“Microsoft is expected to unveil Zune today, taking the wraps off its bid to challenge Apple’s iPod,” Todd Bishop reports for The Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
MacDailyNews Take: “Bid to challenge Apple’s iPod” makes for a good story, but even Microsoft admits that they will have to spend hundreds of millions, several years on Zune trying to catch Apple iPod+iTunes.
Bishop continues, “The announcement, scheduled for this morning, comes with time ticking down toward the planned launch of the first Zune device in the U.S. this fall. Microsoft also plans to offer a related music service.”
“The announcement comes two days after Apple came out with a revamped line of iPods and launched its own movie-download service. The iPod dominates the market for portable music devices. Until now, Microsoft has tried to compete by providing the underlying software to a variety of device makers,” Bishop reports. “Zune represents a departure from that past strategy, with the company designing the device and music service itself. The company has lined up one of its hardware partners, Toshiba, to manufacture the devices.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Brian M.” for the heads up.]
Fast fact: “Zune” means “futile” in every language on earth.
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well.
I’m psyched…
The trash talk will be FLYING around the media.
I can just see all the headlines now…
Apple is DOOMED!!!!
Ha Ha whatever, let’s watch another M$ products drain their cash fund.
MS works fast. Two days to copy the latest iPods.
Just like “Vista” means “fowl” in Latvian: Windows Chicken.
Tastes like Windows.
What, no week-in-advance invitations to the media??!?!?? These guys in Redmond need to get a clue about successful marketing if they are ever going to make it in this world….oh wait, that’s right, who needs marketing when you have monopoly power behind you. Never mind.
A french newspaper claims photo of iPhone
I for one welcome the money sink hundreds of millions of $ microsoft will waste in this futile attempt
A is for Apple and
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz is for Zune
I love the spin they put on these news items –
“The company has lined up one of its hardware partners, Toshiba, to manufacture the devices.”
What it should read is-
“Microsoft have gotten Toshiba to tart up their failed Gigabeat player by dressing it up in an iPodesque-but-not-as-stylish party frock and re-branding it as Zune”
C’mon guys – lets have some honesty here!
Fine-a-leeee…… I’ve been waiting and waiting. I can’t stand the suspense.
I know I speak for many when I say “we can’t wait to put the latest portable MS hardware and malware in our pocket”.
Perhaps the new wireless capabilities will actually let wankers track us and steal our identities wherever we go, wow, this is gonna be big…..
Zune vs. iPod on Googlefight.com:
http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=Zune&word2=iPod
No worries.
For a sales and marketing puke, Balmer really knows how to roll out a new product.
Hey deedubya
link to the french paper please…..
Ballmer’s kids are going to have to walk around school with bricks tied around their necks.
“Photo of iPhone is a fake, but buyers seem real”
http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/09/12/business/iphone.php
Well, this explains why Steve did, (what I consider to be prematurely, but it does make sense in the realm of market place security), his presentation this week. As always, ahead of MS – Even though this time I think Steve did it more out of tradition, and to remind consumers and developers that Apple is always ahead of MS technologically, than because there were any real groundbreaking announcements about the iPod lines, or iPhone, or etc.
I am really worried about the plan I have heard that will allow Microsoft to catch and yes even surpass the iPod.
Apparently Microsoft will be producing a lot more Zunes than iPods, they have to. Then they will hire people to go out and buy the Zunes. That will allow them to say that they have surpassed Apple.
Apple is so doomed.
OK folks, you can take the tongue out of your cheeks now.
Sorry it’s here:
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/09/14/apple_iphone_at_large/
“Microsoft is expected to unveil Zune today,”
We better go early to avoid the crowds …
My question: is this just another announcement of a forthcoming product or will Zune actually be available to buy today?
How long before TV’s are sold with “iTV” built in..2008
OOOH!-OOOH! I can’t wait.
MW-private-as in- this hits me right in my privates.
An “inside” source has told me that Ballmer has been constipated for months now, and the reason that they called the news conference in haste is because he is finally ready to crap his Zune player!
MDN Magic word = clear, as in stay clear of the Zune while it’s still “warm”
Finally! I’ve been waiting for the release since they announced it. The papers on my desk were all blowing away.
Here’s some fun:
Go to Microsoft front page, enter “Zune” in search box.
I got this reply: “did you mean ‘zone’?”
Really.
In response to iTune3d:
Yeah… I’m excited, too. True, it probably won’t run on my iMac, but I really would like to at least SEE the thing. Then I can decide whether to bash it or not.
MDN is always last to pick up negative Apple news:
iTunes 7 turning out to have major glitches
http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/14/itunes-7-turning-out-to-have-major-glitches/
It is impossible to imagine that any company, filled with the world’s best marketing professionals, could be so insane with the timing of their announcement. When an act is too tough to follow, go back home and wait a few weeks for the fervor to die down, especially if the device isn’t ready for release yet. What’s the point?
-OR-
Zune MUST be a device that will totally blow away the iPod/iTunes user experience.
For Microsoft, there is a LOT gambling on this odd decision.
“iTunes 7 turning out to have major glitches”
In Windows Media Center, those are called “features.”
In related news: busloads of crickets were seen headed towards the unveiling venue. Analysts predict an underwhelming reaction by the human species.
iTunes 7’s been working fine for me on the two machines I’m running it on, but I haven’t been pushing it too hard.
MW “earlier”, as in “It’s prettier and better organized than earlier versions, and I LOVE the CoverFlow integration. Now if I could just figure out how to make the CoverFlow view fullscreen…”
> Fast fact: “Zune” means “futile” in every language on earth.
Except English, apparently.
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Zune: (zoon) n 1. A dedicated music/media player that was released two years too late. (see obsolete also stillborn) 2. Slang for a brick like music device. 3. A very expensive paperweight. Also known as “Microsoft Folly”.
From the article, “Among other things, it hasn’t announced a price or explained how the music service will work.”
Simple. Do a global search for the term “iPod” and replace with “Zune”. Yes, replace all occurrences.
Peace.
I’M NOT GOING TO BUY IT ANYTIME “ZUNE”! LOL
Engadget and Gizmodo aren’t the most objective if that’s what you were looking for.
iTunes may well have a few glitches, just 99.99% of us haven’t found them…
New iTunes 7 has a much improved interface and I’ve had zero issues on my Macs at home and my PeeCee (XP) at work (yes, I am stuck on PC at work).
The big question is: Will Redmond have time to update Windows Media Player for the Zune release to copy iTunes?
There was a collective sigh of relief in Redmond when Apple didn’t introduce the real video iPod last Tuesday. “Maybe we can sell a couple of these rebadged Toshiba devices afterall before Apple releases the true 6G iPod” is what monkeyboy is thinking.
Although the 2G Nano (Mini2) will sell like hotcakes. Apple was smart to go back to the Mini design, afterall it was their best selling iPod ever. They need to release the 8GB in all colors as well, I think it’s due to the lack of 8GB chips available.
Is there a veil big enough?
Up until now the failed MP3 players have not really tarnished MS’s image because they’ve been by remote partners such as Creative. We know the iPod halo affect works — people like the iPod and therefore give greater consideration to other Apple products. So, my question is, will a failed Zune experience have a reverse halo effect by getting people’s ability to question MS’s ability to deliver a good experience? I think the answer is yes. They’ve not questioned Windows until late but I think with a very personal consumer electronics device the expectations may be higher. Just a theory…
“So, my question is, will a failed Zune experience have a reverse halo effect by getting people’s ability to question MS’s ability to deliver a good experience?”
And if it’s connected to sudden weight gain, hair loss and mood swings, Ballmer will declare it successful. A few thousand Ballmer look-alikes can’t all be wrong.