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Microsoft Reportedly Ends Zune Hardware Development
ideaz tips this Bloomberg report:
"Microsoft Corp. will cease introducing new versions of the Zune music and video-player amid tepid demand, helping the company shift its focus to mobile phones, according to a person familiar with the decision. The company will concentrate on putting Zune software onto mobile phones such as those running Microsoft’s Windows operating system, said the person, who declined to be identified because the decision hasn’t been announced. Zune software lets customers buy songs and movies, as well as pay a monthly fee to stream unlimited music."
Microsoft is a joke. I can't believe they are a successful business, let alone the premiere provider of operating systems and office software. They have no vision for the future, and no drive to make great products. They don't even seem to be interested in making cheap products. They failed when they tried to follow Apple into the MP3 player market, and now they are planning on following Apple into the mobile phone market?! By the time they have a workable solution (if they are ever able to develop one) the market will be saturated with competing devices from manufacturers who actually care about the quality of the products they are making. They should shutter their business and release all their developers to go work on real projects that have a hope of succeeding. The only division worth keeping is the gaming division.
You obviously haven't used the device or are an iTunes fanboi because iTunes is just as buggy, slow, and works just as intermittently as the Zune. The UI of the device (Zune) was atrocious so I don't understand that statement. The software was very unintuitive as well, but iTunes isn't much better. When it takes me 30 minutes to figure out how to put a song on the device after consulting an operating manual and several forums then something is wrong. At least on the Zune software I can drag and drop songs/videos I want onto the device icon. That's pretty intuitive if you ask me.
Except that Apple passed Microsoft on the scale of shady practices and corporate self interest (not to mention market cap) a while ago...