“Over the past few days, more and more Microsoft watchers are noticing that Microsoft execs seem to be making a deliberate effort to avoid using the Z (Zune) word,” Mary Jo Foley writes for ZDNet. “That avoidance has set off a wave of speculation.”
“Some pundits claiming that Microsoft is moving to rebrand the service (Windows Live Entertainment, anyone?). Others believe Microsoft is clearing the decks to allow Microsoft’s latest and biggest Windows Phone partner Nokia to take over the streaming-music part of the service,” Foley writes. “(I’m not putting a lot of stock in that one, since Nokia recently closed the Ovi Music Streaming service.)”
Foley writes, “Some veteran Microsoft heavy-hitters are moving to the Xbox division, as I’ve blogged recently, and are seemingly working on some kind of services-focused project. And the Zune team — which Microsoft split and reorged (twice) — is already in the Interactive Entertainment Business division, which is the home of the Xbox. Maybe the Zune service will end up as part of the evolving Microsoft IPTV strategy?”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Only Microsoft could have a handful of retail stores (derivative of Apple, naturally) where workers routinely outnumber customers 10-1 that offer a products like Zune, which nobody wants. As Charlie Sheen and Lindsey Lohan routinely demonstrate so well: Far too much money combined with far too little sense is a recipe for disaster.
NO! You can’t kill the Zune, what will ZuneTang® do with his life?
And what about that big fat guy who got a Zune tattoo?
http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/11/what-kind-of-man-gets-a-zune-tattoo/
The fat zune guy got himself an ipod touch.
ZuneTang will have to be rebranded. WindowsTang7 perhaps?
Hey, it is going to the new MSCN, MS Cartoon Network!
Will be known as Zuney Tunes.
I was told by a MS Windows Experience Evangelist…that seemed to be his actual title…Zune was never going away. One plan is to turn into an icon to signify that the device can play media and be used to purchase media.
just my $0.02
Yeah, but you’re talking to a spinmeister! It’s his job to lie about Microsoft.
If someone would make a decent Office Suite for the rest of us, we could pull the plug on the rest of that company.
You must have missed Apple’s iWork. It’s been on sale for the past 5 or so years.
There’s also OpenOffice and NeoOffice. Both free and open-source.
But he said a decent office suite, I don’t think iWork fits that category.
You’re right. Neither does OpenOffice or NeoOffice. Apple could do it but they must still have a deal with Microsoft.
But now there’s LibreOffice, which is son-of-OpenOffice (now that Oracle have sat on OO and squashed it). I don’t recommend the current v1.0 (v3.3.0), but the development team intends to leave OpenOffice in the dust.
AND OpenDoc continues to be the most capable, coherent, open and safe world standard office file format.
Interesting.
We run 3 very successful and growing businesses, using iWork and only iWork.
I’m constantly turning clients on to iWork, (I act as if clients are all Apple users. If they aren’t, they ask me why I use Apple computers, and then… well … you know.)
I guess I work close enough with clients that they see how pain-free my computing is – I’ve been responsible for many switches.
But something else I’m noticing; More and more new clients are already Apple users before I’m involved with them.
Here’s the biggest thing – this includes Windows-entrenched Federal government workers bringing their MacBook Pros to work.
I guess it’s a lot easier to use iWork in the business when one is the boss, instead of having to squeeze computing elements into an existing Windows corporate structure.
Open Office would work well for 90% of users.
And its’ FREE. Can’t beat that. I install Open Office in all my client’s computers who think they need to buy Office. I tell them use it for awhile and see if you really do. Only 2 came back and needed MicroSloth Office.
It looks like the Gates household will be the last home in America to finally get a few iPods.
I couldn’t care le….
See I can’t even be bothered to finish the sentence.
Let me help –
Le definite article
Le Blanc
Le Big Mac, Royale; with cheese
Le Corbusier
Le Mans
Le S’bians
Le 乐 Le 乐 Le 乐 Le 乐 Le 乐
Le Specs
Le Carré
Le Havre
Le d
Le g warmers
Le indirect object pronouns
Le Fusck
I don’t know, I don’t give a fu ..
@althegeo
OpenOffice
your welcome.
Actually, either NeoOffice or LibreOffice are better options now – OpenOffice is more like OracleOffice at this point.
Consider OpenOffice dead. The son-of replacement is LibreOffice from a breakaway group of ⅓ of the old OO project team.
LibreOffice
Still don’t understand why M$ is trying to meet apple every step of the way, You can’t catch a running horse!
That’s a good analogy. Horses are expensive, bad tempered and leave piles of crap wherever they go.
Um, what?! Horses are bad tempered? Maybe your horses. Is Apple a bad tempered horse? Leaving piles of crap? And horses are expensive compared to what? Your Kia?
*ZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!* Wrong answer!
@RastaMouse
Even Zune Tattoo Guy got fed up with the Zune.
Please see:
http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2008/07/24/zune-man-annoyed-wit.html
Chuck and Linds should be best friends
@MDN Take:
What do you have against Charlie Sheen? 😉
The Zune may be dying a long and painful death…BUT its name will live in infamy.
Zune, we will remember you !
At the moment I’m drawing a sprite set for someone who is developing a Zune game. Guess I’d better hurry up and get it done while there’s still time.
Uh, will anyone notice?
What’s a Zoom? Err Zoon? . 😉
Err Zune! 😛
Meet you at the Zuneral parade on the Redmond campus!
Here’s my guess:
An iPod touch copycat with a Windows Phone 7 OS combined with a portable gaming system to compete with PSP and Gameboy i.e. too little too late.
(I think they’ll change the name too)
Complete nonsense. Hey MDN, the headline should read:
“MAC to finally pull plug on ill-fated I-Pod?”
Forget all the MAC propaganda for a minute and read some truth: Microsoft clearly has a smash hit on its hands with the innovative and easy to use Zune. Plus consumers are head over heels in love with Microsoft’s innovative points system for Zune Marketplace. Many people have forgotten about I-Tunes already.
No, you won’t hear it from pretentious, smug MAC fangirls but the truth Zune has carved out quite a presence in the portable music player market. How did they do it? Microsoft has crafted a wondrous synergy between Windows, Zune, xBox and Live. MAC lemmings can only dream of such a simple and pleasant to use system. Think little MAC in Cupertino will ever catch up? Think again.
And suck it, MAC dorks–I proudly rocked my Zune on my way to work this morning as I always do. Nothing gets me more pumped up for the workday like Molly Hatchet, Styx and Foghat.
Hiya Zune!
Don’t forget to flush.
Hey Zune Tang, I had no idea employment standards at McDonalds had gotten so low 🙂
=:~)
Haha. That comment made my day. I’m lovin’ it – the image of Zune Tang cleaning out toilets in McDonald’s
HAMMER TIME.
No need for any hammers, C1. Frankly I’m surprised by your confidence, especially after Microsoft first kicked MAC’s ass in the 90’s and will pummel them again with Zune. We both know how well Microsoft carefully crafts an innovative ecosystem to the delight of consumers to become market leader. It’s in their DNA.
Microsoft’s magnificent Zune has MAC’s dumpy I-Pods right where they want them. I like Microsoft’s ability to partner and create choice for consumers unlike go it alone, our way or the highway MAC. I think we’ll great things in the Zune product line shortly.
Hey Zune Tang, thanks for being in-character. There is only a minor typo because it is Xbox and not xBox. You are supposed to spell the MS words right and the MAC ones wrong. Anyway, more power to you.
Good point, RastaMouse! So what ever did happen to ZuneTang®? Is there a crisis counselor standing by for him?
Whoops! ZT® showed up before I could pull my post! Happy to see him back!!
He saw my bait and he took it. Crawled out of the woodwork and bit the worm…
I still remember when I read the Balmer interview about _squirting_ songs to other Zunes.
That was really telling on how out of touch the Senior Leadership team must have been at that time.
Surrounded by six layers of toads and yes-men.
What products other than a series of Zunes can come out of this?
‘Where do you want to get ZUNED today?’
‘ZUNE that dude! No way!’
‘Gawd, you’re such a ZUNE!’
‘Where’d you get the ZUNE hair Stacey?’
‘That’s the most ZUNELY looking dog I’ve ever seen!’
‘ZUNE the ZUNING ZUNERS!’
Zune: The multi-functional word for all offensive occasions. It’s a verb! It’s a noun! It’s and adverb! It’s an adjective! It’s vile.
So will they rebrand it Xune?
Zune is like Charlie Sheen, but without the girls.
They should just sell the Zune to Nokia
Nokia seems to be run by a bunch of eager beaver geniuses.