Quote:
Originally Posted by Vincent M Ferrari
I think there are plenty of good arguments to make for a wait and see atitude, but that's the worst of them.
Yes the iPod had a 5 year lead, and that's exactly why the Zune should be more than it is.
5 years ago, when Apple created the iPod, there wasn't a mass-market appeal for MP3 players. That market now exists, and people are much more informed about what an MP3 actually is. Apple didn't just enter the market 5 years ago, they pretty much created it.
The Zune is a 1st generation device in a land where manufacturers have been producing devices for years. Do I expect the Zune to be perfect? Of course not, but to argue that it's less than it could be simply because it hasn't been around 5 years is just the wrong argument to make, plain and simple.
Let's put it another way. Suppose I come out with a car tomorrow, and I don't put air conditioning in it. Can I make the argument that it's my first car? Obviously that's a weak argument when every other car does have it. I'm entering a market where cars have air conditioners, therefore I need to put air conditioning into mine. It really is that simple.
The Zune will grow and mature and by no means is this the last one, but let's not toss weak excuses up and all pat ourselves on the back for coming up with them.
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Vincent,
I'm a bit shocked as to why you are being so aggressive. I'm sorry if I bothered you in any way. All I am saying is that the Zune is a first generation product, and that no one should expect it to be perfect or even have a chance to dethrone the iPod.
The whole car anomaly is very different. Air conditioning in a car is a standard feature. The Zune has all the standard features down. Heated seats in a car is an extra feature, just likes a calendar on an PMP is an extra feature.
It has been made clear by the Zune team that the first generation is the building block; from there they will add calendars, etc. and they will make these features available through free upgrades, kind of like car manufactures who charge people for upgrades.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sage
I don't think that it's a good argument either.
That's right, but that was back in 2001. Back then the iPod was a revolution in size, capacity and design. HDD-based players were virtually unknown, especially at such a small size. Sure, compared to today's players it's only got 5GB of space and it's pretty big, but in 2001 it was an amazing technological feat.
It was a revolution, even if sales at the beginning were modest. I don't see that from the first generation Zune.
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Sage,
I'm sorry, I agree with you, 5 GB back then must have been quite a feat. The thing about the Zune is that it has entered an extremely saturated market. If you were to show the Zune to the average consumer who already has an MP3 player and asked them if they would purchase one right now, they would probably say no. Why? Because they already have a perfectly good player that will last them at least a few more years.
If the Zune was released 5 years ago with 5 GB etc. and the iPod was released on November 14th, the Zune would the be the champion and the iPod would be playing catchup. Same scenario with Rio, Creative, etc. It's not just a matter of features, its a matter of demand.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MarxMarvelous
It depends on how you look at it... if people are saying buy an iPod now over a Zune, then I think that's justified. Being in the market now, you're looking at what's available now regardless of which generation it is. It is similar to people giving the PS3 an easy time because it doesn't look as good as 2nd gen Xbox 360 games.
But, if people are writing off the future of the Zune platform, that's clearly shortsighted. In interviews it has been mentioned that the entire team came together and went from concept to reality (launched) in a year (!). That is impressive IMO. So, maybe the real question is: will the Zune team be able to improve and innovate quicker than the iPod team that has grown relatively stagnant.
Of course, there are those who argue that they should have given it more time until they had something better to launch, but I disagree with that. Despite the reviews there are plenty of people out there happy with their Zunes. There is a lot to be said for getting your product out there, both for brand purposes and getting many thousands of users for validation and feedback which is impossible to achieve without launching a real product.
For the record, I am waiting to see what 2007 holds for next-gen Zune and competitors since my Rio still has some life.  |
Marx,
You're a good example of what I mean. If you didn't have a player right now and wanted to get one soon, you'd look at a Zune, correct? However, you have perfectly good Rio and you want to milk every last day out of it before you trash it. Lots of people are in the exact same position as you, and its no ones fault.
Quote:
Originally Posted by byteme
Drawing comparisons to a 5 year old device that was at the time revolutionary as a basis to justify the Zunes shortcomings? Ok . . . little weak though IMO. No one to date has given a reasonable explanation for the Zunes initial offering. Jason and others point to the short product cycle but really is that a viable excuse? What did MS have to lose by waiting a few more months to get it right the 1st time? The iPod line is already dominant so were not talking about marketshare. Recoup R&D ? Not buying that either. MS has shown that it's willing to lose money on something it believes in in the short term.
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ByteMe,
I didn't mean it like that; I meant that back then, people were way too quick to judge a device with tons of potential, and I think this is happening again. Also, MS wanted to launch the Zune ASAP to penetrate some of the holiday market and to have a better system ready by this time next year.
- Michael Boutros
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