“A cynic would describe Microsoft’s approach to the music player market as simple Apple envy. The iPod has dominant market share and is helping Apple increase its small share of the PC market. So I’ve got to imagine that many in the inner sanctums of Redmond are hot to introduce a slick phone from Microsoft,” Saul Hansell reports for The New York Times.
“I pressed J Allard on this when I met him earlier this week. Mr. Allard runs Microsoft’s Zune unit and handles some other development for its Entertainment and Devices division, which includes the Windows Mobile phone operating system,” Hansell reports. “Microsoft prefers to work with partners, he said, referring to cellphone makers, but he added that ‘we’ll never say never’ to making a Microsoft phone.”
Hansell reports comments made by J Allard which include:
• People are buying [iPhone] because it’s an Apple phone, not because it’s an iPod. It’s a lousy iPod. You can’t skip a track without looking at it. You can’t go running with the thing.
MacDailyNews Note: We’ve been running with the iPhone since June. Love the lap timer, too!
• Microsoft will add more features from the Zune into Windows Mobile phones.
MacDailyNews Take: Ooh, phones that squirt!
• We didn’t create the Zune because we were dying to get into the hardware business and take inventory risk. We felt we had to do it… [With Windows], we got to create most of the magic and take none of the financial risk. History isn’t going to repeat that with consumer goods.
MacDailyNews Take: You can say that again (last sentence)! Now, about that “magic,” it’s where, exactly?
Full article here.
“. . . but the guy is not half wrong.”
I agree that it’s not the best iPod but for a 1st gen. device, it’s does a pretty good job of combining a phone, web device and video/audio player among a few other things. I expect rev. 1 to be even more amazing.
But remember, he’s required to call it “lousy” or possibly lose out on lucrative stock options. Or worse, get his butt filled repeatedly with painful chair splinters.
And cabbage is a lousy lettuce.
That’s Cole’s Law.
I just left the Mall of Georgia Apple Store
about 7pm…they have alot of computers in there to get your hands on, and I had to wait to even get to one…that place was hopp’in…and it is located in the worst traffic section of the mall upstairs.
It is only the beginning, folks.
Allard is a fool.
Allard probably wants to work for Apple. It really is Apple-Envy, though he was more complimentary to Apple than probably Bill would have wanted him to be….
Thank you for not being one of the kool-aid drinking circle jerks. Often the comments from MDN’s peanut gallery appear to be the rants of spoiled 12 year olds, not the knowledgeable and technologically proficient Mac users that I used to find here years ago.
Not only do they not read the entire articles before commenting, they declare products to be horrible without using them. I would bet that most of the people here that berate and condemn the Zune have never touched one, let alone used one.
I’ve used a Zune and liked it. There’s nothing wrong with that device except the service methodology behind it. If it worked with iTunes, I’d own one. The black one is a very attractive device.
If Microsoft offered software that just allowed users to manage the Zune with NON-DRM music, on a Mac, it would easily take a bite out of the iPod hegemony. The Zune coupled with music from Amazon’s store is extremely viable. I personally just don’t want to deal with “Microsoft Points.”
Now imagine they allowed it to work with the Mac and Linux. Imagine that they whole heartedly embraced LINUX with the Zune. That alone would breathe life into the stodgy Microsoft brand.
The Zune is not a “turd” as some moron put it above. If anything the Zune suffers from 3 things:
1. A Microsoft Marketing department that creates names like Zune and Squirt (please fire these people).
Not taking into account the Macintosh effect. The Macintosh Effect takes place when Mac users embrace a technology. We have the ability, notwithstanding our smaller numbers, to proselytize like nobody’s business. We get the word out and people listen.
3. Being anchored to Windows as if that would make people go out and buy that pig of an operating system. I use VISTA on a day to day basis, and the one thing I can say VISTA has done for me is make me really miss XP.
“You can’t go running with the thing (i.e. iPod). However, with Zune you get the runs.”
The only thing this article proves, beyond a shadow of a doubt, is that Microsoft is scared to death of Apple. Tens of millions (wait, over 100 million?) iPods have been sold and are outselling everyone else for a reason. It’s simply the best thing on the market, way in front of the rest of the pack. And this FUD that “J” spreads is more than just about the iPod – it’s about the Mac as well. Vista is a certified failure and MS knows it. So the Redmond village idiots are freaking out.
Sorry, I’ve used the Zune, I’m 47 years old, technically proficient on both Mac and Windows, and I still say the Zune is a turd.
Haven’t seen anyone talk on a zune yet. (the word zune comes up as an error in spell check hint,hint)
testing 1 2 3
Valerie — hahaha, good one.
MW happens to be “ran”! haha.
Zune = Also Ran (or hardly ran).
Zune features in Mobile Phones?
cheese, i mean, geez…
OMG! I cannot believe it! A Microsoft employee saying their products are better!?!?!?! What comes next Pizza Hut employees claiming their product is better than Domino’s? The nerve of some people. Now it makes me wonder, do Ford and GM employees take such surprising stances against each others products.
Good thing MDN brought this to our attention. This article is as surprising as it is important.
Just my $0.02
True – the iPhone is not as good a music player as the dedicated iPods. That’s probably why Apple called it the iPHONE (and not, say, the “iPod+Phone”) and continues to sell and improve three whole lines of actual iPODs that are just made for playing audio and video.
But if J Allard thinks that he’s competing against an iPod that has some phone features tacked on, he’s already lost this war.