Microsoft Kills the Zune

[Frozen Donkey Wheel2]

Wait, are we sure it was Microsoft? I was under the impression that it was, you know, the consumers.

Or the butler.

 

[Ironic Pirate]

Apple fans. Sheep are incapable of buying things, being sheep.

Sheep: One falls off a cliff and dies, the rest follow just because the one did. Analogy well enough appropriate for all the idiotic Apple love.

And I assume you think you're the aloof, superior wolf, right?

On a side note, sheep actually aren't that stupid, a rather hilarious misconception considering the usage of the term.

 

[Rivers Wells]

Ok, the last line in this article got me pretty good.

EDIT: Also, in response to some of the Apple hate here: I own an iPhone, a Macbook, and an iMac. I prefer the Macbook and iMac over the PC's I've had and dealt with for several years.

Spoiler

 

[Doowoo]

Im Danish, and before i read this thread is was like... wtf is zune ?

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

Going toe to toe with Apple was never a good idea; Microsoft's target should have been the smaller players, like San-disk, Creative, and Cowon, all of whom put out a better product than apple at a lower cost, but none of whom have quite the market share that Apple does. Microsoft's plan with the Zune was akin to whoever currently owns the rights to the Amiga deciding to relaunch the OS, and trying to compete directly with Microsoft, instead of with Apple and the various Linux and Unix based systems.

 

[0_Insomnis_0]

Can anyone who bought a Zune truthfully say it's better than an iPod? Who didn't see this coming?

 

[Cogwheel]

Aw. I quite liked the Zune, pity they finished it off. They're right, though - doesn't make a whole lot of sense to go on when they're so spectacularly outmatched (popularity-wise, anyway. I like the Zune better).

 

[Yopaz]

Meh, I always prefered Archos anyway. I wanted a Zune, but from what I heard (please someone correct me if I'm wrong) it requires some softeware to transfer songs to it. Then I could just as well buy an iPod, though I hate Apple for various reasons, Mcrosoft slightly less so.
Prefer my open source Archos.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

Apple fans. Sheep are incapable of buying things, being sheep.

Sheep: One falls off a cliff and dies, the rest follow just because the one did. Analogy well enough appropriate for all the idiotic Apple love.

And I assume you think you're the aloof, superior wolf, right?

On a side note, sheep actually aren't that stupid, a rather hilarious misconception considering the usage of the term.

More lemmings than sheep methinks.

OT: Meh, whatever. I'm indifferent seeing as I use a terribly obsolete Mp3 player and I'm content as it is. If I wanted it to do anything more than play my tunes, I would just use my laptop instead.

[sub]Besides, I have my DS for mobile gaming.[/sub]

 

[SodaDew]

damn it! I just started to like them WTF Microsoft!

 

[robert022614]

well with phones nowadays wont pretty much all mp3 players be a waste soon?

 

[Jegsimmons]

i actually find the zune better than the ipod family over all, it just goes to show how no matter how good your technology is, if it isnt trendy it wont live.

 

[magma]

This blows, I brought my Zune HD launch day because of the two iPods that quit on me and resources hogging software we know as iTunes was really starting to piss me off. This thing has survive war with me and honestly has better sound quality than the iPods. Microsoft marketed this thing wrong and barely did anything with it in terms of games and apps. The Zune didn't fail, Microstupid did.

Never had any major problems with Zune or iTunes software. The Zune software and the interface of the device are a lot more user friendly than most music players out there (especially compared to iTunes, Zune's software is one of the few pieces of software that never initially baffled my parents and iTunes now griefs my parents since Zunes were hard to find offline since a bit before my father's died). Microsoft's marketing should have emphasized the audio/video quality (which is of a higher quality than the iPods I have tested and used) and their friendly software but instead (in Canada) we received almost no marketing. The games/apps were fine as any of these portable devices' primary uses are portable audio and video which is the strength of a Zune.

The only thing that is good about this development is it appears they will still sell them online for the time being so hopefully I can get one when the hard drive in my old 80GB one inevitably fails (I'm surprised the amount of use and abuse hasn't killed it yet). Hopefully Microsoft doesn't discontinue them before then.

 

[SageRuffin]

Well, shit. After all the lovely times I've enjoyed with my Zune and was looking forward to investing some dosh in the next size above the HD 64, Microsoft pulls this on me.

That means should my 120 ever croak, I'll be hard-pressed to find a new one. What kind of shit is this...

Addendum: Fuck me... this means that it's gonna be even more difficult to find accessories for my Zune now. D:

 

[Tim Latshaw]

I picked up a 1st gen 30GB Zune on sale a few years back. It's a brown brick of a unit, but it's served me faithfully since. I'll probably pick up an iPod after it eventually croaks, but my appreciation of the Zune will remain.

 

[Waaghpowa]

Seriously, whow the hell can Apple sustain this monopoly??

Zune was only ever available in America and Canada, iPods are available all across the world. Not hard to work out really.

Zunes available in Canada? That's a first for me seeing as I live in Canada and have NEVER seen one in any electronics store. I had to get one when I went to Blizzcon.

 

[Optimystic]

...can't believe this one hasn't come up yet:

Spoiler

Prophecy fulfilled.

Epic and very topical.
I guess in the extended reel Bill Gates showed up to put Zune out of his misery.

But honestly, I don't see the point in dedicated MP3 players anyway. My cellphone with Rhapsody and Pandora are all I need, and if I really want to, it can store and play MP3s too.

I know exactly how many electronic devices I want in my pockets; one! (not counting my car key remote.)

 

[Waaghpowa]

Apple fans. Sheep are incapable of buying things, being sheep.

Sheep: One falls off a cliff and dies, the rest follow just because the one did. Analogy well enough appropriate for all the idiotic Apple love.

And I assume you think you're the aloof, superior wolf, right?

On a side note, sheep actually aren't that stupid, a rather hilarious misconception considering the usage of the term.

See, when I hear the term "sheep" I assume more along the lines of "Following the herd". It's not that they're stupid, they just go along with everyone else because it's the collective norm.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

well with phones nowadays wont pretty much all mp3 players be a waste soon?

Maybe the fancy, high end iPod style, but the sub-$50 basic models will be around for a while. I can go to Wal-Mart right now and pick up a basic .MP3 player and a pre-paid phone for about $50 total, and not have to worry about data plans or anything else. There may not be much room at the top of the market, but there's plenty of room both at the bottom and in the middle.

 

[AstylahAthrys]

I really like my Zune, so... this kind of sucks.

Will the Zune Marketplace on XBL still be around? Or are just the players dying?