“We have conducted a survey on electronics retailers expectations for the hottest selling items for the Christmas selling season this year,” The Channel Checkers reports. “We called major electronics retailers in North America and Western Europe. The question we asked was simple: What do you expect to be the best selling item this Christmas selling season?”
The Channel Checkers reports, “The iPod was mentioned by 29% of the respondents in our survey. Our results surprised us somewhat as the iPod was mentioned most often and the new iPod nano specifically mentioned most often.”
Nintendo’s Wii and Sony’s Playstation 3 tied for 2nd, mentioned by 20% of the survey’s respondents.
Full article here.
Related article:
Apple set for $7 billion Christmas – November 10, 2006
Has anyone else heard you could buy music at the zune store with points?
Points!
You only need 79 points for a song at the zune store, but Apple charges 99¢ for a song. What a rip.
And another thing about the zune music player: the volume goes to 11. That’s 1 LOUDER than 10. Whatcha gonna do about THAT Apple?
Gonna be a lot of iPods returned December 26.
Too bad that 79 points will cost you 99¢. And you just can’t buy 79 points at a time. You need to spend somewhere around $4.00 before you can get a single song.
Zune my ass.
Zune Tang you’re a sucker—79 points IS 99c, and Microshaft makes you buy $5.00 worth of points up front. Rip-off.
MW–fact
Not the Zune!?!?!
But, you can social and squirt…and it comes in turd-brown! Apparently, dogs like it, too.
Didn’t know about the 11 thing – good tip. Those fools at Apple hadn’t even THOUGHT of that yet, I’m sure.
I can’t wait to watch the video content that the Zune store doesn’t have and the device isn’t set to play yet. Man, this Zune is sssssssweet. This will really be a blow to Apple.
I don’t think you have to use points. Still seems fishy. Does anyone know for sure?
Got Zuned…
that Zune Tang was joking? Guess not.
I think Zune Tang is joking around… No one is that stupid. “That’s 1 LOUDER than 10.” Very funny.
goes to 11!
thank you Spinal Tap
I’m sold!
(and I wasn’t that cheap, either)
The new Microsoft cash system will work by adding money to an account, as with a prepaid phone card. Points will then be deducted from the account with each purchase. A single song will cost 79 points, “the equivalent of 99 cents,” according to Microsoft spokeswoman Kyrsa Dixon.
The point system is already used in the Xbox Live Marketplace, and Microsoft plans to host other online stores where Microsoft points can be redeemed, according to Katy Gentes, product marketing manager for Zune. In the United States, points are available in denominations of $5 for 400 points, $15 for 1,200, $25 for 2,000 and $50 for 4,000. That makes $1 worth about 80 points.
MW–dead—no comment.
79 is less than 99.
Case closed.
Now I will have something to put “Suck My Love Pump” on.
To introduce the companion Zune Pass music service, the device will come preloaded with songs, music videos and film shorts from the store. A Zune Pass will cost $14.99 a month, or $44.97 for three months.
Zune TAng is clueless! Prime candidate for MS bafflegab.
I am always suspicious of any “points” system or similar idea, which uses arbitrary conversion factors to convert real money into a pseudo-currency. Since 79 points is not actual money, why not use a round number? Like 50, or 100? The whole point is to provide a disconnect in what you are actually spending. Why doesn’t MS make a song cost 120 points? With 120 points equal to 99 cents. Well, obviously because everyone would then think that a song costs $1.20. This is the old pricing things at the 99 point rather than the even dollar, we think things cost a bit less. $1.99 instead of $2.00, or $249.00 instead of $250.00. Appearance of savings with no real benenfit.
This MS points system is cynical trickery and thievery writ large. But then there will be those who fall for it! It’s no wonder MS treats their customers and/or the general public as stupid sheep. It’s worked for them so far.
I believe the pay-in-advance points system is used by Tracfone as well. I have heard them described as the lowest of the low in the cell phone business. MS in good company I guess.
Great! Zune will have free samples of shit music I wouldn’t want, just like a PC has samples of shit software I wouldn’t want. See my above remarks on MS opinion of their morons…errr. customers.
Thanks Zune Tang for the inside poop on the zune store. As you get older, hearing starts to falter and the volume control to 11 will help some of us old folks a lot! Also, many of us senior citizens understand the concept of “points” since we live off of food stamps. For instance 79 points will be me some of that affordable tasty dog food with cheese bits that older people naturally crave and need for strong bones and teeth. Finally, despite our old age, we can still understand the concept of sarcasm and humor compared to the stupid young shits who commented after you and are normally associated with this forum. Sheesh, only one has heard of “Spinal Tap”? They really need to get a life before they end up old and hacked like me.
Clueless? Let me break it down for you. First of all, Microsoft is totally looking out for the customer (as usual) with points. Apple wants your money, Microsoft wants your points. Points aren’t money, they’re points.
I keep my money and Microsoft gets my points. That leaves more money for me to buy more zunes for my family and friends this holiday season. It’s more pure genius from the gang in Redmond. Microsoft didn’t get where they are with trickery and thievery–they got there with great ideas like zune and points.
Sheep my eye.
I’m always amazed by the lack of humor in so many people on these threads. OF COURSE Zune Tang is joking. THat doesn’t make him clueless, in fact it makes anyone that doesn’t “get it” clueless.
My God, Zune thing is Ampar!
(Grandpa, SMLP is a Nigel composition)
Dang! meant Tang, not thing.
my lyxdesia is flarin up
um…
Here is the clip from Spinal Tap:
Zune Tang, you’re forgetting that Zune has Dublin. iPod doesn’t have Dublin.
iSteve- that youtube website is so groovy- never seen something so cool- old music video at the click of a button! That should pretty much explain the concept of the Zune 11 to these young testosterone-driven teenagers who are always drooling on about their iPods. How could Steve Jobs screw up so badly? Balmer and Gates have set the new music standard to…. 11!
The truth is, they could have saved allot of time and resources with this survey and just called up the head office of Walmart and asked them for their opinion and what level of promotion is being provided for the Microsoft MP3 player. Once a product is brought into the market today, it is the 3000+ Walmarts (only counting the discount and super centeres alone) which can make or brake a product. If this is good or bad is an individuals own opinion.