Comments on: Top Five Reasons Why Zune Will Fail http://www.psynixis.com/blog/2006/10/26/top-five-reasons-why-zune-will-fail/ Simon Brocklehurst's Technology Blog Sun, 12 Oct 2008 04:46:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: simon http://www.psynixis.com/blog/2006/10/26/top-five-reasons-why-zune-will-fail/#comment-12963 simon Fri, 15 Dec 2006 19:16:05 +0000 http://www.psynixis.com/blog/2006/10/26/top-five-reasons-why-zune-will-fail/#comment-12963 Snakey - thank you for your (albeit inaccurate) summary of my blog post! The Zune sucks for the reasons given in the post. Not for the reasons you suggest. I'm afraid you're very much mistaken if you think I'm an iPod fanboy. The truth is: this post predicted that Zune would do badly in terms of sales, ahead of it going on the market. I have since been proved 100% correct. And, in fact, the sales figures for the *brown* Zune have been a complete disaster. No Zunes are selling in any kind of reasonable volume; but the brown Zune and white Zune are hardly selling at all. Apparently, Microsoft doesn't really intend to sell many MP3 players in the next decade - they're taking a long-term view of this market. So, the reason for me "ripping on the brown Zune" was because it showed a complete lack of understanding of good taste in design. Believe it or, I would actually have liked Zune to be a great product. Competition is good for consumers. I just don't think Zune is even close to being a good first attempt at an MP3 player. And the public agrees with me - because people just aren't buying Zunes. But anyway, please, be my guest: buy a brown Zune as a Christmas gift for someone. I'm sure whoever the lucky recipient is will be totally delighted with it. Snakey - thank you for your (albeit inaccurate) summary of my blog post! The Zune sucks for the reasons given in the post. Not for the reasons you suggest. I’m afraid you’re very much mistaken if you think I’m an iPod fanboy. The truth is: this post predicted that Zune would do badly in terms of sales, ahead of it going on the market. I have since been proved 100% correct.

And, in fact, the sales figures for the *brown* Zune have been a complete disaster. No Zunes are selling in any kind of reasonable volume; but the brown Zune and white Zune are hardly selling at all. Apparently, Microsoft doesn’t really intend to sell many MP3 players in the next decade - they’re taking a long-term view of this market.

So, the reason for me “ripping on the brown Zune” was because it showed a complete lack of understanding of good taste in design. Believe it or, I would actually have liked Zune to be a great product. Competition is good for consumers. I just don’t think Zune is even close to being a good first attempt at an MP3 player. And the public agrees with me - because people just aren’t buying Zunes.

But anyway, please, be my guest: buy a brown Zune as a Christmas gift for someone. I’m sure whoever the lucky recipient is will be totally delighted with it.

]]> By: Snakey J http://www.psynixis.com/blog/2006/10/26/top-five-reasons-why-zune-will-fail/#comment-12962 Snakey J Fri, 15 Dec 2006 18:49:33 +0000 http://www.psynixis.com/blog/2006/10/26/top-five-reasons-why-zune-will-fail/#comment-12962 I'm searching the web for objective opions on Zune v Ipod for a Christmas gift for someone. This has to be the dumbest sites I've come across. I'm starting to think that Ipod fanboys feel threatened by the Zune so they are resorting to knee-jerk opions and misinformation to make themselve feel better about carrying around their fashion accessory. Why rip on the Zune for coming in brown? The Ipod comes in some pretty sexy colours like light blue, pink, and lime green. Some people like those colours even if you don't. Let me sum up this little blog post for everyone. The Zune sucks becuase it's made by Microsoft and futhermore the Zune isn't an Ipod so ofcourse it sucks. I’m searching the web for objective opions on Zune v Ipod for a Christmas gift for someone.

This has to be the dumbest sites I’ve come across. I’m starting to think that Ipod fanboys feel threatened by the Zune so they are resorting to knee-jerk opions and misinformation to make themselve feel better about carrying around their fashion accessory.

Why rip on the Zune for coming in brown? The Ipod comes in some pretty sexy colours like light blue, pink, and lime green. Some people like those colours even if you don’t.

Let me sum up this little blog post for everyone. The Zune sucks becuase it’s made by Microsoft and futhermore the Zune isn’t an Ipod so ofcourse it sucks.

]]> By: simon http://www.psynixis.com/blog/2006/10/26/top-five-reasons-why-zune-will-fail/#comment-11753 simon Fri, 01 Dec 2006 09:31:18 +0000 http://www.psynixis.com/blog/2006/10/26/top-five-reasons-why-zune-will-fail/#comment-11753 LS - you're right that the screen is important to people who want to look at pictures or watch video. Not just screen *size*, but also screen *resolution* is important. I'm hoping that someone will make a great, sleek music player, that has a screen with a higher resolution that 320x240 at some point soon... at that point, watching movies on these devices will really start to take off... LS - you’re right that the screen is important to people who want to look at pictures or watch video. Not just screen *size*, but also screen *resolution* is important.

I’m hoping that someone will make a great, sleek music player, that has a screen with a higher resolution that 320×240 at some point soon… at that point, watching movies on these devices will really start to take off…

]]> By: LS http://www.psynixis.com/blog/2006/10/26/top-five-reasons-why-zune-will-fail/#comment-11734 LS Fri, 01 Dec 2006 05:52:50 +0000 http://www.psynixis.com/blog/2006/10/26/top-five-reasons-why-zune-will-fail/#comment-11734 I will buy a Zune. It has at least one USP: it has a bigger brighter screen. Cool? I think the beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I like the iPod, but I also like Zune. Color? White is like milk, like an egg, like many things. Brown is like many other things: brown hair, brown eyes. brown autumn leaves, ... I don't care it isn't a scroll wheel, many other respectable MP3 players don't have it either. If I like music and show some photos to my friends at a party or family dinner, I would easily prefer a bigger screen. The quality of the sound is similar, the size is similar (I take the small difference for the bigger screen). Both play MP3, videos and show pictures. I will buy a Zune. It has at least one USP: it has a bigger brighter screen. Cool? I think the beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I like the iPod, but I also like Zune. Color? White is like milk, like an egg, like many things. Brown is like many other things: brown hair, brown eyes. brown autumn leaves, …

I don’t care it isn’t a scroll wheel, many other respectable MP3 players don’t have it either. If I like music and show some photos to my friends at a party or family dinner, I would easily prefer a bigger screen. The quality of the sound is similar, the size is similar (I take the small difference for the bigger screen). Both play MP3, videos and show pictures.

]]> By: Al http://www.psynixis.com/blog/2006/10/26/top-five-reasons-why-zune-will-fail/#comment-11355 Al Mon, 27 Nov 2006 05:33:06 +0000 http://www.psynixis.com/blog/2006/10/26/top-five-reasons-why-zune-will-fail/#comment-11355 That brown always reminds me of one of Steve Jobs quotes he's been know to use when confronting an employee about some project failings--"You baked a great cake. But unfortunately, you used dog shit for frosting." And there it is, graphically for the world to see. That brown always reminds me of one of Steve Jobs quotes he’s been know to use when confronting an employee about some project failings–”You baked a great cake. But unfortunately, you used dog shit for frosting.” And there it is, graphically for the world to see.

]]> By: simon http://www.psynixis.com/blog/2006/10/26/top-five-reasons-why-zune-will-fail/#comment-11265 simon Sat, 25 Nov 2006 22:58:31 +0000 http://www.psynixis.com/blog/2006/10/26/top-five-reasons-why-zune-will-fail/#comment-11265 Marc... so girls and women are buying lots of brown Zunes then? I'm not sure they are. It's a music player - not an item of clothing, a pair of shoes, a bag or a belt. I'm just not sure the same rules apply. And, if MS were serious about targeting girls/women with Zune, they should probably have dumped the hard-drive in favour of a flash storage. Why? Because, I suspect that, on the whole, girls/women prefer smaller players e.g. prefer iPod nanos to the larger hard-drive-based iPods. Marc… so girls and women are buying lots of brown Zunes then? I’m not sure they are. It’s a music player - not an item of clothing, a pair of shoes, a bag or a belt. I’m just not sure the same rules apply.

And, if MS were serious about targeting girls/women with Zune, they should probably have dumped the hard-drive in favour of a flash storage. Why? Because, I suspect that, on the whole, girls/women prefer smaller players e.g. prefer iPod nanos to the larger hard-drive-based iPods.

]]> By: Marc Dencker http://www.psynixis.com/blog/2006/10/26/top-five-reasons-why-zune-will-fail/#comment-11240 Marc Dencker Sat, 25 Nov 2006 15:29:46 +0000 http://www.psynixis.com/blog/2006/10/26/top-five-reasons-why-zune-will-fail/#comment-11240 sorry to comment so late but I just started to read your blog as a result of the discussion we seem to have on the Zune's succes. Why is the Zune brown? Because it is the new fashion color. Go ask your wife/girlfriend see my post in september: http://marcd.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!611216EE7EB3297A!911.entry sorry to comment so late but I just started to read your blog as a result of the discussion we seem to have on the Zune’s succes.

Why is the Zune brown? Because it is the new fashion color. Go ask your wife/girlfriend
see my post in september:
http://marcd.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!611216EE7EB3297A!911.entry

]]> By: Chris http://www.psynixis.com/blog/2006/10/26/top-five-reasons-why-zune-will-fail/#comment-9985 Chris Mon, 13 Nov 2006 17:49:38 +0000 http://www.psynixis.com/blog/2006/10/26/top-five-reasons-why-zune-will-fail/#comment-9985 Very good analysis. I really liked your point about the fake scroll wheel. It serves no function other than to try to fool people who've never laid hands on (or read about) an iPod scroll wheel. It is classic MS: instead of creating something original, just slap on a 4-way button in the shape of a circle, and hope some clueless schmuck doesn't know the difference. Here's an interesting little factoid that Walter Mossberg reveals in his Wall Street Journal review: nowhere on the device will you see the name Microsoft. Are they too ashamed to put their own name on the Zune? Or is it an admission that doing so would make the Zune an even harder sell? Whatever the reason, the omission in itself speaks volumes. Very good analysis. I really liked your point about the fake scroll wheel. It serves no function other than to try to fool people who’ve never laid hands on (or read about) an iPod scroll wheel. It is classic MS: instead of creating something original, just slap on a 4-way button in the shape of a circle, and hope some clueless schmuck doesn’t know the difference.

Here’s an interesting little factoid that Walter Mossberg reveals in his Wall Street Journal review: nowhere on the device will you see the name Microsoft. Are they too ashamed to put their own name on the Zune? Or is it an admission that doing so would make the Zune an even harder sell? Whatever the reason, the omission in itself speaks volumes.

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