iPod Five Reasons Why Zune May Kill iPod

[jimsmac]

I look at this in a similar view to the Xbox v Playstation 2 introduction. MS knew in the first round they would'nt really compete with the PS2, and this is what happened. However now looking at Xbox 360 vs PS 3, I'm not sure if Sony's position is as strong as it once was.

I presume MS are taking the same long term view with the Zune, and would expect to be starting to compete with Apple for serious market share in 2-3 years, having lost a fortune in the early days on the current Zune.

 

[CorvusCamenarum]

So the Zune is going to win because this guy thinks it's a better mousetrap? Someone needs to post him a copy of Marketing 101. By that logic, Apple would be on top far and away and Microsoft would be a nobody right now.

So the Zune is going to win because it has MS's mighty mighty market share behind it, but the iPod is doomed to fail even though it has mighty mighty market share and works just fine with MS's market share? I'm confused.

I don't ever think I've heard Microsoft and cool in the same sentence before without some sort of negation.

 

[ezekielrage_99]

I look at this in a similar view to the Xbox v Playstation 2 introduction. MS knew in the first round they would'nt really compete with the PS2, and this is what happened. However now looking at Xbox 360 vs PS 3, I'm not sure if Sony's position is as strong as it once was.

I presume MS are taking the same long term view with the Zune, and would expect to be starting to compete with Apple for serious market share in 2-3 years, having lost a fortune in the early days on the current Zune.

I always thought the PS vs Xbox thing was fairly even split, plus you now have Wii with quite the fanbase.

I still don't see how Zune is going to compete, Apple isn't the only one out there with an excellent digital music player with more feature than the Zune. Zune will be competing with Samsung, Sandisk, Creative, Laser and Sony to name a few, these players have the same or better specs, have been in the market longer than and are cheaper than what Zune will cost.

I can only really see Zune selling from the success of Vista's release, I think that will be the big draw card for most and the M$ fanboys will have to buy. Microsoft MP3 player with Microsoft OS...... yucky

i want "voice recording" feature!
how can i do that with the ipod nano?

Yes you can at the Apple Store

Have fun

 

[EGT]

I hope the zune pushes Apple's form/feature petal to the floor.
Full speed ahead!

Pedal to the metal, damn right.

 

[milo]

This guy is a joke, he doesn't even understand what widescreen means.

If the bigger screen is such a huge selling point, why hasn't the toshiba version that is already out sold well?

 

[Queso]

I look at this in a similar view to the Xbox v Playstation 2 introduction. MS knew in the first round they would'nt really compete with the PS2, and this is what happened. However now looking at Xbox 360 vs PS 3, I'm not sure if Sony's position is as strong as it once was.

I presume MS are taking the same long term view with the Zune, and would expect to be starting to compete with Apple for serious market share in 2-3 years, having lost a fortune in the early days on the current Zune.

Completely different market conditions exist with the consoles. As with Mac and PC software, console games demand millions of dollars of development money. With media players, you just convert the already created film/TV show/song into the format you require with the push of a button. You could have 20 different format players in the market and they could all easily be supported by the content producers.

Sony have temporarily lost ground with the PS because they dropped the ball, not because MS did anything spectacularly right. Apple just need to stay ahead of the game in the way they have been doing and Zune will fade to the same single digit market share currently enjoyed by Creative et al. And that won't change unless Microsoft spend all the money buying film studios and record companies to ensure that the iPod is locked out of as much content as possible.

 

[AoWolf]

Feel free to put this one on the record: The zune will not kill the iPod take it from a high schooler. Its not cool. Microsoft is not cool. Girls won't think its cute. I pod is cool its the BMW of MP3 players. People don't care about features nearly as much as they care about having the name brand. Apple isn't stupid either they will fight tooth and nail to maintain there edge.

 

[milo]

Completely different market conditions exist with the consoles. As with Mac and PC software, console games demand millions of dollars of development money. With media players, you just convert the already created film/TV show/song into the format you require with the push of a button. You could have 20 different format players in the market and they could all easily be supported by the content producers.

Sony have temporarily lost ground with the PS because they dropped the ball, not because MS did anything spectacularly right. Apple just need to stay ahead of the game in the way they have been doing and Zune will fade to the same single digit market share currently enjoyed by Creative et al. And that won't change unless Microsoft spend all the money buying film studios and record companies to ensure that the iPod is locked out of as much content as possible.

Plus, with consoles, you can win marketshare with first party titles. MS bought a few top notch developers, basically bought exclusivity for games like Halo, which saved the platform. With a media player, there's no similar strategy available.

 

[Mord]

no product ever begining with a Z has ever been cool.

 

[macdaddynyc]

Cool Factor?

How can you throw out "Cool Factor" when talking about a device that looks like a "tri-corder" from a '70s episode of Star Trek? The only way this thing could be considered cool is if William Shatner was holding it.

 

[bigandy]

announced an iTV set-top box -- which will ship later than Vista

um, something shipping later than Vista?

Does that mean Vista is being launched?

 

[milo]

um, something shipping later than Vista?

Actually, that isn't true either. The iTV will ship first quarter next year, Vista's date is unknown but should be around then.

Nobody knows which will ship first, that's just more bias from the guy who wrote the article.

 

[spicyapple]

Portable video players have never been successful, why would Apple think they can succeed? Watching portable video is still a very geeky thing to do, whereas listening to music is still cool.

a better screen for movies;

 

[jimsmac]

Completely different market conditions exist with the consoles. As with Mac and PC software, console games demand millions of dollars of development money. With media players, you just convert the already created film/TV show/song into the format you require with the push of a button.

That's where the other side of the model comes in though for me. They are both trying to sell media in their own formats at the moment. Media sold by Apple will not play on the Zune and vice versa. All it takes is for Microsoft to build up a sufficient momentum through millions and millions spent in marketing on their music store or their player. In the short term they'll lose money. In the long term who knows?!

 

[Meatball]

Apple needs to do the following to nuke the Zune from orbit:

1) Make the iPod batteries easily replaceable. I'm talking the chrome back being easily removed and batteries readily available. This will stop the "the iPods battery is rubbish" rubbish

2) Add a feature or two to the iPod. I would still love to see an inbuilt radio, not bothered about voice recorder. inbuilt bluetooth would be great as well.

3) Have the ability to easily customise iPods. Like backgrounds, fonts themes. It would also be cool to choose your own iPod colour. I also think they should replace the chrome with this kind of material (pictured below. It's brushed metal) It's just as cool, and it will not scratch. It can also be a slighty coloured so more custom iPods

4) Bring out a proper video iPod. This would also mean having TV Shows and Movies available in other countries already

5) This will NEVER happen but I think it will be the icing on the cake. I think they should make the iPod compatible with WMA and DRMed WMA. This would shut alot of people up and will allow the iPod to use all the most common formats as well as other music stores...which is why it wont happen :-(. However if iTunes lowered it's prices (say...70p a track?) and gave you the option to download the file in WMA or AAC iTunes will get alot more users imo. They should also allow higher bit rates (maybe give the option of 128k, 192k and 256k?) That will DEFF not happen as it will confuse people.

6) Utilise the power of WiFi. I'm talking ATM like booths in shops that allow you to download songs off iTunes. These machiens wont even need wireless, maybe a dock like feature so you just plug in your iPod and there's a screen showing the itms? This would be a great feature. Just imagine hearing a song on the radio while listening to your iPod and thinking "wow I like this" you locate the nearest "iSpot" and download it off the iTunes store. Bliss!

 

[gauchogolfer]

Apple needs to do the following to nuke the Zune from orbit:

5) This will NEVER happen but I think it will be the icing on the cake. I think they should make the iPod compatible with WMA and DRMed WMA. This would shut alot of people up and will allow the iPod to use all the most common formats.

People probably won't argue about the 1st point, the 2nd and 3rd, meh, maybe some people want, maybe they don't. The 4th, I'm sure the international crowd here would like more content.

The 5th, though, Apple has no control over, since they'd need to license the WMA format from Microsoft, and I don't see that happening any time soon.

 

[®îçhå®?]

the Zune wont kill the ipod, it may take away a slight amount of it's market share but not much of it. It is really for Apple haters(many people that i know) and yes, it looks very nice but it wont steal the market

 

[phuong]

i want "voice recording" feature!
how can i do that with the ipod nano?

Yes you can at the Apple Store

Have fun

that's with the ipod with video. i wanted it with the ipod nano

 

[iGary]

"The Zune is unlike any product Microsoft has ever shipped. It's actually very nicely designed, surprisingly minimalist and -- dare I say it? -- 'cool.'

Uh huh.

 

[Diatribe]

I have to admit it would be kind of funny if Apple released the video iPod before the end of the year at the same price point. I'd love to see MS faces...
Don't expect the same price though, more like $299.

Anyway, as others have said, the arguments are a load of bull... and "surprisingly cool"???? You have got to be kidding me, it is larger, heavier, less battery life, dull design (although admittedly better than normal MS design) and features that do nothing to make it really better than the iPod. The only reason why Apple should be scared is if Microsoft dropped the price by $50, I don't see any other way for MS to pull this off, especially not if Apple brings out the big video iPod for high end users and has the nano for the regular user.

 

[Elrond39]

"Think of it as a portable, wireless, hardware version of MySpace."

Ummm.... if I ever had any doubt about not wanting a Zune (and I didn't), now I really have no doubts. MySpace. Bah.

"The Zune is unlike any product Microsoft has ever shipped. It's actually very nicely designed, surprisingly minimalist and -- dare I say it? -- 'cool.' Zune marketing looks cool, too. The user interface is fluid and appealing -- and, again, like MySpace -- customizable. Users will be able to personalize the Zune interface with photos, 'themes,' 'skins' and custom colors."

Anyone else not looking forward to a 'customized' screen with some pathetic, swoopy-haired, "I took an angled emo shot with a webcam" background? *** Disclaimer: I have nothing against these people, I don't even know them. But I know I don't like this style of pictures. It's just... so... MySpace.

Really, if I didn't know any better, I'd think this guy had some vested interest in MySpace. (Yes, yes, I'm one of those myspace bashers.)

"All these efforts may not be enough to save the iPod from the Microsoft consumer media juggernaut. Microsoft has the money, the clout, the partnerships, the mind share and the market share to drive Vista, Soapbox, Xbox and Zune into lives of hundreds of millions of consumers."

Do you really want to be using words like "juggernaut" and phrases like "driv[ing]...into lives of hundreds of millions of consumers"? Isn't one of the problems people have with Microsoft that they're so pushy?

 

[Zmmyt]

Personally I couldn't care less about the Zune.

As long as Apple keeps building simple to operate and elegant MP3 players, I won't consider switching.


Who really cares about market share. Apple is bringing out great products.

EDIT: I still think the current iPod nano is one of the best designs ever. Small, robust and elegant.

 

[ezekielrage_99]

that's with the ipod with video. i wanted it with the ipod nano

My bad that looked like a Nano.. a bit

But I am sure there are voice recoders for the Nano.

 

[GFLPraxis]

or parents that think "it's the same thing as an iPod" will get one for their kid for christmas.

But even then, it's the same price as an iPod and more expensive than an iPod Nano, so parents would probably just ask for the iPod.

 

[GFLPraxis]

I always thought the PS vs Xbox thing was fairly even split, plus you now have Wii with quite the fanbase.

Nope, the XBox came somewhat close in the United States but was still way behind, and from a worldwide standpoint, XBox had a 16% marketshare, vs Playstation 2's 70%.