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View Full Version : Where Are All the Accessories?


Damion Chaplin
02-01-2007, 07:00 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://batteredham.blogspot.com/2007/01/accessories-cant-come-zune-enough.html' target='_blank'>http://batteredham.blogspot.com/2007/01/accessories-cant-come-zune-enough.html</a><br /><br /></div><em>&quot;I do most of my music-listening in the car, so I was specifically interested in a car adaptor. I went back to the Zune website and quickly found what I was looking for: a Zune car pack with an FM transmitter. Price: $80. Basically you tune your car radio to an unused channel, then tune the FM transmitter that's plugged into your Zune to the same frequency, and vua...vou...vwall...ta-daa, you're in business.&nbsp; In theory. I had questions about how well the thing worked, so I didn't order it right away. I also had a couple of Best Buy gift cards, so I ventured into their local store to check it out. After all, Best Buy had the Zune accessories on their website. Why wouldn't they have them in their stores?&nbsp; Well, they didn't. Nada. Zippo. Zilch. Not a good way to kill the iPod. I don't know why Best Buy wouldn't stock Zune accessories and their associates didn't seem to know either. Shocker. They simply didn't have them and were surprised when I told them their website did.&quot;</em><br /><br />I experienced this myself the other day.&nbsp; I bought my Zune at a local B&amp;M computer chain store and they carry almost no accessories for the Zune.&nbsp; Three Belkin carrying/protective cases is all you can expect to find.&nbsp; The office supply store down the street from my house however has all the Zune accessories.&nbsp; I find it odd that a computer store would have nil in the way of accessories, but the office supply store (that doesn't even sell Zunes in the store) would.&nbsp; This could mean either the computer store's buyer is an idiot or no one thinks to go to an office supply store for Zune accessories (which is why they had them).&nbsp; Well, I went onto that computer store's website and looked up the Zune accessories.&nbsp; They list every single one (even the ones not yet available for order, like the MS FM transmitter), but all as 'delivery only'.&nbsp; Only the afore mentioned Belkin cases were available 'for pickup'.&nbsp; Looks like they're not going to be bothered wasting merchandising space on an 'unsure' thing.&nbsp; So in the meantime, I buy my accessories from the office supply place.

jnoel
02-01-2007, 07:47 PM
The biggest issue is that the FM transmitter sucks. I have tried using it in 3 vehicles with poor results. I even returned it assuming it is defective and got the same results with the replacement.

Poor product!

NPrtmn4evr
02-01-2007, 08:42 PM
When I've gone to Best Buy, the accessories have been pretty scarce. I'll usually find some Zune Marketplace cards, a silicon case, and a leather folio. It does seem strange that they wouldn't have accessories, but in reality the accessories aren't hot sellers, and stores don't like to stock the shelves with items that will be sitting there for quite a long time.

I've found the best place to get the Microsoft Zune branded accessories is at Wal-Mart. Personally the only one I bought was the car charger (I don't like FM tuners), but I've seen the Home AV set, the Dock, the Remote, and Travel Pack all under the glass display case for the Zune. My Wal-Mart even has a couple Belkin cases too.

Aaron Roma
02-01-2007, 10:17 PM
I had a horrible time finding Zune accessories locally for about the first month after product launch. Since them, most local stores have had a decent selection. Obviously I would expect then to be more scarce than most accessories, until the Zune takes off more.

I haven't really had any issues with my FM transmiter, though that may be partly due to almost my entire windshield being the antenna.

bleeman
02-02-2007, 03:58 AM
When I checked out the BB site just about everything showed as being on backorder. Then last week I looked and some things were now showing as available. I picked up the Altec Lansing speakers at my local BB this past weekend. Really enjoying them too, although I wish they had been smaller like my Logitech MM 50's were.

Crystal3
02-02-2007, 04:02 PM
My local Walmart has zilch in accessories, but the Staples down the street not only stocks the Zune but a bunch of accessories too. They also have a ton of iPod accesssories but no iPods. How strange is that?

Aaron Roma
02-02-2007, 06:19 PM
My local Walmart has zilch in accessories, but the Staples down the street not only stocks the Zune but a bunch of accessories too. They also have a ton of iPod accesssories but no iPods. How strange is that?

Just after launch, when I was looking for the Zune Car Pack, after almost a month of fruitless searching, Staples was the first place I found carrying a decent selection of accessories, including the car pack.