Microsoft Attempting to Recruit App Store Developers for Zune HD?

[*LTD*]

More reason to wish that Microsoft pulls its socks up and starts to offer an experience similar to what Apple provides..c'mon...we should not wish for a monopoly here...we should be in a position to choose between multiple walled garden experiences!!!

Agreed!

 

[knewsom]

Wow, I want one!

...why you ask?

-HD output.

-Compatibility (I can pretty much throw any media file at a Zune and it'll play it)

-Pretty (both screen and design - very different than the Apple products, but it stands on its own, MS may finally have gotten something right)

-HD Radio - this is awesome.

-Games. MS PWNED (silliness intended) the competition with the XBox and XBox 360... Maybe there will finally be some decent portable games for this platform. ...maybe that will eventually HELP the portable game market for the iPod and iPhone.

lack of apps? Whatevs, I have my iPhone for that. This does all the things I wish my iPhone could do but can't.

However, will it be a success? No. As the PS3 has proved, having better core functionality isn't enough. Content is what will drive sales. If MS can push game developers to release major titles (And no, NO major titles have come out yet for apple's portable devices), they may have a successful device. ...but they're probably not leaning towards the portable gaming market, so it probably won't succeed.

...but DAMN I wish my iPhone did all that. Come on Apple, get with the program.

 

[farmboy]

People need to stop knocking Microsoft's design.

And if you knew how the Zune interface worked, you'd know why "marketplace" and "more" are cut-off. Think magnification on the Mac OS X dock. But of course, the menu is longer than the screen allows. In the end it looks better than the simple scroll items of a standard iPod interface.

The more the merrier, I think. Why are people rooting for a monopoly? Apple already controls too much of the MP3 and smartphone market. Too many accessories/apps that we can convince ourselves that we "need." Wouldn't you rather have the choice? If you ever decided to switch to the Zune or a Windows Mobile handset, it would be nice having all the same or very similar apps when you do, wouldn't it?

Honestly, stop complaining.

Honestly, grow up. First, you would be among the first to ever claim a Microsoft design looks better than an Apple design. Second, it's not a monopoly, unless your comprehension of monopoly ended with the game board and do not pass go cards. Third, having the choice of too many accessories and apps is bad...except if they're available from everyone else, then that's good?

 

[KnightWRX]

-Games. MS PWNED (silliness intended) the competition with the XBox and XBox 360... Maybe there will finally be some decent portable games for this platform. ...maybe that will eventually HELP the portable game market for the iPod and iPhone.

Wait what ? Who exactly is it that MS PWNED ? The Xbox got trounced big time by the PS2, even though it shipped with far better hardware. Even today, the PS2 is still the most sold console, and has new titles released for it.

The Xbox 360 is a distant 2nd in terms of units sold against the Nintendo Wii and the PS3 isn't that far behind it. The only thing that's keeping Microsoft in 2nd place this generation is exclusivity deals which they have purchased with their cash in the bank and breaking exclusivity deals of other consoles with again, their cash in the bank.

At least, get your facts straight before you go humping Microsoft's leg.

 

[50548]

Not only has Microsoft approached developers with buckets of money, but they have upped the fees paid for astroturfing, as seen in this thread

It's clear that the birdbrained MS and its imbecile followers can only defend such moves, because that's all MS is able to do: to poach people and companies with money, and to copy products without having the slightest clue about the near-flawless user experience that a design-driven company like Apple offers.

MS IS DEAD. AND BURIED.

 

[jmcguckin]

Ms can't design. MS can't market. MS can't do any meaningful R&D in the consumer sector that someone hasn't been already done for them. This point, of course, won't affect sales. The existence of the iPod and Apple's abilities in this area, however, will.

as much as my agreeing with this and the rest of your points makes me feel like a fanboy for the first time in awhile, I can't help but feel the same way about the Zune HD as I did when the original Zune 30 first hit the market- to me, it almost seems like an "ooo, let me try!" attempt by Microsoft to garner market share without releasing a product with any compelling original features... sure, it's nice to see Microsoft making their foray into the touch-screen portable device market after all the R&D they've put into their "surface"/multi-touch technology, and the Zune HD's OLED screen and HD video/radio playback are nice eye/ear-candy, but I'm still too big a fan of the iPod touch's design, functionality, and overall ease-of-use to consider switching back to anything from Microsoft.

that said, I'm going to go grab another glass of that Kool-Aid...

(on a side note, and call me shallow, but I can't bring myself buy a device under the "Zune" moniker... I'm sorry, but who did Microsoft pay to come up with that name?)

 

[FSMBP]

I gotta retract part of my past comments regarding the Zune - it does offer some innovation with its "Media Center" feature is amazing (once you hook it up to your TV).

Check out the video:
http://gizmodo.com/5337532/zune-hd-tv-interface-makes-it-a-media-center-for-your-pocket

I do think that is a solid feature.

 

[actripxl]

I gotta retract part of my past comments regarding the Zune - it does offer some innovation with its "Media Center" feature is amazing (once you hook it up to your TV).

Check out the video:
http://gizmodo.com/5337532/zune-hd-tv-interface-makes-it-a-media-center-for-your-pocket

I do think that is a solid feature.

Yes but are you or actually most consumers going to pay $90 for the dock to allow this to occur? Yeah, something tells me no one other than fanboys will not shell out that kind of money for something that will be used once in a while.

 

[cleanup]

Honestly, grow up. First, you would be among the first to ever claim a Microsoft design looks better than an Apple design. Second, it's not a monopoly, unless your comprehension of monopoly ended with the game board and do not pass go cards. Third, having the choice of too many accessories and apps is bad...except if they're available from everyone else, then that's good?

I never took any stance on Microsoft's design. I just think people need to stop knocking it just because it might bear a resemblance to an iPhone (which isn't difficult to do) or doesn't look quite as nice and shiny as their iPod touch. I do think it looks good; as for looking better than my iPhone, I don't know.

I was too quick to say that Apple holds a monopoly on the smartphone market. Maybe I just see too many iPhones these days. They certainly hold a monopoly in the MP3 player market though, which is what the Zune HD is. And as for the smartphone market, most of the big players like Nokia & RIM have multiple devices out there which have been around for years. Apple's one branded device, and only 3 iterations of it, has already claimed that 13-14%. I'm glad for Apple's success, but I don't want it to explode too much.

And as for the apps/accessories, that's precisely what I'm talking about. I DO want all my preferred apps & extras or similar equivalents to be available on whatever platform I choose to use. That developer is either a) lying or b) stupid to turn down a wad of cash to port his app. And it hurts the consumer in the end, too. More selection is never bad. It's the only reason Apple entered this market in the first place; because they felt like they had something to contribute. Now, maybe, Microsoft wants to build upon that. What's wrong with that? I'm all for it. More apps. More choice. Who would be against that?

 

[xIGmanIx]

It's clear that the birdbrained MS and its imbecile followers can only defend such moves, because that's all MS is able to do: to poach people and companies with money, and to copy products without having the slightest clue about the near-flawless user experience that a design-driven company like Apple offers.

MS IS DEAD. AND BURIED.

as much as my agreeing with this and the rest of your points makes me feel like a fanboy for the first time in awhile, I can't help but feel the same way about the Zune HD as I did when the original Zune 30 first hit the market- to me, it almost seems like an "ooo, let me try!" attempt by Microsoft to garner market share without releasing a product with any compelling original features... sure, it's nice to see Microsoft making their foray into the touch-screen portable device market after all the R&D they've put into their "surface"/multi-touch technology, and the Zune HD's OLED screen and HD video/radio playback are nice eye/ear-candy, but I'm still too big a fan of the iPod touch's design, functionality, and overall ease-of-use to consider switching back to anything from Microsoft.

that said, I'm going to go grab another glass of that Kool-Aid...

(on a side note, and call me shallow, but I can't bring myself buy a device under the "Zune" moniker... I'm sorry, but who did Microsoft pay to come up with that name?)

Yes but are you or actually most consumers going to pay $90 for the dock to allow this to occur? Yeah, something tells me no one other than fanboys will not shell out that kind of money for something that will be used once in a while.

right, they would rather spend $50 for their screen of choice and another $20 for a remote.

 

[knewsom]

Wait what ? Who exactly is it that MS PWNED ? The Xbox got trounced big time by the PS2, even though it shipped with far better hardware. Even today, the PS2 is still the most sold console, and has new titles released for it.

The Xbox 360 is a distant 2nd in terms of units sold against the Nintendo Wii and the PS3 isn't that far behind it. The only thing that's keeping Microsoft in 2nd place this generation is exclusivity deals which they have purchased with their cash in the bank and breaking exclusivity deals of other consoles with again, their cash in the bank.

At least, get your facts straight before you go humping Microsoft's leg.

Even though the PS2 did totally defeat the Xbox in unit sales, the 360 did defeat the PS3 quite handily, though yes - both were ultimately handed their asses by the Wii. My point was that the Xbox and the 360 have been WILDLY successful, and the fact that they managed to beat the HIGHLY anticipated, FAR SUPERIOR PS3 (I mean come on, it has a built-in blu-ray player...), says a LOT.

Yes, their main tactic is to throw money at the problems to make them go away, but this is a pretty successful strategy for them, or rather, in this particular example.

I'm no MS fan - I think most of what they make is crap. I have a PS3, two Macs, a Hackintosh, an iPhone, an iPod, and my wife has an iPhone too. I have ONE HD that's partitioned to run windoze as well, just for some games that never came out on the Mac (like Total War), and every time I boot into it, I want to rip my hair out.

...I just wish Apple would make things as functional as they make them pretty.

 

[buxtone17]

And if you knew how the Zune interface worked, you'd know why "marketplace" and "more" are cut-off. Think magnification on the Mac OS X dock. But of course, the menu is longer than the screen allows. In the end it looks better than the simple scroll items of a standard iPod interface.

What?

Seriously. It's about presentation. Why in the world would you make it look like your brand new media device (that's supposed to be competing with a great product that has already been around for two years) doesn't have the ability to display an entire word on the main menu?

Ridiculous...

 

[50548]

Judging by the number of MS-fanboys in this forum, it seems like MR should be bought by Mr. Thurrott and renamed "MS Rumors"...amazing how many astroturfers populate this place in the name of "choice and innovation"...

 

[RazHyena]

The new Zune looks fabulous. Here's hoping it's price is a bit lower then the iPod.....if the Zune hopes to gain some market share.

As for the bribing of App Store developers....nonsense. With Apple's restrictive approval process, I doubt MS will have difficulty finding enough developers for Zune applications.

And also: We haven't seen the new iPod touch, yet. It's going to be a lovely shopping season this year.

Edit: Oh...they DO have the prices there.

 

[3N16MA]

Even though the PS2 did totally defeat the Xbox in unit sales, the 360 did defeat the PS3 quite handily, though yes - both were ultimately handed their asses by the Wii. My point was that the Xbox and the 360 have been WILDLY successful, and the fact that they managed to beat the HIGHLY anticipated, FAR SUPERIOR PS3 (I mean come on, it has a built-in blu-ray player...), says a LOT.

Yes, their main tactic is to throw money at the problems to make them go away, but this is a pretty successful strategy for them, or rather, in this particular example.

I'm no MS fan - I think most of what they make is crap. I have a PS3, two Macs, a Hackintosh, an iPhone, an iPod, and my wife has an iPhone too. I have ONE HD that's partitioned to run windoze as well, just for some games that never came out on the Mac (like Total War), and every time I boot into it, I want to rip my hair out.

...I just wish Apple would make things as functional as they make them pretty.

How can the 360 defeat the PS3 when this generation of consoles is not even over? Also the PS3 was released a year later at a much higher price and less software yet still only trails the 360 by less than 7 million unit sales.
In comparison the PS2 out sold the original XBOX by more than 100 million units.

 

[Analog Kid]

Every time I see the 'e' in Marketplace I start giggling like a kid who just heard a dirty word.

Guess it could have been worse-- they could have line wrapped it.

Can't help but think that 'e' would make a great icon for desktop Zune apps. Full 'e' = IE, half 'e' = Zune.

 

[FSMBP]

Yes but are you or actually most consumers going to pay $90 for the dock to allow this to occur? Yeah, something tells me no one other than fanboys will not shell out that kind of money for something that will be used once in a while.

Like mentioned the dock is $50 and the remote is $20. And why the hell not? Basically it's an Apple TV without the cost and its rolled into a portable device.

I mean, it does seem bothersome to take the dock with you everywhere but for vacations, moving it around house, or back and forth from college to home - it's great.

I wish Apple would incorporate Front Row onto iPods and allow a media center but that would obviously conflict with AppleTV (their current worst product).

 

[KnightWRX]

Even though the PS2 did totally defeat the Xbox in unit sales, the 360 did defeat the PS3 quite handily, though yes - both were ultimately handed their asses by the Wii. My point was that the Xbox and the 360 have been WILDLY successful, and the fact that they managed to beat the HIGHLY anticipated, FAR SUPERIOR PS3 (I mean come on, it has a built-in blu-ray player...), says a LOT.

Yes, their main tactic is to throw money at the problems to make them go away, but this is a pretty successful strategy for them, or rather, in this particular example.

So wait, now they've gone from PWNED to having made a decent appearance in the market ? Sorry, but either PWNED doesn't mean what you think it means or you're just backtracking now.

The PS3 is on the verge of having sold as many units as the original Xbox did to this day. The PS2 has sold over 2.5 times as many units as the Wii to this day, who has sold about 1.8 times as many units as the Xbox360.

MS doesn't PWN anything as far as the console market goes. Like I said, they are a distant second this generation and were a very sorry third last time.

They have been successful. Wildly ? Not even close, but enough to be a player in the market and make some profit from their effort.

At least try to wait a few years and let history muddy the facts a bit before you attempt to rewrite it.

Here, have fun looking at the actual numbers :

http://vgchartz.com/hwtable.php?con...&cons[]=PS2&reg[]=Total&start=35099&end=40034

 

[vettori]

My source is certain the offer was for the Zune, but because he turned it down early on, he doesn't know the details regarding the OS or SDK. If any other iPhone developers have gotten a similar pitch from Microsoft, I'd love to hear about it.

My apps are so good that Apple asked me to port them to the Zune HD and leave the AppStore. Unfortunately no "bucket of money" for me.

 

[actripxl]

right, they would rather spend $50 for their screen of choice and another $20 for a remote.

Here's a clue little one. The screen is a choice many people wanted because they work out side and it easier to read. Hence it adds functionality.

The remote is something you leave next to your computer or sit on your couch and use it.

What is the purpose of the Dock other than to take your Zune to someones house that must have and HDTV. If you have a Zune chances are you have a 360 so the dock is useless, again is anyone really going to pay $90 for something to be used OUTSIDE your home once in a while.

 

[50548]

Like mentioned the dock is $50 and the remote is $20. And why the hell not? Basically it's an Apple TV without the cost and its rolled into a portable device.

I mean, it does seem bothersome to take the dock with you everywhere but for vacations, moving it around house, or back and forth from college to home - it's great.

I wish Apple would incorporate Front Row onto iPods and allow a media center but that would obviously conflict with AppleTV (their current worst product).

Funny that Apple's "worst product" serves me and many others very well, thanks very much...in fact, no one has come close to Apple in terms of offering an easy to use media control hub, even when the Apple TV may still be regarded as a hobby...amazing.

 

[actripxl]

Like mentioned the dock is $50 and the remote is $20. And why the hell not? Basically it's an Apple TV without the cost and its rolled into a portable device.

I mean, it does seem bothersome to take the dock with you everywhere but for vacations, moving it around house, or back and forth from college to home - it's great.

I wish Apple would incorporate Front Row onto iPods and allow a media center but that would obviously conflict with AppleTV (their current worst product).

Check your facts the dock is $89.99 for preorder not $50

 

[Westside guy]

It's a Mac forum. There are a lot of mindless Apple zealots here who just got their first iMac.

There are also a surprising number of MS fanbois on this forum, who apparently have nothing better to do than troll around the web.

It's just how the internet is.

FWIW I have no problem with Microsoft offering money in an attempt to prop up the Zune Marketplace; but I can also see why a pro developer might turn them down - the time needed to port the app, weighted against the less-than-stellar Zune sales so far, might make it less than appealing. Time's not cheap.

 

[Eidorian]

Funny that Apple's "worst product" serves me and many others very well, thanks very much...in fact, no one has come close to Apple in terms of offering an easy to use media control hub, even when the Apple TV may still be regarded as a hobby...amazing.

Ever used Windows Media Center?

Comparing it to Front Row isn't even close either.

 

[FoxyKaye]

This is a minor point that has been raised by others, but would it honestly kill Apple to integrate a radio receiver of any kind into at least the iPod Touch? My free cell phone from AT&T tunes in to FM channels, it's not like the technology isn't there. The Zune, for all its flaws, is putting HD radio receivers inside - would Steve's stigmata start to leak if the iPod Touch had one as well?

</rant>