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Zune Dead, Then Not Dead, Then Officially Dead

Posted by timothy on from the now-that's-longevity dept.

UnknowingFool writes "On Monday Microsoft updated webpages to announce a price drop for the Zune pass subscription, and it removed all references to the Zune hardware. This prompted many to suspect the Zune was dead. A MS spokesman then tweeted that the updates were in error and the Zune was not dead. Then MS later admitted that they will no longer produce hardware but would honor any existing orders. It appears MS has trouble with managing their PR."

26 of 181 comments (clear)

  1. Points to a larger cultural problem at MS by elrous0 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    There is no grand vision and it's got poor leadership, so individual parts of the company have no fucking clue what's going on in other parts of the company. By contrast, this is something that Apple (under Jobs, anyway) has always been MUCH better at.

    Sadly, I'm starting to see this problem in Google too. Google seems to be going off in a million different directions lately, with no apparent overarching plan. They seem to be taking a "throw every dart at the board and hope one hits the bullseye" approach (similar to MS). Apple takes more the "throw a small number of darts, but aim them well and throw them hard" approach.

    --
    SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    1. Re:Points to a larger cultural problem at MS by Hazel+Bergeron · · Score: 4, Interesting

      It's true. For all the justified dislike for Apple there is, Jobs has spent the last 30 years being excellent at picking the good ideas at the right time, which explains why they're such a successful and popular brand.

      Mind you, MS is still the only one of these big three to have a committed interest in long-term research (the "grand vision" which has kept IBM alive despite a century of changes): Google, for all its PhDs, publishes very little interesting research, and Apple publishes nothing, only occasionally advancing the state of the art where it's been important for implementation.

    2. Re:Points to a larger cultural problem at MS by plover · · Score: 2

      I'm starting to see this problem in Google too. Google seems to be going off in a million different directions lately, with no apparent overarching plan.

      Something recently has started to happen to counter this exact thing at Google. Someone high-up shut down Google Labs last month, and ended most of those projects. It was supposedly a part of renewing their focus on their core business. And while it often seems like Google's core business is "being cool", being cool doesn't exactly pay the bills, so I suppose they have to figure out more new things to generate revenue.

      What are some of the million new directions you see coming out of Google?

      --
      John
    3. Re:Points to a larger cultural problem at MS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      For realz. see http://research.microsoft.com/apps/dp/pu/publications.aspx

      Yes, it's a fully funded research division that publishes papers on OS, functional programming and other CS topics. No, they don't have a PR wing that posts frontpage to news aggregators every week.

    4. Re:Points to a larger cultural problem at MS by egamma · · Score: 5, Informative

      MS is still the only one of these big three to have a committed interest in long-term research

      MS does research? For real? I thought all they did was buy startups and competitors, some of which had done research in the past, or are winding down R+D after the purchase.

      Please don't confuse research grants from the bill gates charitable foundation with "MS does long term research".

      Why not visit Microsoft Research and see for yourself?

      Also check out the Microsoft Garage

      You may not like Microsoft but it's hard to deny that they do more research than, say, Symantec or Dell.

      --
      Battlemaster--Game with friends in medival realms
    5. Re:Points to a larger cultural problem at MS by dkf · · Score: 2

      MS does research? For real?

      Yes, loads. But with the ignorance you're showing, you must work for some part of the rest of Microsoft; after all, they never seem to listen at all to what MSR's up to and instead focus on turning out the same not-very-innovative crap over and over.

      --
      "Little does he know, but there is no 'I' in 'Idiot'!"
    6. Re:Points to a larger cultural problem at MS by Archangel+Michael · · Score: 4, Interesting

      That is because, Microsoft, at its heart, is a "Windows (tm)" Company. That is what they do. Apple used to be in the "Macintosh" business, but they realized that they were more than that, and that they are a "technology" company.

      Microsoft views everything through that pane of glass and everything is tied to leverage that marketshare. They shoehorn Windows onto Phones and Tablets and it just doesn't work because nobody wants Windows on a phone.

      --
      Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
    7. Re:Points to a larger cultural problem at MS by ackthpt · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Microsoft: The "Me, too" company

      --

      A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
    8. Re:Points to a larger cultural problem at MS by ackthpt · · Score: 2

      MS is still the only one of these big three to have a committed interest in long-term research

      MS does research? For real? I thought all they did was buy startups and competitors, some of which had done research in the past, or are winding down R+D after the purchase.

      Please don't confuse research grants from the bill gates charitable foundation with "MS does long term research".

      The only evidence I see is Microsoft looks to see what the market is doing now and develops a product for it, which by the time they release it they've missed the boat. Should be a learning experience, but they keep repeating this idiotic strategy.

      --

      A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
    9. Re:Points to a larger cultural problem at MS by mbkennel · · Score: 2

      No. Microsoft development doesn't pay attention to Research very much. Too much management fubar.

      But Kinect (an actually impressive innovation, if useless) did come from Research.

    10. Re:Points to a larger cultural problem at MS by macs4all · · Score: 4, Informative

      No. Microsoft development doesn't pay attention to Research very much. Too much management fubar.

      But Kinect (an actually impressive innovation, if useless) did come from Research.

      Um, Kinect came from an outside company.

      The "Kinect" technology was actually offered to Apple first; but the third party company (can't remember the name) turned it down, saying that Apple had too many "conditions" in their offer.

    11. Re:Points to a larger cultural problem at MS by Grishnakh · · Score: 3, Interesting

      The only problem with this is that their research doesn't seem to have resulted in much in the way of actual products or improvements to products. Sure, they made a pretty cool photography tool recently, and there was Clippy (which everyone hated), but what real groundbreaking improvements to MS products have come out of their research? Windows 7 really isn't that different from Windows 95 (except for the kernel and architecture, which really came from a guy they hired who was the main guy for VMS).

      By contrast, we use the products of IBM's research every day. I still remember when IBM developed the copper-on-silicon process back in the 90s, and this was revolutionary. Now, every CPU has it. That's just one of many breakthroughs they've contributed to computing.

    12. Re:Points to a larger cultural problem at MS by Miseph · · Score: 2

      "Windows 7 really isn't that different from Windows 95 (except for the kernel and architecture"

      How much more different could it possibly be?

      --
      Try not to take me more seriously than I take myself.
    13. Re:Points to a larger cultural problem at MS by plover · · Score: 2

      I'm not talking about the last few years. I deliberately used the word "recently" as my entire point was referring to the July announcement of the closure of Google Labs as an indication they're currently retracting, not expanding. Some of the projects you listed above are among the casualties.

      Here's Larry Page's blog where he included the text of his quarterly earnings call that talks about addressing your concerns exactly: https://plus.google.com/106189723444098348646/posts/dRtqKJCbpZ7

      Google seems to be going off in a million different directions lately, with no apparent overarching plan. They seem to be taking a "throw every dart at the board and hope one hits the bullseye" approach (similar to MS). Apple takes more the "throw a small number of darts, but aim them well and throw them hard" approach.

      A direct quote from his call: "Greater focus has also been another big feature for me this quarter--more wood behind fewer arrows". You guys are even using similar analogies!

      Google has changed. If you're going to complain about where they're going today, at least complain about the direction they're going now, not the direction they were going last year.

      --
      John
    14. Re:Points to a larger cultural problem at MS by Archangel+Michael · · Score: 2

      Azure is a "me too" cloud thing. There is nothing compelling about it that I can't get elsewhere for much less.

      Oh, and it is Windows. It is their Windows services as a "cloud".

      --
      Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
    15. Re:Points to a larger cultural problem at MS by Grishnakh · · Score: 2

      Um, from what I recall, Kinect isn't from MS at all, but from an Israeli company, and was purchased by MS.

      Surface is just a giant touchscreen. Whoopee.

  2. As Coroner... by Jawnn · · Score: 3, Funny

    "...it's not only merely dead, but really most sincerely dead."

    1. Re:As Coroner... by bmo · · Score: 2

      Came for the Wizard of Oz reference, leaving satisfied.

      --
      BMO

  3. Re:Too bad by Missing.Matter · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Why not still get one? It's still a great piece of hardware. The ecosystem is still supported, and there's no sign they'll be abandoning it any time soon. In fact, they recently expanded the Zune marketplace into Canada.

  4. Re:My Windows Phone... by dyingtolive · · Score: 2, Funny

    Surprised you could see the keyboard well enough to type from that cloud of smug that surrounds you.

    --
    Support the EFF and Creative Commons. The war is coming, and they're supporting you...
  5. Schrodinger's PMP? by Bushwuly · · Score: 2

    ... at one point dead and alive at the same time?

    --
    Get over yourself.
  6. What's the monthly TCO? by tepples · · Score: 2

    So now if I want to buy a Zune^W Windows phone, and I'm not already using a cell phone as a replacement for a home phone, I'll have to pay $40 a month for voice service that I will barely use.

  7. My first thought by MonsterTrimble · · Score: 2

    Excellent - now they'll be super cheap on eBay!

    Seriously, who cares that the Zune is no longer produced? It's an MP3 player. Few people would get them serviced so warranty work is pointless. Heck, I always loved the Rio and if the capacity was tiny compared to relatively newer models, I'd still get one.

    And fuck everyone - I liked the brown model.

    --
    I call it 'The Aristocrats'
  8. Re:Too bad by UnknowingFool · · Score: 2

    What about apps? Can you run WP7 apps on the Zune? As far as I remember the answer was "iffy". I could be wrong about that but not having apps is somewhat of a negative.

    --
    Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
  9. Re:Monthly cost of a Windows Phone by Grishnakh · · Score: 2

    It seems like these days, many corporations either want to be basically a monopoly (or at least own an overwhelming majority of the market), or they don't want to bother at all. I guess it goes along with the mentality that they must have continuous, unending growth, and it's not enough to have a stable, profitable, revenue-producing business.

  10. So what does this mean for the DRM by Animats · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Microsoft does it again. First they killed PlaysForSure, with its DRM, and now Zune,with its own incompatible DRM.

    As I've pointed out before, the lifetime of DRM systems seems to be about five years. At the end of life, users tend to lose content, although sometimes there's a migration path.