“Microsoft said Friday it plans to release a new music and entertainment player and accompanying software under the ‘Zune’ brand this year, in a belated attempt to challenge the dominance of Apple’s iPod player,” Reuters reports.
“The world’s largest software maker faces an uphill climb in closing the gap on Apple’s iPod media player and iTunes Music Store, the runaway leaders in their respective areas,” Reuters reports. “The iPod holds more than half of the digital media player market, according to research company NPD, while iTunes accounts for better than 70 percent of U.S. digital music sales. ‘Creating a lifestyle device, Microsoft is clearly going to face a battle here,’ said Michael Gartenberg, research director at JupiterResearch. ‘It’s going to be hard for them to create the same level of cachet that Apple has with the iPod.'”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Lurker_PC” for the heads up.]
“Billboard Magazine broke the news in its July 29 edition in a exclusive interview with Chris Stephenson, the company’s new general manager of marketing for MSN Entertainment Business,” The Wall Street Journal reports.
“The new product is the company’s strongest effort yet to rein in Apple Computer’s iTunes/iPod juggernaut, currently responsible for about 70% of the digital music market and 75% of the portable digital music player market, Mr. Stephenson told Billboard,” WSJ reports.
Full article (subscription required) here.
Antony Bruno reports for Billboard:
• Microsoft officials for the first time have confirmed that the Redmond, Wash.-based company is readying a portable music player and integrated service, shedding new light on a topic that has fueled rampant speculation in news reports and blog postings for weeks.
• In an exclusive first interview with Billboard, Chris Stephenson, Microsoft’s new GM of marketing for MSN Entertainment Business, says the company will later this year launch Zune, an umbrella brand for what he says is “a family of hardware and software products” targeting various digital entertainment services.
• The first implementation of this will be the portable music player and digital music service, in what is the company’s strongest effort yet to rein in Apple Computer’s iTunes/iPod juggernaut, currently responsible for about 70% of the digital music market and 75% of the portable digital music player market.
Full article (subscription required) here.
“Gartenberg said, in creating its own products Microsoft also risks alienating partners such as Creative Labs Inc. and Samsung Inc. Those companies are already using Microsoft’s software for their own portable entertainment players, although they’ve had little success against Apple’s juggernaut,” Allison Linn reports for The Associated Press.
“‘This is a very tough message,’ Gartenberg said. ‘If you’re the head of Creative, as of this afternoon you’re not just facing Apple, which was bad enough, you’re now facing you’re partner.’ He said it could have even deeper repercussions if people in other industries grow wary of partnering with Microsoft for fear the company will decide to launch its own, competing product. Microsoft’s success has been built on working with hardware manufacturers to make products running its software. ‘It’s certainy going to cause a lot of fear and uncertainty and doubt in the ecosystem,’ Gartenberg said,” Linn reports.
Linn reports, “Gartenberg said Microsoft confirmed to him that it would release a wireless device that would play both music and video this year. The device will have an accompanying content service, Gartenberg said.”
Full article here.
Michael Gartenberg blogs for JupiterResearch, “This is an acknowledgement that Microsoft is clearly not happy with Apple’s dominance in digital music. I don’t think it is concern about new growth scenarios. It’s more a concern that Apple controls a key endpoint in the digital home and that Apple bits flow only to other Apple controlled bits or devices. That scenario doesn’t bode well for Microsoft’s larger ambitions Second, even though Microsoft still talks about the diversity of the Windows platform asan overall advantage, let’s face it, the platform argument is dead and licensees will have to deal with it. On one hand, no one has ever successful created a business where you license technology to licensees and simultaneously compete with them on the device side. On the other hand, it’s not like there’s a lot of other places for licensees to go to get technology.”
“Bottom line, when Microsoft decides to enter a market, you can’t ignore the impact they will make. It’s likely that by force of will and spending lots of money on marketing with a high cost of acquisition on new users, they will can capture some market share,” Gartenberg writes. “Early market share, however, isn’t likely to come from disgruntled iPod users looking to switch. The real losers in the short term are likely to be the likes of Creative, iRiver and other former partners that have failed to deliver to market share from Apple and will now find themselves not only competing with Apple but with their former partners from Redmond.”
Full blog posting here.
So, it’s confirmed. We suspect that Microsoft is really shooting for Apple’s iPod+iTunes market leftovers, not the iPod+iTunes market itself. Regardless, we hope Microsoft spends a lot of money on “Zune,” even if they are way too late (as has been the case for quite some time — as there are way too many iPods out there and iPod+iTunes is simply too good). While we don’t see Microsoft’s efforts as much of a threat to iPod+iTunes, we also hope it pushes Apple by providing some measure of real competition that will drive innovation even faster.
As we’ve written before in response to the “Zune” rumors, it remains to be seen how their so-called “partners” like Creative, SanDisk, Toshiba, Sony, MTV, Napster, etc. will react to this betrayal by Microshaft. There still is, after all, a nice minority share of the market that iPod+iTunes doesn’t own. It looks like Microsoft wants it all for themselves as usual.
Of course, if Microsoft starts to show any momentum, Steve Jobs could just call up the also-ran device makers and music services and license FairPlay to them. Then everyone except Microsoft would be iTunes and iPod compatible. Whoops! All Zune-related development, marketing, manufacturing, and other costs = total write-off. Game, Set, Match.
That’s one way to go. Another is to just stay the course, which would be even easier to do if Mac growth were to continue to ramp up at the same time. And, if just some of what’s rumored for next-gen iPods comes true, then Microsoft and the rest of the roadkill are in for the usual world of hurt. Even if Microsoft could somehow manage it, it’d take quite some time for them to significantly impact Apple’s iPod+iTunes juggernaut.
Related articles:
Microsoft’s rumored ‘iPod killer’ poses little threat to Apple’s domination – July 18, 2006
Microsoft plans Super Bowl ad for ‘iPod killer’ – July 17, 2006
Sounds serious: Microsoft approaches iPod accessory makers for Zune would-be ‘iPod killer’ – July 12, 2006
Microsoft preps complete line of Xbox-branded digital-media products – July 11, 2006
Photo of Microsoft’s ‘iPod killer?’ – July 11, 2006
10 reasons why Microsoft’s ‘iPod killer’ will fail – July 11, 2006
Enderle on what it would take for Microsoft to kill Apple’s iPod – July 10, 2006
Microsoft: ‘iPod killer’ reports based on ‘speculation and rumors’ – July 07, 2006
Can Microsoft hit a fast moving target? Apple likely to debut wireless iPod this year – July 07, 2006
Analysts: Microsoft faces uphill fight to supplant Apple’s iPod+iTunes market dominance – July 07, 2006
Microsoft plans to convert iPod users by replacing iTMS songs with free WMA format songs – July 06, 2006
Microsoft to release wireless ‘iPod killer’ by Christmas to challenge Apple – July 05, 2006
Analyst Wu: Microsoft unlikely to dethrone Apple iPod+iTunes – June 21, 2006
Microsoft preps iPod+iTunes killer – June 19, 2006
Report: Microsoft readying Apple iPod+iTunes rival – June 16, 2006
Microsoft: No iPod killer planned – June 05, 2006
Microsoft, Toshiba, DoCoMo, Victor to develop Japan iPod+iTunes killer – June 02, 2006
Patent application shows iPod capable of live wireless video conferencing – June 13, 2006
Apple patent application filed for wireless iPod+iTunes distribution – May 04, 2006
Generator Research: Apple to Ship $4.2bn in Wireless iPods (WiPods) by 2010 – March 14, 2006
Ready for your wireless Apple iPod? – February 09, 2006
Wireless iPod? CSR and PortalPlayer to bring wireless connectivity to personal media players – February 08, 2006
Wireless Apple iPods coming in 2006? – December 09, 2005
More blood on Apple iTunes Music Store’s play button: MyCokeMusic is dead – June 20, 2006
More blood on Apple iPod’s Click Wheel: iRiver gives up on digital media player market – May 23, 2006
More blood on Apple iPod’s Click Wheel: Sony’s Walkman Bean is cooked – February 13, 2006
More blood on Apple iPod’s Click Wheel: Dell dumps ‘DJ’ hard-drive MP3 player line – February 04, 2006
More blood on Apple iPod’s Click Wheel: iRiver pulling out of Europe? – February 01, 2006
More blood on Apple iPod’s Click Wheel: Thomson gives up on MP3 player, CE markets – December 12, 2005
More blood on Apple iPod’s Click Wheel: BenQ withdraws from MP3 player markets – November 28, 2005
More blood on Apple iPod’s Click Wheel: Olympus halts production of portable digital music players – November 09, 2005
More blood on Apple iPod’s Click Wheel: Rio is dead – August 26, 2005
Apple’s iPod has blood on its Click Wheel: Virgin Electronics is dead – March 08, 2005
Apple’s iTunes Music Store has blood on its play button: BuyMusic.com is dead – March 28, 2004
at least now, when they try to sell this in France, they’ll have to make a mac compatible version
July 29th interview? Seeing into the future are they?
Even when you spell “shit” with a Z, it still smells the same.
another one.
how many more can they release?
There are PLENTY of people I know who would buy anything just because it has the MS name. Just like some people are for Apple. But some people HATE Apple and would never even TRY anything that says Apple. They wouldn’t even give it a thought. So MS can easily sell to those people. And they don’t have to compete with any one part of Apple’s stuff. They people they will sell to don’t even know about Apple’s stuff anyway, they just know it’s Apple and so they hate it.
That’s right Apple has NEGATIVE cachet too. That leaves the door open for MS.
<sarcasm>Apple is DOOOOOOMED!
We all know that Apple doesn’t sell any computers anymore,
and those computers that they do sell are nothing but pricey toys
for which no software is written
and what software is written for Apple is all stupid anyway
because it doesn’t work on Windows
And Apple computers aren’t safe on the internet
and need security to protect them
and the only reason Macs are not being attacked is because nobody uses Macs and nobody wants to write viruses for it.
Blah blah blah blah blah blah
</sarcasm>
is it just me or does Zune sound like a bunch of unhip, desperate, has-beens trying to create what they think young people will think is a cool name?
I will crucify myself later for saying this, but I hope MS does succeed just to see what MDN has to say then.
Going Down Like a Lead BaZune.
Microsoft does have cachet,
Some people are afraid of apple, and sometimes that fear turns to hate. why? because they know they relate to the tasteless mediocrity of windows and this reflection is hard to take.
in my opinion anyone that buys something just because it has microsoft on it, is a bloody idiot and deserves every second of suffering they endure.
Gee… talk about coming late to the party. I barely use my iPod anymore. Maybe if they came out with an Ipod with WiMax. One that could pull audio and video streams off the web even while out on the road, I’d be interested. Anything short of that… ho-hum.
Dr, I have an itch…um…you know. Down there.
Yes, you’ve got a case of the Zunes. With a smear of ointment and dab of reality, it’ll clear up. I think.
The magnitude of this non-event cannot be over emphasized.
If Microsoft has shown the world anything since the anti-trust trial, it is that they have zero innovation DNA.
Jimbo:
“Even when you spell “shit” with a Z, it still smells the same.”
And if you spell “Zune” with an S, you get, ah… “Sune.” As in, “We’ll see this device Real Sune.”
They’re making threatening noises like they’re gonna ship it in time for the holidays. Any takers that they don’t make that deadline either?
Saying it’s too late for MS is like saying it’s too late for the Mac market. Competition is always good. On a side note, I’m one block from the new South Beach Store on Lincoln road. Hoping to go but it’s raining like crazy here. Hope to get some picts to send in.
…have plans to ready a portable device that will unseat Apple!
I don’t have the corporate largess that Microsoft does? Well, true. But I don’t have the reputation for bloated, difficult to use, software that does a lot of things except what I want to do linked to a virus and spyware-ridden OS.
I may have the lead here.
I love the way the author craps on the idea right off the bat, just to let you know where she stands: “Microsoft refused to provide more details beyond the statement, such as whether anyone in the music industry has expressed serious interest.”
Also, Michael Gartenberg of Jupter must read MacDailyNews, because he voices a lot of concerns in this article that we’ve been raising for several weeks.
Interesting read.
Well it’s like this.
The average iTunes user only buys under 200 songs via iTMS.
So lets say all the billions of songs sold via iTMS that Microsoft has worked a deal with the Labels that they can replace those Fairplay DRMed songs with WMA DRMed songs for no charge.
Then given the fact that M$ DRM has always been cracked.
Also the fact that M$ will bundle their new service directly into Vista, hijacking any iTMS song it can find.
Combined with the fact that music labels want music buisnesses based upon their content TO FAIL, because that’s how they remain in control.
So in conclusion Apple will still kick @$$ because they are coming out with ne wproducts to maintain their dominance and M$ can’t keep up.
Amen Praise Jobs.
One thing is sure, it won’t just be a music player with inbuilt radio/microphone like most of Apples current competiton. It will have lots of whistles and bells. ‘Features’, I think they call them. It will also have lots of buttons and/or options to use those features. It will of course be proprietary… this is Microsoft. And like Apple does with iPod & iTunes, Microsoft can control both the hardware and software.
However, they have loadsa cash and are more than willing to lose a lot of it to gain market share. Xbox anyone?
Despite MDN’s rhetoric, Apple will sleep a little less sound with ‘Zune’ around the corner.
I heard on TWIT that the songs MS would ‘purchase’ for you would only be for the subscription version, not a fully purchased song. Not really much of an offer except for convenience and not worth anything if you don’t want a subscription.
MW: ‘tax’ as in: avoid the MS tax on IT, buy a Mac. Microsoft – Just say NO!
Zune? ZUNE? They are so frigging tacky. God I hate them.
Z as in “Zzzzzzzzzzzz…”
I saw one. It had a dinosaur head on it. Slick.
Although we all know how poorly Microsoft will do at making a successful end-user experience, I’ll recap one of my last arguement on the matter:
Microsoft will use the Vista launch (as they do with every OS release) to leverage themselves into a new market. They will do whatever they can to make the iPod experience poor, and the MS “Zune” experience as smooth and fluid as possible.
And, not only the hardware vendors that should be worried. If I was Real Networks, or any other music download service, I’d be very worried too. It never pays to partner with Microsoft.
at least we know what the Zune Box will look like…
Now all Apple has to do is license fairplay to Creative et. al.
OK Now I’m not kidding …
I’m getting scared guys…
I think something’s happened to MacRealist!
Haven’t heard from him all day!
The 6G iPod, along with the iPhone, will in fact release by xmas and will blow this Zune away. Apple is just throwing out conflicting rumors to keep everyone guessing.
MS, as usual, is about three years behind the game in everything they do, including this.
Apple will not license Fairplay. That is simply not an option.
What should Sony, iRiver and Creative types do?
They should have seen this coming, and as soon as they discovered M$’s new move, they should have baneded together to bring a cohesive standard to the table.
The power of Samsung, Sony, Creative and others building an iTunes software, and having a “universal” DRM for those all playing in the party – which would be everyone except Microsoft and Apple of course.
What would this do?
It would not immediately effect Apple, however, it would sting MicroSoft and WMA immediately.
But these companies are too arrogant and self seeking to see the larger picture and to mobilize. Thus, the music and video livingroom space is over for these companies…
For years M$ has been stumbling around the living-room, wasting effort and delivering sub-par solutions.
Meanwhile, Apple is so well poised to dominate this territory its remarkable.
LASTLY:
Don’t count on any Apple rumors to be remotely accurate – by “Analysts or otherwise” Apple knows the game is afoot and mis-information is often a key to the game.
If Creative, Real and Napster were smart, they’d team with Novell, Google and Mozilla and start pushing the desktop Linux envelope to challenge Microsoft and its Windows monopoly.
does anyone know the statistics of Mac users vs. windows users who buy on iTunes? I would think that more mac users (and new mac users) buy from iTMS. Also I truly doubt that MS entertainment can bring out anything that can even touch Apples upcoming iPods. Especially if Apple is actually going to have a scaled down version of OSX for the iPod and touch screen capability. Lest no one forget Apples Inkwell technology, Apple has the capability of making a very powerful mobile media device. About the only thing that Apple has been weak in is its choice of batteries. All good things to those who wait. No matter what MS comes out, they have to know that Apple is going to hand them their lungs.
Steven and DudeMac:
Close. They should team with Real – they have an installed base, Mac version, the technical know-how to create both audio and video DRM, an existing music store, plus they would be desperate enough for survival. Plus it would be real (no pun intended) competition for MS and Apple.
Microsoft’s “partnering” is based on the date rape model. They have always had vile business practices.
Anger Monkey,
Apple was/is not weak in battery choice. It’s a design tradeoff. Apple’s iPods are markedly smaller and thinner than the big, fat, and therefore longer-lifed battery players.
Apple chose to go small and have acceptable battery life, not thick and fat with overkill battery life.
As always, Apple thought long and hard about the average user of the product and concluded they’d want small and light with 14-20 hours of music playback time, instead of thick bricks with stupid amounts of battery life.
iPods are routinely charged daily by the heaviest users. For it to last longer than necessary is a waste and adds weight and bulk to the unit.
Apple obviously made the right choice and none of the others have figured it out all these years later..
iZunes ???
July 29th interview? Seeing into the future are they?
Always in motion is the future
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”smile” style=”border:0;” />
Which is a bigger market: portable gaming or portable music?
I think MS is going after the portable gaming market and adding music as a feature.
Zunes = The New Coke
check out slashdot, hilarious
Microsoft Confirms New Music Player
by 0xABADC0DA:
In keeping with each system’s naming conventions:
Apple: iTunes
Microsoft: My Zunes
In other words, Microsoft is even ripping off the name, but making it crappier.
Kenshin:
It goes even further than that:
Creative: Zen
Microsoft: Zune
Apple must be somewhat pleased, as I imagine this will take Creative’s army of lawyer’s focus off them.
Rob, I dare say portable music is a bigger market. It appeals to a wider age range, and both genders.
So Microsoft lied when it said the reports of its so-called iPod killer were mere speculation. And where does this leave URGE etc?
All this vapor hardware announced by Microsoft has to have an ulterior motive.
Is it designed to keep the Microsoft fanboys from buying into the next big thing from Apple? Is Microsoft making promises it cant keep in order to keep the faithful from bolting to an iPod solution? Does Microsoft know more about Apple’s next move than we do?
Have those bastards at the Labels spilled the beans in an effort to weaken Apple’s position? Will the Labels force Microsoft into spending billions to help them in their fight to weaken Apple?
Apple’s iPod solution will win out in this scenario, but it would be nice to see some entity manipulating Microsoft for a change.
http://comingzune.com/
comingzune
Down load Regina Spektor’s “Us” from iTunes now!
I love competition!
We will be getting some great new iPods in the near future.
Get Steve off the “we got a monopoly, why bring out anything new” mindset he is apparently in.
Here’s their website ala origami-mysterioso
http://www.comingzune.com/
Bad business move for Microsoft. Once again copying Apple. I’m sure Windows users would rather have a modern OS then have Microsoft make another me too product.
What a terrible move on MS’s part. They are already suffering a bad image with development. I’ve heard a lot of Windows die hards and IT people say – what’s wrong with MS, can’t they even copy the MAC OS anymore?
Now they are going to copy another one of Apple’s products.
MS – Encourages partners to support and help develop Windows PC’s as the best platform for gaming. First chance they get they release xbox.
MS- Encourages partners to create mp3 players and services using their software. Then turns around and releases their own mp3 player/service combination.
How long before MS tells it’s computer hardware partners that they will start making their own computers – claiming that it is the only way they can survive.
Even more stupid is announcing it with no product ready to ship. they have upset a lot of partners with no real product yet. Some of those partners are still waiting for that new OS tp be delivered.
But I don’t feel sorry for them. They choose to dance with the devil.
You can add Zune to the list of also-rans such as MS Bob and Origami. Any others?
“Get Steve off the “we got a monopoly, why bring out anything new” mindset he is apparently in.”
What are you talking about? Apple decides to put more market presence behind the Mac (after tons of complaining of “ignoring it” by loyal Mac users) and all of a sudden they have a ‘”we got a monopoly, why bring out anything new” mindset’?
Puh-lease!!
zu-ne (zün)
n. Extremely Vulgar Slang.
A terribly deformed anus.
An extremely contemptible, detestable person. Someone with vulgar taste and shocking manners.
……………………
I predict that within 6 months of release (sometimes in 2008, no doubt), “zune” will quickly become one of the most offensive insult aming the teens…
“Man I hate this guy! What a complete zune!”
“Hey pal! Go zune yourself, you moron!”
Thank you Bill, for contributing, once again, to our great American culture.
lol
“. . . such as MS Bob and Origami. Any others?
Clippy? Wizards? Start?
Let’s not forget Product Activation?
Thank you, Mac Perfume. I read all of the boring posts, got down to yours, and laughed out loud. You, my friend, are NOT a Zune.
I can’t begin to think what they think they could accomplish with this. iTunes already works with windoze, and building a library does not require using the iTunes Music Store or, for that matter, an iPod, whatsoever. Having a deliciously designed portable music player is accessorizing at its best, and Microsoft has never accessorized tastefully, insisting upon gagging the critics with fugly. I have two iPods, neither of them new, and I use iTunes primarily as a radio station. Almost 100% of my iTunes Library is ripped from my own CD’s, with the occasional purchase, especially of the free choices every week, the occasional download from band’s sites or Salon or the Phoenix, and I load up my Shuffle once a week to keep me company on the walk to work. My 20G iPod is a backup harddrive and an emergency bootup disc. I can’t begin to imagine what Microsoft could offer to me, regardless of the fact that I run a Microsoft-free zone both at home and at work, with nothing but success to show for it. The joke will catch up to them, I’m sure, but sheer inertia will forestall the inevitable.
On Jun 5, MS flat-out denied any such device
http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/9777/
Now, 46 days later, they ‘announce’ something?
If anyone did that to me, I would call them a liar, and I simply wouldn’t trust or believe anything they said again.
I don’t think Apple has anything to worry about, if “Origami” is any example of what MS can do.
But if I were MTV (Urge), Creative, or Real, I would be considering legal action against MS about non-competition clauses, antitrust rulings, etc.
Anyone who even is approached by MS to “partner” w/ MS should immediately slam the door on MS because you simply can’t trust them.
I’m not saying anyone should blindly trust Apple either, but between the two, Apple is definitely the lesser evil.
I wish I could feel sorry for these other companies, but they make crappy products anyway, and they should really grovel to license FairPlay.
I wonder if hp would reconsider partnering w/ Apple to sell hp iPods again… I wonder if they’re kicking themselves for getting out of that…
Microsoft “confirming” and “readying” a product is like… well… like… OK, it’s like Microsoft “confirming” and “readying” Windows Vista.
By the time it gets close to happening, Apple will be several generations more advanced, and the MS product will probably never be released because it will never be good enough. However, the ongoing rumors will drive Apple to innovate faster. In the mean time, Microsoft’s “valued” partners (the existing TRUE competition for iPod/iTunes) will become even weaker due to the perception that Microsoft is going “solo.”
Frankly, this is a Win-Win situation for Apple and its customers.
MS can’t even get original with their own rumor mill. First they deny a product exists and then announces it not too much later. Not only are they trying to copy the iPod eco-system but now they even copy the Steve Jobs approach to the rumor mill. What I can’t determine now is if this is “ha ha funny” or “sad funny.” Next thing you know they will copy the mac OS.. wait a minute, done that. How about buying other companies rather than come up with ideas of their own… wait, done that. How about an original idea… MS BOB, Origami… wait, that didn’t turn out so well. I got it.. it is sad funny. I lift my glass to you Microsoft. The most uninspiring and unoriginal company in the world. Where do we want to go today? Apparently nowhere that you can think of on your own but at least you will ask for directions.
Get Steve off the “we got a monopoly, why bring out anything new” mindset he is apparently in.
I quote Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer: “We’re not sitting around doing nothing.”
Apple brings out new products when it’s good and ready. Can you say “category killer”?
Just like those stupid People-ready commercials:
She says: “What do we have that no one else has?”
He looks at her with a blank look on his face suggesting he is thinking “f–k if I know”
She points to the mindless sheeple wandering through the halls.
He says “Those Peons?”
“Exactly.” She says.
He thinks, “My God, what’s she been snorting today?”
I took a few liberties, of course!
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”tongue wink” style=”border:0;” />
New MS slogan, “What do you want to snort today”
Why ya all bein’ playa hatas? This is Willie G as in Gate$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. Listen up homies, since the 50 cent deal wazn’t down wit Dr. Steve-O, I’z been doin’ some serious tinkin’. Da Zune is one slammin’ piece o’ bootay if I do say so mizeself. Me and 50 cent haz been workin’ real hard on this project. We’re talkin’ hard-core ya all. Were so close he even let’s me call him fidy fo’ short, ya know what I’m sayin’? I gots some serious street cred, and my bad ass company Microsoft will beez sponsoring the next 50 cent assault on da U-S of A. Weeze gonna be givin’ free Zunes to all da fanz. I’z gonna be makin’ guest appearances at all da showz via satellite, just like dat time I sho’ed up at Mac World, know what I’m sayin’. I gots me a new style and 50 cent sayz it be freakin’. So check me out ya all, and keep it real. http://www.worth1000.com/emailthis.asp?entry=45841
Boy, don’t you know the real brains and project leaders around M$ were hoping the management would really try to emulate Apple this time and play it very close to the vest with this one. But no, monkeyboy’s just got to flap those gums. Better get to work homies…NOW you’ve GOT to ship something (else). Prolly need to pull some dudes off the wristwatch thingy to ‘push’ this one through eh? Hehe…hehe…Ha hahhha
Hmmm… Apple launched the iPod in 2001. Now it’s 2006, and MS is nearly ready to launch a product… looks like everything is right on schedule.
Connor MacBook: “Apple brings out new products when it’s good and ready.”
What company doesn´t?????
Ford guy: We don´t have the tires on the car yet.
Ford guy 2: Bring it out anyway, Connor MacBook says only Apple brings out products when they are ready.
Dumb, connor, dumb.
Microsoft OS software is kind of weak, but its hardware products are very good.
This is going to be big competition for Apple and will push Apple to develop things faster.
“Microsoft OS software is kind of weak, but its hardware products are very good.
This is going to be big competition for Apple and will push Apple to develop things faster.”
Errrr.. yeah, great keyboards.. wicked mice.. what else have they done? Oh yes, the XBox – the ugliest-looking games console on the planet.
And now Zune… possibly the most blatant iPod rip-off anyone’s yet produced, yet still managing to look like something out of a 1970’s sci-fi B-movie.
Everyone I know loves Microsoft products. They are fast, efficient and secure. They have all been waiting for a real MP3 player that is open and doesn’t run stolen software. Every person who uses iTunes on the PC will immediately switch over to the Microsoft player because we all know that it will be superior in every way to the crap that Apple puts out. It will be cheaper, have more feature and will allow you to run software from a large variety of stores.
Without money from the iPod, Apple computer will dry up and blow away. Good by Apple! Glad to see a lock-in company like Apple go out of business.
It’s going to be called the “MS Hoover” or some such, ’cause it’ll suck!
What next?
The Microsoft Music Store?
Just plug in your Tune (er, no, that’s not it), Dune (nope, not that either!), er, Zune player (now your getting it) and download 50 zillion of your favorite songs encoded in glorious 8-bit sound.
Then, plug your Zune (well remembered!) player into your friends PC and share all the viruses/malware/spyware you have between the two of you.
Genius.
as soon as it comes out, Apple should license it’s DRM system to everyone but Microsoft. Then make money on all the other players on the market, Just like MS does with windows. Zune Killer.IPod will still be as strong as ever because of it’s cool factor.
You guys are all underestimating Zune.
Hans, you missed my point entirely, but now that you mention it I can think of one company in particular that tends to rush products to market before they’re ready for prime time.
Yes we’re all still reeling from the wild success of Origami and the computing revolution it caused. Now this?
Wake me when it’s over.
Connor – I give up, which one? And what product was it?
Apple rushed the Cube to market in which no one really wanted it. Ditto for Macmini – this was to be the machine that won the windows users over…didn´t happen. Taking the time to do Better marketing surveys would have shown little interest in the products as they were released.
It must be jumping the shark when contempt for MDN outweighs hatred for M$..
I hope they do well.
Competition is capitalism.
cb.
What is contemptible about the MacDailyNews Take?
Just a wait a day or two and watch many “analysts” and “experts” echo back exactly what MDN says in their take. It happens frequently.
Canon brings out a digital slr, so does Nikon.
Bad business move by Nikons part? Nikon copying Canon?
Chrysler brings out a mini van; later so does Toyota and Honda. Bad moves by Toyota and Honda to copy the minivan idea?
Coke brings out Cherry Coke; later Pepsi brings out Cherry Pepsi. Bad move by Pepsi?
You guys are all so silly trying to talk down Microsoft for bringing out a new product. I think its great for us all. More competition means we consumers have more choice.
Mark; “It happens frequently.”
LOLLOLLOl Lol
So, what do you call a ZUNE with a virus?
cptnkirk “So, what do you call a ZUNE with a virus?”
Answer: “A ZUNE with a virus”.
Ford guy: We don´t have the tires on the car yet.
Ford guy 2: Bring it out anyway. We’ll slap Firestones on it and shoehorn a Zune into the trunk.
MacRealist,
Go zune yourself, dude! But please, do it in private.
Mark
My opinion is always “what if it is good?”
As I’ve gotten older I don’t see Gates et al. as the tards MDN makes them out to be. But there is never a shred of oibjectivity in anything MDN ever says.
Hey – I’m as big a fan of Jobs and Apple as the next guy. But the lack of intellect sort of kills me.
Why do I read?
Same reason I’m a democrat and listen to Rush – you yank out all the crap diatribe – and you have information – whether it be about Washington or Computers.
I don’t mean to sound like a prick – but maybe I’m at the older edge of the MDN target audience.
I know I am for Limbaugh as I’m out of kindergarten.
whoa…
lifelong mac enthusiast.
My opinion is always “what if it is good?”
What if pigs had wings?
then we’d be catching breakfast with a butterfly net.
The next iPod that comes out will be awesome and it will sell like crazy!
However, I have to give MS credit: This new device has gained more buzz than the next iPod – even in the Mac circles. And with the dozens of Zune fansites that have popped up, it seems the device is destined to do at least MEDIOCRE business at worst.
Of course, the device won’t gain 20% market share in a single holiday season, but I’d bet anything that it will outsell the iPod wannabes by at least double this year. That will be impressive!
^^^^
But, I think everyone here knows that already. And that’s why we have to spend so much time here bashing the Zune – and trying to discourage everyone. Cuz in the end, we still don’t know anything about the device, really. And the only people who are sensationalizing it by calling it an iPod Killer are the people who don’t want to see one in the first place. (Ahem… MDN)
true, Tubes… sort of.
we do know a bit about the device than you are giving us credit for (see here: http://www.engadget.com/2006/07/21/zune-what-we-know-think-we-know-and-dont-yet-know)
and Apple is said to be adding some wireless to their new iPods now (after Jobs said there wasn’t a demand for it). obviously they are feeling they need to follow Zune’s suit and give the peeps what they need, now.
but mdn also reported that Cupertino is “watching Redmond closely”. is Apple trying to copy Microsoft a little bit now? i dunno…. i’m just asking. never happened before, though.
When is M$ iPodkiller going to be released? With much delay, ” Zune” ah hah hah hah…..
Like I keep saying, I’ll believe such a device exists when I see it first-hand, with my own eyes, in person. Until then, this “product” doesn’t exist.
Don’t forget to read the fine print (all over the box, of course) when/if it ever IS released!
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