“The holiday season hasn’t gone exactly as Microsoft had hoped,” Mike Ricciuti reports for CNET News.
“The much-anticipated Zune, Microsoft’s portable music player entry, has received mixed reviews, and demand has been tepid. Sure, Vista made its debut, finally, last week–but only for business customers. The Windows XP successor, more than five years in the making, didn’t make it into consumers’ hands for the all-important holiday sales season. Ditto for Office 2007, the flagship of the company’s second most-profitable product line,” Ricciuti reports.
Ricciuti reports, “CEO Steve Ballmer says he isn’t worried. Like Chairman Bill Gates, he says Zune will, over time, gain ground on Apple Computer’s iPod… Ballmer sat down with CNET News.com here to discuss life after Vista, battling the iPod, and the rising importance of mobile devices.”
Now that Vista work is more or less wrapped up–or will be soon–have resources been freed up within Microsoft (to work on things like Longhorn Server)? Ballmer: Well, we’re going to do a next version of Windows, and so one of the questions is whether we’re going to have the same number of people, fewer people, (or) whether we need more people. We’re going to have a very large team continuing to work on Windows innovation.
What happens when Apple produces a smart phone, which they probably will at some point? How does that change the equation? Ballmer: Well, their business model will look a lot more like the business model of the Trio and BlackBerry, than it does (that of) us and Nokia. Nokia is sort of having their cake and eating it, too, a little bit, with Symbian. Hey, in no business that we’re in, can we expect that other people aren’t going to enter and bring some creative ideas. We will see what Apple does.
The thing that is going to drive Apple, you know, people talk about the iPod halo. At some point, do you hope for a Zune halo effect that would help with Vista? Ballmer: Well, sure. I can’t say there is, yet. Eventually, there needs to be, will be. But we’ve got to get out and establish Zune. We think we have a great initial proposition, and we’re happy with the initial response. But we don’t fool ourselves. There’s a guy who’s got a lot of share, and we’re coming later in the day. Things boomed on the back of the iPod, so we have our work cut out.
Are you happy with the response to Zune so far? Ballmer: So far, so good. But we’re (in the) early stages.
Full article here.
Ballmer remains as delusional as ever; even more so, if that’s possible. The Zune is quickly becoming synonymous with “failure,” among other words that are not mentioned in polite company. This “Zune halo effect” business is a ridiculous as saying the Sony Bean (remember those?) will sell more Vaio laptops.
Zune has no halo. Zune leaves a stain.
Zune’s failure may in fact open a few more eyes that can see Microsoft for what it really is: a derivative company, a conniving dinosaur. Zune will help drive people to iPod and Mac OS X more than it will drive any Windows Vista adoption.
And, wow, that Ballmer can say the words “Windows innovation” with a straight face gives us the creeps.
Related articles:
Microsoft Zune plummets to 5th place in U.S. digital media player market share with 2.1 percent – December 04, 2006
Microsoft’s Zune incompatible with Windows Vista – November 14, 2006
InformationWeek: Now that Vista is the past, let’s look at the future: Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard – December 02, 2006
Microsoft’s Windows Vista and Office 2007 releases generate yawns – December 02, 2006
Dave Winer: ‘Microsoft isn’t an innovator, and never was – they are always playing catch-up’ – December 01, 2006
Microsoft’s Windows Vista vulnerable to malware from 2004 – November 30, 2006
Microsoft Windows Vista developers used Apple Macs for inspiration – November 27, 2006
Microsoft’s Windows Vista is basically Microsoft’s version of Mac OS 9.3 – October 11, 2006
Microsoft Windows Vista: If you can’t innovate… try to impersonate Apple’s Mac OS X – August 10, 2006
Ballmer: I’m Microsoft’s ‘primary champion of innovation’ – July 27, 2006
Microsoft botches another copy job: Windows Vista Flip3D vs. Apple Mac OS X Exposé – June 26, 2006
Windows Vista rips-off Mac OS X at great hardware cost (and Apple gains in the end) – June 13, 2006
Computerworld: Microsoft Windows Vista a distant second-best to Apple Mac OS X – June 02, 2006
Thurrott: Microsoft going to get eaten alive over Windows Vista’s resemblance to Apple’s Mac OS X – March 09, 2006
NY Times’ Pogue on Gates’ CES demo: Most of Vista features unadulterated ripoffs from Apple Mac OS X – January 05, 2006
Analyst: Windows Vista may still impress many consumers because they have not seen Apple’s Mac OS X – January 05, 2006
Apple’s talent and innovation vs. Microsoft’s hype – October 25, 2005
Microsoft’s Windows Vista strives to deliver what Apple’s Mac OS X already offers – October 10, 2005
Thurrott: many of Windows Vista’s upcoming features appeared first in Apple’s Mac OS X – September 26, 2005
Microsoft’s Ballmer: It’s true, some of Windows Vista’s features are ‘kissing cousins’ to Mac OS X – September 18, 2005
PC World: Microsoft innovation – an oxymoron – September 14, 2005
As usual, Apple leads, Microsoft tries to follow – June 02, 2005
eWEEK Editor Coursey: Longhorn so far ‘looks shockingly like a Macintosh’ – April 25, 2005
Due in late 2006, many of Windows Longhorn’s features have been in Mac OS X since 2001 – April 25, 2005
Microsoft’s new mantra: ‘It Just Works’ ripped straight from Apple’s ‘Switch’ campaign – April 22, 2005
Apple CEO Steve Jobs on Microsoft’s Longhorn: ‘They are shamelessly copying us’ – April 21, 2005
Microsoft’s Windows Longhorn will bear more than just a passing resemblance to Apple’s Mac OS X – April 15, 2005
Steve Jobs: Microsoft copied original Apple Mac with Windows 95, now they’re copying us again – February 08, 2005
Where Apple leads, Wintel follows years later – January 31, 2005
Novell CEO: ‘Microsoft sucked $60 billion out of IT industry that could have used for innovation’ – September 13, 2004
Apple CEO Steve Jobs: Mac OS X Tiger ‘is going to drive the copycats crazy – June 28, 2004
PC Magazine: Microsoft ‘Longhorn’ preview shows ‘an Apple look’ – May 06, 2004
Charles Arthur: Microsoft’s definition of ‘innovation’ different from everyone else’s – April 27, 2004
Windows ‘Longhorn’ to add translucent windows that ripple and shrink by 2005 – May 19, 2003
“we’re happy with the initial response.” HAHAHAHAHAHA
Geez Ballmer craxcks me up.
Q: Why doesn’t Ballmer have any hemorrhoids?
A: Cause he’s the perfect asshole.
MDN is really going to pot. Either that or they’re on crack.
The headline for this “article” is deeply misleading. If you read the interview text it was the interviewer that asked about a “Zune halo effect”, and Ballmer rightly said that there wasn’t one yet, but it would be nice to have one.
MDN’s spin on this was their typical “we hate Microsoft they’re rubbish” rant with, as usual, little thought. How old are the editors of this site? 13? 14?
Ballmer is doing damage control, no doubt about it. Microsoft is out of touch with reality, almost as much as idiots who read the mainstream press and think that they’re getting the truth.
Reuters Photoshops pictures. The AP makes up stories, sourcing them to Iraqi policemen that don’t exist. CNN broadcasts terrorist recruiting videos. Yeah, if I was stupid enough to swallow all that and think that it was indicative of the reality on the ground, I too would be forced to conclude that America was losing. Of course, I would really have to be lazy and self-blinded, given that a milblog is a click or two away.
“whoa, this Zune’s pretty cool! hey honey, the next PC we’ll get for the family should have VISTA on it!” um sure whatever.
there’s no “halo” here. new PCs WILL come with Vista. kinda goes without saying. oh but wait, it’ll most likely be the BARE-BONES, minimally-enhanced “Home Basic” version of Vista on that $500 PC. now with MORE DRM!
sure, people will leave their Macs in droves when they try the new Zune. oh yeah. and Ballmer will get a clue.
oh, and Zune Tang can bite me.
Xan,
You must have missed the part where Ballmer said of the proposed Zune halo effect, “Eventually, there needs to be, will be.”
Reading comprehension is your friend. Don’t fight it.
I’ve finally got it! Why didn’t I see it before!? Zune Tang IS the disfigured spawn…literal spawn…of Steve Balmer. The resemblence is uncanny. The same dilusional stupidity. The same rants repeating the same stupid things “again and again and again and again and again and again” as though the “bone doesn’t fall from [their] mouths easily.” Heck, he’s probably got the same shiny top and ugly mug too. Now the real question. If Zune Tang is the spawn of Steve Balmer…who helped in the conception…and what orifice did he originate from??? Hmmm……Zune……squirt…..hmmm indeed.
I’ve finally got it! Why didn’t I see it before!? Zune Tang IS the disfigured spawn…literal spawn…of Steve Balmer. The resemblence is uncanny. The same dilusional stupidity. The same rants repeating the same stupid things “again and again and again and again and again and again” as though the “bone doesn’t fall from [their] mouths easily.” Heck, he’s probably got the same shiny top and ugly mug too. Now the real question. If Zune Tang is the spawn of Steve Balmer…who helped in the conception…and what orifice did he originate from??? Hmmm……Zune……squirt…..hmmm indeed.
I’ve finally got it! Why didn’t I see it before!? Zune Tang IS the disfigured spawn…literal spawn…of Steve Balmer. The resemblence is uncanny. The same dilusional stupidity. The same rants repeating the same stupid things “again and again and again and again and again and again” as though the “bone doesn’t fall from [their] mouths easily.” Heck, he’s probably got the same shiny top and ugly mug too. Now the real question. If Zune Tang is the spawn of Steve Balmer…who helped in the conception…and what orifice did he originate from??? Hmmm……Zune……squirt…..hmmm indeed.
BustingTheSkullsOfIdiots:
Good points. People bend “the truth” to make their points. It happens in business, in media, from liberals, from conservatives. It happens from the president and from his Democratic rivals. However, if you don’t think we’re losing in Iraq, you need to be more open to news that doesn’t agree with you.
Take a look at what the bipartisan commission on the war in Iraq says. We are losing. We are in an unwinnable war that needs diplomacy, not 10 more years of fighting. Were we wrong or right to attack them? That was not a question for the commission. Their goal and purpose was to determine if we can win and what we should do next. I don’t know your qualifications, but I doubt that you are as experienced as the commission to make that determination.
BTW, milblogs are great to see the military personnel’s take on the war efforts. But isolated ground troops have a skewed view of what is going on. They see the individual battles, but are not involved in the master plan. Also, if they were to suddenly go negative on the war efforts, I’m sure you’d see them pulled quickly and without comment.
Here’s the story about the commission’s findings: http://apnews1.iwon.com//article/20061206/D8LRDNPG0.html
Love the photo! I think every family has a brother-in-law, uncle, or cousin who looks like that in all of the family photos.
“Ma, I found Uncle Pete….”
What is the difference between Ballmer and Zune Tang?
Nothing, they are both tiresome as hell.
Zune, Steve Ballmer, and me. What a team!
You guys are way too hard on Ballmer. He is very high functioning. I am sure he is the best retarded CEO in the US if not the world.
Zune / Windows halo = ring around the toilet.
Hi-dee-ho! Merry Christmas!
MDN word – “run.” as in got to…
And Ballmer saying the words “Windows innovation” with a straight face doesn’t give me the creeps; it gives me the craps.
Ughhh! Please remove that extemely gross picture from your artcle. Everytime I see a photo of Ballmer, I must want to throw up. He i so f***ing ugly! It is most certainly the face of stupidity.
Zune “Halo Effect” ??? Doesn’t he mean “Toilet Bowl Ring?”
Nice Ballmer pic MDN! Glad I have a keyboard protector. *Snort*
….”Porky” and I are on the same thought train this a.m.
Buster gets it.
Love your insightful post. Good stuff. Really got me thinking.
Keep up the good work and I look forward to more from you in the future!
Your potential. Our passion.
With Zune MS will fail for the same reasons other iPod/iTMS wannabes have failed. They keep trying to take marketshare from Apple, rather than trying to expand the download music sales marketplace.
Existing download music sales are still only a fraction of total music sales and the only way anyone is going to beat Apple is by converting the remaining, much larger precentage of retail music sales to download music sales.
And they will have to have a much simpler, easier-to-use player also.
Of course, the digital music landscape could undergo a significant change without another player entering the market. All that’s needed is for the labels to get a clue. Open their own online stores and sell their music in a non-proprietary, DRM-less file type for somewhere between 50¢ to 75¢ a song.
In other words… for what it’s really worth. The labels could then try their multi-tier pricing schemes to see how well they work without having someone else (Apple) take a hit just to find out John Q aint buyin’ it.
iTMS would wither and die and Apple would lose any hold over the labels of course, but iPods would probably continue to dominate the player market.
MS has only gotten lucky with one product in the consumer space: the Xbox.
But with major help thru Halo from a prior Mac-only game developer: Bungie (anyone remember Marathon?).
the man is right… the zune WILL have a halo effect on windows… not a very positive effect though… it wil just drag their entire reputation (if they have any) down with it.
on the other hand…
how can the zune have a halo effect if microsoft hardly announces their name with the zune? most people will not even know it’s a m§ product.
apple branded the iPod as being form apple… including the apple-logo on the product.
MW: field… as in reality distortion?
MDN, where in the world do you get these funny Ballmer pictures? Hilarious. No wonder he’s not Marketwatch’s CEO of the year. He doesn’t look the part.
Puhleeze don’t show Ballmer with his tounge out like that.
EEWWWW!
I got flashbacks to Ballmer’s Zune “squirting” and “touching” quotes. Mental pictures I’ve tried to repress since reading THAT article.
Thank God I saw this pre-lunch—-I’d have lost mine.