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View Full Version : Wild and Crazy Zune Phone Speculation (Again)

Jason Dunn
04-15-2008, 06:54 AM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://arstechnica.com/journals/microsoft.ars/2008/04/13/rumor-zune-mobile-in-the-works' target='_blank'>http://arstechnica.com/journals/mic...le-in-the-works</a><br /><br /></div><em>&quot;Blogger Chris Lanier is now reporting that we will soon be hearing details of a &quot;Zune integrated with a phone later this year. Some might call it a ZunePhone, but whatever you call it know that it is for real and has a dedicated team at Microsoft now creating the v1 product.&quot; Although I'm not ruling it out (Microsoft has denied product launches and then has done them anyway before), I really doubt that this is the ZunePhone device that so many have suggested is on its way.&quot;</em><br /><br />As much as I want this to be true, I just can't see it happening - there's so much more that Microsoft needs to do to make the Zune an even better media playback device; attacking the phone aspect would just be too much, too soon. And the damage it would do to the Windows Mobile business would be massive - unless, maybe, this was positioned in such a way that it was purely an entertainment phone and didn't edge into the business side of things where Windows Mobile plays. But when the iPhone has ActiveSync and can sync with an Exchange server, how could the Zune Phone not match that type of functionality? It's all wild speculation at this point, but until I see some serious proof of a Zune Phone, I'm not going to believe a word of it. What do you think?
bubuschoeny
04-16-2008, 02:54 AM
I don't ever see a Zune phone happening, all it will do is canalize customers from other winmo vendors. I see not on but two os editions being born on business oriented and one consumer oriented. The Zune market place (however sucky) a software application for both devices.

Microsoft needs to do to things to Make Win Mo 7 a success.

1. Needs a kick ass UI (One that will give the Iphone UI a run for its money). This going to have to include some serious quality control on hardware devices to make sure the UI is not sluggish or slow in any way (Force hardware vendors to use better hardware and not the minimum specs need to run the os). The UI should also be consistent with other Microsoft products. If I where Microsoft I would be taking a look at GUI technology like pointui that already offers a proven UI on top of Win Mo.

2. Tight integration with all other Microsoft products, making it a very fluid ecosystem. Microsoft is going to have to streamline the whole sync process and make it very easy to use (at least at the consumer edition). Microsoft will need to make it very easy (and fun) to plug and play the mobile devices with its entire product line (Zune, Sync, Vista, Xbox, etc). Microsoft will also need support a full-fledged media/software store (Including TV Shows/Movies will be a must) to compete with Itunes.