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Buh-bye: Senior Zune exec exits Microsoft
Wednesday, January 31, 2007 - 06:12 PM EDT

"A senior Microsoft Corp. executive who oversaw the launch of its Zune digital music player plans to leave the company, the world's largest software maker said on Wednesday," Reuters reports.

"Bryan Lee, corporate vice president at Microsoft's entertainment and devices division, ... is a key deputy of Robbie Bach, head of Microsoft's entertainment and device division. J Allard, a rising star within Microsoft and one of the early Xbox leaders, will now take full responsibility for the Zune business," Reuters reports.

Reuters reports, "Lee plans to leave the company in the next several weeks to pursue personal interests, Microsoft said."

Full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: Buh-bye, Bryan. Excellent work. By the way, Microsoft’s J Allard has 9 iPods and uses an Apple Mac.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader "MrKruser" for the heads up.]

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Related articles:
Report: Microsoft Zune screens cracking from overheating battery pressure - January 31, 2007
Last quarter: Microsoft lost $289 million on Zune, CE devices - January 26, 2007
RealMoney’s Comeau predicts: ‘Microsoft will kill the first Zune media player by midyear’ - December 16, 2006
Desperation time? Microsoft Zune already being discounted by retailers - December 13, 2006
Microsoft Zune plummets to 5th place in U.S. digital media player market share with 2.1 percent - December 04, 2006
Analysts: Microsoft needs to ‘rethink’ as interest in Zune fades fast - December 01, 2006
Microsoft’s Steve Jobs-wannabe J Allard has 9 iPods and uses an Apple Mac - November 28, 2006
Amazon’s bestselling MP3 players list chronicles Microsoft Zune dud - November 20, 2006

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Jan 31, 07 - 07:15 pm Comment from: JadisOne

Don't let the doorknob hit ya where the good Lord split ya.

Jan 31, 07 - 07:22 pm Comment from: R2

Looks like J. Allard wanted the kingdom to himself.

Jan 31, 07 - 07:27 pm Comment from: Triumph the Insult Comic Dog

Look, Bryan Lee . . . I know Kevin Rollins at Dell. Kevin Rollins is a friend of mine. You, sir, are no Kevin Rollins.



Ooops . . . he's out too.

Nevermind.

Jan 31, 07 - 07:32 pm Comment from: Mr. Peabody

Thank you for making sure the Zune could not possibly be any real competition for the iPod.

Jan 31, 07 - 07:51 pm Comment from: Jimbo von Winskinheimer

J. Allard is a big headed egomaniac. He thinks he is in the same league with S. Jobs, but he's not. He has a long way to go.

Jan 31, 07 - 07:54 pm Comment from: MadMac

Triumph, great to see you back. You've been missed.

Jan 31, 07 - 08:00 pm Comment from: Steve Jobs

Bryan came by and picked up his new 80 GB iPod.

Thanks Bryan good job with the Zune, enjoy the vacation.

The Steve

Jan 31, 07 - 08:02 pm Comment from: Frank

I'm happy J Allard is taking over.
Soon the Zune will plop
like a turd
in TowerTone's toilet

Jan 31, 07 - 08:07 pm Comment from: Occam's Razor

31 days old . . . . and this year is lookin' fookin' fantastic. It's just been a great news day every other day. Same day, 2nd post, cutting the every other day to five time a week. . . . every day is brewing.

Jan 31, 07 - 08:11 pm Comment from: Synthmeister

"Rising star…" soon to be "falling meteor" threatening to make all life extinct in Microsoft's entertainment and devices division.

Imagine being in charge of trying to win against the Holy Trinity of iPod/iTunes/iTMS? (Not to mention the archangels of Apple TV and iPhone.)

Jan 31, 07 - 08:14 pm Comment from: Jeff

I'd rather not be reminded that J Allard uses a Mac and owns 9 iPods. He's about as fake as they come. Never seen someone try so hard to be cool.

Jan 31, 07 - 08:15 pm Comment from: GmanMac

Squirt...

Jan 31, 07 - 08:20 pm Comment from: Ne14tennis

WOW !!!

Jan 31, 07 - 08:34 pm Comment from: Zune Tang

Great job and best wishes Mr. Lee! Thank you for your hard work which got Zune off to a fantastic start and Apple on the run. You iPod lemmings ain't seen nothin' yet. Allard is a true visionary unlike that moron Jobs. The trinity is now complete: Gates, Ballmer, Allard.

Cupertino, you might as well give up now. Your vaporware iPhone is dead in the water, the stale iPod is losing chunks of market share to Zune and Vista blows the doors off OS X in innovation, stability and security.

Welcome to the Social.

Jan 31, 07 - 08:47 pm Comment from: Big Al

Zune Tang, you da bomb.

Jan 31, 07 - 08:56 pm Comment from: I luv

Zune Tang!!!

Jan 31, 07 - 09:01 pm Comment from: too bad

I actually hope M$ never gets rid of any of their brilliant talent. Hopefully Monkey Boy sticks around for another 5 to 10 years. I just hate to see visionaries leave....

Jan 31, 07 - 09:06 pm Comment from: Buster

"...Zune and Vista blows the doors off OS X in innovation,..."

ZT is right....Zune and Vista blows....


@Triumph...you slay me

Jan 31, 07 - 09:10 pm Comment from: Randian

Gawd help ya', Zune Tang, if you're one of the WinBlowsBoys that adopted Vista early. With its draconian DRM, license-killing restrictions, and inherent instability (first releases always are), be prepared to find your paddle. Being up sh*t creek, you're gonna need it!

Jan 31, 07 - 09:15 pm Comment from: Brit

Zune Tang isn't bad, but Triumph is better! Welcome back, Triumph.

Jan 31, 07 - 09:15 pm Comment from: damacles

Hey, Zune Tang! Still workin' on that first million units of your beloved player? Think you're going to make it by June, 2007?

Damn, but didn't the 'Pod sell 21,000,000 this past quarter? If the term "penis envy" EVER had any meaning, it sure does when it comes to the Zune!

(And, yes, the rats ARE deserting the ship!)

Jan 31, 07 - 09:21 pm Comment from: Midlothian

Hey, we have to listen to Zune Tang when he talks about vaporware! For the past FIVE YEARS--FIVE YEARS--FIVE DAMNED YEARS!--Vista has been just that. It takes one to know one!

Jan 31, 07 - 09:26 pm Comment from: too bad

The crappy truth is Vista will still sell a butt-load as time goes on....I really hope people are waking up to see what crap M$ has been giving us over the past decades. Give Apple it due. They deserve it. I hope Leopard just makes Vista look like the piece of doody it really is.

Jan 31, 07 - 09:31 pm Comment from: can you imagine

...what OS X: Lion will look like?! That should arrive about the same time as Vista SP2 I imagine.

Jan 31, 07 - 09:33 pm Comment from: Former Mac User

Folks - welcome to MDN - Microsoft Daily News where you can read the most ridiculous gossip we can find about Microsoft, who's doing who in Redmond, and who's car is parked next door to Bill Gates' mansion.

And watch the MAColytes go apeshit over it.

<sigh> In two years Apple is going to announce their exit from the computer business in order to focus their effort on the one thing they've ever done that was successful - being an iPod company. If you're a Machead you should switch to Vista today. Resistance is futile.

Jan 31, 07 - 09:39 pm Comment from: R2

Did MDN report on Michael Dell's return? I figured they'd be all over it.

Jan 31, 07 - 09:44 pm Comment from: OzzysCross101

Former Mac User, you forgot to end your post with "Your Potential. Our Passion."

That's right, I know it's you.

Jan 31, 07 - 09:45 pm Comment from: shift is happening

@ FMU: I definately think that Apple will become a portable media company as well, BUT, the fact the Vista copied OS X SO much, says something. It says their SCARED SHITLESS. And guess what, who cares, Apple may not even be the one to end M$'s era....but SOMEONE will. The seeds are already sown. With all the fruitless $$$ I poured into M$, I so hope they crash and burn. I feel like they have kept the industry back and they deserve what they get.

Jan 31, 07 - 09:51 pm Comment from: John C. Randolph

One down, and what? Three, four thousand incompetent middle managers to go?

Apple has some incompetent managers too, but they actually stand out since they're rather rare.

-jcr

Jan 31, 07 - 10:15 pm Comment from: Redmond Mayor

"Goodbye from Seattle"

Jan 31, 07 - 10:40 pm Comment from: Former Mac User

Apple may not even be the one to end M$'s era....but SOMEONE will. The seeds are already sown. With all the fruitless $$$ I poured into M$, I so hope they crash and burn. I feel like they have kept the industry back and they deserve what they get.

You're going to be waiting a loooonnnng time, baby! Microsoft is at the top of the heap in the eighth-annual Wall Street Journal ranking of the world's best and worst corporate reputations. In this year's Corporate Reputation Survey, which evaluates the publics perception of a company, the winners for being the most reputable on earth are, in order:

* Microsoft (the most reputable)
* Johnson & Johnson
* Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing (3M Corporation)

Apple didn't even make it into the top 10.

Only rabid Macheads waste their time spouting anti-Microsoft drivel like they're going to change the world or something.

Poor fracks........

Jan 31, 07 - 11:10 pm Comment from: calpundit

Re: WSJ Reputation Survey

Just to finish the sentence, the WSJ itself and most outside assessments of the survey have indicated that Microsoft's high ranking was influenced in significant measure by Bill and Melinda Gates' personal philanthropy.

For most people, social responsibility counts for a lot more than it has in the past, and Gates' commendible redistribution of his own wealth is identified in people's minds with MS.

Apple was 22nd on the survey, up from 27th, one of the top climbers in the survey. Here's what the WSJ said about Apple.

"Apple Inc. continued to climb in the ranking, jumping five places to No. 22, with particularly strong gains in its scores for financial performance, and vision and leadership."

Not commenting, but didn't want FMU's selective take on corporate reputations left incomplete.

Jan 31, 07 - 11:34 pm Comment from: John C. Randolph

damacles, this isn't a rat deserting the sinking ship, this guy got tossed overboard. They canned his ass.

-jcr

Jan 31, 07 - 11:42 pm Comment from: Former Mac User

Apple was 22nd on the survey, up from 27th, one of the top climbers in the survey.

Say what? Only 22nd place? And we know big phrases like "top climbers"! Ooooh! I'm impressed. And Apple jumped five places!

Buy hey, Microsoft, the main topic of this forum, jumped seven places to #1 and that's what really counts. All the excuses and Microsoft bashing on this forum aren't going to change it. Nor is it going to change the fact that Apple never even made it into the top 10.

The fact is, you can walk down the street and take a random survey asking people about "Apple" or the "Mac" and better than 80% of the people surveyed will ask, "Apple? Do they even make those anymore?"

Feb 01, 07 - 12:30 am Comment from: LuvLoogie

--better than 80% of the people surveyed will ask, "Apple? Do they even make those anymore?"--

and most of them voted for George Dubya--twice...

Feb 01, 07 - 01:50 am Comment from: DieZuneDie

To: Bryan Lee:

Welcome to the social!

Or maybe he's going to scour the earth for someone to squirt a song to.

Feb 01, 07 - 03:38 am Comment from: SydneyStephen

Zune Tang, you are a legend matey.

"got Zune off to a fantastic start"
Define "fantastic". I heard you say that where you are, Zune has 50% of the market already. But apart from you, your Mum and your cow, is there anyone else in your idaho hideaway? And, anyway, I heard your Mum has a Dell Ditty... Now there's a fabulous innovative iPod-beating product if ever there was one. Gee, you were ahead of the pack in spotting that one weren't you... and SUCH a catchy name too. Dell Ditty - really rolls off the tongue doesn't it.

"Apple on the run"
...all the way to the bank eh Mr Tang? ...all the way to $1Billion in profit last quarter. ...all the way to 76% market share.

"Allard is a true visionary unlike that moron Jobs"
well, thats doubtful. Allard is at microsoft. Bill gates thinks parental controls and gadgets are innovative and visionary. Steve Jobs probably thought that too back when Apple put them in OS/X...

" the stale iPod is losing chunks of market share to Zune"
define "chunks". I mean, just because your Mum's brother bought a Zune doesn't mean anyone else will. Anyway, he only bought a Zune because his cow ate his iPod. And your Mum told me you talked him into it and he's not that pleased with it. Apparently his cow isn't all that pleased either. The squirting thing doesn't do it for either of them apparently...

"Your vaporware iPhone is dead in the water"
actually, i think the iPhone might have a wriggle or two left in it... the financial guys on wall street certainly think so.

"Vista blows the doors off OS X in innovation, stability and security"
well now, you have legions of fans who would agree with you. Not counting the cow and your Mum of course, there were all those billions of pople waiting to buy Vista all over the world.

though i am not sure i agree with you on the innovation bit. bill does. but im not much into parental controls. i dont use it on my powerbook (no kids). the gadgets bit looks pretty neat, though i think they spelled it wrong - on my mac its spelled "widgets". can that be right?

and im not sure i agree with you on the security bit either. i think I can still hear the pig oinking underneath the lipstick. Ask your cow.

...though i have to say, the lipstick is quite a nice shade.

and thank you for the "welcome to the social" bit. thats very nice of you. will you take a raincheck on that?

Feb 01, 07 - 04:00 am Comment from: SydneyStephen

Oh, ZT... I missed something important in your post.

ZT: "Allard is a true visionary"
MDN: "By the way, Microsoft’s J Allard has 9 iPods and uses an Apple Mac"

Look ZT. Do yourself a favour. You need to SHOW not TELL. Load the cow in the truck, and your Mum. Drive the 99,900 miles from your rural retreat to the nearest Apple store and show everyone there just how fabulous your squirty zune and lipsticky Vista really are. And if you are feeling really provocative, get your Mum to bring along her Dell Ditty. Now that will show them a thing or two eh ZT? Oh and if you take the cow, I think she could probably do with a bit of lippy if she is going to be on show in the big smoke...

...Or, now here's an idea! How about, instead of taking the cow you take your brother/nephew/grandson's pig. Leave the lipstick off and the pig could be DOS. Put the lipstick on and, voila, Vista! Oh that's so clever! I'm full of ideas. I could be a visionary too - Just like Mr Allard. I don't have 9 iPods though. And, hey, I bet Mr Allard doesn't have a Dell Ditty... You could be in with a chance for a job down there if you play your cards right. Being such a visionary yourself and all...

Oh ZT I can see you really have us poor Apple fanboys on the hop now dont you... I think it was the Dell Ditty that really did it for me you know. When you mentioned your Dell Ditty it was instantly clear what a truly visionary talent you have for picking market winners...

ps: you really are beeblebrox arent you... or maybe his brother? or his brother and his uncle and his grandfather perhaps? i know what its like in those little rural backwaters - everyone is related to everyone... can i ask you a personal question? do you share your cow?

Feb 01, 07 - 05:54 am Comment from: Macaday

I can imagine Allard whispering in Bill Gates' ear and pointing at his boss since the the failure of Zune. We'll enjoy watching Allard crash and burn too..

As for "Former Mac User" - (there's a lie for a start?) what can one say? If your company was making the mistakes that Microsoft is, you'd be pretty sore and muddled in the head too.

So he crashes in here to tell us the ONE AND ONLY piece of positive Microsoft news there has been in 4 years..

The fact is that it is no surprise that MS heads the list, when you think of money making, there is no-one like MS. If the people polled knew more about it than that one simple fact, they would put MS at 50th position.

Feb 01, 07 - 07:07 am Comment from: Sensorium

hey ZT,
you won´t have nothing new on zune trademark after 5 years ou even 10,because a software company don´t make hardware,that logical for us that the zune is a toshiba rebaged and u can see that very well.

Feb 01, 07 - 08:27 am Comment from: Petey

I bet the first thing he does when he gets home is throw out all his old Microsoft crap and then heads straight for his nearest Apple Store to buy his new Mac.

wink

Feb 01, 07 - 08:30 am Comment from: Zune Tang

I apologise for my comments earlier.

My crack supplier was late with my daily delivery today.

Once again I apologise to everyone.

Welcome the the mac social.

Feb 01, 07 - 10:36 am Comment from: Ballmer

Here the nice ad for zune


http://www.metacafe.com/watch/403519/welcome_to_the_so_so/


We're going to catch all the market for us

Feb 01, 07 - 11:03 am Comment from: jackspratt

"Microsoft's Entertainment Devices division posted a $289,000,000 loss this year, as revealed earlier this week."

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=22385

yep, they'll kill the iPod at this rate.

Feb 01, 07 - 12:35 pm Comment from: botox

Will the rest of the team quit any time "zune"?

Feb 01, 07 - 01:05 pm Comment from: Senator

You know, if the world's richest company wasn't at the top of the list, there would be a lot of people panicking, so, Apple climbing the charts is not too shabby.

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