How Well Are The New Zunes Selling?

[Jason Dunn]

The new Zunes have been on the market now for a few months - so how well are they selling? We don't know for sure, because no one has released any market share reports. Yesterday, the Zune 80 was #95 on Amazon's Top 100 Electronic list, and today it's not listed. On the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/electronics/172630/ref=pd_ts_e_nav" target="_blank">Amazon MP3 Player list</a>, things look a bit more in context - the Zune 80 is #25, the black Zune 30 is #28, the brown Zune is #36, and the black Zune 8 is #42. That's below every type of iPod (not surprising) but also below the SanDisk Sansa Clip, the Creative Zen (it's worth noting it's heavily discounted - only&nbsp; $89.99 for the 4 GB model), and a few other brands.<br /><br />When the first generation Zune came out, the prevailing wisdom at the time (amongst us Zune fans at least) said that because Flash memory-based players out-sold hard drive-based players, once there was a Flash-based Zune, it would do some serious numbers compared to its spinning magnetic platter counterpart. Yet most signs seem to indicate otherwise, if the Amazon sales charts are to be believed. I wonder, when the first market research report comes in, how well will the second generation Zunes have done against not only the iPod, but also against the numbers that the first-generation Zune did? We'll have to wait and see..

[andre]

the amazon ratings doesn't surprise me once you take a step back, except for the anti-ipod crowd or MS fanboy why would an average consumer select a new brand (zune) or an established brand (ipod)?

for most user there is nothing and i mean nothing wrong with the iPod so in order for a customer to go against a well established, popular and working product it has to be a) better or b) cheaper

imagine facing the choice between buying a new 1080p, high contrast, ultra slimline HDTV where one was made by SONY and the other by UMIXOR and they were equivalent in features...which one would you buy?

MS doesn't even sell video content yet, so why the average consumer choose the zune (with promises for more features) when they can have it now?

[USArcher]

The one # I have heard is that Zune Social has 1.5 million members according to Zuneinsider.com.

[albucian]

It's also possible that a significative proportion of new zune owners got their device on Zune Originals website (like me : I actually canceled my amazon ordering during the shortage period when the zune 80 became instantly available on Zune original with the free extras).

[Jason Dunn]

the amazon ratings doesn't surprise me once you take a step back, except for the anti-ipod crowd or MS fanboy why would an average consumer select a new brand (zune) or an established brand (ipod)?

Oh yeah, I'm not at all surprised that all the iPods are above the Zunes - what does surprise me a little bit though is that the Zune isn't doing better against other brands such as SanDisk, Creative, etc. Although it's very applicable to note that many of the non-iPod brands in the top 20 are heavily discounted (like the Creative 4 GB player for $89.99) so you have people buying on price alone.

[Jason Dunn]

The one # I have heard is that Zune Social has 1.5 million members according to Zuneinsider.com.

But do you even need a Zune to join the Zune Social? You can install the software and register it with your Passport account, all without having a Zune. No plays would be tracked of course, but I don't know if that's a good metric for measuring how many Zunes are sold - especially since the majority of Zune owners aren't likely going to do the Zune Social thing.

[Jason Dunn]

It's also possible that a significative proportion of new zune owners got their device on Zune Originals website...

Indeed - the Amazon list is just a small snapshot of the whole picture, the Zune is sold at many retail outlets...it will be interesting to see how they did overall.

[eufreka]

But do you even need a Zune to join the Zune Social? You can install the software and register it with your Passport account, all without having a Zune. No plays would be tracked of course, but I don't know if that's a good metric for measuring how many Zunes are sold - especially since the majority of Zune owners aren't likely going to do the Zune Social thing.

Also, since you can have up to 3 zunes under 1 zunepass, it doesn't factor in multiple ownership...(yet if you read the zune.net forums, you will see many comments/complaints about the shortcomings people are currently experiencing in their multi-unit households.)

[andre]

Oh yeah, I'm not at all surprised that all the iPods are above the Zunes - what does surprise me a little bit though is that the Zune isn't doing better against other brands such as SanDisk, Creative, etc. Although it's very applicable to note that many of the non-iPod brands in the top 20 are heavily discounted (like the Creative 4 GB player for $89.99) so you have people buying on price alone.
...and thats one of the problems MS faces, if you have $150 you would buy a 4GB ipod over a $150 zune, if you don't have enough money you purchase a creative 4GB players...so MS is sort of stuck

if MS really wants to increase sales they need to move beyond the 'me too' mindset (wifi was nice but...) and go above and beyond iPod to make someone make a decision to buy it over the same price iPod.

[Macguy59]

Indeed - the Amazon list is just a small snapshot of the whole picture, the Zune is sold at many retail outlets...it will be interesting to see how they did overall.

Indeed. Maybe my informal survey is far from the norm.

[onlydarksets]

...and thats one of the problems MS faces, if you have $150 you would buy a 4GB ipod over a $150 zune, if you don't have enough money you purchase a creative 4GB players...so MS is sort of stuck

if MS really wants to increase sales they need to move beyond the 'me too' mindset (wifi was nice but...) and go above and beyond iPod to make someone make a decision to buy it over the same price iPod.

I've made that same point. The $20 price drop on the 8gb is intriguing, because it (finally) gives the casual user a distinction in the flash space between the iPod and the Zune. Of course, Sandisk/Creative are priced beneath that, but they lack a clarified brand strategy (which Zune has).

I'd like to see a price drop in the 80gb, as well, since, right now, the Zune is one of the few spec-for-spec alternatives to the 80gb iPod (the biggest being that it is virtually the same size, whereas every other HDD device is much thicker). I think that is the area that would get Zune the most attention.

[Macguy59]

I'd like to see a price drop in the 80gb, as well, since, right now, the Zune is one of the few spec-for-spec alternatives to the 80gb iPod (the biggest being that it is virtually the same size, whereas every other HDD device is much thicker). I think that is the area that would get Zune the most attention.

Not quite. The 80GB iPod is still thinner than the 80GB Zune. However, the 80GB Zune is slightly thinner than the 160GB iPod.

[onlydarksets]

Not quite. The 80GB iPod is still thinner than the 80GB Zune. However, the 80GB Zune is slightly thinner than the 160GB iPod.

Right - that's why I said "virtually" and not "exactly" :D

The iPod 80gb is .41" (I believe)
Zune 80gb is .51"
Zune 30gb is .65"
Creative's 60gb offering is .87"

Archos used to compete in this space (the 204), but I don't think they have anything new. Still, that was .70"

Bottom line is that thin is in, and the only thing CLOSE to an iPod is the v2 Zune. They shaved .14" off between v1 and v2, and I expect v3 to get even closer to the iPod form factor (mostly in terms of thickness).

[Aussie4une]

I managed to get my ZUNE 80GB from AMAZON using my Australian C/Card. Amazon then shipped it to my friend in CA who shipped it to me.... Jason.... I think the MP3 topseller's list is a collection from amazon's database. A very clear picture would be if AMAZON could release a topsellers list STARTING from 13th NOV 2007. :eek: But not happening.

[Jason Dunn]

Jason.... I think the MP3 topseller's list is a collection from amazon's database.

Yes, correct. It's calculated at least daily, perhaps hourly, because it changed once when I was writing that post....

[Macguy59]

I think ZUNE is selling more than iPod in the US

Uh no it's not LOL