iPod One reason the Zune will fail

[asxtb]

I mentioned this is another thread but...
From the Daily Yomiuri:

Microsoft: No Japan release for Zune
Microsoft does not plan to release its new Zune digital music player in Japan, Darren Huston, president of CEO of Microsoft Co., the Japan unit of Microsoft Corp., said Thursday.
Huston made the comments after speaking at New York's Japan Society about Microsoft's plans to deal with the challenges posed by the information technology market in Japan.
...
Japan is Microsoft's largest market outside the United States and is extremely advanced in terms of using IT in daily life...

Sorry no internet link. I couldn't find one. But I posted a picture of the article from the paper. (And no it is not photoshopped. No reason to, plus I don't know how to use photoshop.)

 

[iMeowbot]

Where is that blurry news clipping, on the floor of an elevator? I won't believe it's true if not.

 

[asxtb]

Where is that blurry news clipping, on the floor of an elevator? I won't believe it's true if not.

It's on my bed. Sorry it's blurry, I only have my phone to take a picture with.

 

[Cloudgazer]

Why should the Zune fail if it doesn't go on sale in Japan?

That doesn't make sense to me.
Maybe MS want to test the market in the US before jumping into Japan.

If people in Japan really want the zune, they'll order one online.

Otherwise they'll just have to suck it up and buy an iPod.

 

[asxtb]

Why should the Zune fail if it doesn't go on sale in Japan?

That doesn't make sense to me.
Maybe MS want to test the market in the US before jumping into Japan.

If people in Japan really want the zune, they'll order one online.

Otherwise they'll just have to suck it up and buy an iPod.

I guess it doesn't necessarily mean it will fail. But it is a lot better reason than 'It is brown.'

 

[Cloudgazer]

I guess it doesn't necessarily mean it will fail. But it is a lot better reason than 'It is brown.'

LOL, actually I think the 'brown' factor is more likely to be a problem than not selling in Japan

 

[spicyapple]

I heard another reason the Zune will fail is that it infects your songs with DRM even if you own it (ripped it yourself). This is needed because of their wireless sharing capability.

 

[asxtb]

LOL, actually I think the 'brown' factor is more likely to be a problem than not selling in Japan

Well, according to your logic, if people really don't want brown, they'll buy another color.

And I'm saying this is one reason. Not the only reason. Japan is a huge market that Microsoft is not utilizing.

 

[emotion]

I heard another reason the Zune will fail is that it infects your songs with DRM even if you own it (ripped it yourself). This is needed because of their wireless sharing capability.

Given how the sharing works that makes sense. How rediculous a requirement is that though? I'm all for very light DRM (if at all), the Windows Media Player approach is extremely prescriptive and pretty much DRMs your own stuff already (I have a friend who got locked out of his own ripped files).

 

[Dont Hurt Me]

I just have to say whoever dreams up these names for microsoft must be the same 5 yr old who put the finishing touches & colors on XP.

 

[nodabs]

I just have to say whoever dreams up these names for microsoft must be the same 5 yr old who put the finishing touches & colors on XP.

I read that the Canadians got a good laugh out of the name, because in the French-Canadian slang it's a term for a persons nether regions... HAHA

 

[tk421]

The XBox does very poorly in Japan. Are they trying to avoid the same fate?

 

[emotion]

The Japanese market likes things in small packages. The Zune is pretty big, it's likely it'll go down even worse than in the west there.