Microsoft and Zune: the next few years
- September 11th, 2008
- 7 Comments
You guys always get riled up when we mention the Zune, so of course we’re doing it again. What did you think was going to happen? After Apple’s disappointing event on Tuesday, I feel pretty right focusing on other players, and because of the Zune update it’s taking up what little limelight there is left. To be fair, Apple already made its big future-thinking move with the iPhone ages ago, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t care when other companies make progress too. Read on.
This interview with the head of Zune dev is optimistic (and slightly opportunistic) when it could instead be “poor us, our sales are super weak.” They think they have a competitive product and they really do. It’s just a David and Goliath thing — although it’s difficult to say who the Goliath is in this metaphor. Having Microsoft backing you is a bit like having God Mode on, but it’s a little less like cheating here in the real world. It means they can take risks and check stuff out without risking their entire enterprise.
He hints at, but doesn’t exactly promise, integration with cell phones, 360s, media centers, and all of those things; he suggests Microsoft is trying to build a comprehensive entertainment package with video, audio, gaming and anything else in there with a unifying community a la Xbox Live. People do want to be connected, he says, just look at the sea change in gaming over the last few years. They’re trying to do that to music, but the way I see it, they’re still hopelessly fractured. Xbox Live, Windows Live services, and the Zune Social are all connected by strings when it should be one gargantuan entity. That is, of course, extremely difficult to do, but it’s a worthy task and one more suited to Microsoft than any else.
The Zune attracts a lot of ire and mockery, but I think that’s because it’s dogging Apple pretty good in the plain ol’ mp3 arena. Microsoft can’t touch the Touch right now (especially after the price drop), but who’s to say what they have up their sleeve? What with Windows 7 being touchable and all the research that’s gone into the Surface interface, it may be Apple getting leapfrogged by Microsoft next time instead of the other way around (which is pretty much the way it’s been for years). At any rate, competition is making for some interesting and versatile devices and it’s a good time to be a gadget blogger.
realnbk (Who am I?)
2 months ago
“it may be Apple getting leapfrogged by Microsoft next time instead of the other way around”
not this time. Ever heard of patents? Dream on!
Microsoft problem is not that Apple is on fire right now, it’s that they are sucking simultaneously while apple is on fire.
Devin Coldewey (Who am I?)
2 months ago
I think the whole issue is that Apple was REALLY on fire 5 years ago when they reeeeeally had a superior product (old ipod). The iPhone and Touch are great but still not total coups the way the original iPod was. It was in getting that huge amount of marketshare at the beginning (and let’s give them credit, keeping it for years) that Apple is in its position now.
realnbk (Who am I?)
2 months ago
THe Ipod only became a real hit after 2004.
the iPhone is only 14 months old. Give it another year or so.
But this is not about how good apple is. Again. It is how many bad decisions Microsoft have made. A device called Zune will never make it past the diehard fans for its shear name. My brother is not a fan of Appl, he is all for windows and he wants an iPod and only heard of the Zune when I told him about it.
“welcome to the social” is so lame. I mean the Bill & Jerry thing is pathetic. Microsoft Live… and it goes on. THe only decent thing they have is Microsoft office and maybe the xbox (now that’s a simple effective cool name - they should have named the Zune something like x-box. On the other hand, I do not like the name mobile me from Apple either and that sounded more like something Microsoft would use.
zeasar (Who am I?)
2 months ago
You’ve got to remember that Apple is more than just “iPods”, OSX is still one of their upper hands against micro$oft.
In your article you said microsoft wanted to integrate all those devices and “connect people”. Well, we have already seen the integration from apple: universal ipod docking cable, iphone remote app, and the patients they have filed holds a lot more promise than microsoft’s “intentions”. And a lot of the iphone apps are already connecting iphone users like never before.
And unless windows 7 is built from the ground up, its not going to perform much better then vista. Needless to say it wont even compete with the performance gain with snow leopard’s architecture.
webonics (Who am I?)
2 months ago
Apple power user here…but Zune lover. The device is outstanding and so much better than my iPods. Zune music management software still needs some work but the new version next week may go a good distance. Another thing that I absolutely LOVE is that the new updates are backward-compatible all the way back to generation 1. Now that’s a great selling point.
Devin Coldewey (Who am I?)
2 months ago
See people, why you can be like this guy. Where’s the love!
csi24 (Who am I?)
2 months ago
I really hope Microsoft sticks with the Zune because I still love my gen 1 Zune 30. I have an iPhone but if Microsoft released a Zune phone I’d be on that right away. The Zune is getting made better and better everytime it’s released, and so is the software. So keep it up Microsoft, competition is a lovely thing!