Pandora Gets A Hole In The Head

“I need Android like I need a hole in the head.”Tom Conrad, Pandora CTO

Popular music service Pandora is a huge hit on the iPhone, and they were one of the first Palm Pre apps available as well. But when it comes to Android, the company has at best always been “meh.”

In July 2008 Pandora CTO Tom Conrad said “I need Android like I need a hole in the head,” adding “the last thing from a technology standpoint that i need is another OS platform that sits on top of buggy firmware.” The relevant video clip is here (skip to the 55 second mark).

“We’re going to put your face next to that quote when you launch an Android app,” I said at the time (check!). Conrad later clarified his position.

Anyway, back to reality, Pandora has now launched an Android application, and it’s pretty darn cool. Unlike the new Facebook for Android, it doesn’t skimp on features. In fact, it’s the first mobile Pandora application that integrates with the built in music player so that you can create stations from the artists and songs in your local collection. It also integrates with the Android home screen widget system.

So overall I give the product an A, and I give Tom Conrad an A+ for creating drama around an otherwise less interesting launch. Well done.