Motorola is CLUELESS!

[watchout4d]

This whole fiasco with the Xoom has annoyed me beyond belief. I am a die hard Android user, and I want the new Honeycomb tablet, but Moto's handling of there product is ridiculous and poor. First, by all indications at least in the US, Motorola does not plan on releasing a wifi only model of the xoom anytime soon. This is amazing since the only model we know of is rumored to cost 799.00 in addition to activation fees. If this price point and Verizon extortion is true, the Motorola Xoom will be the most expensive tablet on the market. The Xoom will be more expensive then all the Ipad models, more than the RIM Playbook, and the HP tablet.
In surveys before the Ipad was released, only around 15 percent of customers who planned on purchasing an iPad planned on buying the most expensive model. The majority of all Ipads sold are the 16gb wifi and 3G models, the cheapest offerings from Apple. Now the Xoom is getting ready to launch for 250-350 dollars more than most consumers have shown they want to spend for a tablet.
Considering I don't own stock in Motorola, it is pretty much on themselves if they screw the launch of a potentially great product.
However, I do have a vested interest in my own hard earned money, and I am weary of buying a product that for all intensive purposes seems set up to fail.
We all can only hope that other Honeycomb tablets are coming, and maybe just maybe good business practices will prevail.
Typed on my 499.00 iPad.

 

[Live2ride883]

I don't know if Motorola is clueless or not, they haven't said a word but look at the "buzz" the rumors are causing all over the net. This is free hype for them, which will get more people interested in the Xoom and of those people a lot of them will hit You Tube and search for videos of it in action and that will lead to more sales.

For the price of 799.99 you can get new hardware, or last years iPad the 64Gb iPad with wifi and 3G is currently 829.99 at BB.

I am willing to pay 799.99 for it + activation etc, but I would think that if I called Verizon Wireless and said hey, I'll but this 800.00 tablet pc if you'll waive the 35.00 activation for me and they will do it to get the sale. They did when I purchased my wife's net book. I was even able to negotiate a free 10GB plan for the first month for her.

I am an avid android user/supporter like I would think most forum members are.

WE are the ones hanging on every rumor we hear simply because there is no recent official information from Verizon Wireless or Motorola concerning the information we want most release date/price.

Personally I don't see any company setting up a major project to fail from the start.

 

[Nchaka]

Looks like Costco is going to sell it also. They sell the Galaxy tab (verizons) for $100 less than verizon and no activation fee. Hopefully they will have a similiar deal for the Xoom. They will still require 1 month data to start.

 

[ckeegan003]

I personally don't mind the $800 price, and the XOOM outclasses every single tablet mentioned by the OP. The TouchPad isn't supposed to be out until June, and its specs are comparable to the 1st gen iPad, and it's rumored to be $699. For an extra $100, I can easily justify purchasing the XOOM.

I personally think the rumored price of the TouchPad, and the lack of price during the announcement for the Galaxy Tab 10.1 (indicating it would probably be priced similar to the XOOM), actually made people more comfortable with the price of the XOOM.

Bottom line is that you have a choice, go ahead and buy the Notion Ink Adam or Viewsonic. They are cheaper in price, specs, and build quality. You get what you pay for.

Looks like Costco is going to sell it also. They sell the Galaxy tab (verizons) for $100 less than verizon and no activation fee. Hopefully they will have a similiar deal for the Xoom. They will still require 1 month data to start.

We have already seen promotional materials stating Costco would "waive" the activation fee, via mail-in rebate.

 

[Maikai.Guy]

I don't know if Motorola is clueless or not, they haven't said a word but look at the "buzz" the rumors are causing all over the net. This is free hype for them, ....

Not so fast....
People are aggravated by the lack of communication. They officially announced in the first week of January, during CES. Other than a halftime Super Bowl commercial there has been zero communication. Even in the face of some seriously bad publicity, Motorola has opt'ed to be silent.

The press has bashed the premium pricing and made, for the most part, unfair comparisons against Apple's iPad, which hit the analyst's reports (delivered to literally millions of investors).

Motorola's stock is down almost $8 from a month ago. Wrap your brain around this... the stock is down about 20%... because they have not addressed the serious investor and consumer concerns about pricing and competitive advantage against Apple. Their stock continues on a downward trend because of it. Still, Motorola is silent.

Pre-orders will go live on Thursday, the day after tomorrow, for delivery next week... yet not a single e-mail has been sent to anyone registered on the XOOM or Verizon sites. So if you think registering on their sites would give you an early "heads up" when XOOM will go on sale to their fan base, think again. Motorola is silent.

Their attitude toward their consumer base is apathetic, bordering on arrogant. Whatever volume they sell will be short of what they could have sold because of their mis-handling of this product release.

 

[Menno]

The stock price most likely has very little (if anything to do with the Xoom). Motorola Mobile just split off and became it's own company from Motorola, which was a company that was on the verge of going under until the mobile side salvaged it. The stocks going to go all over because of that. If the stock goes up or goes down right now it's expected because what's happening is essentially what happens once the stock for a new company goes public (but with none of the hype)

The "Press" at least the press that most people care about didn't say anything about the Xoom yet. Only tech blogs have, and tech blogs are NOT the sources that a majority of consumers consult before buying their new toy.

Pre orders at BEST BUT will go live on thursday. we still don't know when the device is coming. Remember, best buy accepted pre-orders for the Thunderbolt "Promising" a 2/14 release date. Look how that turned out?

Like I've said before, you're going off on Motorola for doing what practically EVERY other company out there does, which is not to respond to rumors and speculation.

And the activation fee fiasco? that's pure best buy. Motorola doesn't NEED to respond to that because it doesn't matter. They didn't create the problem, and it's the same problem that Best buy had with the Tab.

Do you also think that HTC failed because they didn't launch the Thunderbolt on the expected date best buy gave customers?

 

[cparker5]

The stock price most likely has very little (if anything to do with the Xoom). Motorola Mobile just split off and became it's own company from Motorola, which was a company that was on the verge of going under until the mobile side salvaged it. The stocks going to go all over because of that. If the stock goes up or goes down right now it's expected because what's happening is essentially what happens once the stock for a new company goes public (but with none of the hype)

The "Press" at least the press that most people care about didn't say anything about the Xoom yet. Only tech blogs have, and tech blogs are NOT the sources that a majority of consumers consult before buying their new toy.

Pre orders at BEST BUT will go live on thursday. we still don't know when the device is coming. Remember, best buy accepted pre-orders for the Thunderbolt "Promising" a 2/14 release date. Look how that turned out?

Like I've said before, you're going off on Motorola for doing what practically EVERY other company out there does, which is not to respond to rumors and speculation.

And the activation fee fiasco? that's pure best buy. Motorola doesn't NEED to respond to that because it doesn't matter. They didn't create the problem, and it's the same problem that Best buy had with the Tab.

Do you also think that HTC failed because they didn't launch the Thunderbolt on the expected date best buy gave customers?

While you may be correct that moto didn't generate the bad press it is still bad press about their product. As a company they can address it or they can let it fester, some people think they would be better off to address it. Personally it doesn't matter to me as I am not someone interested in purchasing the Xoom any longer.

 

[Maikai.Guy]

While you may be correct that moto didn't generate the bad press it is still bad press about their product. As a company they can address it or they can let it fester, some people think they would be better off to address it. Personally it doesn't matter to me as I am not someone interested in purchasing the Xoom any longer.

Exactly! Some of us can have our leg pee'd on and believe it's just raining, but the rest of us know MMI is down 20% and over $2B in Market Cap from this time last month, when the bad news started to fester. The analysts are all over it.

Motorola has essentially allowed themselves to be declared the loser by much of the press before they even get out of the gate.

As a thirty year veteran of the Electronics Industry (Semiconductor side), this isn't my first rodeo. I've watch many highly anticipated launches, all with many rumors flying. There is something called "damage control". That never kicked in at Mot.

They are paying the price on Wall street.

And by the way Menno, it wasn't the Mobility side that saved Mot. It was the Solutions side that carried them for several years. Now that Mobility is back on its feet after living off a feeder tube from Mot's enterprise sector, they have been split off to live on their own.

I wish them luck, but considering this debacle, they may need a lot of it. In any case, anyone with business experience and a financial education can see this for exactly what it is.

Again, I'll be buying tomorrow. Here's to a successful launch, but no matter how successful that launch may be, it will not be what it could have been.

 

[2CupsWithString]

I like the way Apple does this, everyone looks forward to something, they have an event and a week later you can buy it.

I think the Xoom was rushed in front of everyone's face and they are scrambling for the finish line right now.

 

[eallan]

I like the way Apple does this, everyone looks forward to something, they have an event and a week later you can buy it.

I think the Xoom was rushed in front of everyone's face and they are scrambling for the finish line right now.

Same here. I think it is a much more consumer friendly approach, and to be honest, probably has a lot to do with their success.

800 will buy you last years iPad now, or in a month a brand new iPad thats more spec-even with the Xoom.

It's just a bad launch all around, and I wanted one

 

[Maikai.Guy]

I like the way Apple does this, everyone looks forward to something, they have an event and a week later you can buy it.

I think the Xoom was rushed in front of everyone's face and they are scrambling for the finish line right now.

Nicely said.

Yes, it illustrates the stark contrast between a savy marketing team and one that is not so much (I'm trying to be kind).

 

[Menno]

Nicely said.

Yes, it illustrates the stark contrast between a savy marketing team and one that is not so much (I'm trying to be kind).

Apple announces original ipad in winter, not available until the spring
Apple announces the original iphone in january, not available until the summer.

It seems apple has a history of having a huge delay time between when a product is announced and when it's available for the first version of that software.

And Motorola/Verizon is likely the second best marketing team out there.

Again. DroidDoes campaign

 

[Maikai.Guy]

Apple announces original ipad in winter, not available until the spring
Apple announces the original iphone in january, not available until the summer.

It seems apple has a history of having a huge delay time between when a product is announced and when it's available for the first version of that software.

And Motorola/Verizon is likely the second best marketing team out there.

Again. DroidDoes campaign

You are in complete denial. In Apple's case there was no bad news that demanded damage control.

It's great that you're a Motorola fan. Truly wonderful. But for you own credibility, don't behave like the Apple fan-boys and girls that swear to G-d everything Apple does is the very best. Try to be just a bit objective and see the facts for what they are.

Motorola has paid a very dear price already for their blundering. 20% and over $2B in market cap can not be dismissed, no matter how you try to look the other way.

The good news is they have started to communicate FINALLY! Their stock has up-ticked nicely (a little over a dollar) on the official price release and the added news of a WiFi only pad for $600. The Netflix announcement probably didn't hurt either. ;-)

If they step in with advertising and have a smooth release, they'll probably recover to very near where they were. It's just a shame their bumbling caused their starting point to be so much lower than it should have been.

 

[qnet]

the other way.

The Netflix announcement probably didn't hurt either. ;-)

Holy Crap!! I didn't even know about Netflix! now I'm really excited!

 

[Menno]

You are in complete denial. In Apple's case there was no bad news that demanded damage control.

It's great that you're a Motorola fan. Truly wonderful. But for you own credibility, don't behave like the Apple fan-boys and girls that swear to G-d everything Apple does is the very best. Try to be just a bit objective and see the facts for what they are.

Motorola has paid a very dear price already for their blundering. 20% and over $2B in market cap can not be dismissed, no matter how you try to look the other way.

The good news is they have started to communicate FINALLY! Their stock has up-ticked nicely (a little over a dollar) on the official price release and the added news of a WiFi only pad for $600. The Netflix announcement probably didn't hurt either. ;-)

If they step in with advertising and have a smooth release, they'll probably recover to very near where they were. It's just a shame their bumbling caused their starting point to be so much lower than it should have been.

Not a motorola fan at all. I just think you're blowing this way out of proportion. I have yet to have ANYONE in RL mention xoom "issues" or pricing problems. And that includes several hundred verizon customers.

I'm just tired of people making mountains of bad press out of tech blogs and writing of a product (whoever makes it) as a failure before it's even officially out there.

 

[bmhanson]

Not a motorola fan at all. I just think you're blowing this way out of proportion. I have yet to have ANYONE in RL mention xoom "issues" or pricing problems. And that includes several hundred verizon customers.

The only people I havw heard talking about it in real life are best buy mobile reps when I went to talk to them about the xoom. Also said they had not had a lot of interest.

 

[dsignori]

.... The Netflix announcement probably didn't hurt either. ;-)

....

What did I miss? What Netflix announcement?

 

[bmhanson]

Holy Crap!! I didn't even know about Netflix! now I'm really excited!

The only netflix announcement i was aware of is the one that said qualcomm only. Granted I have been busy so what sites I miss.

 

[Maikai.Guy]

What did I miss? What Netflix announcement?

NVIDIA Unleashes Android With Tegra

...which implies XOOM will have it.

 

[slopokdave]

NVIDIA Unleashes Android With Tegra

...which implies XOOM will have it.

This is from 2009.