Slashdot Mirror
Critical Review of the Zune
ceallaigh writes "Andy Ihnatko of the Chicago Sun-Times has a critical review of the Zune. "Avoid," is my general message. The Zune is a square wheel, a product that's so absurd and so obviously immune to success that it evokes something akin to a sense of pity."
"Wireless. More space than a nomad. Awesome."
If that's not enough, the reviewer then weighs in with:
This suggests that for your typical tech-journalist, the issue of the power of music companies and the damage it does to consumers' interests is perfectly clear. However, I don't know anything about the Chicago Sun Times - is it a big newspaper? Does this review suggest that the mainstream media in the US is ready to turn a critical eye on the music companies?
Reality is defined by the maddest person in the room
Joe Stalin gives the thumbs up to iTunes and it's draconian DRM. When can we expect the early morning knock of the seceret "IP" police?
That's not just bad marketing, it's a marketing showstopper. Remember Ball-buster-man's comment "You might want to squirt me pictures of your kids"? Sorry, anyone who puts squirt and kids in the same sentence should be locked up, IMHO.
Seriously, it sounds like Ball-head-man was desperately trying to come up with a catchy name for that wifi thing the device does so badly. He's the most executron-looking dweeb I've ever seen; he typifies the image of the whole company to the yoot who buy such gadgets.
So please Mr. Ballmer, don't squirt on me, K? Thanks...
Who is this delectable creature with an insatiable love of the dead?
One of the stores had more space for Sandisk players than the Zune.
In their defense, Sandisk is the #2 player and they probably can actually sell some Sandisk players.
Avoid Missing Ball for High Score
The Zune is literally a marketing catastrophe. Andy I. is alerting his readers of the trainwreck it represents. He's identifying the showstoppers that make this a poor purchase. When we're talking about a $250 buy-in, it's important to warn consumers that the glitches are not minor. Even if MS got everything else right with this player, it would be something for parents to avoid purchasing if they're going to have to manually create and install
There's no sense for Andy to discuss the finer details of weight, size, etc. The problems cancel out how superior the form factor might be over the iPod. It's like you're asking for a reporter to discuss the positive aspects of Osama Bin Laden-- "Well, he exhales carbon dioxide, which plants need for photosynthesis." Yes, I'm in agreement with Andy on this, the Zune is the Alqueda of mp3 players.
Seth
$5 / month hosted VPS on linux = awesome!
I think the ad is saying that Microsoft are buying batteries from Sony...
I am TheRaven on Soylent News
After playing with the unit for a few minutes and being disgusted with the UI, this is what I noticed leaving the store:
The "zune" logo on the translucent marketing material, when viewed from the back, looks a lot like "anus".
That about sums it up.
"Most pro-audio colleagues as well as sound connoiseurs to this day seek to buy this discontinued model due to its high quality sound output and more importantly CD-quality recording feature which includes also optical I/O."
Problem is, in the real world as soon as you say "Most pro-audio colleagues as well as sound connoisseurs" peoples' eyes glaze over and they stop listening. Most people couldn't care less about audiophiles' opinions - we have all heard way too much of their pointless (to us) droning. They're as bad as the worst of the anime fans.
I'm not saying you don't have a point - I'm just saying that, to most people, it doesn't matter in the least.
#DeleteChrome
That's not just bad marketing, it's a marketing showstopper.I couldn't agree with you more. The Zune will be dead as soon as the cool kids start teasing the un-cool kids about their iSquirts. I doubt that even Microsoft's marketing team could make "iSquirt" sound cool.
Having to marry Bill Gates is considered getting off easy?
Maybe if the alternative punishment is having to give Ballmer a hummer.
Hey, old man. They recently invented close tags for bold! They look like this: . Feel free to use them wherever you want your bold text to end!
When we go to an antiwar protest, we always play "Spot The Fed" as we look for the inevitable FBI/Homeland Security plant in the crowd.
Well, I think we need to play this game here on Slashdot!
Who here is the RIAA plant?
Who here is the Microsoft plant?
You *know* they are here! Just like we knew, before we actually confirmed it, that there were Feds at the protests.
Dog is my co-pilot.