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Zune - Microsoft Killer or Next Apple Victim?
prophet asks: "Now that we have all seen the new Microsoft 'Zune', and the suits over at Microsoft have seen fit to inform us of a whole line of 'Zune' related hardware and software products, my real question is, will Microsoft be able to de-throne the ever growing iPod phenom? With the current confirmed 'Zune' prototype photos dispersed throughout the net, it is hard to see how Microsoft has thought that the current design of the 'Zune' is in fact enough in its current form for users to be pleased aesthetically, and at the same time impressed by ease of use. At the current moment, rumors are circulating of a redesign of the controls on Microsoft's part before a complete release. With the current aesthetical design of the Zune, will it appeal to the masses in the way the iPod did? More importantly, does it appeal to you?
Just like they've done with many other products (e.g. XBox), they'll persist until they build a brand in the market. Apple certainly doesn't have much to worry about with their first iteration, but its probably bad news for a lot of the second tier players. Over time, they'll apply more pressure to Apple.
One question (with a rather obvious answer) is "do you see Microsoft exiting this market once they enter it?" Microsoft rarely concedes defeat; they just release a new version.
1. It will be ugly
.. if it does the GPS software will suck and not be comparable to tomtom.
2. The interface will suck
3. It will have buttons
3. It will have buttons on top.
4. The LCD will be crapppy, too dim and low res
5. The LCD will not be widescreen
6. It will not be touchscreen, or the touchscreen UI and scrolling will suck
7. The touchscreen won't sink to allow you to click
8. It will not have TV or HDTV out
9. It will not have TV or HDTV in (to record)
10. They won't allow third parties to write interfaces to access the music store.
11. It will be hard as balls and not free to upload your own content for sharing wiith others (ie, it wont have youtube)
12. They won't license the Xbox to HDTV manufacturers to sell integrated units, so Zune won't be attachable onto HDTV units. (Btw, why doesnt sony sell PS3 HDTV units?)
13. It won't have GPS
14. The UI will be unresponsive, slow, and unreliable.
15. You will not be able to run your own applets. If you can, you will need antivirus which will slow it down. It wont come with even basic arcade games.
16. It will be longer in at least one dimension than the iPod
17. Battery life will suck and not be replaceable.
18. It will not be at least 25% cheaper than the iPod.
19. Apple faboys will 'dis it everywhere
20. Zune developers don't read slashdot, engadget, or other relevant websites. They are developing Zune solely for money, not because they can make a better more useful device.
People buy iPods just because Apple stuff is overhyped. There already are better players on the market already (like the Gigabeat). And to those people, Microsoft sounds uncool. Either you have a iPod or macbook, or you're not "in". Steve Jobs would poop in a bag and put an Apple logo on it, and they'd rush to buy it at inflated prices - and then praise it... It doesn't matter how good or bad zune is, you just can't compete with that.
It's not flamebait, it's just the sad truth.
Just to note - the summary comments on the aesthetics of the interface (which would include both hardware and software parts), but the picture on the article it links to is clearly a picture of a third party online radio player called SiriuCE running on Windows Mobile 5, superimposed on the Zune. You can even see the original site from which the screenshot was missapropriated from http://www.emulamer.com/SiriuCE.html. I don't think anyone's leaked a picture of what the actual Zune software interface is going to be (correct me if I'm wrong), but it definitely won't be Windows Mobile 5.
What's purple and commutes? An Abelian grape.
I interned at Microsoft this summer (horror of horrors!) and attended an event where Ballmer spoke to all of the interns and recent college hires. There was a Q&A session at the end, and someone asked him about the Zune. He said that at the beginning of this year Microsoft decided that they wanted to enter the music player market. They've been quickly working to pull together a product that they can get out the door before Christmas to start a "customer feedback loop".
He all but said that he knew that the v. 1.0 product was going to stink up a storm and probably get destroyed in the marketplace and the press. However, he said that they wanted to get a product out as quickly as possible so that they could start getting comments from customers and partners on what they wanted. He also made it very clear that they were in it for the long haul, and that he expected to dominate the market by v. 3.0 (or something). He alluded to the growth of Pocket PC and Windows Embedded.
But, let's also remember--nobody knows companies.
Look at the advertising for Xbox. The connection with Microsoft is subdued or non-existant--maybe a little Microsoft logo at the bottom of the screen below the much larger Xbox logo. Heck, there are plenty of people who don't really know/care about the connection with iPod and Apple (for that matter, there are plenty of people who don't know the connection between Macintosh and Apple).
As I've said before, most people don't actually buy Windows. They buy Dell, Gateway, HP, Lenovo, or whatever. Windows is just something that comes along with it. When something goes wrong with their computer, they don't necessarily blame Microsoft--they blame the company they bought the computer from. Heck, how many people do you know who have used "Netscape" or "Lotus"? People don't understand these things, nor do they care.
So I could see Zune getting the same treatment as Xbox and make it more of a brand unto itself. It makes sense, really. Arguably, the "Microsoft" brand has it's best recognition among corporations. The "Microsoft" brand doesn't carry a whole lot of weight elsewhere. So why bother with it. It's not the "Microsoft Zune", it's just Zune.