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View Full Version : Regrets on the Life of Zune


Hooch Tan
01-10-2009, 04:00 AM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://news.cnet.com/8301-13526_3-10137684-27.html' target='_blank'>http://news.cnet.com/8301-13526_3-10137684-27.html</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"Bach insisted that music was a required component of the "three screen" experience, and that Microsoft had to be a leader rather than a mere technology provider in this space. If Microsoft hadn't built the Zune, it wouldn't have been able to create the Zune software and Marketplace, which have become pretty solid after a couple false starts. But he admitted that if the company were to enter the space again with perfect hindsight, it would do things differently."</em></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Matt Rosoff, who wrote this blog entry for CNet believes that what Bach would have done differently was that Microsoft would have left the actual hardware up to manufacturers, instead creating the entire platform supporting it from the software, to the specifications, to the online store.&nbsp; I think this idea bears a significant resemblance to how Microsoft is handling their Windows Mobile segment historically, but with a central online service, like Xbox Live.&nbsp; I'm sure that if the Zune had been launched this way, it still would have to fight against the empire that is iPod but it would probably be easier on Microsoft as they've shown that they're not experts in hardware innovation.&nbsp; Leaving the hardware to manufacturers may not lead to revolutions in the Zune interface, but it would make changes to everything quicker and faster.</p>

Sven Johannsen
01-10-2009, 06:24 PM
I think this idea bears a significant resemblance to how Microsoft is handling their Windows Mobile segment historically........ Leaving the hardware to manufacturers may not lead to revolutions in the Zune interface, but it would make changes to everything quicker and faster.

Oh Lord, NOOO. Last thing I would want to see is the Zune becoming a software platform with hardware dudes doing whatever they want. Shades of Media Center Portable and darkness of Windows Mobile. I'm not crazy about MSs hardware but the only way to get an homogenous integrated experience is to do it yourself. The reason you have a Zune ecosystem is that the whole thing was built from scratch. That disconnected the Zune team from the rest of the 'influences' at MS. They weren't hobbled by having to interface/interact with any other ancient/entrenched/legacy MS offering and weren't subject to other OEMs bottom line driven interpretation of a hardware spec. At least all the models have the same connector today. Guaranteed that wouldn't be the case if Zune hardware wasn't single OEM. Would really like your upgrade to 3.0, 4.0, whatever, to be dependent on whether you bought a Samsung, iRiver or Creative Zune?

Eriq Cook
01-10-2009, 06:25 PM
Agree. I'm dissapointed with the direction the Zune has taken. Going to Walmart today I saw a full isle dedicated to iPod accesories--and on the other side a single item for the Zune: replacement earphones. I really thought Microsoft was going to muscle their way into the industry like the XBox (#1 video game console) and the Zune was going to be a serious competitor to the iPod. Now about 2 years later there is still hardley any support, and stores are REMOVING their Zune accesories (during Christmas time I went to 3 electronics stores including Ulitmate Electronics, Best Buy and MicroCenter. They all stopped carrying a chunk--if not all--Zune accesories recently becasue nobody was buying them).

I too feel that Microsoft should have opened up the platform enough so that manufacturers could develop their own Zune devices. Similar to Windows Mobile (we have tons of manufactuers that develop devices that run Windows Mobile).

This is going to be a bad year for Microsoft I think. With Zune losing support from manufacturers and Windows Mobile slowing down in innovation and losing customer enthusiam, I may switch to iPod and Blackberry this year. Something I never thought I'd contemplate.

EDIT:

Thinking about more I'm actually torn between opening up the platform to hardware manufacturers or keeping it within Microsoft (although Microsoft isn't the best at design I have to admit). I'm thinking about Windows Mobile and the frustrations caused from hardware drivers , upgrade delays and more. But then again, phones are a little more difficult to support than a device that simply plays music. Or perhaps Microsoft's failing is in marketing. They put millions of dollars into the XBox and look where it is today. If Microsoft were serious about being a competitor to the iPod they should have done it similar.

randalllewis
01-12-2009, 06:14 AM
Sorry, I disagree that Microsoft can't innovate with hardware. The folks who work on keyboards and mice for Microsoft are constantly pushing the envelope. They can do it when they want to.

I have always had the feeling that Zune is more software than hardware and the software is first rate. The hardware is ok, but coming so late after the ipod and when the ipod itself has evolved into nearly every possible form factor, any Zune device will appear derivative. The only way for Zune to make a dent is to spread the software- put it on WinMo phones, put it on Win 7 and Vista, put it on Xbox, buy its way onto Tivo and Direct TV and Comcast set top boxes. And make Zune players. And continue to market the thing.

Apple has gone DRM free which is what Microsoft should have done first. So the differentials between Zune and ipod now are the software and the Zune pass. Microsoft can still spread its software farther than Apple can. The Zune pass is a good deal but hasn't developed sufficiently yet. Marketing can help. A price cut to 9.95 a month would also help.

Sven Johannsen
01-13-2009, 11:55 PM
The only way for Zune to make a dent is to spread the software- put it on WinMo phones, put it on Win 7 and Vista, put it on Xbox, buy its way onto Tivo and Direct TV and Comcast set top boxes. And make Zune players. And continue to market the thing.
I don't have a problem with that. I'd love to see some coordinated media solution from MS. I have media player on my PC which works reasonably well with every MP3 player but MSs. I have Zune which is an ecosystem unto it's own that runs on my PC, and I have Media Center which is a nice interface (IMHO) but seems yet another option which works with some things but not others. On my WM platforms I have a portable Media player that syncs with Media Player, but not Media Center or Zune. Pick one, darn it.

jdmichal
01-14-2009, 01:02 AM
I disagree, purely because I don't think we would see a lot the things I love about the Zune if it would have been opened up. I'm talking about things like the twist interface, wireless syncing and "Squirting", and tagging from the FM radio for download.