iPod pioneer Tony Fadell resigns from advisory position
updated 11:05 pm EDT, Mon March 29, 2010
Former exec no longer supervising Jobs
Former iPod executive Tony Fadell has finally resigned from his minor position with Apple, according to a New York Times report. The computer science engineer has been credited with making significant contributions to the original iPod projects, after unsuccessfully pitching the concept of a hard-drive-based music player to his previous employers at Real Networks.
Fadell initially joined Apple in 2001, eventually serving as the senior VP of Devices and Hardware Engineering after Jon Rubinstein left the company. Although Fadell departed from his executive position several years ago to spend more time with family, he had maintained a presence as a special advisor to Steve Jobs.
“My primary focus will be helping the environment by working with consumer green-tech companies,” Fadell said. “I’m determined to tell my kids and grandkids amazing stories beyond my iPod and iPhone ones.”
Great...
03/30, 01:01am reply
So you're a Global Warmist. You won't be missed.
MyRightEye
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Joined: Apr 2008
Turn a different corner...
03/30, 06:54am reply
Of course there are other contributing factors like brand, software/hardware expertise and panache, but one can wonder what might have been had Apple not gotten this gift from Real Networks. If Real had made the original, successful iPod-type device, where might Apple be today?
doctor9
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Joined: Aug 2001
There's the point!
03/30, 09:00am reply
If Real had smart executives (who would have recognised Fadell's good idea), they wouldn't have been the company they have for the past 15 or so years.
Apple is where it is today (and Real is where it is) precisely because Apple has visionary management, and Real does not.
Had it been Real who made the device known today as iPod, that would have meant that there were visionary managers in that company. Unfortunately, there seems to be something in the water in Seattle, which prevents people from becoming visionary managers...
vasic
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Joined: May 2005
Re: There's the point
03/30, 10:40am reply
No, that isn't the point. Real isn't a hardware manufacturer. They make software. If they did make it, you'd laugh at it like you laugh at the Zune, saying Real should stay out of hardware and such.
BTW, maybe you missed the memo that Apple and this guy didn't 'invent' the hard-disk based music player. Others had been out prior to the iPod. So the question is more "How much of his designs were specific to the iPod and how much was just generic hard-disk music player stuff?"
testudo
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Joined: Aug 2001