Article: Why Microsoft's Zune scares Apple to the core

[Garritan]

Computerworld has an article about Microsoft's newcompetitor to the Apple iPod, the wireless media player called Zune due out just in time for the holidays.

The article cites five reasons why Apple may fear the Zune, and why it may succeed where the dozens of imitators before it have failed.

"The Zune isn't just a music player, the article argues. Think of it as a portable, wireless, hardware version of MySpace. With the Zune, Microsoft is trying to launch a consumer media 'perfect storm.'" From the article: "Microsoft will make the movement of media between Windows, Soapbox and the Zune natural and seamless. The Zune interface is just like a miniature version of the Windows Media Center user interface and is very similar to some elements of Vista. Apple fans are overconfident in the iPod because Apple once commanded 92% of music player market share, a number that has since fallen to around 70%. About 30 million people own iPods. But Microsoft owns more than 90% of the worldwide operating systems market (compared with Apple's roughly 5%), representing some 300 million people. The company expects to have 200 million Vista users within two years."

[Richard Berg]

It will be an uphill battle, to be sure. Is 3 days / 3 plays enough bait to create "network effects" from scratch? (a critical mass of people; the chicken/egg problem) I wish they were a bit more liberal, especially when the underlying music is liberally licensed. As it stands, even if I want to distribute music I wrote myself over Wifi, the 3/3 barrier stands. (It does not "wrap them in DRM", as early critiques from Creative Commons and others thought, but the limitation is no less real.) Direct access to the Zune store, Soapbox, your PC, etc. does not work thru Wifi -- sure seems like a lot of $$ was spent on this feature without much payoff. My guess is that once the hardware is in place, the featuresets and community initiatives will be upgraded over time.

[Zacchino]

This is great news. Not that I'm a Microsoft fanatic, but because I'm just sick and tired of iPods and its bloated iTunes software (Just my honest user point of view).

I never bought an iPod because for me, having a cell phone, plus a media player, plus an usb key in my jeans is just too much. I'm more an all-in-one cell phone / media player / usb key kind of guy.

Anyway, competition benefits the consumer. So that's a great new.

[howardv]

Here's an interesting discussion exploring the Zune - Weedshare connection.

http://www.krimson-news.com/category/zune/

If you want to see how the 3-free-play thing works, here's a link to material I encoded a few years ago which I host on my own web site:

http://www.rtpress.com/weed_rt.htm

The only diifference I see between Weedshare and Zune is that Weedshare doesn't have a 3-day limit.

Howard

[David Abraham]

well it's not like Mr. Jobs didn't see this coming:

The problem is, the PC model doesn’t work in the consumer electronics industry, where you’ve got all these companies and some does one thing and another does another thing. It just doesn’t work. What’s going to happen is that Microsoft is going to have to get into the hardware business of making MP3 players. This year. X-player, or whatever.

(Steve Jobs)
from: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10853916...wsweek/page/2/

[Olen]

Anyone see the amazing new iPhone today? Something tells me that Apple was never "scared to the core" by Zune.

[Gamera]

Does anyone know anyone that's bought a Zune?

- G

[Richard Berg]

The figures I saw for MP3 player sales during the last holiday season were along the lines of Apple 70%, Sandisk 20%, Creative 4%, Zune 3%, various others totalling 3%. Anecdotally, lots of Zunes in & around Seattle. Probably not as many in Cupertino

[kitekrazy]

This is great news. Not that I'm a Microsoft fanatic, but because I'm just sick and tired of iPods and its bloated iTunes software (Just my honest user point of view).

I never bought an iPod because for me, having a cell phone, plus a media player, plus an usb key in my jeans is just too much. I'm more an all-in-one cell phone / media player / usb key kind of guy.

Anyway, competition benefits the consumer. So that's a great new.

So you don't think Microsoft bloats software?

I buy a lot of music off iTunes.

I don't own an iPod either. I guess you have to be careful with the ones that have a lot of moving parts.

I wonder with the next i-invention will be?

[Jcschild]

Does anyone know anyone that's bought a Zune?

- G

yup me
love it!

Scott
ADK