Whatever Happened To The Zune?
When Microsoft announced the Zune last July, we had pretty low expectations for the digital media player. So much about the Zune just didn’t seem right:
- Zune is possibly the worst product name in history. It has various obscene meanings depending on what language you speak.
- Microsoft used the Zune as an opportunity to introduce an entirely new DRM system that is incompatible with the company’s previous DRM system. In the process they angered many of their partners who had built their business based on the old PlaysForSure DRM system.
- Zune’s highly touted wireless capabilities are strangely limited. For example, the Zune can’t connect to the Internet or your PC.
- The wireless file sharing created a storm of controversy when Microsoft announced that ALL shared files would be limited to 3 days or 3 plays, even songs that artists have specifically licensed to be freely available with no such limitations.
So how did the Zune do during its first holiday season? It all depends on who you ask.
Microsoft isn’t likely to release specific sales figures for the Zune, but if the Amazon charts are any indication, Microsoft is now the number four manufacturer of digital audio players - behind Apple, SanDisk, and Creative. Microsoft claims they’re happy with the results. After all, this time last year they weren’t even on the list. Still, number four isn’t much to brag about — especially when you look at the companies that Microsoft has pulled ahead of. Microsoft has successfully toppled iRiver, and that’s about it.
Microsoft began lowering expectations shortly after the Zune’s release. The company now claims they’ll be happy to sell 1 million units by June 2007. By comparison, the iPod was expected to sell 20 million units during the 2006 holiday season. The Zune clearly has a lot of catching up to do.
Meanwhile, there are questions about the level of consumer satisfaction among the few people who actually own Zune’s. While Amazon features some glowing Zune reviews, there are also a fair number of bitter Zune owners out there.
Zune’s software has become notoriously buggy and the installation process has been a major headache for many Zune owners.
Then there’s that wireless file sharing that’s been so eagerly anticipated by Zune fans. Some brilliant Microsoft mind decided it would be hip to call the file sharing feature “squirting“. It’s really over the top when you consider the various alternate meanings for Zune. It’s what we commonly refer to as a marketing disaster. I have yet to find a women who wants to be squirted with a Zune. I’ve stopped asking.
Fortunately the Zune only squirts occasionally. As it turns out, some content providers aren’t hip to squirting. Instead, they’ve chosen to use Zune’s DRM to prevent squirting. The interesting part of this limitation is that it only affects songs that have been purchased through the Zune Marketplace. Worse yet, there’s no indication of the restriction prior to purchase. In order to find out if a song can be shared you have to purchase it, then try to squirt it. This has to violate some truth in advertising laws, but so far no one’s bothered to make an issue of it. Probably because so far whenever someone tries to squirt music from their Zune everyone else in the room ducks.
That’s Zune product manager Matt Jubilier dodging questions from the Hollywood Reporter about the squirting limitations in the video box at the end of this post. He doesn’t really seem to understand why people might be put out by the fact that the Zune doesn’t actually share the way it’s supposed to.
If all goes as planned, 2007 will bring at least one smaller capacity flash memory player and a Zune phone. In other words, we’re all in for more Zune whether we like it or not.
Technorati Tags: Zune, Microsoft, iPod, MP3, DRM
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29 Comment(s) so far
1. Rohit wrote on December 29th, 2006 at 1:13 pm
If ever anyone wants to read an article which is one sided and goes to feed “I am against MS so I am cool and right”, this is it. The reason why digital media is unsafe is because of stupid passion which runs in people.
The way to change DRM and other things is not by being against MS or any one else and sooner you guys realize it the sooner you guys will be taken seriously. The first thing you guys need to do is be fair other wise if MS is one extreme you are the other and to be frank I don’t give a hoots ass about either.
Best of luck!!
2. Kirk wrote on December 29th, 2006 at 2:38 pm
If ever anyone wants to read an article which is one sided and goes to feed “I am against MS so I am cool and right”, this is it.
This is the article? Really?! What about all of those other articles we wrote about Zune? Surely one of those must top this one.
So you really think it’s not Microsoft’s fault that they aren’t providing complete and accurate labeling in the Zune Marketplace? Then whose fault is it? Just curious.
We’ve had plenty say about DRM in general this year and it hasn’t all been about Microsoft. This is just an update on one small part of the larger DRM problem.
3. Jim wrote on December 29th, 2006 at 2:41 pm
Rohit,
What makes digital media “unsafe” (which is, of course, a pretty relative term, since digital media isn’t going to kill or even hurt anyone) isn’t sites like Medialoper that point out issues surrounding new digital players and the DRMing of music, but rather record companies that have used the digitalization of music as another way to put usage restrictions on consumers who purchase that music.
As far as being as being against MS, you must have missed our article where we praised MS for their partnership with several movie studios to offer downloads directly to the XBox.
And you must have missed when we praised MS for their book digitization project.
Sorry, but it ain’t all Microsoft Bashing, All Of The Time ’round here. We calls ‘em as we sees ‘em.
Nope, the reason we don’t like the Zune is that we have very high standards for digital content players — we’ve talked a lot about the shortcomings of the iPod and iTunes, and if you think that we’ve been mean to the Zune, you oughta check out our review of the Prism DuroSport 6000, which actually *is* unsafe, come to think about it.
Finally, the way to change “DRM and other things” is exactly the way we are going about it: pointing out the issues with it, one post at a time, and hoping that people will come around to our way of thinking.
4. alex wrote on December 29th, 2006 at 4:22 pm
What ever happened to the Microsoft Origami? At least you can see the Zune in stores and maybe also that ignorant friend who bought one.
5. Kirk wrote on December 29th, 2006 at 4:53 pm
Alex, you’re reading my mind. We’re not through with our year-end updates. I’m hoping to get to the Origami this weekend.
6. Jason Dunn wrote on December 29th, 2006 at 5:53 pm
Wow. This is the most focused FUD I’ve seen in a long while. I’ll be publishing a rebuttal on Zune Thoughts. I’m obviously pro-Zune, but you really take the cake here in terms of irrational, unbalanced anti-Zune thinking.
Jason Dunn
http://www.zunethoughts.com
7. Super Mike wrote on December 29th, 2006 at 6:29 pm
Have fun with your Zune. Port Linux to it and make it do things way beyond the intended design. Overcome any kind of DRM limitation. Or, imagine a portable, wireless website that could be used at conferences and then bragged about on stage. Cool stuff like that. Just like the XBox, Microsoft sells these things at a discount in order to make up the difference on the stuff you purchase to put on it, so every non-Microsoft-intended use you can think up for them sends Ballmer and Bill to the moon! ‘Doesn’t get any cooler than that.
8. Kirk wrote on December 29th, 2006 at 6:53 pm
Hey Jason - I look forward to your fair and balanced rebuttal. Maybe you can give us a sneak peak and rebut a few of my points right here.
9. YourMom wrote on December 29th, 2006 at 7:01 pm
Nothing happened to the Zune. It’s a great start for Microsoft. The same critics of the Zune probably wrote articles like “What happened to the XBox.”
Just wait for the next generation Zune. As always, Microsoft will refine and refine their products till they dominate the market.
A good question is not “What happened to the Zune?” but “Why are Apple iFanboys so hell- bent on bashing Microsoft?”
10. YourMom wrote on December 29th, 2006 at 7:03 pm
oh, by the way,
how does it feel to know your messiah, Steve Jobs, tried to steal money from the shareholders? keep drinking that koolaid, fanboy.
11. Kassia wrote on December 29th, 2006 at 7:15 pm
That video was scary. Seriously scary. As a consumer, if I’m buying the music with the expectation that I will be able to “squirt” it, then I believe it is incumbent upon Microsoft to tell me when the music I’ve purchased will not be shareable. Before I make the purchase. To hide behind the “we don’t discuss the specifics of our agreements with content providers” argument is lame. It is also very close to false advertising — they are promising the consumer a service that may or may not exist…and the consumer won’t know for sure until he or she tries to share the music.
I am curious about how the various Zune fans in this thread feel about this. As for the generational aspect of the Zune, sure it’s going to improve with each new version. The question next year will center around whether the improvements will be enough to gain the necessary momentum.
12. Kirk wrote on December 29th, 2006 at 7:23 pm
Hey Mom - I don’t have a Messiah, and we’ve been critical of Apple in the past as well. I’m no fan of iTunes or the Apple DRM scheme. I actively discourage people from buying iTunes music and videos.
A better question might be why is it that the Microsoft apologists are so hell bent on labeling all Microsoft criticism to be the work of Apple Zealots?
13. Jim wrote on December 29th, 2006 at 7:26 pm
Steve Jobs is not my Messiah. Brian is my Messiah. And I should know, I’ve followed a few.
Seriously, it is of course, dumbass knee-jerk shortsighted thinking to assume that anybody who bashes a Microsoft product is an automatic Apple worshiper.
And vice versa.
14. Infragable Crunk wrote on December 29th, 2006 at 7:44 pm
The fact that you can’t directly buy music with cash,(HAHA to 3000 point minimum purchases) and not ALL labels are signed on for the Zune to work with it’s ridiculous DRM. I say this article is dead on the money.
15. Stenar wrote on December 29th, 2006 at 9:13 pm
Zune will die soon.
http://www.Free-America.com
16. Buried Treasure Books: Weblog » Fleecing the Sheep wrote on December 29th, 2006 at 10:04 pm
[…] I have a theory: those sheeple who are so easily fleeced are probably the same people who bought Zunes for Christmas, if they had any money left over after they quit procrastinating and ponied up for Ms. Meyer’s $1500 hotel stays. I think I will keep my credulity force field intact by drinking a double dose of my morning mocha tomorrow and downloading a sermon by my favorite preacher onto my iPod. This one about the sheep and the goats looks especially good. […]
17. Dan wrote on December 29th, 2006 at 11:27 pm
Yep, sure was a bust. Zune sucks anyway. What did you expect?
18. squirtfan wrote on December 30th, 2006 at 3:27 am
I don’t see the problem.
Chances finding anyone with a zune to ’squirt’ your music to, are nearly zero anyway
19. Robert wrote on December 30th, 2006 at 10:29 am
I don’t have any problem with this article in the least. The criticism leveled by Pro-Zune users would be more valid if they addressed the central problems about the Zune raised here.
It goes without saying, but the mere fact that Zune sales haven’t hit 1 mil yet would indicate that the marketplace agrees with some of what Kirk has been saying about the Zune in general.
20. Clicked : Back on the horse wrote on December 30th, 2006 at 12:39 pm
[…] Posted: Saturday, December 30, 2006 11:54 AM by Will Femia I’m still catching up on a week’s worth of material, so bear with me. It looks like there were two big stories online while I was away. The first was a marketing scandal of sorts in which Microsoft gave out fancy new laptops pre-loaded with the new Vista operating system. The scandal is either that Microsoft expected the laptops to be returned or that Microsoft tried to buy good reviews from bloggers with these laptops, depending on what you click. What I clicked: Bribing Bloggers Now Microsoft wants its laptop back Nice first hand coverage of the story as it developed The Microsoft “Scandal” Microsoft “Gifts” and Ethics Edelman Has New Ethics Scandal Brewing With Microsoft’s Blogger Bribe Campaign Acer Ferrari 1000: The Unboxing - At the end of this one he mentions being recruited into something called The Vanishing Point Game. I’ll keep an eye out for what this is about but I’m burnt on this story, so let’s move on. The other big story while I was away was John Edwards announcing his presidential candidacy online. Usually I wouldn’t care, and in fact, my first reaction was that he’s a fool to try to pander to online pundits with a Webby gimmick, but he does seem to be using the Web in a smarter way. Judging by what I clicked, he’s using the Web as an organizing tool and it looks like he’s also able to influence political discourse with what he’s saying online. That might sound like nothing, but when you consider that what passes for online campaigning usually is hiring bloggers to speak for you and hosting a conference call press conference with bloggers, Edwards is taking things quite a bit further. What I clicked: The video announcement On his site he’s got links to a number of social site profiles, including a Flickr account. Edwards’ YouTube profile makes for a sort of video blog. Edwards on Rocketboom I think Seth Godin gets credit for coining “The YouTube President.” Of course, Edwards is only the YouTube candidate so far, and it may yet be the case that someone else makes good use of YouTube to gain the presidency. Kos notes Edwards’ use of the word “escalate” and later I saw it in this headline:AP: Many U.S. Troops in Iraq Oppose Escalation. Does Edwards deserve the credit for switching “surge” with “escalate” in the public dialogue? Elsewhere, this sentence stood out to me: “Americans,” Edwards kept saying,” have to be patriotic about something besides war.” I do think America’s reputation abroad is built on more than our militaristic image, but how many of those things are points of patriotic pride, encouraged by the media and politicians? Cartographers hit the road to bring updated online maps - It sounds like a cool job until you read it and find out they most chart new roads in exurb construction zones. Not exactly a sightseeing job. Dana Carvey as Tom Brokaw reporting Gerald Ford’s death in 1996. Funny, but a little bit not funny now that he’s actually dead. For what it’s worth, I have permission to link to the video of Saddam’s execution should it show up online. If it’s too graphic even for my standards - meaning no capitalized, bold faced “NOTE” could prepare you - I’ll probably revert to mentioning how you might go about finding it yourself. Judging by the descriptions I’ve read so far it sounds pretty tame. Of the parts they’re showing on TV it strikes me as a bizarre thing to have to do to explain to the man you’re about to hang how it’s going to go. For that matter, it’s amazing to think that the last thing Saddam learned was how to be hung. I’ll be interested to see how the U.S. media handles any video of the execution. It seems pretty crazy that we, as a country, would prosecute a war and all the violence that goes with it but be too squeamish to watch the enemy leader hang (and then change the channel to watch actors pretend to kill each other in a variety of ways as part of our regular entertainment diet). Speaking of Saddam and choking, while looking through YouTube videos I caught this clip from MSNBC of the anchor choking while reporting on Saddam’s hanging. I don’t know her but if I see her I’ll ask if she thinks it was coincidence or more. Speaking of violence as entertainment, the early Muppets were disturbingly violent. Speaking of below linking standards, last week’s Miss USA “news” brought Katie Rees into the spotlight. She’s a Miss Nevada who was found to have been photographed flashing some bare parts to a camera. Funniest line in the story: “Rees used the incident to helpfully warn other young women not to expose themselves in front of random people’s cameras.” Thanks, Katie, for that lesson. What’s confusing is that she said it was a one-time mistake when she was young, but then they found more photos, and when you look at them it looks like she’s doing one of those Girls Gone Wild videos. Not very sympathetic. NOTE: Now that TMZ has the photos they’ve put them on every related page making the time line a little confusing to follow. The photos appear to have come to light on the 27th. The photos are not work safe, even with little stars covering the naughty bits. This is the first one I clicked. The funny line is from this one. As for being below linking standards, if you take note of the photo credit on the TMZ site you’ll find the non-starred photos without much scrolling. I’ll link to dead dictators, but bare boobies of beauty queens? Never! Speaking of all that Miss USA news, I think the whole Rosie O’Donnell/Donald Trump thing is ridiculous but for what it’s worth, here’s Rosie’s blog. I think it’s weird, but who am I to judge? It’s her blog. What’s unfortunate is that their spat hasn’t resulted in any loftier discussion of beauty pageants and the practice of parading women around to be judged. Maybe that’s already been discussed to death. Speaking of parading women, or in this case girls, one item that is driving some discussion of eroticism in young American culture is this NY Times piece: Middle school girls gone wild Speaking of subverting feminism, Housework cuts breast cancer risk - Ah yes, it must be all those healthy cleaning chemicals. Don’t be surprised if the next time you go to the gym, everyone is in the bathroom scrubbing the toilets. After some nagging blog posts questioning their results, Google explains how they derived their annual zeitgeist report. It’s not a raw data report, but an editorial interpretation to show “the spirit of the time.” It might be said that editorial interpretations of aggregate data is in itself an indication of the spirit of the time. While there’s a lot of faith in social software, we seen frequent instances of the guidance of a human hand, this blog included. Speaking of search zeitgeist, ever read Yahoo’s buzzlog? They do a good job describing trends in their search data. Speaking of sites with a philosophy that’s helped by a human hand, Digg gets another cash infusion - This is mostly an inside baseball story, but it’s worth noting that most folks take it to mean Digg won’t be bought out. I was interested to read the line in the last update about Digg being “more likely to focus on partnering with other sites that have expressed integrating Digg’s format into their own sites.” It’s probably safe to predict that we’ll see site specific Digg pages in the new year. 100 things we didn’t know last year - I recently posted a link with this headline and I realize it was last year’s. This is this year’s. I know that no one cares about news from Africa unless there are celebrities collecting babies or giant rock concerts, but bloggers have been paying attention to fighting in Somalia (also involving Ethiopia). I caught a bit of CNN while in the airport yesterday and I didn’t see any mention of this in their Year in War, but it seems like the U.S. ought to pay attention when the subject is militarized Islamists. What I clicked: Somali troops enter capital city Are U.S. advisors helping the Ethiopians in Somalia? Somalia’s Islamists vow to continue fight Why Ethiopia is winning in Somalia Fall of Islamic courts NRA’s Secret Graphic Novel Revealed! iTunes Store Gags on Christmas Download Traffic - It surprises me that iTunes wouldn’t be ready for the rush. Meanwhile, whatever happened to Zune? (Painful video at the end of this piece.) Curse of the Golden Flower trailer - nicknamed “Curse of the Golden Corset.” Speaking of trailers, did you see the new Silver Surfer trailer? I wasn’t trilled with Fantastic Four as a movie, but the chase scene in this trailer is cool. This site lets you help your fellow automobile operators be more aware of their parking shortcomings. You know your country is in trouble when… Movie scenes rendered in office supplies - I only got 12 out of 20. History of religion - Remember that animated map of the spread of civilizations? This is the same thing only major religions. Fascinating. Architectural wonders 2006 25 really addictive flash games - We’ve seen most of these in the past, but try Double Wires. Speaking of addictive games, Line Rider has been updated. And did you know it’s going to be making the transition to console? Still speaking of addictive Flash games, Drunk Santa - I know we’re done with Santa but this is an interesting game. I got to 689 before giving up. It’s funny to see his appearance change as he gets drunker. Top 50 albums of 2006 - This is Pitchfork, so the implication is that if you aren’t familiar with these you’re officially uncool. Here’s Rolling Stone’s too. If Midnight is too late for you on New Year’s Eve, MSN is doing a trans-time zone event so you can pick an earlier one. I hope they make this into on-demand video afterward because I’d like to see some of these bands but I probably won’t be sitting in front of the computer on New Year’s (I hope). Change blindness is the coolest psychological quirk since the Jedi mind trick. Concept trucks 7 High-Tech Japanese Gadgets You Can’t Buy Noah Kalina, celebrated photographer, has released a new collection called “everyday/celebrity” in which he photographs his everyday self with celebrities. (I think I read somewhere that the celebs are from some kind of VH1 award show, but I can’t find where I read that.) […]
21. gollux wrote on December 30th, 2006 at 3:01 pm
Wow, that video just really inspires confidence. Hmmm…
22. Chris Koester’s Blog » Another Scathing Review of the Zune wrote on December 31st, 2006 at 10:21 am
[…] The Zune is Microsoft’s new MP3 player, and it seems to be a horrible product. I referenced a humorous review of the Zune in a previous post titled “Don’t Buy a Zune“. Here’s another review of the Zune: Whatever Happened to the Zune? […]
23. Hot Topics | Medialoper wrote on December 31st, 2006 at 11:32 am
[…] Whatever Happened To The Zune? […]
24. Zune : Whatever Happened To The Zune? wrote on May 2nd, 2007 at 1:04 am
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25. Zune : [from n0wak] Whatever Happened To The Zune? | Medialoper wrote on May 2nd, 2007 at 1:09 am
[…] Original post by del.icio.us/network/deusx […]
26. Zune Accessory » Whatever Happened To The Zune? wrote on May 16th, 2007 at 4:45 am
[…] post by Medialoper December 29th 2006 Posted to […]
27. The Perfect iPod: An iPhone Without the Phone | Medialoper wrote on July 12th, 2007 at 8:06 am
[…] there’s the Zune factor. Remember the poor Zune? WiFi was the only feature advantage the Zune held over the iPod — crippled as that feature […]
28. Julie P wrote on September 28th, 2007 at 3:57 pm
Give me squircle, or give me death!
Zune rulz
29. Kirk wrote on September 28th, 2007 at 5:02 pm
Julie, I’d probably take you more seriously if you weren’t link spamming for a site called Lipsuction Butt.