Why Microsoft’s Zune won’t kill Apple’s iPod

“Microsoft’s soon-to-be-released Zune MP3 player is a sure-fire iPod killer — if you believe what you been reading in the press recently,” Leander Kahney writes for Wired News.

“There’s nothing the press likes more than a good fight, and the Zune looks like a worthy contender for the iPod’s heavyweight crown,” Kahney writes. “The tech press loves the Zune because of its specs. They tally up the features and conclude the Zune is better because there’s more stuffed inside.”

Kahney writes, “But although the Zune looks good on paper, it’s not going to kill the iPod because of three things:”
1. It’s not cool and never will be.
2. The Zune will be locked down tighter than the queen’s knickers.
3. Wi-Fi song sharing will not catch on in public

Full article here.

Related articles:
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
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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

23 Comments

  1. There will be whiplash by those who must prove something, that’s easy to predict. At some point, that will equalizie, and innovation will one again lead. And then we’ll see something truly amazing….the best of MS vs Apple in a straight fight.

    Should be a good show.

  2. MS may be planning to make Zune the perfect platform for distribution of pirate media. Why not? It worked for VHS.

    Locked down would only be until the “DVD Jon meets Zune” showdown and then oops too late…

  3. One article I saw said that with Zune, “Kids will be able to wirelessly transmit notes in class”.

    Great, just one more thing for my teacher niece to watch for and confiscate…

    And this is supposed to be a GOOD idea?

  4. Ahhhhh, how the Microtool bumboys will suck this thing up and make it into something it is not. They will sell shitloads of them and the stupid masses will accept them for all the flaws and then knowing the flaws will not take them back for a refund because it will mean they were idiots to buy the bloody thing in the first place.

    Then there will be the mindless idiot that is the typical M$ fool, who will just accept it and love it because that’s what they do with M$ shit… They love it.

    Leo

  5. Dune was not a broad commecial success, but it was far from a terrible movie. The acting was decent, the plot was very good, and it followed the book reasonably well.

    Sting did fine in it, he’s not great actor but he’s not terrible either.

    A lot of very good movies go unnoticed or don’t end up being blockbusters. I think The Village for example was M Night Shamalan’s best movie by far, way better than SIxth Sense, but many people didn’t like the movie. I don’t think it was a commercial success.

    Spiderman sold way more tickets than Shawshank Redemption. Does that mean it was a better movie?

    Zune won’t succeed not because it’s a great product that will flop, but because it’s a mediocre rebranded product with a few minor changes that’s too big, poorly designed, and even less flexible than the iPod.

  6. Hey whats wrong with Dune ? It was one of Lynchies after all. MS have shot themselves in the foot a bit with this one. Only 30gig, won’t work with iTunes, and brown ? I nice wood grain finish I could understand, but brown ?

  7. “Only 30gig, won’t work with iTunes, and brown ? I nice wood grain finish I could understand, but brown ?”

    The vast majority of iPods sold are 30 Gig or less, that’s not a real problem.

    Not working with iTunes, most people load their music from CDs anyway, and Media Player is a nicer app.

    Brown. You guys are aware it’s available in White (like an iPod) and Black (Like an iPod) as well as the somewhat dubious Brown? The worst you can say is that the Zune has more color choices than a hard disk based iPod.

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