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The Zune is dead! Lessons for Apple Competitors

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vrDrew

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jan 31, 2010
1,376
13,412
Midlife, Midwest
Beloved by Microsoft loyalists, news is leaking out that the much-derided Zune is no more.

But what's even more interesting, is to take a gander at a little comparison by the same Tech website of the Zune HD and the iPod Touch did in late 2009. After declaring the Zune the "overall winner" the authors went on to say:

Taken soley as a personal media player, the Zune HD outshines the iPod Touch in many ways. It’s lighter, brighter, well-engineered, solid, and if you want to pump 720p movies to your home high-def set, the Touch simply cannot compete. But for those who see the iPod Touch as more of a blank slate than a purpose-built PMP, and intend to use it as such, the Zune HD comes nowhere close to replacing the sheer flexibility and utility of Apple’s wonder box. And for those folks, 75,000 apps in the App Store may as well be 75,000 different reasons not to buy the Zune HD.
Click to expand...

Lesson: Apps matter.

If Microsoft (one of the biggest and richest companies in the world) couldn't compete with a product that was arguably cheaper and performed better than the Apple iPod, how precisely does Motorola expect to compete with a product that is more expensive and worse performing than ITS Apple rival?
 
P

profets

macrumors 603
Mar 18, 2009
5,122
6,238
The Zune is not dead, its really just living on as Windows Phone 7. It was pretty obvious that actual Zune hardware was going to be replaced with mobiles running WP7.
 
C

cocoseng

macrumors newbie
Mar 13, 2011
17
0
profets said:
The Zune is not dead, its really just living on as Windows Phone 7. It was pretty obvious that actual Zune hardware was going to be replaced with mobiles running WP7.
Click to expand...

I agree. It seems pretty apparent that MSFT is going back to what they do best, sticking to software.
 
neko girl

neko girl

macrumors 6502a
Jan 20, 2011
988
0
Android isn't doomed, even though you might hope and pray that examining Zune's entrails will give you a sign.

Competition is good. Live with it.
 
ssdeg7

ssdeg7

macrumors 6502a
Jul 15, 2010
749
2
vrDrew said:
how precisely does Motorola expect to compete with a product that is more expensive and worse performing than ITS Apple rival?
Click to expand...

It's the first time an Apple product is cheaper, it's more for less.
 
Zimmy68

Zimmy68

macrumors 68010
Jul 23, 2008
2,001
1,657
Zune HD was dead on arrival.
I was really interested in it but Microsoft abandon support for it the minute they released it.
 
filmbuff

filmbuff

macrumors 6502a
Jan 5, 2011
967
364
I have the original Zune, which I bought in lieu of an iPod video, and I'm actually pretty happy with it. The hardware is indestructible and it is good at playing videos. Ironically the software is the worst thing about it. Although after getting the iPad I wish I was introduced to Apple products earlier.

>and yes, I still use the Zune as my everyday MP3 player. I'm not even embarassed to be seen with it because I got the white one that looks like an iPod :)
 
E

engelke2010

macrumors 65816
Mar 28, 2010
1,132
188
I really did like my Zune HD a lot. I used it a ton. However, it definitely was the lack of apps that made me give up on it and buy my iPhone last year. I admit that I did try the iPod Touch a couple of years ago, but there were too many apps that I liked that required some sort of internet connection, so I returned the Touch and stayed with the Zune until I got my iPhone 3G. Now I am addicted to Apple - at least my i4 and iPad 2 - and couldn't not have them any more.
 
Z

zenio

macrumors 6502
Feb 2, 2011
472
0
vrDrew said:
Beloved by Microsoft loyalists, news is leaking out that the much-derided Zune is no more.

But what's even more interesting, is to take a gander at a little comparison by the same Tech website of the Zune HD and the iPod Touch did in late 2009. After declaring the Zune the "overall winner" the authors went on to say:



Lesson: Apps matter.

If Microsoft (one of the biggest and richest companies in the world) couldn't compete with a product that was arguably cheaper and performed better than the Apple iPod, how precisely does Motorola expect to compete with a product that is more expensive and worse performing than ITS Apple rival?
Click to expand...
More specifically it's good FART Apps that matter.

If you can entertain the easily excited little boys, you've got it made.
 
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