if you shoved a lump of coal up her ass, in two weeks, you'd have a diamond. (Quote from?)
@ MP715: Lol' and lol' rotf,lmao, that's so good and funny.Whoever quoted that surely deserve the diamond and it's going to worth alot of money especially from the Bitche's ass,Lol'
Please somebody send the bitch this forums.
jesus christ..this fucking lady...i swear..... ! man if i could staple her lips shut for life..i would...what a bitch !
(Quote from?) Ferris Beuller's Day Off
You win stanman2!
Why all the name calling? She wasn't that terrible. She's just a bit inappropriate for the position she has. Maybe she should be working off-screen instead?!
And if she does, as I might fear, suffer lighty from Asberger's syndrome, that is no reason for using the B-word. Neither is her ignorance.
My favorite comment from the show was;