MS kills, un-kills Zune HD media player
So why doesn't Microsoft just come out and say Zune - its iPod wannable MP3 player - is dead? Actually, earlier this week it did. It put up a note on the Zune support site re-iterating past comments that its focus is now on Windows Phone 7 - which contains a Zune section for media playback. It also said it will no longer be …
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Zune, the "other" media player choice
In essence the Zune was a damned good device and MS pumped a small fortune into the device both hardware wise and with their marketing campaign
I think MS tried to tread into a market where the iPod and the Creative Zen were the players of choice.
I wonder if keeping it "alive" shows that MS may just come out with an updated product offering a lot more [Windows Phone 7 based] technology & features in the future?
Names
"Zune"? FFS. They couldn't have done much worse if they'd just called the thingy "Puke".
Epic design/marketing fail
It may have been a good device, but any device that comes in brown and allows you to "squirt" is a tough sell.
MS also went wrong with the wireless sharing - "Share music with your friends! A little. No, not that much. Ok, that's enough."
Saw one once
Played with it in a shop State-side. Was actually quite impressed with the UI.
I guess it was just too little, too late (and it never reached the UK)
@ Ian Yates
"..(and it never reached the UK)..."
actually it never reached anywhere (outside the states). Which is probably why sales didn't meet 'expectations'. A very very bad marketing move from M$. But they all make bad decisions these days. Just look at Mokia.
Cheers
Bereft of life, it rests in peace
If you hadn't nailed it to the perch it would be pushing up the daisies!
So, the summer intern is still in charge of the Twitter department ?
That's really nice of you, Microsoft, but don't you think it's time to offer a permanent contract ?
Hmmm
Maybe their customer relations team crashed. Everything else they have does!
I'll just Bing it on my Zune
I might even have got one if I could have found one here a while ago as I quite want a decent size music player, hate iTunes with a passion and have heard bad things about the reliability of the Creative offerings.
I think sometimes to try and catch up with the leader in a given area, Microsoft end up making pretty good kit which is just inherently uncool because Microsoft are inherently uncool and so never really gets the credence it might achieve if it didn't have the stamp of Technology Walmart on it.
I still use my Zune every day
While I could use my phone for it I prefer to have a separate player to save the battery on my phone for making phone calls.
I had to import it from the States but it's worked flawlessly ever since, compared to the small stack of iPods I have sitting under monitor waiting for me to do something with.
Personally I hope they do a revamp iPod Touch style based on the windows phone but without a phone.
unloved child
It's obvious what's going on here is a little power-struggle within MS. Some executive killed it, the team who produced ran crying to some other executive, who unkilled it. The top people who really should be making the decisions simply aren't interested.
So those without the real power are left to fight it out. Somewhere in Microsoft HQ there's been a few heated meetings. And anyone with any sense appreciates that the Zune is an unloved child with no future. To be avoided at all costs.
PlaysForSure
Until Microsoft pulls the plug. If you thought DRM was a bad idea for music & video wait until even the media is in the cloud.
Good device but too late
Actually I liked the Zune - both the regular iPod wannabe, and the ipodTouch wannabe.
Build quality was top notch, interface fast, nice and clean. Sound quality was also better than the iVariants, to my admittedly uneducated ear.
But, like the iThings it was tied to some proprietary software on Windows (Zune). While Zune on Windows has a very nice and (unlike itunes) fluid interface, it is shackles of a sort.
Add to this being too late to the game and not being available worldwide - it's a wonder it lasted as long as it did.
I have always been critical of DRM. But the AFAIK the Zune Pass thing is as nice as DRM can be - all you can listen music (as long as you pay 10 USD/month), and you get to keep 10 tracks without DRM. Correct me if I'm wrong, I don't live in the U.S.
It looked like an excellent bit of kit
But with a stupid, stupid, STUPID name like Zune and it's ridiculous logo, it never stood a chance. No matter how good, who in their right mind will want to say, check out my Zune.
Just saying it....... Zzzzuuuuune, makes me wonder what the fuck the they were thinking when they suggested it. I find it staggering, that someone didn't say Seriously, Zune...what the fuck... are you off your fucking trolley. The design people also need to hire some new blood.
The Zune HD was close, and looked pretty sleek, then some twat decided to add the little notch at the bottom of the screen and completely mess up the nice lines. To me that one little notch (well two if you count the one on the back as well) take it from looking sleek to looking dated.
.... or is it just me.
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