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David Pogue Takes On the Zune

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the gotta-love-them-made-up-words dept.

necro81 writes "The NYTimes' widely read technology columnist, David Pogue, has devoted his weekly product review to Microsoft's Zune. He does an even-handed job of describing what Zune has over the iPod, as well as some product-related letdowns." From the article: "Competition is good and all. But what, exactly, is the point of the Zune? It seems like an awful lot of duplication — in a bigger, heavier form with fewer features — just to indulge Microsoft's 'we want some o' that' envy. Wireless sharing is the one big new idea — and if the public seems to respond, Apple could always add that to the iPod."

4 of 99 comments (clear)

  1. Microsoft can't help it... by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Until you experienced a blue screen of death while playing "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", your life is utterly meaningless.

  2. Can't be used as an external hard drive ... ?! by the+bluebrain · · Score: 5, Insightful

    My iPod breakdown:
    - 12 gigs music.
    - 12 gigs movies and vPodCasts.
    - 10 gigs data, for just three files.
    iPod ... for when a thumb drive just ain't big enough.

    Not being able to use the zune as a drive is the ultimate breakdown for me.
    Figure: if they couldn't even get that one itsy bitsy featurette right ... how do you figure they fared with the basic, main features?

    --
    yes, we have no bananas
  3. Zune points scam by goombah99 · · Score: 5, Informative
    79 zune points costs 99 cents. and you have to buy them in increments of $5. jeezus! this is so diaboilical on many levels. First, MS gets to hold your float for $4.01 after you buy the first song. That's a lot of interest to MS over time. And then after you buy 5 songs then what? MS gets to keep the extra nickel you can't spend. So really songs cost $1.00 not $0.99 cents. MS pockets 1% extra. Finally, the detachment of points from dollars measn two things. First it measn your brain hurts when you are spending funny money with strange conversion rates that make it hard to figure on the fly. And second it means they can charge different groups different prices or raise prices. For example, everyone who buys zune points now may be paying $1.00 per song but if you buy the points next week it's say $1.50 a song. Or maybe you get a zune points discount if you buy a new computer with MS OS.

    it all seems so deliberately complicated and multi-tiered like all of MS products. That can be a good bussiness strategy but it's not a user-freindly strategy. I predict people will prefer their music priced in way they can figure and don't have to work the angles to get the best prices.

    --
    Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
  4. Read Walter Mossberg's review by SillySilly · · Score: 5, Informative
    Walter Mossberg has a better review of the Zune: http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB11630284839 3917854-wNNFl42I1SSNBP6dH5xF08kTRlQ_20071108.html

    Better in that he actually tested the Zune, measured its battery life (and found it to be 14% shorter than claimed), tested its WiFi sharing (and found it to not work as well as advertized), and actually used it.

    The review is not all negative, and is worth reading.