“Microsoft Corp., the world’s largest software maker, as early as 2003 considered a partnership with Apple Inc. or creating its own digital music player to rival Apple’s dominant iPod,” Dina Bass and Bob Van Voris report for Bloomberg.
Bass and Van Voris report, “Microsoft, displeased with hardware partners Creative Technology Ltd. and Dell Inc. that made players using Microsoft’s Windows Media software, talked about building its own device, according to an e-mail exchange between Windows chief Jim Allchin and media software executive Amir Majidimehr. The correspondence, introduced into evidence in a civil antitrust trial against Microsoft in Des Moines, Iowa, was made public today.”
“Allchin, who started the exchange in an e-mail entitled ‘sucking on media players,’ also suggested he talk to Apple Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs to get the iPod to work with Microsoft’s media software for fear the iPod would ‘drive people away from Windows Media Player.’ Microsoft introduced its Zune music player in November,” Bass and Van Voris report.
“‘My goodness it’s terrible,’ Allchin wrote about one of Creative’s devices. ‘What I don’t understand though is I was told the new Creative Labs device would be comparable to Apple. That is so not the case,'” Bass and Van Voris report. “Majidimehr replied ‘Now you feel our pain.” He said Microsoft was providing cash incentives to get the partners to improve devices. If that doesn’t work ‘it is time for us to roll up our sleeves and do our own hardware,’ he wrote.”
Bass and Van Voris report, “Microsoft sold ‘hundreds of thousands’ of Zune devices during Christmas, according to Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices Division President Robbie Bach. Apple sold 21.1 million iPods last quarter.”
Full article here.
At least Allchin doesn’t need to change the subject of his future emails, as the re-badged Toshiba GigaBeat, which they call “Zune,” fits the billing of Microsoft “sucking on media players” perfectly.
Microsoft just doesn’t get it. They do not have the attention-to-detail, the taste, the hunger to strive for perfection, or the proper personnel in the correct creative environment necessary to produce user experiences anywhere near what Apple offers. Microsoft Windows is woefully behind the Mac, still, after some 22 years of trying to be “just like a Mac.” The Zune software next to iTunes is a laugher. The Zune next to an iPod is a joke. The Zune next to an iPhone’s iPod is just plain sad. At their best, Microsoft is a cesspool of mediocrity.
Why is Microsoft’s mission to make cheesy copies of Apple products and market them to the ignorant? How can Microsoft’s management and employees be proud of “their work” or are they just proud of how much they reap from suckers who don’t know any better?
In the future, when Microsoft execs trumpet their partnerships (remember URGE, Napster, etc.?), keep in mind that they’ll probably be emailing each other about how much their partners suck when they really ought to be looking in the mirror.
Related articles:
Windows chief Allchin 2004 email: I’d buy a Mac if I didn’t work for Microsoft – December 11, 2006
The Motley Fool: Apple makes Microsoft’s Zune a paperweight – January 10, 2007
PC World writer’s advice for Microsoft: ‘Stop making crap’ – July 27, 2006
Apple again leads Consumer Reports’ survey for notebook, desktop computer tech support, value, more – October 16, 2006
Apple Mac desktops, notebooks top PC Magazine’s Annual Reader Satisfaction survey – again – August 22, 2006
Apple far outscores all other PC makers in Consumer Reports Computer Tech Support Survey – May 05, 2006
Apple Mac desktops, portables top PC Magazine’s 2005 Reader Satisfaction survey – August 24, 2005
Apple Computer products top PC Magazine’s annual ‘Best of the Year’ survey – December 16, 2004
Apple Macs top PC Magazine’s ’17th Annual Reader Satisfaction Survey’ – August 10, 2004
Apple leads PC Magazine’s 16th annual Service and Reliability Survey – July 10, 2003
Microsoft is a giant bumbling CYA bureaucracy with its fiefdoms withing fiefdoms and it would be best if it was broken apart.
First thing that must go is Steve Ballmer.
Wonder why Steve Jobs said something about:” people who are serious about software should design their own hardware” during the introduction of the iPhone? Mhhh…..
<i>”people who are serious about software should design their own hardware”
Imagine a car where the engine, transmission, body, brakes, and electronics were all designed and built by different companies. And the mishmash result was slapped together by a Chinese subcontractor.
It’d look and run as good as a PC.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”raspberry” style=”border:0;” /> But by golly it’d be cheap and consumers would have choice!
Personally I’d choose someone who’s able to design & build a compelling & complete product themselves…
Thanks Zune Tang
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Microsoft is serious about making a buck and perpetuating the myth of its technological prowess. History will prove that Microsoft was the benefactor of other’s mistakes in the 1980’s, and that Microsoft never had the ability to adapt, design, or innovate. Redmond, WA is the Potemkin Village of the digital age.
Ask yo’self,
We purchased our 3 GHz Mac Pro Quad in November, and it has been used
at least 8 hours/day since without any problems whatsoever. I say you’re
giving us a load of rat droppings.
I’d like to reiterate that the best MP3 players are:
1. Microsoft Zune
2. Dell Ditty
3. everything else
Your potential, our passion.
Ask yo’self,
Oh, and another thing…your FUD is poison. You are a poison spreader.
Take your toxic waste and either spread it somewhere else or give it up.
Whatever side Zune Tang is on, his stories have become tiresome!!! Let’s ignor this f@#king moron!!! He’ll soon tank! Next!
Macatheson said that Sagan said…“That’s an extraordinary clam.”
Where can I make reservations?
I suggest you take a trip to the nearest museum with Chinese antiquities, and look at the craftsmanship of one thousand year old lacquerware and then suggest that the Chinese are not capable of soldering a few components together. Sheesh!
On the one hand, so much investment, skill and effort is going into making fresh copies of some of these “antiquities” nowadays that it takes a scientific effort to determine their authenticity.
On the other hand, first generation shuffles [they look identical] are still being produced and sold in Asia with shiny logos: “ iPod.”
Zune Tang will continue to post as long as he gets the responses he is getting. He is not a MS fanboy. He is posting soley to get a response. This is ego fodder for him.
When he gets a sarcastic response such as “Zune Tang, you are hillarious” etc. he smiles. Simpletons enjoy each other’s company.
I cannot agree with you more, Bob.
I never had any problem with Apple hardware until my “trusted” iBook G3 conked out on me several times…hard disk failure, logic.whatdzz (remember the worldwide Apple free replacement program?), broken battery bay lock, etc.
I faithfully suffered through those headaches till finally, my iBook G3 died for good. It would start-up as I could hear that familiar start-up sound but that was it.
I could not bear through the pains anymore so I bought me a refurbished MacBook. I hope this will last for as long as I can afford a new one. Please Apple, Inc.?
Apple don’t need Microsoft slowing them down thanks very much.
AskMacYourDudeSelfPetersonCellProcessor,
A single customer service dude in Barton Creek Mall is NOT EVIDENCE YOU SILLY PRICK!
It is, at best, anecdotal. Maybe he should go work at Sears. Or that piece of shit Dell Kiosk downstairs.
But don’t stop. Your meds, I mean. You provide me with hours of diversion every week.
Zune Tang gets 10,000 bonus points for mentioning the Dell Ditty.
iTunes is about to tear a hole into Redmond and other media formats – this time in the video arena.
Imagine what Microsoft will be thinking when February’s Special Event includes:
– Full-Touch-Screen iPod HD (4″ screen – yes, larger than the phone) which plays back 720p to an HDTV, and just looks great on it’s 4″ screen. 40 GB and 100 GB versions, with WiFi. $299 and $399
– 20th Century Fox comes onboard iTunes with movies – including an exlusive for Star Wars – yes, in HD.
– All movies will be getting HD versions (720p)
– $14.99 for new titles, $19.99 for new HD titles
– AppleTV is now shipping. Oh, and one more thing – AppleTV connects directly to iTunes in the sky. Specifically, the movie store. Purchase and view movies directly from the living-room. It will then save it over to your iTunes library of your choice (pick an iTunes library in the home).
– Rentals. That’s right, rentals. $3.99 standard def, $5.99 HD. After viewing a rental, Apple will give you the option to purchase the flick minus the rental fee. A huge hook to get people to purchase.
Redmond – prepare to start bleeding – big time. Next fall, prepare to watch xBox get its dome lopped off, oh, and PSIII as well.
Zune Tang,
How long have you been buffing Balmers brown eye trumpet?
Zune Tang is pulling your leg, Mort.
MDN, if you’re going to have multiple pages, please put direct links to the page numbers: Article Title Link 1, 2, 3….
The excellence of Apple is that it knows there will be wonky product shipped from time to time – its how Apple responds to consumers that is stellar! Last time I checked Apple led the field in after sales service by large margins. Could Apple be better? – sure. Will they be better? absolutely!
Of course the original article was about m$’s continued illegal practices and their failure, even after paying money under the table to dell and creative to bring an iPod killer to market. Lets not forget the methods that gates and company use to “collaborate” with “partners”
Kenneth, what is the frequency? What is the goddam frequency?
For all the excellence you guys like to attribute Apple, the company still likes to do some Bonkers XtremeTM moves such as designing an iPhone appealing to the Blackberry Pro crowd but having no interchangeable battery capabilities, or building HD caddies into the Mac Pro that, for a start, are not hot-swappable (so what’s the point), make it impossible to install a higher performance SATA card and build a hardware RAID inside (and no e-SATA, by the way), or using box materials that difficult WIFI reception and increase vibration noise, let’s not talk about lots of iPod issues (and incoming ones such as a tactile iPod which means no way of controlling it by touch while inside your pocket). Oh, and the Finder (sigh)…
The guys are great at intuitively finding ways of perfecting the user experience, but since the demise of the HI department and such, it has been hit and miss, lots. There is no system but His Steveness’, and it shows in lots of incoherent bits. Things could be far better than they are .
You can laugh at Microsoft all you want, but there is no denying there are good things to be found there: the Xbox360 and Xbox Live, several Vista and even XP features that OS X is missing and Leopard will keep on missing (say, the abysmal end user-related multichannel audio support we have on Macs), small hardware products such as mice and keyboards, the Bungie guys, etc.
I see current Zune products as the Xbox 1 run: testing the waters and adquiring experience. Not that I believe they are going to dethrone the iPod, but the thing is: they don’t need to, at all.
Snafu said: Not that I believe they are going to dethrone the iPod, but the thing is: they don’t need to, at all.
That doesn’t seem to be whae Jim All Chin believes. But then again, he’s out the door.
Ask Yourself,
You had me until you called MBP and Mac-Pros overpriced while everyone here knows they are both cheaper than equivalent Dells. Then you implied that Oriental workmanship was not up to American standards while everyone here knows American auto makers are facing bankruptcy as Toyota takes over the number one position. American standards indeed.
Microsoft astroturfing really pays dividends. How is that new Ferrari laptop working out?
“MDN, if you’re going to have multiple pages, please put direct links to the page numbers: Article Title Link 1, 2, 3….”
Second that.
But hey, if we could log in, maybe we could have something like “View comments since last visit” so it’s not such an easter egg hunt.
-c
MW: ‘book’ (’em, dan-o)
“The Zune software next to iTunes is a laugher. The Zune next to an iPod is a joke. The Zune next to an iPhone’s iPod is just plain sad. At their best, Microsoft is a cesspool of mediocrity.”
Have you used the Zune and the Zune software?