Microsoft Confirms Multi-Touch Zune HD to Compete Against iPod Touch

[Evangelion]

I have looked and I have looked and have yet to find the Cowon, or was it Archos, "touch" music/movies/tv shows player at my local retailer...

Just because they are not available in your local retailer does not mean that they don't exist. And you can be sure that Apple is well aware of each and every mediaplayer out there when they design their products.

Surely, these fine products, first out of the starting gate, would have been marketed as a world wide wonder in as much to dominate this particular niche of the mp3 market segment that would have left Apple twiddling it's thumbs and lamenting that we should never even try to compete by producing a slick looking touch based mp3 product...

We are not discussing the merits of the device as such, but the design and idea. Fact is that mediaplayers with a large screen were widely available long before Apple came up with iPod touch. Mediaplayers with smaller screen were available long before Apple released Video-iPod.

Are you serious? Who on earth would buy an iPod because of the way it integrates with iTunes? That's insane. No one I know with an Apple product uses it with iTunes unless they are technology-impaired.

I bet that about 95% of iPod-users use iTunes. Just because your friends use something else, does not mean that no-one uses iTunes. It's a common problem to assume that things that apply to you, must apply to everyone else as wel.

If it weren't for the buggyness of downloading apps to the iPhone wirelessly, and the lack of being able to backup my iPhone's contents without iTunes, I wouldn't be using it either.

First you claim that "no-one I know uses iTunes", and five seconds later you tell that you use iTunes.... Right after you tell that people why iTunes are probably "technology-impaired"... Nice going, chief! I see that your "technological impairement" has stopped you from learning to use the mouse and keyboard. You are an inspiration to us all .

Most people I know use alternatives such as Media Monkey that use a lot fewer resources, do not crash as often and are so much more responsive.

Good for them. But that doesn't change the fact that overwhelming majority of users uses iTunes. Your sample (your friends) is not indicative of all the users.

 

[TuffLuffJimmy]

My god, can you look up what percentage entails a monopolize market. Specifically if no other systems can access the products. Do some more research please.

Macs have a 99.9% monopoly on OS X.
Care to defend that?

 

[Journojulz]

Wow - its like an iPod - but without the taste!

 

[chalpin]

does anybody ever actually replace the battery's??? i can honestly say that i've gone through life without ever feeling the need to change batteries in my phone or whatever!

Yes, they do. I've done it many, many times. Why do you think there's such a big market for 3rd party phone batteries?

The lack of the ability to replace a battery is just a huge marketing ploy that too many people have fallen prey too.

$400 for a locked device. 2 years later the device's battery life is terrible. It's $80 to replace the battery or for only $220 more, you can get a new device with the same capabilities as your old device. You know you want the new shiny device. Give us more money...

 

[tgildred]

interesting...

Squirt your friends with a single touch.

When the squirt process is complete it has an automated voice alarm: "sorry, baby, that's never happened before."

 

[Journojulz]

"Okay, what about Apple's monopoly on OSX."



That is as scandalous as Ford's monoply on blue oval car badges with the letters 'F' 'O' 'R' & 'D' on them!

Something should be done!

 

[ddTaylor]

Looks really ugly though...

Really? I like the look of it...sometimes the Apple line-up has a more refined and how will I say this...feminine look to it and the industrial, hard-edged look of this rendition looks refreshing and nice.

I think that this will be good for everyone as a MS version and the Apple version will lead to great innovation on BOTH sides.

I will stick with my iPhone and iTouch but I think the aesthetics are very nice, indeed.

D

 

[Evangelion]

Macs have a 99.9% monopoly on OS X.
Care to defend that?

What's there to defend? Sony has 100% market-share on PS3-OS. Lenovo has 100% market-share in Thinkpads. Are they "monopolies"?

Seriously, your argument is dumb. Courts have specificly said that Apple is NOT a monopoly.

 

[*LTD*]

Macs have a 99.9% monopoly on OS X.
Care to defend that?

OS X is their own product.

Apple is not a monopoly, either in terms of iPod/iTunes, or in terms of Mac/OS X.

There have already been legal rulings about this with respect to Apple. And the whole Apple = monopoly idea has been put to rest a long time ago.

OS X belongs to Apple. Deal with it.

 

[iGeRmAn]

I'm assuming the picture is a rough mock-up because the 'e' from Marketplace doesn't quite fit on the screen.

At least they should have make it fit on the official site, i guess

http://www.zune.net/en-us/mp3players/zunehd/default.htm

 

[Yvan256]

All I know is: I'm not going to buy that Zune just to test websites in yet another version of Internet Explorer. Enough, already.

 

[chalpin]

Just because they are not available in your local retailer does not mean that they don't exist. And you can be sure that Apple is well aware of each and every mediaplayer out there when they design their products.

Agreed. I've seen them in local retailers.

I bet that about 95% of iPod-users use iTunes. Just because your friends use something else, does not mean that no-one uses iTunes. It's a common problem to assume that things that apply to you, must apply to everyone else as wel.

Also agreed. However you misunderstood my intended point. I never said no one uses iTunes however most people do mainly because they don't know anything else works with an iPod.

First you claim that "no-one I know uses iTunes", and five seconds later you tell that you use iTunes....

Thanks for pointing out my error. My intention was to say, "No one I know with an iPod (not an Apple product) uses iTunes if they can help it."

Nice going, chief!

I am not a chief although I do aspire to be one some day.

I see that your "technological impairement" has stopped you from learning to use the mouse and keyboard. You are an inspiration to us all .

I don't follow. Please elaborate. Perhaps this "impairement" [sic] is affecting my comprehension.

Good for them. But that doesn't change the fact that overwhelming majority of users uses iTunes. Your sample (your friends) is not indicative of all the users.

Agreed. Again, you missed my point. Thanks for the lively discussion!

 

[Maury]

Tell me again what makes an iPod touch so much better? The App Store? Do you all not remember that the first generation iPod didn't have an app store? Yet, I'm sure all of you would be attacking this Zune even if it were out before the iPod touch.

That's like asking what makes your girlfriend better than any other girl. Just because I can't tell you in so many words doesn't mean there isn't a difference.

But I'll try anyway:

It's the gestalt. There is no one thing about the iPod that makes you say "this, THIS is what is so great". It's all the little things. Like the iTunes online purchasing. Like the browser that's actually usable. Like the App Store. Like the way iTunes works with your computer. It just works.

Now it's entirely possible that the Zune just works too. The difference is that I know the iPod just works, so I, and the entire rest of the world, are rightly hesitant to drop several hundred dollars to find out if that's true on the Zune.

Reverse your logic for a moment: what feature of the Zune is so killer that I would be willing to take the risk?

Maury

 

[*LTD*]

All I know is: I'm not going to buy that Zune just to test websites in yet another version of Internet Explorer. Enough, already.

LOL

 

[TuffLuffJimmy]

OS X is their own product.

Apple is not a monopoly, either in terms of iPod/iTunes, or in terms of Mac/OS X.

There have already been legal rulings about this with respect to Apple. And the whole Apple = monopoly idea has been put to rest a long time ago.

OS X belongs to Apple. Deal with it.

I never said it shouldn't. But Xbox games only run on Xbox. It only makes sense that a Microsoft product would only work with Microsoft software. It'd take a lot of time and money to port to OS X, especially if the Zune software relies heavily on Windows technologies.

 

[*LTD*]

That's like asking what makes your girlfriend better than any other girl. Just because I can't tell you in so many words doesn't mean there isn't a difference.

But I'll try anyway:

It's the gestalt. There is no one thing about the iPod that makes you say "this, THIS is what is so great". It's all the little things. Like the iTunes online purchasing. Like the browser that's actually usable. Like the App Store. Like the way iTunes works with your computer. It just works.

Now it's entirely possible that the Zune just works too. The difference is that I know the iPod just works, so I, and the entire rest of the world, are rightly hesitant to drop several hundred dollars to find out if that's true on the Zune.

Reverse your logic for a moment: what feature of the Zune is so killer that I would be willing to take the risk?

Maury

Very well put.

 

[tuckerja]

Okay. Fine. If Zune can't use Multi-Touch (because Apple thought of it first), then iPod/iPhone can't use OLED because (because Microsoft thought of it first).

Not directed to you, but it's amazing how hypocritical some of you fanboys can be. It's so-so okay when the competition does something first (OLED, FM), but you guys scream bloody murder "epic fail" when Apple does it first and others follow. Nice... nice.

MS didn't think of OLED first. Organic Light Emitting Diodes were thought of by a nerd in a lab years ago. They have been used in products for years now. I had a cheap nokia cell phone like 4 years ago that had an OLED screen. Multi-touch was developed the same way, but Apple put a patent on the specific way in which it interacts between hardware and software. MS can't use that specific design of multi-touch, but they probably have a different system with this. And I think his reference is that if MS is using the same system of multi-touch, then they will get sued by Apple from what we have heard from Tim Cook.

 

[Journojulz]

At least they should have make it fit on the official site, i guess

http://www.zune.net/en-us/mp3players/zunehd/default.htm

And a 404 page too.

Just when you thought they MIGHT just have run out of banana skins, they manage to do something else clearly not thought through....

Who is the new M$ CEO? - Gerald Ford?

 

[Yvan256]

My intention was to say, "No one I know with an iPod (not an Apple product) uses iTunes if they can help it."

What's the bolded part supposed to mean? iTunes is from Apple, the iPod is also from Apple...

 

[Evangelion]

Also agreed. However you misunderstood my intended point. I never said no one uses iTunes however most people do mainly because they don't know anything else works with an iPod.

I know there are alternatives to iTunes, yet I use it.

I don't follow. Please elaborate. Perhaps this "impairement" [sic] is affecting my comprehension.

you said:

"No one I know with an Apple product uses it with iTunes unless they are technology-impaired."

Then you said that you use iTunes. So that means that you are technology-impaired.

 

[crossifixio]

Are you serious? Who on earth would buy an iPod because of the way it integrates with iTunes? That's insane. No one I know with an Apple product uses it with iTunes unless they are technology-impaired. iTunes is a horrible piece of garbage that seems to suck the life out of decent computers. If it weren't for the buggyness of downloading apps to the iPhone wirelessly, and the lack of being able to backup my iPhone's contents without iTunes, I wouldn't be using it either. Most people I know use alternatives such as Media Monkey that use a lot fewer resources, do not crash as often and are so much more responsive.

Too bad Apple keeps locking down their devices so fan boys like you are stuck with their products.

People buy apple products because they just work! Its that simple. No need to download different programs to do different simple tasks. I dont want to advertise iTunes here but the program does what it needs to do and very well for that matter! I have used iTunes on different computers including PCs at work and it seems to run fine, not sure about the problems that you are encountering, maybe you can be more specific! It also has a large market share, something like 70% thanks to the many "technology-impaired" As for other software to backup your iphone and do other tasks, they are out there on the market, a quick search would give plenty of results so you can stop using iTunes!

Finally I dont think people get stuck with apple products cause of apples closed ecosystem. Some people like the integration of the products and how they function together from hardware to software. Belive me if my Mac and iPhone cause me any lack of productivity or problems they will be out faster than PC catching a Virus!

 

[chrono1081]

I remember when the original Zune came out and the MS rep told the store I used to work at (Ccity a few years ago) "Zune is gonna be the iPod killer blah blah" then the rep opened the zune box and we saw some HIDEOUS colors come out of the boxes (brown? seriosuly MS BROWN!?!?!?) Well, needless to say we sold ONE in three months...


I dont think apple has anything to worry about.

 

[*LTD*]

And a 404 page too.

Just when you thought they MIGHT just have run out of banana skins, they manage to do something else clearly not thought through....

Who is the new M$ CEO? - Gerald Ford?

Well, maybe you can scroll to the side as well . . .

Anyway, it makes no difference. MS is usually out in left field when it comes to design and uasability. Just make thwe whole UI an Office ribbon.

Knowing Apple and what they probably have planned for the iPod Touch, this Zune part II is already obsolete.

 

[iGeRmAn]

What's the bolded part supposed to mean? iTunes is from Apple, the iPod is also from Apple...

I guess, he meant mp3-player

That's just the example of how well Apple has done their marketing job.

Nearly the whole planet thinks that a mp3-player is an iPod.

Once you achieved that people use your brand to decribe a product, you really made it.

 

[chrono1081]

I guess, he meant mp3-player

That's just the example of how well Apple has done their marketing job.

Nearly the whole planet thinks that a mp3-player is an iPod.

Once you achieved that people use your brand to decribe a product, you really made it.

+1 When I used to work retail everyone asked to see the "iPods" thinking it was what an mp3 player was called.

Same with people asking for a kleenex for their nose, or clorox for laundry