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Zune Gets a Price Drop (I Could Still Care Less)

The Zune officially got a price drop today, now retailing for only $199 and what a shock I still don’t want one!  No doubt this drop was twofold, Apple is releasing new iPods running OS X tomorrow and word has been new Zune’s are on the way.  I can predict which one of these will have a bigger bang, and it’s not the one made by Microsoft.  In fact, if the new Nano’s come in at the right price it will likely be my next digital audio player.

I was happy a few months to see them finally market the Zune, and that seems to have fallen off the earth.  No new advertisements so far, I’ll give it another two months (Holiday season should bring an ad) before I say Microsoft has failed advertising the Zune too.

Now I also read that a Zune Phone might be in the works and I can’t help but think Microsoft is going to put more time into attempting to develop this phone then actually fixing some of the things wrong with the Zune.  Yeah, it shouldn’t be that hard to make a Zune Phone (both Windows Mobile) but still.  I’m tired of phones.  iPhone, Google Phone, Zune Phone.  Blah.  If there actually was a good cell provider in Houston I might be more excited, but then I’d look at the price tag for these phones and then the data plans and go right back to my crappy Samsung.

Anyway, I’m still not a Zune fan even with the price drop.  Microsoft is going to be playing catch-up with Apple for the life of the Zune.  Their new and innovative features are too new and innovative for the people who use them.  I’ve yet to see anyone using the song sharing.  Well, I’ve also yet to see anyone with a Zune on a campus of over 36,000 students also.

Published Tue, Sep 4 2007 21:15 by chrisl
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Comments

# re: Zune Gets a Price Drop (I Could Still Care Less)

I don't know why you haven't seen any else with a Zune but I don't have it as a fashion/social status statement. Most of the people I have seen with ipods are using them in such a way to draw attention to the fact that they have an ipod. Just because you don't see anyone with them doesn't mean no one has them.

Tuesday, September 04, 2007 9:52 PM by Matt Newman

# re: Zune Gets a Price Drop (I Could Still Care Less)

iPod's are much less of the fashion statement they once were.  I notice what people are using, and none have been iPod's.  It's not what they have on their hip or what color ear buds they have, it's the player they have in their hand changing tracks.

Tuesday, September 04, 2007 10:06 PM by chrisl

# re: Zune Gets a Price Drop (I Could Still Care Less)

I would say that MSFT is getting out-maneuvered every which way in the portable music devices battleground.  They've only released on serious product here, so maybe it's too early to call it over.

I generally like MSFT products, but let's be honest.  Is the Zune a success by anyone's standards?  Is the next generation Zune really going to be visionary enough to leapfrog the iPod Touch?  I hope so, but I doubt it.

Wednesday, September 05, 2007 3:40 PM by Aaron

# re: Zune Gets a Price Drop (I Could Still Care Less)

I hear you there.  The Portable Media Center UI that is now the Zune is good software, and when first released on the very small number of devices it was sort of innovative.  It was a color UI when Apple only had B&W.  It supported video playback when Apple only supported audio.  The problem was the hardware sucked and it was too expensive for what you got (I think it was 20GB for $500, when Apple has 40GB for the same or less).

Anyway, I really feel that the Zune is dead.  Microsoft will keep at it for a while, but you are right it is likely to not be as visionary as the iPod touch while it is likely to cost the same.

Wednesday, September 05, 2007 3:50 PM by chrisl

# re: Zune Gets a Price Drop (I Could Still Care Less)

I think you're going too fast here. Zune went from nothing to being the second best selling brand with a 9% market share in relatively little time iirc. Is Creative dead too then? I pesonally moved from iPods to Zune recently (I don't want two copies of my music just because iPods are the only players on Earth that don't support wma, and also I can't stand the iTunes UI) and it's not a touch-screen device crippled to 16GB that's going to make me look back. But you've got a point, I never used the wi-fi feature.

Thursday, September 06, 2007 12:31 PM by Bertrand Le Roy

# re: Zune Gets a Price Drop (I Could Still Care Less)

The point of the Zune is to battle with the iPod.  The idea is that it will overtake the iPod, or _at least_ compete with it.  I don't see any features that the Zune could have that would make it compete with what Apple is offering now.

I fear Zune 2.0 will not even have all of the features it should of had to start with.  By then, Apple will be out with another set of iPod and the story starts over again.  I don't see the Zune catching up to what Apple already has, and Microsoft has never had the ability to stick it out with hardware when it isn't doing the best.

Thursday, September 06, 2007 4:15 PM by chrisl