“Microsoft’s attack on the Apple iPod began with a whimper Tuesday as Zune players made a lackluster debut in US stores,” Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports.
AFP reports, “Two boxed Zune players sat ignored on the top shelf of a Plexiglas showcase packed with iPod accessories in a Virgin Megastore near Union Square in San Francisco’s popular shopping district. ‘I didn’t even know they were there until a customer pointed them out,’ said sales clerk Jake Brooks. ‘I’m sure we have more in a closet in the back somewhere.'”
“By mid-afternoon the store had sold one Zune player and one other person had inquired about them,” AFP reports. “The scene was bleaker at a CompUSA store a block away, where the manager said that an oversight by Microsoft sales people had resulted in the store not getting Zunes for display. No apparent harm was done though, said the manager, because no shoppers came asking about Zunes.”
“Apple has sold nearly 70 million iPods since introducing them in 2001 and the devices command about 75 percent of the global MP3 player market,” AFP reports. “Apple’s online iTunes store sells digital music, podcasts, video, and films [with music library of over 3.5 million songs]. Microsoft’s online Zune Marketplace sells only music for the devices [with a library of about 2 million songs].”
Full article here.
Reuters reports, “Donna Murphy is no fan of the ubiquitous iPod music player so on Tuesday she became one of the first to buy Microsoft’s new rival Zune device. ‘I just needed a new MP3 player to play my music and watch videos,’ said Murphy, who bought a Zune at Best Buy’s midtown Manhattan store. ‘I’m not an Apple fan, not an iPod fan. So I wanted to try something different.'”
“But initial shopper interest suggested the Zune media player—heavily promoted in gadget reviews and television talk shows—was in for a slow building process,” Reuters reports. “An employee at the Best Buy store said two shoppers entered the place as it opened and purchased Zune players, and that about 20 were sold within the first three hours.”
“At the Virgin Megastore in New York’s Times Square two circular displays sporting Zune players with earphones attached were unmanned that morning, save for store employees restocking supplies,” Reuters reports.
Full article here.
Related articles:
Microsoft’s Zune incompatible with Windows Vista – November 14, 2006
Dvorak: ‘If anything is doomed to failure, it’s Microsoft’s Zune’ – November 14, 2006
Ballmer: Zune’s Wi-Fi will help Microsoft challenge Apple’s iPod+iTunes – November 14, 2006
CNN ridicules Microsoft’s Zune while gushing over Apple’s new iPod shuffle – November 14, 2006
Engadget: Microsoft’s Zune software: ‘It sucks’ – November 13, 2006
Early Microsoft Zune customer greeted with Zune ‘Installation Error’ – November 13, 2006
Zuned: What’s the ‘deal’ with Microsoft Points? – November 12, 2006
Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Apple has no need to worry about Microsoft’s cumbersome, chunkier Zune – November 11, 2006
BusinessWeek: ‘By this time next year, Microsoft’s Zune will be considered a dismal failure’ – November 10, 2006
USA Today’s Baig: Microsoft Zune is no Apple iPod – November 09, 2006
Forbes: Microsoft’s Zune stinks; like ‘Microsoft Bob,’ only more embarrassing – November 09, 2006
NY Times’ Pogue: Zune should come in green to match Microsoft’s iPod envy – November 09, 2006
Mossberg: MS Zune has ‘too many compromises, missing features’ vs. ‘thin, sleek, elegant’ Apple iPod – November 09, 2006
Microsoft to pay Universal for every Zune sold – November 09, 2006
Analysts: Microsoft Zune may end up being a flop – November 08, 2006
Are 58% of iPod owners really thinking of a Zune switch? – November 08, 2006
Survey: 58% of iPod owners planning another MP3 player purchase will consider Microsoft’s Zune – November 01, 2006
Zune is from Microsoft, but Microsoft doesn’t want anybody to know about it – November 07, 2006
Microsoft Zune to be US-only, no firm plans to launch anywhere else globally – November 03, 2006
Five Microsoft Zune TV commercials – November 02, 2006
JupiterResearch: Apple’s iPod will dominate for foreseeable future; Microsoft’s Zune insignificant – October 25, 2006
Ellen DeGeneres Show gives away Microsoft Zunes, studio audience goes berserk – October 23, 2006
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 sell single Zune model this fall, rumors of Wi-Fi capability were greatly exaggerated – August 10, 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
Buster – re: Zune Tang
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satire
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarcasm
RE: “Truth”
PS2 not only destroyed the Xbox-1 but is currently outselling the Xbox-360. And that’s not counting Japan where the Xbox was at the bottom of every list, being outsold by the Wonderswan and PS1. Haha.
And just incase someone says I’m full of it, heres the official numbers from the companies themselves.
Worldwide Hardware Sales (End of 2003)
PS2: 69.46 million
Xbox: 13.7 million
GC: 13.94 million
GBA: 49.42 million
PSX: 99.22 million
Worldwide Hardware Sales (End of 2005)
PS2: 101.37 million, up 31.91 million
GBA: 74.25 million, up 25.83 million
Xbox: 24 million, up 10.3 million
GC: 20.61 million, up 6.67 million
PSP – 15.03 million, new
Nintendo DS – 14.43 million, new
Xbox 360: 1.5 million, new
Note, I don’t have PSX numbers for 2005, but I’m guessing they’re in the ballpark of 110 million. It’s being said that in 2006 the PS2 will break the PSX’s record sales, being the most sold console in history. PS2 dominates so handidly it’s not funny.
My bad.
The PS1 ended shipment from Sony in 2005, peaking at 102.49 million units. The PS2 broke that around March and is currently at 11.25 million units Business Data.
Oh god, bad typo. 111.25 million units. Okay, this is my last post. I promise.
Zune said: “Did you ever fart so hard you ended up in another zip code?”
“Donna Murphy is no fan of the ubiquitous iPod music player so on Tuesday she became one of the first to buy Microsoft’s new rival Zune device. ‘I just needed a new MP3 player to play my music and watch videos,’ said Murphy, who bought a Zune at Best Buy’s midtown Manhattan store. ‘I’m not an Apple fan, not an iPod fan. So I wanted to try something different.'”
Unfortunately, I’m coming across all too many of these people who seem to think that they’re being “cutting-edge” or “anti-establishment” by buying a Zune just to stick it to the “ubiquitous” iPod.
Even as a self-admitted “Apple fanboy” I would have no problem if the Zune was a success (a lot of MS-heads seem to think we’re “afraid” of the Zune), as I’m sure it would just push Apple to make an even better product.
My issue is that it seems the big labels like Universal are trying to use the Zune to force Apple to agree to more restrictive DRM and licensing terms. It’s ironic that “free thinkers” like Donna Murphy are exactly the type of lemmings the major labels are counting on to eventually turn all online media purchases into exploding vaporware.
So how many Zunes do you think Microsoft will buy before they publicly announce first week sales?
Hey guys! Go to CNet! They’re having a posting session about the Zune vs. iPod!
http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-11294_7-6664887-1.html?tag=btn
Check it out and post your comments!!!
What gives with Microsoft saying this is their device? They didn’t design it. At least Apple designs their own devices. Microsoft knows nothing about design, they’re dependent on Toshiba for anything they sell. At least Apple is innovating in the area of physical design.
Good luck Microsoft. Hope you get your ass bit off like you deserve.
I just did a doo doo on my Zu-Zune!
Dogriend
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Disambiguation
SallyFields:
did you ever fart so hard, you gave birth to a zune?
Forgive me if anyone has already mentioned this (I did not read all the comments).
I was watching the TV with some friends (none of whom know or follow computer news like I do). And they literally did not notice the Zune amongst all the other commercials. In an ironic twist, my friend saw the iPod nano commercial and said she misses her old iPod (that her brother stole). She’ll probably be getting a nano soon =). iPod ads rock! My friend still doesn’t know what a Zune is.
MDN Word: Spring
As in “In Spring, the Zune will be discontinued.”
I think everyone, maybe except Microsoft, is actually over-hyping this. MDN is obviously gushing at Zune’s “poor” sales, but it seems that they are the only ones expecting Zune to fly off of shelves. Take this interview with Stephenson, an MS executive in the Hollywood Reporter:
“THR: iPod has a 75% market share. How do you intend on breaking that near-monopoly?
Stephenson: I think it’s 78%, actually. The most important thing here is to be a relevant No. 2. It’s absolutely what our goal is. iPod has created a tremendous market position. They’ve defined this market.”
See, Zune isn’t looking to take over the market in a day, month, or year. Only you guys are putting that expectation on it. Maybe you all should be called on your own FUD. (???)
It was the Zune sites that MS set up that started using the phrase ‘iPod killer’. SO I think they kinda brought this on themselves. If you want to be the ‘iPod-also-ran’, that’s fine, I think they might succeed at this. But there is not going to be any ‘killing’ for a long, long time.
-c
MW: ‘received’ (a Zune for Xmas. Fuck you, Santa)