iPod touch iPod touch 3g an epic fail in the making?

[i.e.Mac]

There's an old quote I'd use for this wonderful little topic.

"The innovator never falls to the follower."

Microsofts baffling strategy for their Zune seems to be doing itself in. I mean, the Zune has...what, 15% of the market, that's hard drive and flash based? And now, they're going to nuke it all for 1, single, model, a touch screen model that by all intensive reasons of meaning, is essentially a 1G iPod touch, 2 years behind the competition, with none of the expandabilities, and all of the potential trouble that comes from a Windows mobile platform.

The iPod touch, unless something utterly collapses on the design front, will not fail. The 3rd Gen will feature some notable upgrades, if what we believe to be true is true about it's design modifications. It's already a solid platform with an advanced OS and an intuitive interface. Now, if we were talking about a buggy, flimsy, linear device, then we may have some reason for concern, but it isn't, it isn't, and it isn't.

Enjoy your Zune. You and the 40 other people in "The Social".

 

[TraceyS/FL]

After all this time, I still only knew one person who owned a Zune. He didn't buy it, someone at his school was giving them away.

I know one person that got one... wait 2.

The first person now own a Touch, her DH an iPhone and her kids Nano's. I think she couldn't even talk her DH into taking the Zune to Iraq with him! LOL!!

The other person.... i wonder if she still has/uses it... haven't heard for forever.

 

[Beric]

I agree with this. As I posted in another thread:

I'm still kind of wondering what will be the big draw of the next generation Touch. The previous 2G update was lackluster (volume buttons and cheap speakers? That's it?), and 2 lackluster updates in a row surely isn't a good trend for Apple to make. I was so disappointed with the 2G update, I held off getting a Touch for this past year (I already have a Nano). I'm for sure getting a 3G Touch, but this update has got to have something GOOD. A camera (everything has a camera these days, and for cheap), a faster processor, and a capacity increase aren't revolutionary, or big drivers of sales. GPS might do the trick, or something else. But the Touch is rapidly growing in market share, while at the same time the Zune HD is practically identical to the expected Touch 3G update. Yeah, Apple has the superior OS and the app store, but a differentiating hardware feature seems to me to be needed.

 

[na1577]

The Zune line has always had some benefits over the iPod line, and the Zune HD continues this. (All Zunes had Wifi before the touch, FM radio, wireless sync...) And even with all of those features, the iPod line still dominated the market. The Zune HD hasn't changed this. It has some features over the iPod touch, but they're not ones that many consumers care about, which is why the Zune is still a niche after three years on the market. Besides, how can a product succeed if nobody knows what it is? Microsoft's past advertising campaigns for the products have been largely ineffective. Walk into a store and ask people what the Zune is, and they'd probably shrug. The television advertisements rarely aired, and only showed quick glances of the device if it was showed at all. Most print ads were vague and you probably never saw any online banner ads or billboards on the side of the road. (I know I didn't) As for the iPod touch? Television ads stick out with loud poppy music and clearly show and demonstrate the product. The print, online, and billboard ads also continued this trend with the iPod depicted in a non-distracting enviroment with simple but effective taglines below or the device's most enticing features.

If the Zune HD doesn't change this, it's not going to change anything else.

 

[MTI]

To date, isn't the definition of "Zune" . . . epic fail?

So, to replace the smell o' death that surrounds the Zune, iPod Touch sales would have to tank like no other Apple product in history?

 

[pol0001]

As I live in Europe, I can't comment on the quality of the Zune. It is sold only in the US. But herein lies the problem for a possible Zune App Store. Apple's App store is available in several countries. Ergo more potential customers. Therefore the Apple iPod Touch/iPhone platform is more interesting for developers. Just take a look at the market for games for "full size" computers where you have to opposite situation. There are more developers writing games for Windows than there are for Mac.

 

[4DThinker]

In the battle for Best Touchscreen,
Our champion's been the Touch.
None deny what I mean,
They love their's very much.

Yet cracks in Apple's armor,
are there to be increased
MS brings on a charmer
to replace it's now deceased.

They've looked at every feature
to one-up or least improve.
They retired Bill their preacher,
And shown us their opening move.

They aim to change your thinking
bout this touchscreen player game.
You may think I've been drinking
but this Zune team's not the same.

There's just one problem left here,
And it leaves me quite perplexed.
They've aimed HD at this year,
While new Touch is out for next.

Do we have a new contender?
Will Zune HD ring our bell?
Or perhaps a "meh" pretender?
Maybe? Only time will tell.

4D

 

[TraceyS/FL]

The only way it will be an Epic fail for me is if it doesn't get an increase in storage AND battery life.

GPS would be cool for some different reasons, and i'm not in the camp of "they'd never do that".

I'm just not thinking that the Zune has anything to offer that is making me scream, "BUY ME, run windows and BUY ME!".

Nada. Zip.

So if you are drawn to the Zune, don't let Apple stop you - seriously, buy what you can afford and fits the features you want/need.

I also think there is only "so much" that you can do feature wise to these things. I'm sure Apple will continue to surprise me in some way... but my needs right now are simple. I need a PDA. Portable Brain so to speak. The fact that it plays my music easier than my Treo did (never did that), and movies is a bonus. So i'm still at 2 devices - phone and iPod, better than 3.

But really, more storage and battery life would be enough - especially if they then promise to work on some of the UI quirks and the functional side of it. The pages of apps are great - but really, give me a way to arrange them NOT on that tiny screen. What a PITA. Let me remove an app from the device AND keep the data (because frankly, removing everything sure sounds like an easier way to arrange my apps on the screens... but not excited about losing data either).

Despite the threads i could go pull up, the App Store has made the Touch a PDA. Might not have been what Apple wanted, but it's being used as one. So put some effort into making it work more efficient...

Anyway, i'm just surprised as i keep reading this thread today....

 

[beg_ne]

I find your attempt at astroturfing as sad as it is laughable.

--Eric

++

Come on Microshit, when you pay off these astoturfing morons at least give them believable scripts.

Even if the Zune HD wasn't a piece of garbage (which it is) i wouldn't buy it simply because of the lame astroturfing tactics.

 

[Voidness]

Processor and graphics: Zune well ahead here thanks to the Tegra

I doubt it. The Cortex A8 SoC used in the iPhone 3GS is very capable, if not even more powerful than the Tegra. It's a safe bet that the next iPod touch will be using the same chip.

 

[Beric]

I doubt it. The Cortex A8 SoC used in the iPhone 3GS is very capable, if not even more powerful than the Tegra. It's a safe bet that the next iPod touch will be using the same chip.

Well, it's been a year. A speed upgrade is only called for. I'm wondering what will make it significantly different from the previous model.

 

[old-wiz]

Has anyone noticed that this thread is the OP's first thread and first post and hasn't replied to any of the posts on the topic? A troll?

 

[Beric]

Has anyone noticed that this thread is the OP's first thread and first post and hasn't replied to any of the posts on the topic? A troll?

Wow. A troll hunter?

Or maybe he just posted in the morning, went to some activity/event/place this morning/afternoon, just got back, and is too tired to log in right now.

 

[iSpaghettiCat]

Has anyone noticed that this thread is the OP's first thread and first post and hasn't replied to any of the posts on the topic? A troll?

A Zune troll at that. Check his username. On top of that, he automatically assumes the best on the Zune according to his post.

 

[4DThinker]

Has anyone noticed that this thread is the OP's first thread and first post and hasn't replied to any of the posts on the topic? A troll?

Yes. I noticed. He got the effect he wanted, which was several posts that talk about the new Zune. As public education about a product goes, all news is good news. It doesn't matter that it's occuring in an iPod Touch forum. You can expect similar inciting threads in hundreds of tech forums over the next week or two.

 

[gan6660]

I just pre ordered the Zune HD at best buy yesterday so Ill have the best of both worlds since I have a 1st and 2nd gen touch also.

 

[Wishsong]

I agree with all of the statements explaining why the touch will easily win against the Zune HD. Now I am going to offer an easy proof. Which one is more popular? Zunes or Ipods? When you go to work/school which one does the common person think is superior? The ipod touch. That seals the deal.

 

[Beric]

I agree with all of the statements explaining why the touch will easily win against the Zune HD. Now I am going to offer an easy proof. Which one is more popular? Zunes or Ipods? When you go to work/school which one does the common person think is superior? The ipod touch. That seals the deal.

Popularity does not equal quality or superiority. However, I would argue that the ease of use of the OS and the size of the app store outweigh the Zune HD.

Yes. I noticed. He got the effect he wanted, which was several posts that talk about the new Zune. As public education about a product goes, all news is good news. It doesn't matter that it's occuring in an iPod Touch forum. You can expect similar inciting threads in hundreds of tech forums over the next week or two.

Seriously, who here hasn't heard of the Zune HD? I've already looked at its feature list, and wasn't sold. So if he's looking for publicity, this isn't the place to waste time.

 

[TraceyS/FL]

Actually, the only reason I know there is a new Zune coming out is because it keeps getting posted here. It's just not on my radar at all!

MS marketing is..... Lacking.

 

[Wishsong]

Popularity does not equal quality or superiority. However, I would argue that the ease of use of the OS and the size of the app store outweigh the Zune HD.

But if it sells extremely well, how is it an epic fail in the making?

 

[Jelite]

 

[Sasuke-chan]

yeah, I will not consider zune despite it being better in terms of specs. While they are similar in terms of appearance, I think the touch looks better.. Zune is too squarish for my liking..

 

[brad.c]

Where'd the OP go?

 

[Mexbearpig]

Where'd the OP go?

To Best Buy to preorder a Zune HD.

This is in no way a fact. Only a guess

 

[brad.c]

Then we can move on.