“Microsoft was bold enough to walk out on Microhoo,” Rick Aristotle Munarriz writes for The Motley Fool. “Will it be brave enough to bail on its Zune, as well?”
MacDailyNews Take: Bold or weak?
Munarriz writes, “No, Mr. Softy isn’t ready to throw in the towel on its portable media player just yet. The company has recently started selling television show episodes and broadened the social-sharing functionality of the devices. The problem is that the writing is on the wall, even if Microsoft is pressed up against it too closely to make out the lettering.”
“Market research NPD Group pegs Zune’s market share in this space during the first quarter at a measly 4%. Apple’s iPod is the giant, of course, with 71% of the market. However, all of Microsoft’s might hasn’t even been enough to knock off silver medalist SanDisk and its 11% slice,” Munarriz writes.
“This month’s new initiatives are unlikely to change that… Apple has been serving up video for a couple of years now. Just copying the leader isn’t enough,” Munarriz writes.
Munarriz writes, “Walk away from the Zune, Microsoft.”
Full article here.
Run, don’t walk!
1st? MAYBE?
haha more like sprint!!!
Well, it seems to me that if you decide to buy into a sort of “single-world” system, where all the components from downloading to syncing to accessories are basically taken care of, you’d buy an iPod. Personally that is my choice, but if I wanted a do-it-yourself approach where I’d have to figure out where to get the music, how to manage it, etc I’d probably buy a SanDisk too. There doesn’t seem to be a place for the Zune.
Microsoft can’t walk away until they fail in the Canadian market too. -)
I have lost all respect for The Motley Fool.
Microsoft will courageously fight on with the magnificent Zune, thank you.
Wherever pretentious ‘artsy’ I-Pod types with their white earbuds and sissy emo music hang out, Zune enthusiasts will be there in their Members Only jackets rocking Journey, Styx and REO Speedwagon.
Wherever smug I-Pod losers are listening to PODcasts, Zune lovers will be enjoying the awesome programming only FM radio can provide. Clear Channel makes sure you can find Beyoncé anywhere, anytime.
Wherever I-Tunes Store dorks are shopping online for crappy content using currency, Zune Marketplace patrons will be using user friendly points to acquire NBC’s wonderful ‘Alf’ episodes—which aren’t available at I-Tunes Store.
May Zune live and reign forever.
Your potential. Our passion.™
Alf rules!
I love the concluding sentence in the original article:
“The Zune will never be an iPod killer. Truth be told, it will never even get close enough to be an iPod tickler.”
BTW, let’s all prey that MS keeps all these money-losing products in play. Nothing like the distraction of a bunch of loser products to drag the MS ship down faster.
Meh, I hope they continue to lose money on the Zune for a good while.
MS just can’t match Apple’s Customer service.
Just got back from the Apple Store. My daughters macbook had been acting up. 7 months old reurb purchased from the Apple store online, 2.0 gh core2duo, 80 gig hd, combo drive. They had tried swapping out the HD twice. Couldn’t get it to stop having kernel panics.
Today they traded it out for a new macbook, not a refurb, 2,1gh core2duo, 120 gig hd, super drive.
No hassel, no fuss. Just great customer service.
Suck on that MS fanbois.
They will walk sooner or later… After all, Ballmer is a sales guy.
What, oh what will MS do with its stockpiles of chrome?
I just Googled Zuckers image. He’s almost as bald as Uncle Fester. Perhaps he is jealous of Steve’s hair.
Trade them for Albania Leks would be a good idea
Hehe, I like the image:
“The problem is that the writing is on the wall, even if Microsoft is pressed up against it too closely to make out the lettering”
As we saw from the Yahoo-case, the writing needs to be pretty big
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The Zune Marketplace Sign Up page lists System Requirements as Windows 98, Me, 2000, XP, Vista.
O.K. But at the bottom of the page, it has a Mac and OS X logo and says “Compatible with all MP3 player” (sic).
WTF?
(Don’t get excited, ZT. I was just curious.
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Dude, I saw those zunes again for the first time in a few months, I also saw there mini version. What pieces of crap. Ancient technology that offers no reason for anyone to truly be interested.
They will pull the plug and monkey boy will have some bs excuse all lined up.
As i said before, MS should consider getting out of these markets and stick with what i knows how to do, they make software applications that are very good, just not OS.
Ditch the hardware, ditch the OS market and start developing quality tools for developers and enterprise solutions.
We NEED Zune!
We need crap to compare iPods to.
But…you can squirt things to another Zune user, if you can find one, and if the record label gives you permission, and of course, no squirting videos… MS, innovating themselves into a small box.
I would just like to compliment Zune Tang on a particularly good screed today. Above average and filled with fashion references. Nice one. Keep it up. Member’s Only jackets – I loved that one.
@ Zune Tang
You fergot to mention how you can listen to PODcasts on a Zune
but you can’t listen to a Zunecast on an iPod.
..wait a minute…what’s a Zunecast…..?
Yea, BigBoy hasn’t been flaunting the amazing success of Zune in a long time. Hmmm?
He can never bail on that product, not unless he’s looking to get the “office chair” treatment.
*MS door opens…Ballmer lands face first on pavement*
If only MS hadn’t bailed on turd brown – that rocked hard.
First, I’m a Mac/iPod user. With that said, never doubt the will of MSFT when they want to enter, for them, a new market. Best recent example is the XBox. I personally hope they have some success with the Zune if, for nothing else, to keep AAPL on its toes. Windows is a classic example of what happens when a company has a monopoly position in the market place. Without competition, will Apple continue to innovate the iPod? I don’t know for sure but, the history of others in a similar position tells me they would certainly slow down at a higher price.
One Zune owner per time zone does not make a good “social.”