“Reportedly surprised by Apple’s recent iPod price cuts, Microsoft this week announced that its upcoming Zune MP3 player will be priced at $249.99, the same price as the iPod model it most closely resembles. Microsoft also said it now plans to ship Zune in the US on November 14,” Paul Thurrott writes for WinInfo.
Thurrott writes, “Microsoft will be bolstering the device with a new online service called Zune Marketplace, where Zune users can browse and purchase songs for about 99 cents each. Unlike Apple’s iTunes service, however, Zune Marketplace will also offer a $14.99 monthly subscription called Zune Pass that gives subscribers access to all Zune Marketplace content.”
Over on Internet-Nexus, Thurrrott remarks on his own WinInfo piece. Incestuous narcissism notwithstanding, Thurrot’s comment is short and to-the-point, “This has the makings of a disaster. $14.99 a month is too much for a subscription service. The Zune is incompatible with both iTunes and every single WMA-based service on the planet. What the heck are these people thinking?”
Full article here.
Even if Zune was beautiful to look at, offered double the capacity of iPod at half the price, and actually offered some compelling feature that the iPod doesn’t have (and no, ridiculously-limited viral DRM Wi-Fi “sharing” with a Zuneless world and a crappy built-in FM radio don’t cut it), the Zune cannot win.
Steve Jobs holds all of the cards. He can welcome other companies of his own choosing into the iPod+iTunes ecosystem if they’re ever needed. Also-ran device makers would jump at the chance to play iTunes Store content and also-ran online media services would likewise line up for the chance to sell content for iPods – they would have jumped at the chance even before they were hung out to dry by Microsoft (Zune doesn’t support PlaysForSure, only Zune Marketplace).
Even though he almost certainly will not need to go so far, the option is there if he needs it. At any time he wishes, Steve Jobs can relegate Zune to nothingness, regardless of Microsoft’s efforts. This isn’t like the Mac, where we loyal Mac users simply would not let the platform die: there are no Zune users and there is no established Zune ecosystem to keep it alive if Apple decides to snuff it out. The Mac came well before Windows and built an ecosystem and a following that kept it alive despite small market share and through tough times. The Zune is coming late, far after the iPod. Imagine if Apple tried to launch the Mac today, with Windows firmly established: it just wouldn’t work at all, no matter how superior the product. And Zune isn’t superior: it’s bulkier and uglier with a fake click wheel, it costs slightly more than the same capacity 30GB iPod, and Zune’s features just aren’t compelling enough.
The fact that Microsoft is even trying this Zune thing in such a manner only highlights how desperately the company needs new management, focus, and direction. Why not just make a giant pile of money up there in Redmond and have a bonfire instead? You dopes would accomplish the same thing in the end.
There are some random articles floating around that simply don’t get it or don’t want to get it. Here and here are some articles to which you can apply this same “Take.”
Note to Microsoft: you should not launch faux “Zune fan” websites until after the product is actually released if you want anyone to think they’re really inspired by your product/service.
Related articles:
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
Computerworld review: ‘Apple’s new iPods are better than ever’ – September 27, 2006
PC Magazine’s 19th Annual Readers’ Choice Awards for MP3 players: Apple iPod line – September 25, 2006
USA Today reviews new Apple iPod nanos, updated iPods, iTunes 7 (each earns 4 stars out of 4) – September 21, 2006
Time Magazine’s Gadget of the Week: Apple iPod 80GB – September 21, 2006
CNET Editor’s Choice: Apple fifth-gen updated iPod – ‘best, most attractive iPod to date’ – September 20, 2006
Disney’s remarkable 1st week iTunes movies sales should have studios clambering aboard Apple train – September 20, 2006
Disney sells 125,000 movie downloads via Apple’s iTunes Store in first week – September 19, 2006
PC Magazine review: iTunes 7 ‘Apple’s best effort yet’ (4 stars out of 5) – September 15, 2006
CNET Editor’s Pick: Apple’s new 2G iPod nano – ‘sure to be top choice among wide range of users’ – September 14, 2006
Apple debuts new iPod in 30GB and 80GB with Hollywood movies, games and new lower price – September 12, 2006
Apple intros new iPod nano with new aluminum design in five colors and 24-hour battery life – September 12, 2006
Apple unveils new iPod shuffle: world’s smallest digital music player – September 12, 2006
Apple debuts iTunes 7 – September 12, 2006
Microsoft has the cash to throw around. They are trying to buy mind share. They understand that it is unbelievably hard to compete with the iPod – just as they realized that XBox had a tough road up against the PS2. However, in a few short years, the line of people waiting to get an XBox 360 was unreal…and Nintendo isn’t the #2 player in the home console market anymore (in the US). Microsoft has won the next gen console war with the Xbox 360. Blu-ray or not, the PS3 is $599 and will never beat the 360 at this point. People would clearly say that the leaders now are Sony and Microsoft (although look for a strong comeback from Nintendo with the Wii).
Microsoft isn’t dumb. They know that their first cut of the Zune will not take over the iPod, but if they can supplant the #2 player in this iteration, then they’ve accomplished a lot. From the #2 spot, they can start to exert a lot more pressure on Apple.
It seems that people here are thinking too short term.
Gates, Ballmer, time to fire Allard…and pull the plug before this goes down as the greatest product flop in history. (And it will too).
If your staunchest allies like Thurrott say so, then belive it.
“What the heck are these people thinking?”
That there customers are stupid sheep, after all they keep using Windows!
I already made my choice, Apple. Doesn’t matter the product that came from Apple. Could be the worst one, I allways buy Apple. If Apple doesn’t offer one kind of product in the market I’ll live without it. I’ll never give my money to mafiasoft.
mafiasoft die.
Not that I would, but if I had purchased music from the Urge service, would this play on a Zune?
—
So you’ve had the Zune for maybe 2 years, maybe 3, and then you meet the first other person who has a Zune AND is sharing music! It will be like sighting the Loch Ness Monster. Those few seconds before the unknown stranger moves on might be enough to get some music. What a rush
—
Your pessimism is unwarranted.
You see, I’ve actually already seen two people use the wireless song-transfer feature…two guys on YouTube did it to demo it.
There will undoubtedly be more YouTube users that will buy them in order to demo the wifi feature.
So that means another handful of Zune users, so there!!!
Apple is teh doomed.
Edsel=zune, zune=edsel, or maybe no-sell
Switcher,
No. Zune will only play music purchased music from the Zune marketplace. And by the way, as a Mac user you can not purchase from either Urge or Zune marketplace. They are both Windows only services.
I’m looking forward to when the some clever 13-year-old creates a music file for his Zune that instead of playing when he transmits it to some poor unsuspecting “friend”, instead corrupts every third song on the hard drive after the third day and then goes looking for another Zune to “connect” with wirelessly.
Won’t that be fun?
A whole new market segment for Symantec to get their grubby paws on. I can just imagine them salivating in their research offices over the possibilities…
I hope it takes off and offers some real competition to the ipod. It’ll bring down the price of the ipod.
Bongo,
The iPod hasn’t shipped with a free/included dock in a couple years, if I recall correctly.
Come onnnnn . . . Zune will suck more than Carson Kressley. Besides, this thing is so ugly I wouldn’t even hump it!
Seriously, you’ve got to understand one thing: Apple’s de underdog and will always be cool. On de other hand, Microsoft’s a giant with products that remind people of a trip to de gynecologist — they put you in a vulnerable position, leave you naked & cold, inflict a lot of pain, and cost you too much time and money.
Kind of like what happens when you use Windows. Or see a Keanu Reeves movie.
Yeh-heh-hehessssss . . .
Subscriptions don’t work. Napster,Real, and all the rest have proven that time and time again. People want to own there music and do as much as they can with it within the DRM bounderies which iTunes still reins supreme as the least obtrusive. The Zune has boxed itself in a corner from the beginning by limiting all other formats that it can work with. Why would anyone want this product?
The zune’s wifi is limited to 50 meters so you are not going to be able to download songs directly to it. Microsoft have put the Zune in a corner by alienating all of Microsofts other media formats which makes this product worthless to most people who have collections already started and don’t want to have to purchase all of that music or media in another format all over again. It’s just dumb!
Does anyone know what software interface they will use to connect the stupid thing to the Marketplace?
Leo
Right, no docks with iPod, that was part of the price drop a while back.
But if you DO buy an iPod Dock, Apple throws in a nice wireless remote!
“download content directly from a DSL/hard drive dock, bypassing a computer completely, appealing to the other 90% of the population that “doesn’t get” computers.”
So… These people that don’t get computers will just have a DSL connection lying around? Wow that just sounds so easy…
Tempus Fugit — just remember, even a broken clock is right twice a day…
justme2 wrote:
Tempus Fugit — just remember, even a broken clock is right twice a day..
…and that’s the part that scares me.
waitaminnit… i got that wrong.
justme2, you’re right!!
Shetline has it right. The media monopoly is what Microsoft is all about, from WMA to PDF, to gaming, to search, to TV (MS-NBC). The company is frankly more frightening now that they ever were before. I think they should be destroyed at all costs.
My theory is that Microsoft is going after a monopoly position on all media — software, video, music, games, electronic documents — all electronic media of all kinds. They want anything that anyone does anywhere with any form of electronic media to be ultimately dependent on a Microsoft-owned operating system, Microsoft-controlled licensing, Microsoft-designed formats, and Microsoft-held DRM keys.
Not a theory — this has been their known strategy. The problem is, it’s a pipe dream, an expensive windmill to tilt at that gets more expensive every year.
It’s just not going to happen. The world isn’t going to throw Microsoft the keys to all media. Hell, the world is moving in the other direction. Open Document is slowly gaining mindshare and marketshare on Word, which will be forced to support it.
If I was a Microsoft investor, I would be furious at this scattershot, “try to get a foothold in every single market” approach. No wonder their stock is flatlining. What idiot would accumulate shares of this turkey? Microsoft is big, but is going nowhere!
Disaster is an understatement for what Microsoft faces. The Zune DRM restrictions, unlike Apple’s, are the Hollywood studio’s stinkiest brain fart. Is the MS management that stupid that it could accept such a model? With uncle Fester in charge, I guess so. When the sheep like buyers of Zune run up against the restrictions and limitations of the DRM, Microsoft will have a full fledged revolt on its hands. It might wish it had HP’s problems to take away the criticism from Zune.
Microsoft has the cash to throw around. They are trying to buy mind share. They understand that it is unbelievably hard to compete with the iPod – just as they realized that XBox had a tough road up against the PS2. However, in a few short years, the line of people waiting to get an XBox 360 was unreal
Lines don’t mean much. There were lines to get the original XBox, I understand. Yet, in financial terms, the first XBox was a terrible failure.
Yet XBox360 will probably win this round against Sony. Not because the XBox360 is such an impressive piece of hardware. (Other than XBox Live, I understand there’s little to be impressed about.) It’s only because Sony has stumbled in such an inconceivably disastrous way.
Microsoft’s Himalayan piles of cash allow it to outlast its competition, but that competition still needs to make a mistake. I can’t see Apple self-destructing like Sony did.
@Brown Handful…
“…I’ve actually already seen two people use the wireless song-transfer feature…two guys on YouTube did it to demo it.”
Interesting, a demo of a device that won’t be available until Nov. 14th…? Mmmwwwwaah?