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Sat, Nov 07, 2009 - 08:32 PM EST  —  AAPL: 194.34 (+0.3099, +0.16%)  |  NASDAQ: 2112.44 (+7.12, +0.34%)

Zune a joke that gets funnier as time goes by (unless you’re Microsoft)
Friday, May 09, 2008 - 02:43 PM EST

"Microsoft has been keeping awfully quiet about sales figures for its Zune, a product that many Windows Enthusiasts originally predicted would cause considerable grief for Apple’s iPod. However, despite a new model refresh last fall and plenty of advertising, Microsoft has been left to announce that its actual sales are still a joke," Daniel Eran Dilger writes in the RoughlyDrafted article, "Zune Sales Still In the Toilet."

"According to an Associated Press article citing Jason Reindorp, Zune’s director of product marketing, the device has sold “just north of two million” between its debut in November 2006 and May 2008. Apple has sold roughly 76 million iPods during that same period, more than doubling the installed base of iPods since the Zune’s debut," Dilger writes.

Dilger explains that, in total, "152 million iPods [have been] sold (157.4 million if you count the iPhone) of which only 5.7 million were sold before 2005."

"While Apple is being beaten up by pundits for only selling 52.7 million new iPods in the last year compared to the 48.4 million it sold over the year prior, those figures also exclude Apple’s “best iPod,” the iPhone. Add those in and Apple sold 58.1 million units over the last four quarters, an increase of 20% over its own sales a year ago. That’s ten million new sales over its previous record, or ten times as many new sales as the Zune managed to find this year," Dilger writes.

More fun, including an excellent opening graphic, in the full article here.

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May 09, 08 - 01:51 pm Comment from: LateRegistrant

"the device has sold 'just north of two million' between its debut in November 2006 and May 2008."

Canadians are buying these things?

May 09, 08 - 01:52 pm Comment from: Eric24601

nuff said!

May 09, 08 - 01:52 pm Comment from: ericdano

Sucks to be a Zune owner. When Ballmer gets his ass handed to him, the new person in charge should tank the Zune ASAP.

May 09, 08 - 02:01 pm Comment from: January 24, 1984

Eat a prune, squeeze a Zune.

Man, what a failure!

Gives one a glimpse of high order hubris.

May 09, 08 - 02:03 pm Comment from: Micro Me

If that Zune squirts, will the toilet become a bidet?

May 09, 08 - 02:08 pm Comment from: R5D4

I'm looking forward to Zune Tang's take...

May 09, 08 - 02:08 pm Comment from: awaiting

Zune Tang, where art thou?

There's obviously a logical explanation for this, please explain.

May 09, 08 - 02:09 pm Comment from: ShelbyMac

Oh boy, I can't wait for Zune Tangs take on this one. It should be a classic.

May 09, 08 - 02:15 pm Comment from: Macaday

I just love it when Microsoft gives us all this free entertainment...

I haven't bought one iota from that business since 2000, and it won't ever get anything from me in the future...

May 09, 08 - 02:21 pm Comment from: Blue Dream

Zune Tang seems to be laying low on this one...perhaps he is crying seeing the picture of
the ToiletZune.
Hey, Maybe Micro$oft can invent a mp3 playing toilet paper roll holder. It could reach every household and bring in billions and reinvent and revolutionize the industry. Oh, Apple already did that...sorry.

May 09, 08 - 02:24 pm Comment from: Blue Dream

The brown color would work well for a toilet paper holder.

May 09, 08 - 02:31 pm Comment from: Predrag

Zune is losing money for MS. It costs them more to make it than what they charge retail. With the original $300 (subsequently discounted prior to launch to $250) were unloaded at $80 apiece, can you imagine the losses? Obviously, for MS, that's not much, since they only "sold" 2 million (which in MSspeak means they pushed that many into the retail channels).

Pretty much most of MS entertainment hardware is losing money, as it sells for less than cost. X-Box certainly does.

Why don't we chip in with predictions when will Zune officially be pulled by MS? My guess is late 2009. PlayForSure lasted about as much; MS will probably again take forever to figure out what's a loser product.

May 09, 08 - 02:31 pm Comment from: Demon

The poo brown Zune in the toilet always makes me laugh.
just like the Zune displays in the stores.
Dust covered cheap looking crap.

At christmas time I over heard a copy in a store talking about their kid asked for an iPod and they were looking at Zunes and the dad siad, "It's by Microsoft it should work with our computer better then the iPod". The Mom's reply was look a the iPods they look so much better made and their are thousands of accessories and stuff for it. So, I'm sure it will work better on our computer then the Hitlerest looking Zune." (yes, she did say "Hitlerest"). They purchased and two iPods (the dad bought himself a touch).

May 09, 08 - 02:35 pm Comment from: BizZAro BalLmer

You know sales aren't good when MS CEO Blow Hard never mentions his Zune sales figures, but hides them under the MS entertainment umbrella.
Wonder what his second take of the iPhone sales would be.

May 09, 08 - 02:47 pm Comment from: HMCIV

Just as Psystar should be afraid of Apple's lack of response, fear Zune Tang's silence!

May 09, 08 - 02:52 pm Comment from: Lanzarote

One first Gen Shufffle, Two first Gen Nano, 1 Nano Green, one iPod Mini, one 40 Gig iPod 4th Gen, one 30 Gig Photo, one first Gen. Video, One 8 Gig Touch and the iPhone are just in my Collection.Al of them are still working fine and used every single day in my familly.
Think most of the iPod owners got more then one. (Not everybody crazy like me)

May 09, 08 - 02:58 pm Comment from: walk away Bill just walk away

@ ericdano,
"When Ballmer gets his ass handed to him"

Now, no one really wants that to happen. Ballmer is Apples best friend, I look forward to years and years of sweat and chair throwing and monkey dancing and hilarious quotes " Five hundred dollars!!! and no subsidy... ". Fricken priceless just leave him be

May 09, 08 - 03:05 pm Comment from: Jubei

This report is bogus. MS entertaiment division was immensely profitable because of the Zune products. That number of 2 million is just wrong. MS should just come out and tell everyone exactly how many were sold of their iPod Killer. The product that Enderele and his cohorts were telling iPod users that its game over for them.

They sold at least 5 more last week nationwide. Thats 5 extra Zunes out in the wild. Their selling like hotcakes I tell ya...

May 09, 08 - 03:15 pm Comment from: Missy Pants

"According to ... Jason Reindorp, Zune’s director of product marketing, the device has sold 'just north of two million' between its debut in November 2006 and May 2008."

So, if by "sold", Reindorp doesn't mean "shipped", then in almost two years, Microsoft has sold around two million Zunes.
Of those 2 million, 1.9 million were purchased by blind Grandmothers for their unsuspecting grandchildren, all of whom politely, and through forced smiles, thanked Granny.
As soon as Gramma left the house, the grandkids immediately threw the piece of brown plastic in the trash .
The kids then went straight out, got a paper route, saved for a month, and bought a REAL iPod.

May 09, 08 - 03:19 pm Comment from: revneal

Speaking of ZuneTang ... where is he??

May 09, 08 - 03:25 pm Comment from: MCCFR

To be fair, according to my records, in the first seven quarters when iPod sales were reported as a line item Apple sold only 2.6 million units.

However, in those same interests, Apple was pretty much defining a new market whereas Microsoft were selling into a mature marketplace.

I'm just glad I don't have to go into Dances With Monkey's office every three months and tell him that they've managed to sell a massive 250,000 Zunes in the last 90 days and Apple have just announced another 10 million iPod sales: on balance, I'd rather be one of Saddam Hussein's body doubles - it would be less dangerous.

May 09, 08 - 03:28 pm Comment from: Jubei

I think ZT is running around the country counting up exactly how many Zunes were sold. That way he can come back with a solid number of a dozen and post it here to announce his findings. LOL

May 09, 08 - 03:33 pm Comment from: Steve

At this point a Saddam Hussein body double = a Vegas lounge act.

May 09, 08 - 03:40 pm Comment from: Hm...

The only divisions of Microsoft to make a profit are the monopoly supported Windows, Server, and Office pieces. *Everything* else has been a loss. But when you have that much cash on hand, you can put the others out of business; i.e.; MS is trying to "Netscape" the entertainment/home device market.

And the Zune shows just how well it's working this time...

May 09, 08 - 03:44 pm Comment from: botox

Oh where oh where has my Zune Tang gone? Oh where oh where has he gone?

May 09, 08 - 03:45 pm Comment from: Lurker_PC

I actually like the Zune - it's, it's ... crack-a-LACKING.

grin

Have a good weekend.

May 09, 08 - 03:46 pm Comment from: welcome to the social

remember that great ad campaign?

welcome to the social


goodbye

May 09, 08 - 03:52 pm Comment from: ericdano

I think Zune Tang is trying to get support for his Dell Ditty or something....

May 09, 08 - 04:11 pm Comment from: Dmitri

I like Microsoft's new Zune commercials.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIk4qTKmKzE

I think they have a good chance with Zune 2.0 .

May 09, 08 - 04:16 pm Comment from: ElderNorm

Per above, :Zune is losing money for MS. It costs them more to make it than what they charge retail. With the original $300 (subsequently discounted prior to launch to $250) were unloaded at $80 apiece, can you imagine the losses? Obviously, for MS, that's not much, since they only "sold" 2 million (which in MSspeak means they pushed that many into the retail channels)."

I would have to say that it was the stores that lost the money for having to discount Zunes. Unless the items were taken on consignment, the store owns them.

I have to wonder if Walmart gets stuck with huge numbers of Zunes, will they keep stocking new models????? Or will they just tell Micorsoft to ....... bugger off!! ??????

en

May 09, 08 - 04:30 pm Comment from: Spark

I think MS is still trying to unload their FIRST production batch of Zunes. When the inventory finally leaves the warehouse (at current rate that can still be a few years) then MS will quietly pull the plug on Zune.

May 09, 08 - 04:42 pm Comment from: shen

"To be fair, according to my records, in the first seven quarters when iPod sales were reported as a line item Apple sold only 2.6 million units.

However, in those same interests, Apple was pretty much defining a new market whereas Microsoft were selling into a mature marketplace."

and how many of those quarters was it Mac only? yeah the more you think about it, the more pathetic the Zune looks.....

May 09, 08 - 04:50 pm Comment from: Demon

MS like all the electronic manufactures provides SPIFs and retailer rebates to discount and move old inventories, this keeps the retailer from losing money and encourages retailer to move old product.

May 09, 08 - 04:50 pm Comment from: KenC

Actually, given that stores gave the Zune place of prominence, one has to safely assume that MS paid for the promotion. I doubt the retailers took too much of a beating.

May 09, 08 - 06:49 pm Comment from: TheConfuzed1

I have never seen a Zune outside of a store, or an advertisement.

Whenever I have seen a Zune, or a Zune accessory, it was a single item (or two items), sitting in the middle of an entire isle of iPods and iPod accessories.

I've asked around here at work, and no else else has ever seen a Zune either.

For the record, I work at a car dealership. I see iPods and iPhones every day in the service department, and in the vehicles I appraise.

Hell, I've even seen people here with Creative Zens, but not one Zune. lol

May 09, 08 - 07:20 pm Comment from: LiM

There is nothing wrong with Microsoft's Zune. That a bit of fiber couldn't fix.

May 09, 08 - 09:21 pm Comment from: :o

Zune? Do they still make those?

May 09, 08 - 10:55 pm Comment from: ChrissyOne

@ Zune Tang™

HAMMER.

May 09, 08 - 11:00 pm Comment from: ChrissyOne

A reminder...

Comment from: ChrissyOne Jan 03, 07 - 05:06 pm

Since we're in a betting mood today, I have another proposal:

If the Zune is ever the #1 player by market share, I will smash my black Nano to tiny bits with my Estwing framing hammer. And I will film it and put it on my MySpace for all to see. It has my name engraved on the back, so you'll know it's really mine.

Conversely, if the Zune project is EOL'd, Zune Tang will smash his (her?) Zune with a blunt instrument of their own choosing.

Deal?

-c

---------------------

@ChrissyOne:

It's a deal. I will post a video of myself smashing my EOL'd Zune on my Windows LIve Spaces account accessible via Microsoft's nifty MSN service. Zune EOL'd. Now that is funny. Redmond pulling the plug on Zune is a hilarious concept as it so outside the realm of possibility that Microsoft would abandon a product as awesome as Zune which they obviously put their heart and soul into. Great product.

May 09, 08 - 11:01 pm Comment from: ron

The Zune sucks, but their website is great!

May 10, 08 - 12:00 am Comment from: TowerTone

"The reader who attended the event observed “curiously, the Microsoft booth did not appear to be swamped with customers during the weekend, but there did seem to be a distinct burst of activity on eBay selling monogrammed red Zunes.”

Priceless.

May 10, 08 - 12:03 am Comment from: TowerTone

Oh, and C1,is your face milled or smooth?

May 10, 08 - 12:17 am Comment from: Zeon-Zabi

Wow... No Zune Tang yet, I am amazed...

May 10, 08 - 01:49 pm Comment from: pete1967

its now official - the zine is dead.

Another one of Microsofts failures to join their catalogue of commercial dissastsrs.

Where will it all end I wonder...

May 10, 08 - 03:34 pm Comment from: ericdano

I think Zune Tang was putting service pack 3 on his XP machine, and is stuck in a rebooting cycle....

May 11, 08 - 02:33 am Comment from: Derek Currie

Easter Egg!

Drag the nifty MDN image 'Microsoft Zune makes a big splash' to your desktop and check out the name of the picture file.

BWAHAHAHAHA!

Jun 06, 08 - 06:30 am Comment from: Jon

This website has got to be the biggest self licking ice cream cone I've ever seen. I understand that news sites geared toward a specific brand are going to attract its share of fanboys, but this is redicuous! You poor saps are brainwashed! People that post on this site must bow and pray towards Cupertino 7 times a day! You guys are pathetic!

Jun 06, 08 - 01:28 pm Comment from: derekcurrie

Jon (Considering the topic, this is a joke name, right?) sez:

"You poor saps are brainwashed!"

I have yet to meet an Apple fan who is brainwashed. Windows fans, yes. Apple fans, no. Probably what is happening is you are reading the rather fun and snarky posts here from the perspective of a sheep. You've never run into so many mavericks in one place before. We don't herd. We celebrate having discerning, futurist tastes. We don't settle for mediocre. We don't settle for rubbish. We've all broken away from the pack.

The Zune is great fun to slam. Get some joy and some spirit of competition and join in.

Jul 31, 08 - 07:38 pm Comment from: Martin

i don't understand why so many of you still think that Zune Tang is a Windows/Zune user.

he probably changed his name to have fun at the expense of another lame microsoft product.

every single of his posts is a parody.

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