Microsoft's Last Ditch Effort to Save Zune
Microsoft's Last Ditch Effort to Save Zune
by , 12:35 PM EDT, August 12th, 2008
The Microsoft Zune has sold less than 2 million units while Apple has sold 150 million iPods. To breathe some new life into the Zune, Microsoft is planning to roll Windows Mobile 7 and Vista into the mix to create a platform, but the plan has major flaws, according to Daniel Dilger at Roughly Drafted on Tuesday.
In a sweeping essay, Mr. Dilger looked at the history and business models of iTunes, iPod and iPhone and contratsted them to Microsoft's attempts to capture a similar market. He recounted the snafus, missteps and conceits of the failed Zune and Microsoft's current plans to resuscitate the Zune, Windows Mobile 7 and the faltering music business.
In addition to the missteps Microsoft has made, and the important fact that hardly anyone makes big money selling music, an additional issue is that time is not on Microsoft's side. It will take years, in the author's opinion, to sort out the issues, and Microsoft doesn't have years now that the iPhone has launched.
Historically, Microsoft has used the technique of using a strong product to build support for an emerging, weaker product. However, that's going to be hard with this suite.
"So Microsoft is again working to stitch together its various properties to support each other, but now most all of its recent products are in flames and desperately need reinforcement," Mr. Dilger explained. "There's only so much one failure can do to support another.
"Even worse, Microsoft's historic strengths are no longer working. The Windows monopoly was supposed to brace up Windows Media Players, Windows Media Center, Windows Mobile, Windows Live Search, Windows Live Soapbox, and a series of other cobranded products that haven't gone anywhere."
In typical fashion, Mr. Dilger has put together the names, the players and the numbers to support his thesis. The conclusion was that Microsoft doesn't have the products, strategies and time to pull this off.
"Apple's mobile WiFi platform is actually far larger and growing much faster than market statistics companies report under their smartphone category," Mr. Dilger concluded. "Anyone hoping that Windows Mobile 7 to going to reverse that trend when it arrives over a year from now is seriously delusional."
Observer Comments
Tue Aug 12, 2008 7:12 pm Subject: Ha, ha, ha-ha...
So all 18 people who still use a Zune can spend the next year waiting for M$ to rip off a proven Apple concept once again.
Has Ballmer even considered that once again M$ has an opportunity to at least attempt to improve on a design instead of stealing it and passing it off as "ground-breaking and original"?
Microsoft reminds me of a dog trying to walk through a doorway with a bone that's too big. It just keeps trying to force its way through.
Microsoft is a failure in the portable music business and everyone knows it. They would first have to overcome the negative opinions of the buying public to even begin to convince someone to buy the Zune. With the dominance of iPod they should see that's too much to overcome.
Management obviously doesn't realize the damage this is doing to its image and more importantly the Microsoft brand. Someone over there in Redmond needs to suggest getting the heck out of the portable music biz.
-Dan
Wed Aug 13, 2008 10:42 am Subject: What a quote!
QuotePhotodan wrote:
Management obviously doesn't realize the damage this is doing to its image and more importantly the Microsoft brand. Someone over there in Redmond needs to suggest getting the heck out of the portable music biz.
To get rid of the things causing you failure, you first must admit to the failure. I don't know that it's in their character to do that ...
I love most of Microsoft's products and personally dislike the iPod since they (try to) lock you into itunes (which sucks) and are at least $50 more than an equivalent mp3 player and you are mostly paying for the "cool" appeal of the ipod. Surprisingly I hate the zune even more because Microsoft did the same stupid thing, it doesn't even work with WMP or their own plays for sure technology so it won't work with the free legal ad-sponsored music website spiralfrog.com
Microsoft should have used windows mobile on it but improved the media player and made it the main part of it and kept it compatible with any music program and plays for sure.
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