Comments on: Is the Zune doomed?

By: Microsoft Splits Up Zune Team, New Hardware Still Coming Though

Microsoft Splits Up Zune Team, New Hardware Still Coming Though — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 16:24:01 +0000

[...] Microsoft started laying folks off in January, we were afraid the Zune might be directly affected; it was. The big wigs at Redmond separated the Zune department into hardware and software teams. [...]

By: Microsoft Splits Up Zune Team, New Hardware Still Coming Though | FocuSoft Tech Blog

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 14:40:42 +0000

By: InLuvWitMyStereo

InLuvWitMyStereo — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 00:40:40 +0000

If zune discontinues its hardware I will say that It was a fun fun ride. Ive owned my Zunes since they came out and Microsoft has continually worked to improve everything about the Zune experience. What MP3 player do you know of that you can Listen to FM radio, hear a song you like, and download the High Quality wma song instantly via Wi-Fi, all while you play poker on the Zune with other zuners . You can do all this without even turning on your home computer. Sound like a pretty powerful piece of technology. I’ll take two !

By: Microsoft has no plans to kill off Zune | FocuSoft Tech Blog

Microsoft has no plans to kill off Zune | FocuSoft Tech Blog — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 12:57:59 +0000

[...] face of a 54 percent revenue drop last quarter, there’s been a lot of speculation going around (myself included) as to what’s going to happen with the Microsoft Zune. Microsoft has now come out and said that [...]

By: Alice

Alice — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 12:03:02 +0000

I seem to recall many commentators voicing similar opinions about the Xbox, and how they can never match the Sony Playstation, what a difference a couple of years make… I personally wouldn’t bet against Microsoft, that have a long and steady history of success.

By: Microsoft has no plans to kill off Zune

Microsoft has no plans to kill off Zune — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 00:20:02 +0000

By: RSS Digest - #28 - Kinda late but here…

RSS Digest - #28 - Kinda late but here… — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 05:36:04 +0000

[...] Designers Mac: 25 Years in Pictures Twitter Has Done News. Now It’s Doing Global Charity Events Is the Zune doomed? Google to launch next big update to Google Earth Multiple Windows 7 versions coming? Say it [...]

By: nick

nick — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 23:05:54 +0000

I know you like it from behind – the counter to site down and drink your coffee.

By: hominychi

hominychi — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 17:44:49 +0000

i would like to buy a zune if it wasn’t bulkier than the apples and a touchscreen would be nice, as long as it still had the touch pad around there… people tell me to just go with an itouch but i feel that the zune is just more cuztomizable and the software is cool (my sis owns a zune). fix the bulkiness and add a touchscreen and keep everything else the same and it will surely become a competition

By: widgethead

widgethead — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:31:17 +0000

This is sad, if true. I am no fanboy but I like my Zune 80 GB. I have used it over the last 15 months, without problems and I find all the music and podcast s I want at the Zune marketplace. While IPODs and I tunes are okay, I do like the interactivity with my XBOX360. I would be unhappy as a customer if they stop and close up all the o9ther stuff as well. So much for being a loyal MS customer.

By: Windows Mobile 6.5 alpha screenshots develop

Windows Mobile 6.5 alpha screenshots develop — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 13:48:04 +0000

[...] have the stuff to make a killer OS – look at the Zune – but those folks might be on their way out due to jobs cuts leaving the old farts that designed WinMob user interface a half a decade ago. These screenshots [...]

By: cy Starkman

cy Starkman — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 07:03:49 +0000

I love the swap out of arguments by supporters.

iPhone 1 was doomed because it was just launched in the USA, because of the volume of mobiles sold globally.

Zune is a different business and can’t be compared because it just available in NAm. Uh, yeah.

iPod is a closed ecosystem and that’s bad. Yet it isn’t closed. Unless you are an IT nOOb and then that’s its advantage to you.

Zune also a closed system is good.

–

By: SkateNY

SkateNY — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 04:45:01 +0000

One more thing…two tech giants, Intel and Dell, both offered MP3 players, but quickly dropped out when they saw their efforts were only serving to burn more money. I think HP did the same thing, though my memory on that is not as clear.

Microsoft would be well served to follow suit.

By: SkateNY

SkateNY — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 04:42:57 +0000

I don’t doubt that many or even most Zune owners are satisfied with what they have. Here’s my thing: Apple dove into the MP3 market when that market was already well on its way to maturity. The iPod quickly made a big splash, and iTunes has played no small part in helping the iPod acuire a 70% market share. Apple did not engage in illegal, monopolistic business practices in order to achieve that level of prominence; nor did Steve Jobs hypnotize buyers, steering them towards the iPhone.

When the iPhone was released in October of 2001, it succeeded during a recession caused by the terrorist attacks of 9/11. If the current economic climate adversely affected the Zune and other consumer products, then it stands to reason that it also adversely affected iPod sales. Yet, Apple reported a growth in iPod sales for the most recent quarter, versus a 54% drop in Zune revenues. How much better would the iPod have faired this quarter without the deepening recession?

I believe that Microsoft and its investors need to re-evaluate the Zune with regard to how it affects other products, and how it affects shareholder interests. If I’m a Microsoft competitor — and I don’t believe that Apple and Microsoft compete in the sense that they appeal to very different groups of customers — then I truly hope that Microsoft continues to throw money and other resources at the Zune.

By: Paul

Paul — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 02:21:40 +0000

I just think the zune sw and music service is better than itunes. The hardware is fine, nothing amazing, but fine.. it would be a shame.

By: foaf

foaf — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 00:31:39 +0000

If you like the closed Apple ecosystem you get iPod. Zune competes with companies like Creative etc, so the comparison is not great.

And couldn’t you have done some simple math? 173M/7years=24M per year, 3M/2years=1.5M per year. It’s apples with apples, excuse the pun.

By: greatslack

greatslack — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 22:06:15 +0000

For those who aren’t philosophy and/or linguistics geeks, Alex was referring to the improper usage of “begs the question”. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Begging_the_question

But there was no need to be dick about it, Alex. =)

By: Zune Fan

Zune Fan — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 21:17:56 +0000

I will say that this is the most logical post I have eread on the subject for this simple line:
“So, just for the sake of argument, if Microsoft decided to drop the Zune hardware — and there’s no clear indication that it would aside from the layoffs and the drop in revenue – it’d be a shame for the Zune UI and platform to die just because the hardware does. “

By: Zune Fan

Zune Fan — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 21:15:55 +0000

Stop by? I am a big fan fo Crunch Gear. I think, however, that the quote fromt he FT was misattributed to Ballmer when in reality it was the FT’s own assumption.

Regardless, the fact that the Zune is sold in a fraction of the market means that it will *never* make a dent on iPod hardware sales. The Zune team all but admits that.

Similarly, MS is a dsoftware company, its what they do best. hence going to Tosh for the original Zune. Also Apple pretty much controll the supply stream for media player parts.

So will we see a world one day where stand alone media players go the way of the 8-Track? Yes. With respect to the Zune, will it be because of the recent 10-Q? No.

By: Doug Aamoth

Doug Aamoth — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 20:13:01 +0000

Thanks for stopping by.