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Microsoft to Launch Zune in EU
An anonymous reader writes "Happy with the sales from the little brown music player here in the states, Microsoft is working to launch the Zune media player in Europe by the end of the year. According to the Washington Post article, they are trying to have a realistic outlook on the entrenched Apple product line. They're not trying to play catch-up at the moment ... they're just trying to get on the map. From the article: '"Our next round of introductions will probably be in time for the holiday of this year." [Jason Reindorp] said Microsoft planned extensive research with focus groups in Europe to see how it could be modified for a European consumer. He said the Zune had a 10.2 percent market share in the U.S. in the 30 gigabyte category, according to the latest data, and that it was still in line to sell over a million units by June 30, the end of its current fiscal year.'"
Not to be off topic, but that makes me think the PS3 will be an even harder sell in Europe than it's been in North America. The marketing here focuses so much on the technology that if it weren't displayed in the video game section of your local retailer, most people wouldn't even know it was meant for games. People don't care about the technology, as long as it works.
The Zune is certainly a more technologically capable device than the iPod, but it's not marketed well and isn't getting very good market penetration as a result. For those who have actually had a lot of hands-on experience with it, it's a really great device. Microsoft is firmly committed to the Zune, and will keep improving it and forcing the market to take it seriously over time. With the money that they have, they can afford multi-billion dollar pet projects like this, especially when they view a competitor as a possible "integration" threat. Nobody has really been able to oppose Apple's domination with not just a superior device, but the commitment to keep it updated and market it. I welcome the competition.