“Microsoft unveiled the newest edition of its Zune music player this week with an announcement that the new, brightly colored red Zune will go on sale at a retail location whose brand is closely aligned with the very same color – Target – and also at Target’s online retail partner, Amazon.com,” Emily Burg reports for MediaPost.
Burg reports, “The red Zune will be available exclusively at Target and Amazon.com for 30 days beginning Sunday and then will be available at the same retail locations where Zune currently is sold thereafter. Red Zune will retail for $220 and have the same tech specs as its Zune peers.”
MacDailyNews Take: Which means that nobody will buy it, either.
Burg continues, “The timing of red Zune’s launch does coincide nicely with Father’s Day, around which both Target and Amazon.com will market. Microsoft is not planning anything specific around Father’s Day, ‘except to note to a variety of media that Zune makes a delightful gift for dads,’ Microsoft spokesperson Sara Bell said.”
MacDailyNews Take: Sara meant “for dads named Steven A. Ballmer.” And, we’re never going to forgive Emily Burg for making us think of “bloody stool” before noon Eastern — or before any time, for that matter.
Burg continues, “In May, Zune debuted a pink edition and launched a print media campaign called ‘Sync Pink’ timed with Mother’s Day. It quickly became the No. 2 seller in the Zune product portfolio.”
MacDailyNews Take: Which means nobody bought that one, either. Badump bump!
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Mac User Since 1984” for the heads up.]
RED!!!
Sad…
What, not a (PRODUCT) Red? Way to go, Mr. Charity.
Brown Zune was smelly enough, and now a red Zune!!! Gotta be careful about taking a ‘Zune’ jokes, lest people think you’r hemorrhaging internally
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That’ll help a lot.
ChrissyOne–my thoughts exactly.
Does this mean that yellow will be the next color?
If you have hemmorhoids you will see red zunes from time to time. I really do think that the Zune will end up like the Edsel in the history books.
I eat the red ones last.
“Burg continues, “In May, Zune debuted a pink edition and launched a print media campaign called ‘Sync Pink’ “
There was an AC/DC song named “Sink the Pink” – very different meaning I’d imagine…
Or, perhaps the same, in the way of once you buy a Zune, you’re fscked too…
I’m having a hard time deciding whether I should buy a red Zune or wait for the iPhone. I’m so torn. What should I do?
What would you expect from a company that caves to religious groups like Microsoft does? I mean, hey, we don’t want to piss off the local evangelicals, do we?
Red, now THAT’S innovation!
Who could have seen that coming?
Multiple colors. Genius!
(Using scatological reasoning, if it looks like sh*t, smells like sh*t, then it probably is in fact sh*t.)
MW: ‘earth’ as in ‘night soil’
ROFL!
Great and original idea Microsoft… NOT!!!!
Apple did this ages ago.
Just sums Microsoft up: totally unoriginal, copycats and basically a creatively dead organisation.
The world would be a better place when companies like Microsoft just curl up and die.
I for one will be drinking loads of champagne on the day they do!
In other news, Calry Fiorina invents the Blue iPod.
Ever seen one of those? I didn’t think so.
The only thing that upsets me here is the possibility of people buying this Zune thing and thinking that they’re making a charitable contribution.
However, seeing as we’re talking about maybe one or two thousand units at most over the next three months, I’m not that concerned.
In thise case, going from pink to red might be a sign of increasing embarrassment.
A la PC World Magazine (when reporting new Apple products):
Yawn – Today MS released a red version of their not so popular Zune. Next.
As a father myself, I can quite honestly say that, should my children present me with a red Zune on Father’s day, then they would be beaten like circus monkeys and swiftly disowned.
Wanna piss your dad off on Father’s Day – buy him a zune.
Ballmer’s uncle likes the red frame around the blue screen of death.
When your brown zune turns red – flush before you see the doctor.
These are Zunes manufactured 6 months ago, and they’re being repainted to try and shift them out of the warehouse. Watch the paint peel off in a few weeks…
Look out for a yellow summer zune, a Christmas decorated zune etc.
And no it’s not (PRODUCT) Red. MS are already losing a shedful of money on the sale of each one.
Is this what M$ calls innovation? No improvemet in the product, just a colour change, for no apparent reason other than to issue a press release? LOL! You can put any colour lipstick on a pig but it’s still just a pig.
MDN MW: believe it or not: BROWN. What the ZUNE is underneath the lipstick!
“It quickly became the No. 2 seller in the Zune product portfolio”
That means they’ve sold maybe 1,000 of them then….
What I think is so funny about all this is how it takes about 6 weeks for MS to come up with a new color to introduce. This is supposed to make us think that Zune innovation continues at a torrid rate? Jeez, if you want to offer more than Brown, just come out with 5 colors all at once? And what’s with Pink to Red? Can’t MS spin the color wheel just a little?
Don’t excite me, I’ll wet my pants.
It quickly became the No. 2 seller in the Zune product portfolio.”
#2 and Zune in the same sentence…I guess they want to emphasize that the Zune really is sh_tty!!
A red turd is still a turd.
Good news, though! The starving AIDS orphans in Africa get Zune points!
I’m thinking a (w)hole new marketing angle – bio-waste theming.
Scat brown, hemorrhage red, abscess yellow, murder-scene ochre.
Comes with a medical waste draw-string pouch, and containment guidelines. “Be the first on your block to be the last on your block.”
“As featured in the latest Stephen King novel….”
MICROSOFT iNNOVATION.
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Microsoft innovates with the invention of the repackaged Toshiba Gigabeat, NOW called ZUNE. In white, black and brown (color innovation). AND it has DRM up the wass-zoo. Alright!!
Microsoft innovates again by releasing same Zune in Pink and Watermellon. The WOW starts……er…..later.
Microsoft innovates big time. ZUNE now comes in camraflage colors, no change inside.
Microsoft innovates again with the RED ZUNE. (ps, on money going to project red, just a red zune. shhhhh)
And that is not all folks. Microsoft is building NEW ZUNEs that will have flash memory vs a hard drive, they will be slightly smaller (yeaaa) and in the same great colors, white, black and brown.
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(Oh wait, Microsoft is only just now building the factory so the actual Zune Nano (great new name, huh?) so it will be years end at the absolute earliest before we even start production, so you can send us your money and we will pre-order this GROUND BREAKING mp3 device. We may even allow some minor DRM free music on it,,………er………. nah, just kidding.
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This product information release was brought to you by those money and power loving . . . er . . . . I mean friendly millionare people at Microsoft, controlling you is our passion.
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en
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MDN “movement” as in I had a movement and it was “brown”.
so uh, any proceeds going to a charity? no? hmph. it’s just…red.
i’d like to see a side-by-side of the red iPod and the red Zune. i’m not keen on bright red…the iPod red is nice because it’s not brilliant red. how red is the Zune, i wonder?
Apple iPhone Accessories Shipping Before iPhone Release!!
check out the details at
http://iprodreviews.blogspot.com/2007/06/apple-iphone-accessories-shipping.html
or visit
http://iprodreviews.blogspot.com
And you thought that Microsoft did not innovate. See there.
sniker, sniker, chuckle, short, LOL , ROFLOL…
en
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MDN “speak” as in Red mond speak with forked Zune.
” It quickly became the No. 2 seller in the Zune product portfolio.”
<Gasp!> It outsold the turd-coloured one?
Well….. MicroSoft has finally admitted the Zune product is in the red.
Like that YouTube of Steve Balmer laughing at the iPhone saying he likes the way Zune is positioned against Apple.
Pretty funny.
Now if they only made an Aqua Zune…….
I had wondered what the Brits meant when they said, “bloody hell.”
Now I know.
A red zune usually follows a brown zune that is hard to elimate from the system.
It quickly became the No. 2 seller in the Zune product portfolio <– That’s just too funny.
When there’s red in your Zune, time to see the doctor.
@Tommo_UK says, “A red turd is still a turd.”
You are right, but don’t forget that a red turd and indicate severe lower bowl problems that include bleeding, and at the very least can indicate bleeding hemorroids [sp?]. So in fact the turd red Zune could very be indicative of serious problems at MS.
Seriuos hemorrhoid problems for MS.
Actually someone seems to buy black zunes in bulk – the black model is in the Amazon-Top-5 for MP3-Players and it used to be in the 20s and 30s.
Yeah, Mr. Peabody, blood in the stool is major bad news.
MCCFR said “The only thing that upsets me here is the possibility of people buying this Zune thing and thinking that they’re making a charitable contribution.“
Since charity is handing over your money and not expecting much in return, I guess they are!
Drat that Microsoft! How can they keep managing to foil Apple at every turn with their amazing technologic prowess?
You have to admit Microsoft has a very smart marketing strategy: They ship one unit to Target and one unit to Amazon. They market it as “exclusive” and thus *may* hit their sales goal.
Ya, this is exactly what they need. I was thinking about getting an iPhone, but red…why that changes *everything*.
Oh wait.. This isn’t a Red Product (that gives to charity). What total jerks!
I still don’t believe MS has sold a million Zunes unless they are being used for landfill somewhere in New Jersey. One million shipped to retailers sounds more plausible.
Awesome!
Your potential. Our passion.
Being that the gaming and Zune groups in Redmond operate under forever-losses, purchasing a Zune (in red or any color) could be considered a non-profit organizational purchase.
At least, this is the way M$ is looking at it, being how this is not a part of Project Red.
Let us hope Bono gets out his big media stick and makes it clear to people that buying a Red Zune is helping no one in Africa or eleswhere, and only Red iPods in the MP3 world do so.
If I were Bono I’d be a bit ticked they are glomming onto his charity while giving nothing in return.
Just another color of Zune to ignore on store shelves.
I’m holding out for the Steve Ballmer Memorial Edition.
Wallproof and all.
Ha…what a joke. Especially that they are selling them at Target.
I work in electronics at a Target store and since the Zune was launched, I have sold only a single one. Just for a comparison: last night (a weeknight nonetheless) I sold at least 6 iPods and that was only from 5:30-10 pm. Oh and my store is one of the busiest in our district, the Zune is that unpopular.
Sweet! This is EXACTLY what I’ve been waiting for! Thanks Bill!
And this from a company whose leader once said “The one thing Apple’s providing now is leadership in colors, it won’t take long for us to catch up with that, I don’t think.”
Microsoft innovation never stops…
Hate your Dad?
Get even. Buy him a Zune for Father’s Day.
HA, HA, Bloody Stool, MDN rules!
zzzzzzzz…..
I’m guessing 99% of the posters above haven’t even picked up a Zune.
I tried it the other day and… WOW… this thing looks much better than the video iPod.
Things I like:
– Screen Size
– Image Quality
– GUI is much nicer than iPod GUI
– Price
Thing I didn’t like:
– Not compatible with Mac (the only reason keeping me from switching)
” It quickly became the No. 2 seller in the Zune product portfolio.”
LOL
Yeah, like the instant they started selling it…..since it is only the 2nd Zune product.
In this particular instance,
Gno Zune is Good Gnu’s
Sadly No Gnu’s is bad News as well!
Ps if anyone is fed up of me flogging the Gnu theme to death, you are welcome to complain!!
Gary Gnu?
That looks really pink on the Amazon website.. They can’t even get red right…
“Here’s you father’s day present, dad! I love you!”
{unwraps}
“…I have no son.”
@ MPC Guy
Gary Gnuman Wildebeeste!
Is that Zune peppermint?
Tomato?
Is that Zune peppermint?
Tomato?
Zone Used Kotex.
Or possibly Zune Ulcer (induced by MS’s problems and worries).
MS should really make clear Zunes, so their poor owners can hide them easier.
Crabapple… wow… I’ve not heard that name since I was a kid. What a blast from the past. Thanks.
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I’m with C1 and other with the Product Red omission. If you are going to ship a red consumer device of any type right now, please throw Mr. Bono a bone-o, you cheap Mofo’s…for cripes sake!
@Chrissy One:
Thanks to you, this article is now rotating an iPod nano (Product) Red advertisement. Oh, the irony. (Yes, I made a screenshot.)
MW: Brought: This article about Microsoft’s crappy (pun intended) red Zune brought to you by iPod nano (Product) Red.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz *snort* *grunt* zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
I want real numbers. Surely to Zeus it is not impossible to get the real sales figures for these ridiculous things?
Anyone know when Microsoft has to tell the real story on the Zune’s numbers?
@ MPC Guy, my pleasure! The last time Gary Gnuman was seen, he was in his car driving down the Serengeti with other Gnu’s.
The funny thing is that they all didn’t know what the Gnu’s was because there was no Gnus cast to warn them of ferocious Gnu eating Crocodiles ahead.
So in between leaping Leopards and death rolling Crocs is it any wonder the Zune is red?
Some Gnu’s theorised that the Leopards that carried full grown Gnu’s up trees to store them away from other predators (M$) were Leopards on OS X, a heinous steroid known to impart mysterious powers on the user creating an unfair disadvantage to M$ and the Gnu’s that bought into the zune!:-)
I want real numbers. Surely to Zeus it is not impossible to get the real sales figures for these ridiculous things?
Look at the sales figures for Vista. Or Xbox. Or Office. Or ANYTHING MS for that matter.
It’s impossible to get a straight answer out of MS, and it’s likely that MS doesn’t even know their own numbers.
IMO there should be a law against counting bulk sales to reseller warehouses as “market share”. It’s no different than counting unowned cars rusting on dealer lots as “sales”.
If you really hate someone, get them a Zune.
Your innovation. Our replication.
“Let us hope Bono gets out his big media stick and makes it clear to people that buying a Red Zune is helping no one in Africa or eleswhere, and only Red iPods in the MP3 world do so.”
Hmm, Product(Red) is a campaign to raise funds for The Global Fund to help fight AIDS in Africa. So far the company partners American Express, Converse, Gap, Giorgio Armani, Motorola and Apple are estimated to have spent 100 Million USD on advertising their (RED) products (i.e. marketing themselves as good companies) while raising less than 25 Million USD for the campaign. At the same time, B&M Gates Foundation has directed 650 Million USD to The Global Fund, these are profits from the products of the evil company that sells inferior mp3 players in several colours, inferior operating systems, inferior programs etc, etc.
If you want Apple to make a similar impact as Microsoft on the fight against AIDS in Africa, and you can spare 12 Billion USD (or 16 Billion if you like 8 Gb better), you can simply place an order of 65 million iPod nano (PRODUCT) RED. 10$ from each iPod goes to The Global Fund. I guess you should contact Apple some days in advance so they can gear up the production.
If you feel that 65 million iPods is maybe kind of polluting, you may also choose to purchase 650 million songs from iTunes using (PRODUCT) RED gift card. I guess you should contact your ISP before starting the download.
If you already have enough iPods and songs, you can buy any Microsoft products, e.g. red, brown or purple Zune. B&M Gates foundation will direct part of the profits to charity, e.g. The Global Fund.
Or why not use the simple, efficient solution:
If you want The Global Fund to use your money to fight AIDS in Africa, send your money direct, don’t use Apple or Microsoft as middle men skimming 95% off your good intentions.
http://www.theglobalfund.org/en/donate/
http://mrsdoyle.wordpress.com/2007/03/06/costly-red-campaign-reaps-meager-18-million/
http://www.theglobalfund.org/en/files/pledges&contributions;.xls
Sorry, could not do my math, you need to download 6.5 Billion songs (0.99$, 10% to Global fund) .. or somewhat less if you don’t like DRM.
Next zune’s gonna be snot green. Then it’ll be ‘there’s lots of zunes coming out my nose, I think I’ve got a cold’
Then if monkey boy aka uncle fester aka steve ballmer decides to release zune 2.0 it’ll come in ‘fun texture cases’ that will end up being sqishy for brown, sticky for white and slimy for green.
“MDN Magic Word” is economic, just like the zune is an economic faliure for microsoft.