Zune Will Launch in Canada Without Online Store

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2008/05/06/tech-zune.html' target='_blank'>http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/.../tech-zune.html</a><br /><br /></div><em>&quot;Microsoft Corp. is bringing the Zune, its answer to the iPod, to Canada, but the media player's initial launch will be hamstrung by the lack of an accompanying download store. The company on Tuesday announced the Zune player will be available in stores here on June 13, making Canada the first country outside the United States to get the device. The online Zune marketplace, where device owners can purchase music and video content, however, won't be available on launch. Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft announced on Tuesday that it was adding episodes of popular television shows, including The Office, South Park and Battlestar Galactica, to its U.S. online marketplace. There are a number of factors that need to be sorted out before the online store can be made available here, said Elana Zur, product manager for Zune in Canada. &quot;We need to do what makes sense for Canada,&quot; she said. &quot;We want to make sure that rather than rushing it, we develop the model that makes the most sense for the market.&quot;&quot;</em><br /><br />There was some speculation about this issue when I <a href="http://www.zunethoughts.com/news/show/88963/zune-hits-canada-on-june-13th.html" target="_blank">posted about it yesterday</a>, but it seems we have the answer: no Zune marketplace store at launch time. That kind of sucks, because it's a less-than-ideal scenario for the Zune, but I still thing it's better than nothing. Get the hardware into the market, and even if people can only use it with their ripped CDs, at least it's out there. I really hope that the &quot;model that makes the most sense for the market&quot; isn't one of these &quot;We need to have localized content or it won't succeed&quot; excuses that is delaying the launch of the store. <br /><br />The only people who don't believe that the US and Canada have nearly identical cultures in terms of entertainment are usually the ones either working for the Canadian government, or someone who receives government grants for &quot;defending&quot; Canadian culture. If the reason the Zune marketplace isn't launching in Canada on June 13th is because they're trying to get French content in order, or some uniquely Canadian TV content...then the Zune team has been listening to the wrong people. Bring the Zune marketplace to Canada with exactly the same content as the US marketplace, and everything will be just fine.

[inteller]

ah, I see the FAIL train has arrived at its Canadian depot.

Utterly embarassing. Someone hire the trademark lawyers from apple and get some licensing done!

[Lotheric]

Buying music online from MS = FAIL anyway... See what happened to MSN music store :cool:

[BBF]

http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/.../tech-zune.html (http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2008/05/06/tech-zune.html)


"The only people who don't believe that the US and Canada have nearly identical cultures in terms of entertainment are usually the ones either working for the Canadian government, or someone who receives government grants for "defending" Canadian culture.

There also is the additional problem of negotiating with the Canadian rights holders for all the music, which is different than the US rights holders. Honestly it shouldn't be that hard, but it probably really boils down to $$$.
When the Canadian market is ~30 million people vs. the US at ~300 million, it's not hard to understand why Canada is not a priority.

Look at the iPhone, it's available in EUROPE and still not available in Canada.

[CylonJason]

That may seem to come off a little harsh, but I say it's not harsh enough!

I've been with the Zune from the beginging, buying it when the 30 and 80 came out in the US, and recently when the 80 came out in Canada. (living in Canada) I accepted the crippled functionality, lack of features and gradual progress to eventually be almost equivelent to the Ipod after 2 years. The fact that what the Zune is now, is what it should have been a whole two and a half years ago I can overlook.
The fact that it took a year for podcast support, the lack of audible support, the removal of the EQ settings, crappy battery life, WIFI functionality being a pretty much being a joke, these limitations I've accepted as well.

So the Zune is relesed in Canada to compete with the Ipod. You take it home and expect it to have the same benifits as the Ipod and hopefully be beter. This is what competition is supposed to be. Can I buy music through the Zune Marketplace? NO! Can I use the Zune Pass for subscription Music? NO! Can I buy Video through Marketplace? Agan NO! But I don't understand, is this not the OFFICIAL relese of the Zune in Canada? But the store that it has south of the border is nonexistant? It's not like these things don't exist and I'm just wishing for things that are unheard of, this is the Marketplace that is alive and well.....south of the border anyway.
I didn't mind when it wasn't realesed in my Country, the lack of Marketplace, that's to be expted, but when it's relesed and on the shelf next to the Ipod but it can't do the same thing because the software is useless for buying content, how the Frak do you expect to sell this limited peice of Sh** in Canada Microsoft?

I mean, for me that's the last straw! I'm done with the Zune! I've had enough of this Sh**! I Hate the Ipod, but it seems to be the best ecosystem out there now doesn't it? At this time in my Country it sure is!
I'm taking my Zune back to the store and it's going to take a lot of convincing from Microsoft to get me to pick one up ever again!

Thank you Microsoft, you've once again alienated another long time Zune fan! I was there since the begining, and now this is the end. All the drawbacks of the Zune I've overlooked, but over time they started to build up, one on top of the other until the breaking point.
Get your crippled ecosystem out of my Country Microsoft, until you're ready to do it right! I'm so sick of this.