Looks like the Ellen DeGeneres show gave away a bunch of Microsoft Zunes (The #1 daytime show, Oprah, already did it with Apple’s iPod nano (PRODUCT) RED Special Edition).
Note the lack of information about the draconian limits to Zune sharing (three times, then self-destruct – regardless of media source, ie. from a store or even a song you made yourself; all shared Zune content gets Microsoft’s 3-time-only-then-go-boom DRM), that the round thing there is a fake click wheel designed to fool people that it works like an iPod (it’s really just a four-way button), or the fact that the Zune Marketplace doesn’t even offer video content.
Note also that nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American housefrau (or overestimating their size). Ellen’s studio full of carbo-loaded soccer moms go absolutely berserk; it’s like a Saturday Night Live skit. We can only pray that those studio bleachers are severely reinforced. Man, there’s a whole lotta shakin’ going on over at Ellen! Seriously, they really ought to call it The Ellen DeGeneres Farm Hour: two normal-sized humans in front of the camera and 300 cows behind it. No wonder our health insurance rates are astro-freakin-nomical.
One word: diet. Here’s another: exercise.
Anyway, after seeing that bizarre reaction to a piece of re-branded Toshiba crap, we hope they had medics on hand for the fainters or at least passed out cigarettes after the orgasmic excitement subsided. We didn’t see any squirting, but something was certainly going on:
So, whaddya think, can Microsoft fool the ignorant masses again (in which case, Steve Jobs would nip the whole thing in the bud PDQ) or will people not be so excited once they find out Zune’s many weaknesses?
Related articles:
More Microsoft Zune myths explored – October 20, 2006
Five more Microsoft Zune myths – October 18, 2006
Microsoft Zune intensifies chaos in Apple iPod+iTunes also-ran market – October 16, 2006
Newsweek Q&A: Apple CEO Steve Jobs discusses iPod’s impact, Microsoft’s Zune, and more – October 15, 2006
Microsoft’s Ballmer: Zune device not money loser, wishes Apple’s 30GB iPod was $299 instead of $249 – October 11, 2006
Microsoft’s consumer electronics track record: long string of failures – October 11, 2006
MP3.com founder: ‘Zune will be an expensive failure for Microsoft because consumers aren’t stupid’ – October 06, 2006
Microsoft fails to secure key Zune domains – October 04, 2006
Microsoft rigs Zune with tricky pricing and proprietary money schemes – October 03, 2006
Why Microsoft’s Zune won’t kill Apple’s iPod – October 03, 2006
10 Apple iPod vs. Microsoft Zune myths – October 02, 2006
Analyst: Zune could lead to ‘civil war’ between Microsoft and Windows Media partners – September 29, 2006
Thurrott on Microsoft’s Zune: ‘The makings of a disaster, what the heck are these people thinking?’ – September 29, 2006
Analyst: Microsoft Zune’s as good as dead on arrival – September 28, 2006
Microsoft sets 30GB Zune price at $249.99 – September 28, 2006
How Microsoft’s Zune can kill Apple’s iPod – September 21, 2006
Microsoft’s Zune insanity – September 21, 2006
The Microsoft Zune 1.0 dud – September 20, 2006
Microsoft’s underwhelming Zune a ‘viral DRM’ device – September 18, 2006
SanDisk teams with RealNetworks against new common foe: Microsoft Zune – September 18, 2006
Creative does Apple’s dirty work by immediately attacking Microsoft’s Zune – September 17, 2006
Motley Fool’s Jayson: Microsoft’s ‘just plain ugly’ Zune a meager offering, not an iPod killer – September 15, 2006
What’s in a name? ‘Zune’ a French-Canadian euphemism for penis or vagina – September 15, 2006
Crave at CNET: ‘Microsoft Zune, all the excitement that brown can bring’ – September 15, 2006
Microsoft’s Zune underwhelms – September 15, 2006
Enderle: Microsoft Zune ‘a design mistake’ – September 15, 2006
Microsoft hypocrisy exposed with Zune: What ever happened to ‘choice?’ – September 14, 2006
Analyst: Microsoft Zune with fake scroll wheel ‘hardly an Apple iPod killer’ – September 14, 2006
Analyst: Microsoft Zune won’t spoil Apple’s biggest iPod Christmas ever – September 14, 2006
Microsoft unveils Zune 30GB player, Zune Marketplace; declines to disclose prices – September 14, 2006
Analyst: Microsoft’s Zune an ‘underwhelming’ repackaged Toshiba Gigabeat; no threat to Apple iPod – August 30, 2006
Microsoft confirms brick-like Zune to be made by Toshiba – August 25, 2006
Microsoft Zune is chunky brick made by Toshiba – August 25, 2006
Microsoft to spend hundreds of millions, several years on Zune trying to catch Apple iPod+iTunes – July 27, 2006
Zune: Apple cannot lose. Microsoft cannot win. – July 26, 2006
Is that Joe Lee’s Wife?
When they get home, their kids will set them straight. I’m going to be watching eBay to guage the rejection rate. How many do you think were in the audience?
They look like bricks…
Did anyone from the audience throw the Zune back at Ellen?
I’d be excited too if someone gave me a free zune or free ipod or free ice cream cone. Free is free!
Marketing is Marketing.
MS donated the Zunes to be given away.
Ellen is a Mac user… she’s a client.
Loves her mac.
DeGeneres – I’d rather not comment!
ahhhhhhhhhyahhhhhh!! Overweight bi-polar depression housewives explode!
It was FREE. These idiots in these studio audiences would go crazy over any little thing given to them.
Ellen gave everyone in her audience poop.
Wow, what has the world come to?
Oprah, btw, is a Windows user that barely knows where the on key is located. She “has people to do that.”
I’d never go broke underestimating the intelligence of Oprah.
I’m sure everyone who recieved a free Zune got their money’s worth. 😀
-jcr
That audience was most likely coached to go nuts, as often done with live-audience TV tapings. Or maybe they thought they were getting iPods instead!
There is only one legit Zune offering on eBay at this time. it is a pre-order auction with no bids.
There are three Zunes offered from Hong Kong with pick up delivery only. Sounds like a scam. Lots of Zune domain names for sale.
I would take the Zune and sell it on ebay. And then buy at least part of an ipod with the money. There are enough stupid people that would buy it, so I could have a ipod anyway.
So then what, they go home…. and do WHAT with them? There’s no store, no software, no other users. Its as exciting as an empty hard drive.
LOL
How did they give away something that’s not on available yet? Maybe they got a coupon for one. If they did get one at the studio, those Zunes will actually get a good price on eBay until they are available to the public. And just think, that studio may be the only time they will be in a crowded place with other Zunes within wireless range.
WOW.. that’s a lot of enthusiasm.. is that authentic?
I kind of feel sorry for those people.. like an old person who thinks they got an “exceptional deal on a guaranteed investment.”
Oh well, I guess it plays MP3 files at least, so maybe it’s not totally worthless.
Ellen and Oprah and the like are nothing more than high priced infomercials anymore.
All they do is sell their name at a nice penny to ANYONE who wants to sell something.
books, diets, media players, psychics, movies, etc.
They sold their soul long ago
Kimmy doesn’t like Ellen.
Ellen Degenerate and Zune… priceless!
MDN Magic Word: ILL !
ROFLMFAO!
I broke my Oprah avoidance to watch the red iPod Bono episode. I was really hoping everyone in the studio audience would get one. I didn’t watch long enough to find out.
I also noticed that the model they showed in the clip is black.. not the trademark “Brown Zune” everyone has been talking about.
this many posts into the thread and nobody has made any squirt jokes yet! For shame my fellow readers. I’ll get us started:
it sure looked like Ellen wanted to squirt a little more than pictures at the foxy Asian woman …
At least Oprah gave away cars.