“Microsoft has been keeping awfully quiet about sales figures for its Zune, a product that many Windows Enthusiasts originally predicted would cause considerable grief for Apple’s iPod. However, despite a new model refresh last fall and plenty of advertising, Microsoft has been left to announce that its actual sales are still a joke,” Daniel Eran Dilger writes in the RoughlyDrafted article, “Zune Sales Still In the Toilet.”
“According to an Associated Press article citing Jason Reindorp, Zune’s director of product marketing, the device has sold “just north of two million” between its debut in November 2006 and May 2008. Apple has sold roughly 76 million iPods during that same period, more than doubling the installed base of iPods since the Zune’s debut,” Dilger writes.
Dilger explains that, in total, “152 million iPods [have been] sold (157.4 million if you count the iPhone) of which only 5.7 million were sold before 2005.”
“While Apple is being beaten up by pundits for only selling 52.7 million new iPods in the last year compared to the 48.4 million it sold over the year prior, those figures also exclude Apple’s “best iPod,” the iPhone. Add those in and Apple sold 58.1 million units over the last four quarters, an increase of 20% over its own sales a year ago. That’s ten million new sales over its previous record, or ten times as many new sales as the Zune managed to find this year,” Dilger writes.
More fun, including an excellent opening graphic, in the full article here.
“the device has sold ‘just north of two million’ between its debut in November 2006 and May 2008.”
Canadians are buying these things?
nuff said!
Sucks to be a Zune owner. When Ballmer gets his ass handed to him, the new person in charge should tank the Zune ASAP.
Eat a prune, squeeze a Zune.
Man, what a failure!
Gives one a glimpse of high order hubris.
If that Zune squirts, will the toilet become a bidet?
I’m looking forward to Zune Tang’s take…
Zune Tang, where art thou?
There’s obviously a logical explanation for this, please explain.
Oh boy, I can’t wait for Zune Tangs take on this one. It should be a classic.
I just love it when Microsoft gives us all this free entertainment…
I haven’t bought one iota from that business since 2000, and it won’t ever get anything from me in the future…
Zune Tang seems to be laying low on this one…perhaps he is crying seeing the picture of
the ToiletZune.
Hey, Maybe Micro$oft can invent a mp3 playing toilet paper roll holder. It could reach every household and bring in billions and reinvent and revolutionize the industry. Oh, Apple already did that…sorry.
The brown color would work well for a toilet paper holder.
Zune is losing money for MS. It costs them more to make it than what they charge retail. With the original $300 (subsequently discounted prior to launch to $250) were unloaded at $80 apiece, can you imagine the losses? Obviously, for MS, that’s not much, since they only “sold” 2 million (which in MSspeak means they pushed that many into the retail channels).
Pretty much most of MS entertainment hardware is losing money, as it sells for less than cost. X-Box certainly does.
Why don’t we chip in with predictions when will Zune officially be pulled by MS? My guess is late 2009. PlayForSure lasted about as much; MS will probably again take forever to figure out what’s a loser product.
The poo brown Zune in the toilet always makes me laugh.
just like the Zune displays in the stores.
Dust covered cheap looking crap.
At christmas time I over heard a copy in a store talking about their kid asked for an iPod and they were looking at Zunes and the dad siad, “It’s by Microsoft it should work with our computer better then the iPod”. The Mom’s reply was look a the iPods they look so much better made and their are thousands of accessories and stuff for it. So, I’m sure it will work better on our computer then the Hitlerest looking Zune.” (yes, she did say “Hitlerest”). They purchased and two iPods (the dad bought himself a touch).
You know sales aren’t good when MS CEO Blow Hard never mentions his Zune sales figures, but hides them under the MS entertainment umbrella.
Wonder what his second take of the iPhone sales would be.
Just as Psystar should be afraid of Apple’s lack of response, fear Zune Tang’s silence!
One first Gen Shufffle, Two first Gen Nano, 1 Nano Green, one iPod Mini, one 40 Gig iPod 4th Gen, one 30 Gig Photo, one first Gen. Video, One 8 Gig Touch and the iPhone are just in my Collection.Al of them are still working fine and used every single day in my familly.
Think most of the iPod owners got more then one. (Not everybody crazy like me)
@ ericdano,
“When Ballmer gets his ass handed to him”
Now, no one really wants that to happen. Ballmer is Apples best friend, I look forward to years and years of sweat and chair throwing and monkey dancing and hilarious quotes ” Five hundred dollars!!! and no subsidy… “. Fricken priceless just leave him be
This report is bogus. MS entertaiment division was immensely profitable because of the Zune products. That number of 2 million is just wrong. MS should just come out and tell everyone exactly how many were sold of their iPod Killer. The product that Enderele and his cohorts were telling iPod users that its game over for them.
They sold at least 5 more last week nationwide. Thats 5 extra Zunes out in the wild. Their selling like hotcakes I tell ya…
“According to … Jason Reindorp, Zune’s director of product marketing, the device has sold ‘just north of two million’ between its debut in November 2006 and May 2008.”
So, if by “sold”, Reindorp doesn’t mean “shipped”, then in almost two years, Microsoft has sold around two million Zunes.
Of those 2 million, 1.9 million were purchased by blind Grandmothers for their unsuspecting grandchildren, all of whom politely, and through forced smiles, thanked Granny.
As soon as Gramma left the house, the grandkids immediately threw the piece of brown plastic in the trash .
The kids then went straight out, got a paper route, saved for a month, and bought a REAL iPod.
Speaking of ZuneTang … where is he??
To be fair, according to my records, in the first seven quarters when iPod sales were reported as a line item Apple sold only 2.6 million units.
However, in those same interests, Apple was pretty much defining a new market whereas Microsoft were selling into a mature marketplace.
I’m just glad I don’t have to go into Dances With Monkey’s office every three months and tell him that they’ve managed to sell a massive 250,000 Zunes in the last 90 days and Apple have just announced another 10 million iPod sales: on balance, I’d rather be one of Saddam Hussein’s body doubles – it would be less dangerous.
I think ZT is running around the country counting up exactly how many Zunes were sold. That way he can come back with a solid number of a dozen and post it here to announce his findings. LOL
At this point a Saddam Hussein body double = a Vegas lounge act.
The only divisions of Microsoft to make a profit are the monopoly supported Windows, Server, and Office pieces. *Everything* else has been a loss. But when you have that much cash on hand, you can put the others out of business; i.e.; MS is trying to “Netscape” the entertainment/home device market.
And the Zune shows just how well it’s working this time…
Oh where oh where has my Zune Tang gone? Oh where oh where has he gone?