“At 3:32 p.m. on Oct. 19 an e-mail flashed across the screens of the 230 Microsoft employees working slavishly to bring the Zune music player to market. The sender was their brash team leader, J Allard, 37. The message included a link to an old video of Steve Jobs on YouTube, mocking Microsoft’s creativity. ‘The only problem with Microsoft is that they have no taste,’ the Apple Computer boss says. ‘They have absolutely no taste,'” Jay Greene and Peter Burrows report for BusinessWeek.
Steve Jobs: “Microsoft has absolutely no taste” video:
Greene and Burrows continue, “Allard was using one of the oldest motivational tricks in the book–his version of a football coach posting an opponent’s quote on the locker room wall. ‘I for one…want to see this guy eat his words,’ Allard wrote. ‘Those are fighting words. He is speaking to every one of us and saying that we don’t get it.'”
MacDailyNews Take: Looking at the Zune, they obviously don’t get it.
“No one’s suggesting that Zune will have anywhere near the impact of Vista. In its early form, it is clearly no iPod killer. It’s bulkier and more of a battery hog, and the Zune Marketplace doesn’t offer as many songs or videos as Apple Computer Inc.’s iTunes does,” Greene and Burrows report.
MacDailyNews Note: The Zune Marketplace doesn’t offer any video.
“No one leader will replace William H. Gates III, the iconic software geek who came to define an era and plans to leave the company in June, 2008… The soul of the new Microsoft, though–its Geek 2.0–may just be Allard, the vice-president for design and development at its Entertainment & Devices unit. Allard looks and acts nothing like the prototypical Microsofty. Over the years he’s swapped his plaid shirt and khakis–something of a Microsoft uniform–for edgy jackets made by Mark Ecko and other designer wear. He loads up his nine iPods, and now his Zune, with songs from hardcore bands like A.R.E. Weapons,” Greene and Burrows report.
“When Allard’s team hatched Zune, they unabashedly cribbed from Apple’s playbook. Microsoft all but abandoned its music partners, built its own device, and offered its own music-selling service,” Greene and Burrows report. “Always the iconoclast, Allard works on an Apple G5 computer, next to an obviously less frequently used pc. Allard says it’s important to learn about the competition.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Tommy Boy” for the heads up.]
It sounds to us like J Allard wishes he worked for Apple, not Microsoft.
Of J Allard, Paul Thurrott on his SuperSite for Windows wrote just this morning, “It starts from the top, from executive J Allard who–get this–is so freaking cool he changed his name from James to ‘J’ in order to match his name to his Microsoft email alias, jallard@microsoft.com. I don’t mean this as a personal attack–heck, he’s probably a great guy–but Allard is the human embodiment of the Zune in the same way that Steve Jobs is for the iPod, so this is relevant. In recent years, Allard has not coincidentally remade himself into a slimmer, seemingly-less geeky, hip-looking … hip guy, I guess. This, no doubt, makes him seem cooler to the Xbox and Zune crowds he needs to impress. (J Allard is also in charge of the Xbox 360.) The same faux coolness exuded by J Allard is all over the Zune, its marketing, and its packaging. The Zune is everything, in other words, that the iPod is not (or nothing that the iPod is, if you look at it differently). But I’ve got a newsflash for Microsoft: You can’t just announce that you’re cool. You have to actually be cool. Apple, the iPod, and yes, Apple CEO Steve Jobs–the human face of the iPod–are all cool.”
Related articles:
Newsflash: analyst says Apple iPod beating Microsoft Zune – November 28, 2006
Thurrott reviews Microsoft Zune: ‘a joke, a travesty, I can’t imagine what they were thinking’ – November 28, 2006
Apple iPod clearly immune to Zune – November 27, 2006
Zune reinforces Microsoft’s dorky image, pushes people toward Apple iPods, Macs – November 27, 2006
Ihnatko: Microsoft Zune experience about as pleasant as having an airbag deploy in your face – November 24, 2006
TheStreet.com: It’s not looking good for Microsoft’s Zune; bad press may taint brand for years – November 24, 2006
Amazon’s bestselling MP3 players list chronicles Microsoft Zune dud – November 20, 2006
Bill Gates: Apple iPod ‘phenomenal, unbelievable, fantastic’ – November 16, 2006
Cramer’s Mad Money: Microsoft’s Zune is pathetic; Vista may cause people to turn to Apple Mac – November 15, 2006
Microsoft’s Zune selling like snotcakes – November 15, 2006
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
Opinion: More blood on Apple iPod’s Click Wheel: Microsoft pulls plug on Zune – July 25, 2006
what a great idea…. i’m going to call Phil Schiller right now…
*ring*
Demo-boy!!!! oh Demo-boy!!! Please have all of my cards changed to S Jobs. Thanks Phil… see you in January doing a demo with me over iChat.
I love Schiller… mostly because his name is what he does. Isn’t that funny?
Sounds like “J” and his homies in Redmond are trying to take the whole copying thing to another new level…
Zune, another original, 3rd rate product but the big copy right infringing company going. What more can they steal?
But shouldn’t they have called it iZune? iHad one this morning.
That took long enough to post.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”tongue laugh” style=”border:0;” />
Wishing for cool doesn’t make it so. I wished for a few million shares of AAPL – it didn’t work. James is not cool, even if he changed his name to J. Sorry, try again.
J von Winskinheimer
As a device the Zune isn’t bad. It’s a bit larger, but it also feels more sturdy than an iPod. As a media player is just fine, in and of itself. It’s the quagmire of a company that’s backing it that makes it undesirable.
You can’t even load music you previously purchased from MSN on the silly thing.
The nuty points system for purchasing music, and yet another proprietary DRM scheme for the love of god, is just plain stupid.
And I damn sure wouldn’t buy one JUST BECAUSE MICROSOFT IS PAYING UNIVERSAL.
I don’t think this stuff is the fault of Allard.
Once you leave the Zune itself, and get into the Microsoft world, all the “cool” vanishes and you become quickly aware that you’re dealing with Microsoft again.
All you have to do is count the number of times you say, “huh?” as you’re trying to work with the thing and it’s software, and purchasing music, and you go running back to your happy, simple, one click – music purchased and loaded iPod.
Microsoft really needs to study iTunes more closely as well as the iPod.
This Allard guy is far too overrated in my book. Overlooking the Zune fiasco, it seems incredible that he actually gets credit for developing a gaming device which only now – 5 years after its creation – is actually starting to turning a profit. If it was any other company, one without the deep pockets that Microsoft has and are necessary to bear the cost of such a strategy, he would have been sh*tcanned a long time ago.
I don’t think any of the executives (Gates, Ballmer, Allard, et.al.) at Microsoft could be cool even if you stored them in a freezer.
Allard is weird… Google image search him and he looks like the illigitimate stepson of Ballmer…
this guy tries to achieve something big over Apple. but there is limitation on creative mind. Jonathan Ive is originally interior designer before doing industrial designer. all his works are so much unique, inspired by art. J. Allard studied computer engineering. usually people, who study computer at school, have limited idea on creation. how dare you compare with Jonathan ive with this guy who never seems to be creative. I know he was making Xbox. see! what computer guy designed game console. I don’t see any attraction on it. I don’t buy it neither. Xbox hasn’t really successful with billions of deficit. zune will be the same target next few years. game business Apple didn’t jump to do. that’s why MS can do something. Apple is different company. if you compete with this company with pure ability, nobody can beat. especially, media market like digital content. Apple has already accumulated tons of idea, know-how long time ago. MS tries something now. it’s too late.
“Always the iconoclast, Allard works on an Apple G5 computer, next to an obviously less frequently used pc. Allard says it’s important to learn about the competition.””
Yeah Im going to eat this entire box of donuts so I can get an idea of the wrong kinds of foods to eat before I go on my diet. Yeah. Thats it. Thats the ticket.
Bring me another box, im not sure yet.
Ha ha..I took my own advice and the third pic I looked at had this reader comment:
“On a side a note, every time I see J. Allard’s picture, it fills me with the urge to kill. I think that if I ever met him, I would probably beat the crap out of him before he said a word. I’m sure he’s a decent guy, he just has one of those faces.”
http://www.joystiq.com/2006/02/06/j-allard-were-going-to-take-on-the-wikipedia-model/
I’m not alone.
If Microsoft actually copied, they’d have better products than they do now.
Unfortunately, what MS does is look at something that’s successful and ask themselves what they can add to a product to make it more appealing. What they don’t understand is that to make something people like, you should look at something you want to copy and ask yourself “what can we remove from this equation without destroying the user experience?”
Simpler is better. MS doesn’t get that.
Copying isn’t cool.
Let’s not forget that the Zune isn’t even an original product, much less a “cool” one. It’s a re-hashed Toshiba design, is it not? Big whup!!!
Macaday,
I would have that guy’s lunch money before first bell…
MW: Head, as in Allard gave at the office.
Steve Jobs: Hey, Jim, I heard you guys showed my video.
James Allard: We sure did and they’re still holding their groins and crying like little girls.
Steve Jobs: Well, that kick in the nads is gonna hurt a while.
James Allard: Yeah, I can’t believe it. I thought it would really motivate them instead.
Steve Jobs: No doubt about it, bro, you got their attention now. They’re not gonna forget that for a while. So, what are you gonna do for an encore?
James Allard: Oh, I don’t know. We gave them their towels back, Steve. That didn’t work. Ballmer did the monkey dance and that failed, too. We thought we could shame them into producing showing your video and that didn’t work either. We’ve been thinking about using a lottery for capital punishment when we fail to deliver. You know, produce or die.
Steve Jobs: Actually, I don’t know. I’d talk to legal if I were you, Jim, I doubt that executions are socially acceptable.
James Allard: What else can we do?
Steve Jobs: James, c’mon get real. You guys have our Macs, our OS, and you have our iPods. I think that Apple has given you plenty of material.
James Allard: But it’s not enough, you know that. Please, tell me, what’s Apple’s secret?
Steve Jobs: OK, alright, cool yer jets, dude. Just like my buds at Nike say, “Just do it.”
James Allard: Just do what? What’s it? I don’t understand.
Steve Jobs: Obviously. Look, we’re kinda busy over here, 2007 is just around the corner and we need to wrap up a few things for our people. Hey, I’ll call you later. Merry Christmas, Jim.
James Allard: Sure, OK. Thanks, you too.
(hangs up phone, pause)
James Allard (speaking to self): Do it! Do it. Do it? I don’t know.
James Allard: Mary, get me legal on line 2. I need to run a few things by them ASAP.
o god do i feel old now. this panty-waste with an initial is the same age as i am. and look how cool i can be – look ma, no caps!
i would definitely say that j allard is the personification of microsoft today – absolutely out of touch with reality. and it is sad, just sad. but what is truly pathetic is the mass of people who eat this up.
i asked my sister-n-law about the zune and the new tv commercial spots. (a little background, she just finished grad school in england – art history – and is a beatle-loving hippie wannabe with brains and attended quite a few concert fests over the years.) her reaction to the zune? (and she has 2 iPods) “what the hell? are these people serious? what a load of crap. it just stinks fake.”
wow. pretty much says it all people.
They need to offer a course in “cool” at the leading business schools.
…
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”wink” style=”border:0;” />
curious, is there any software product that Microsoft sells, that they concieved, created, and sell on their own? I can’t think of one:
windows,
frontpage,
basic?
word
powerpoint
excel
…..
If you read the article, you’ll see that Allard claims credit for writing a program called Lemonade Stand in 1981, when he was 12.
“If I had half a brain, I would have waited 10 years, called it Sim Lemonade and made a bazillion,” Allard jokes in the article.
As I understand it, this program was shipping on Apple II computers as far back as 1979, and was actually written earlier by the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium (MECC).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemonade_Stand
Apparently, this guy even borrows his childhood accomplishments from others.
Calpundit, good find.
They need to offer a course in “cool” at the leading business schools.
…
Bad idea. The graduation rate would drop like a stone.
Just again asked of my oldest (10th grade, in a major metropolitan high school with over 4,000 students): “So what are kids saying about the zune?” Her answer” “I haven’t heard anything.”
To her knowledge, almost no one knows about the zune; many many have an iPod.
BTW in the meantime (since the zune’s release) she has checked them out (online and at Best Buy), and her reaction was similar to the one above.
Disclaimer: she owns and loves her original 1st Generation iPod (purchased with babysitting $$).
Lemme get this straight: changing your name to match your e-mail address is “freaking cool”???