The wisecracking chairman of Sun Microsystems has launched his own podcast on the company's Web site.

Antone Gonsalves, Contributor

February 23, 2007

2 Min Read

Scott McNealy, the wisecracking chairman of Sun Microsystems, has launched his own podcast on the computer maker's Web site.

McNealy, who relinquished the post of CEO to Jonathan Schwartz, quipped in the debut of "The McNealy Minute" that "when you're not CEO, and you're just chairman, you only get a minute."

Before interviewing Schwartz, McNealy said despite loving the job of CEO, there was a downside. "I don't miss being inside the piñata," he said. "I was thrilled to go do that, but 22 years getting whacked by a random 2-by-4 from strange places is something that nobody should have to go do."

In introducing Schwartz, McNealy praised his successor for "doing a great job" as CEO at the company McNealy co-founded. Schwartz had equal praise for McNealy and discussed Sun's progress in its recovery after hitting hard times following the dot-com bust in 2001.

Indications of Sun's comeback can be seen in the latest global server report from market researcher Gartner. The Santa Clara, Calif., company was the only top five vendor to gain revenue share for 2006, reaching 10.8% of the market, or $5.7 billion.

Following the interview, McNealy thanked Schwartz for his time and said, "Keep up the good work. Now get back to work, buddy."

Described on the Sun Web site as a "Human Quote Machine," McNealy has been a keynote speaker in many tech conferences over the years. He has entertained audiences with his humor and was known for his top 10 lists, which often poked fun at rival Microsoft and its then CEO Bill Gates. The "best" of the top 10 lists are on his Web site, along with some of his more colorful quotes.

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