***This is DEFINITELY a PR piece written by Microsoft PR group.***
Here's why I wrote this piece: I have noticed my fellow iPod enthusiasts "pointing and laughing," as I put it, at Microsoft's entry into the media player market (on blogs, in articles and elsewhere), mocking Microsoft's futile attempt to enter into the media player ring with Apple. In stark contrast, I've also noticed that Apple is taking the Zune very seriously as a potential threat.
One role of columnists is to seek out popular myths and misconceptions and provide insight and argument to dispel them. That's what I did in my article.
One such myth is that the Zune's customization of colors and backgrounds, etc., is either irrelevant or bad (because people make bad decisions about colors, etc.). My very simple and obvious point was that real people in real life like to customize things. I used MySpace as an example of that fact.
I'm not out to make "invisible connections" in people's minds. Jesus. I'm just making a point.
My family of four owns six iPods. I personal own two. I love them, and doubt I will be switching to a Zune. That doesn't make Apple any less concerned about Zune.
You seem to imply that my column was somehow critical of Apple or favorable toward Microsoft. If you can find a single critical comment in my column toward Apple, please post a quote in this forum.
Actually, I gushed over iPod ("transcendent design"..."Apple's media players are so good they have transformed consumer electronics") and was lukewarm about the Zune ("pretty cool"... "Compared with Apple's latest iPod, the Zune is a slightly larger, slightly heavier, slightly less elegant device.")
I don't mind criticizing either Apple or Microsoft. But that's not what this column was about.
All the semi-nice things I said about the Zune boils down to this: It's cool enough, cheap enough, and featured enough to scare Apple. It's better than iPod fans expected and cannot be dismissed as a non-event. That's all I'm saying.
I'm not saying Zune is better than iPod. I'm saying that it's good enough -- combined with the other reasons I listed -- to be a real concern to Apple.
Let's say that for the holiday season, Apple sells three million iPods, and Microsoft sells a half-million Zunes. That's a disaster for Apple. That's a half-million iPods Apple didn't sell. Microsoft could lose a billion dollars on it. It's STILL a disaster for Apple.
*** I don't think Microsoft is going to win on this. Apple is easily 3 steps ahead of Microsoft, they just have not thought people would want or use this. And they are right. The idea of "beaming" my songs to someone is like beaming contact information on Palm handhelds. Yeah, neat, but not really all that useful. ***
I never said Microsoft would "win" or that Apple would "lose." I'm saying only that Apple is taking the Zune far, far more seriously than iPod fans apparently are.
I do disagree with you about the Wi-Fi feature. I think that's the device's "killer app," and predict Apple will copy it within a year. Why? Because real people really share lots of media in real life. Being able to do so from the device, without a PC, is a no-brainer.
*** These have absolutely nothing to do with each other. It doesn't matter that Microsoft owns more than 90% of the worldwide operating systems market. ***
Here we have a legitimate difference of opinion.
Everyone who thinks Microsoft won't leverage Windows to push Zune Marketplace and the Zune stand on that side of the room. Everyone who thinks they will, stand over here.
My article never said Zune would "kill" the iPod. I'm saying Apple can't dismiss the Zune (and the coming Microsoft consumer media assault) as easily as the iPod fans out there who mock Microsoft's entry into the media player market.
I'm just trying to dispell the myth that Zune's launch won't really affect Apple. It will. Profoundly.
You *should* "wait for a neutral review from a expert who reports on the players from all manufacturers."
My article is perfectly useless for choosing which media player to buy. Personally, I'm an iPod *freak* (my family of four owns six iPods).
The purpose of my column was to point out a colossal disconnect between Apple on the one hand, and the Apple faithful on the other. I have noticed my fellow iPod enthusiasts "pointing and laughing," as I put it, at Microsoft's entry into the media player market. The conventional wisdom is that Microsoft hasn't a prayer.
My article points out that Apple itself isn't laughing. Zune is a serious threat to Apple's profitability, media player market share and "aura" of invincibility. Microsoft isn't just another wannabe. They're deadly serious and are betting the company on their consumer media strategy, which includes the Zune.
I never said Zune is better than iPod. I said Apple is scared of what the Zune (and the rest of Microsoft's consumer product line) will do to their business.
* * * They talk as if Microsoft having 90% of worldwide OS market is the reason why Zune beats iPod. * * *
My article didn't say Zune would beat iPod. That Microsoft has 300 million OS customers (roughly ten times the number if iPod users) is one of the reasons Apple is afraid of the Zune (as oppose to, say, some generic Korean wanna-be MP3 player). Does anyone doubt that Microsoft will use Windows to promote Zune?
People tend to really like the XP "Media Center" interface. The Zune interface is very similar. Like Apple, Microsoft is using both explicit and subtle tie-ins between OS UI and media player UI. When you consider that the overwhelming majority of iPod users are Windows users, you can see why Apple is worried.
You make a good point: Songs purchased on the Zune Marketplace are, at best, semi-viral (as they can't make more than one hop). But pictures, notes, music files not purchased on Marketplace, videos downloaded from the Internet and illegally ripped from DVDs, etc., are perfectly viral. - Mike Elgan
Slashdot Mirror
***This is DEFINITELY a PR piece written by Microsoft PR group.***
Here's why I wrote this piece: I have noticed my fellow iPod enthusiasts "pointing and laughing," as I put it, at Microsoft's entry into the media player market (on blogs, in articles and elsewhere), mocking Microsoft's futile attempt to enter into the media player ring with Apple. In stark contrast, I've also noticed that Apple is taking the Zune very seriously as a potential threat.
One role of columnists is to seek out popular myths and misconceptions and provide insight and argument to dispel them. That's what I did in my article.
One such myth is that the Zune's customization of colors and backgrounds, etc., is either irrelevant or bad (because people make bad decisions about colors, etc.). My very simple and obvious point was that real people in real life like to customize things. I used MySpace as an example of that fact.
I'm not out to make "invisible connections" in people's minds. Jesus. I'm just making a point.
- Mike Elgan
Hello. Tool of a writer here.
My family of four owns six iPods. I personal own two. I love them, and doubt I will be switching to a Zune. That doesn't make Apple any less concerned about Zune.
You seem to imply that my column was somehow critical of Apple or favorable toward Microsoft. If you can find a single critical comment in my column toward Apple, please post a quote in this forum.
Actually, I gushed over iPod ("transcendent design"..."Apple's media players are so good they have transformed consumer electronics") and was lukewarm about the Zune ("pretty cool"... "Compared with Apple's latest iPod, the Zune is a slightly larger, slightly heavier, slightly less elegant device.")
I don't mind criticizing either Apple or Microsoft. But that's not what this column was about.
All the semi-nice things I said about the Zune boils down to this: It's cool enough, cheap enough, and featured enough to scare Apple. It's better than iPod fans expected and cannot be dismissed as a non-event. That's all I'm saying.
I'm not saying Zune is better than iPod. I'm saying that it's good enough -- combined with the other reasons I listed -- to be a real concern to Apple.
Let's say that for the holiday season, Apple sells three million iPods, and Microsoft sells a half-million Zunes. That's a disaster for Apple. That's a half-million iPods Apple didn't sell. Microsoft could lose a billion dollars on it. It's STILL a disaster for Apple.
Mike Elgan
*** I don't think Microsoft is going to win on this. Apple is easily 3 steps ahead of Microsoft, they just have not thought people would want or use this. And they are right. The idea of "beaming" my songs to someone is like beaming contact information on Palm handhelds. Yeah, neat, but not really all that useful. ***
I never said Microsoft would "win" or that Apple would "lose." I'm saying only that Apple is taking the Zune far, far more seriously than iPod fans apparently are.
I do disagree with you about the Wi-Fi feature. I think that's the device's "killer app," and predict Apple will copy it within a year. Why? Because real people really share lots of media in real life. Being able to do so from the device, without a PC, is a no-brainer.
Mike Elgan
*** Right now, the iPod is cool, and no amount of MS money will take that away. ***
I agree completely with that statement. How about this one:
"Right now, the iPod is *profitable,* and no amount of MS money will take that away."
Agree or disagree?
That's the point of my article. Not that the Zune is "cooler" than the iPod, but that Zune is a problem for Apple.
Mike Elgan
*** These have absolutely nothing to do with each other. It doesn't matter that Microsoft owns more than 90% of the worldwide operating systems market. ***
Here we have a legitimate difference of opinion.
Everyone who thinks Microsoft won't leverage Windows to push Zune Marketplace and the Zune stand on that side of the room. Everyone who thinks they will, stand over here.
Mike Elgan
My article never said Zune would "kill" the iPod. I'm saying Apple can't dismiss the Zune (and the coming Microsoft consumer media assault) as easily as the iPod fans out there who mock Microsoft's entry into the media player market.
I'm just trying to dispell the myth that Zune's launch won't really affect Apple. It will. Profoundly.
Mike Elgan
Hi -- Mike Elgan here.
You *should* "wait for a neutral review from a expert who reports on the players from all manufacturers."
My article is perfectly useless for choosing which media player to buy. Personally, I'm an iPod *freak* (my family of four owns six iPods).
The purpose of my column was to point out a colossal disconnect between Apple on the one hand, and the Apple faithful on the other. I have noticed my fellow iPod enthusiasts "pointing and laughing," as I put it, at Microsoft's entry into the media player market. The conventional wisdom is that Microsoft hasn't a prayer.
My article points out that Apple itself isn't laughing. Zune is a serious threat to Apple's profitability, media player market share and "aura" of invincibility. Microsoft isn't just another wannabe. They're deadly serious and are betting the company on their consumer media strategy, which includes the Zune.
I never said Zune is better than iPod. I said Apple is scared of what the Zune (and the rest of Microsoft's consumer product line) will do to their business.
Mike
* * * They talk as if Microsoft having 90% of worldwide OS market is the reason why Zune beats iPod. * * * My article didn't say Zune would beat iPod. That Microsoft has 300 million OS customers (roughly ten times the number if iPod users) is one of the reasons Apple is afraid of the Zune (as oppose to, say, some generic Korean wanna-be MP3 player). Does anyone doubt that Microsoft will use Windows to promote Zune? People tend to really like the XP "Media Center" interface. The Zune interface is very similar. Like Apple, Microsoft is using both explicit and subtle tie-ins between OS UI and media player UI. When you consider that the overwhelming majority of iPod users are Windows users, you can see why Apple is worried.
You make a good point: Songs purchased on the Zune Marketplace are, at best, semi-viral (as they can't make more than one hop). But pictures, notes, music files not purchased on Marketplace, videos downloaded from the Internet and illegally ripped from DVDs, etc., are perfectly viral. - Mike Elgan