In a report by Richard Waters for The Financial Times, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer appears to cast considerable doubt on the future of the company’s Zune debacle.
Waters reports, “Mr Ballmer seemed all but ready to throw in the towel on the Zune mobile device, which has failed to gain ground on Apple’s iPod. But he suggested that the focus of competition in digital media was moving onto ground that Microsoft understands well: software.”
“He said that, with the market for dedicated portable media players in decline, the future lay in more ‘general purpose’ devices – such as Apple’s iPhone and touch,” Waters reports.
“Asked if Microsoft would counter with a ‘Zune Phone,’ Mr Ballmer said: ‘You should not anticipate that.’ He added that the company would stick to its strategy of developing software to support a range of mobile devices,” Waters reports. “That suggests that, if there is a future for Zune, it lies in planting the software and online service linked to the player in other devices.”
Full article here.
In other Zune news, Consumerist.com published this story on Monday about a woman who returned her $400 custom Zune to Microsoft for repair, who then basically blew her off for three months, and then lost the Zune.
Mmmm. Now all you have to add is some orange Tang powder to make that delicious ZuneTang beverage.
Microsoft finally ready to flush Zune?
I don’t know, but I know Zunetang certainly has.
hehehehe
Go on to something they know, software. Really? If Vista is the example of what they know, there in BIG trouble.
@ ZT
HAMMER.
I saw Ballmer’s keynote and it was almost embarassing how they briefly touched on the Zune’s performance and how “innovative” it was…….they they moved on to other stuff.
Windows 7 had better be ALL THAT and then some!
Why flush?
Now that iTunes is DRM free, I might get a Zune!
yeah, microsoft sure understands software, no doubt about that.
Windows Mobile 7 will have the Zune and Windows Live store available to third parties for inclusion into their mobile devices. But, it’s been rumored that the Microsoft is now planning to nake Zune and Live Store a required component for all Windows Mobile 7 devices.
I’ve also seen rumors that the Zune will die as early as late spring 2009.
“That suggests that, if there is a future for Zune, it lies in planting the software and online service linked to the player in other devices.”
So they’re going back to Plays For Sure™? How many companies will sign on this time? Sadly, probably many.
Sad to say, but software is their strength. If Vista is representative of 5 years of work and untold billions to develop, MS is in deep sh*t. Stockholders should be suing them for malfeasance. That Uncle Fenster looking stooge should resign and get a job at a car wash where he can use those snow-shovel sized hands to do something constructive.
Nooooo R.B. just said they are super happy with their huge user base and all these cars putting Zune compatibility when he was on stage. They just added 12 people from Canada for their user base. Zune is at the tipping point of taking over the market.
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Whatever, it won’t be zune enough.
Zune Tang has been quiet for a while already, right?
Come on, Zune Tang!! THIS FORUM NEEDS YOU!!
Microsoft understands software?
Now, THAT’S news!
Does Ballmer understand anything?
… anything, except the trajectory of a fork traveling from a plate to his mouth?
Chrissyone smells bad.
Welcome to the Social. Goodbye to the Social.
You can smell however you want if you’re the one with the HAMMER.
Thanks for that link – it’s a wonderful story. “Thank you for buying our defective $500 product – we’ll jack you around for months then replace it with something worth half as much. Have a nice day.” How truly Microsoftian.
It would be wonderful if Zune Tang in person was the guy who stopped the production line and switched the lights out.
Send it back from whence it came …
Yeah, that subscription model is working out great…….Zune is great…….Doh!
“The dedicated portable media devices”, in other words the portable CD player. Wow, Balmer just figure that out?
“the focus of competition in digital media was moving onto ground that Microsoft understands well: software.” Doesn’t Balmer mean stealing, copying and screwing it’s partners and the public?
Oh, I can’t wait until they kill it and then tell us how successful it was but they see more innovation in just making really great software and how they have been selling millions of phones and portable devices for years. That will be the most entertaining I have heard all year.
I suspect we will see a new universal music format from Microsoft… something branded SurePlay or something like that. It will play music and video on all partnered devices and work with a variety of music distribution partners.
Wait…
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Wow! What great timing!
I just finished my Zune virtual machine for the iPhone/iPod. Now Zune Tang can enjoy Zune applications on his iPhone.
$19.95 in the app store.
After screwing over its “partners” by competing with them (by releasing Zune), Microsoft now wants to now go back to that old strategy. Fool me once…