06.05.07 - 03:02pm
The Zune is turning Spiderman “red”, after going Easter “pink” in April. It would appear that Microsoft has not yet given up on the Zune finding some way to dent the MP3 market.
The Red Zune will be available exclusively at the Target store on Amazon beginning June 10th.
The Zune is currently fourth in the MP3 market with a 3 percent market share. It trails Sandisk which holds a 9 percent market share and Creative which holds a 4 percent market share, and of course Apple’s iPod which commands a 73 percent market share.
Category: Zune | Tags: color_schemes, market_share, mp3_market, RED, Zune | Be the First to Comment »
06.04.07 - 03:01pm
In an interview, Microsoft’s CEO Steve Ballmer told to a German magazine “we decided not to enter new markets so far” and will not do so until “after we have reached some of the goals outlined. When this will be the case, I cannot tell you today.”
Ballmer went on to say that the Zune was a business that was losing money and that to go into new markets would be dangerous.
While the Zune will apparently hit the 1 million mark this month, just in time for the June goal deadline, it is still 99 million units behind Apple’s iPod. Thus it is not exactly big news that the Zune has not quite become the “cash cow” that Microsoft has hoped it would be.
Zune product manager Cesar Menendez further clarified the situation, stating, “We will not expand the device family or our geographical footprint until we are positive that we can provide the best experience from the start.”
Category: Zune | Tags: 1_million, ceo_steve_ballmer, europe, german_magazine, Zune | Be the First to Comment »
05.29.07 - 04:29pm
Microsoft said they would sell 1 million Zunes within a year and they have crossed that goal line just a mere month before their initial end of June prediction!, or so was said in the San Franscisco Chronicle and reiterated in papers and blogs worldwide, it was however a slight misquote. (We should have known - it would seem like the millionth Zune sold, more than a month ahead of time, would have had Bill Gates sending out a universal “Party like its 1999″ Zune wi-fi sharing moment!) Instead, nothing - one article in the paper, with no official Microsoft fanfare announcement for Zune lovers at all - and after all that love.
The quote in the paper said this, “We’re still about nine months into having Zune in the marketplace. We’re very pleased with the progress. We’ve sold a little over a million Zunes. In the category we’re in, the hard-disk-based category, we’ve got about 10 percent market share. It’s a good start. It’s not an overwhelming start. I’m not going to pretend it’s some gigantic move.”
Category: Zune | Tags: misquote, one-millionth, party, san_franscisco_chronicle, Zune | Be the First to Comment »
05.18.07 - 12:24pm
Halo 2 is one of the most popular video games, ever, producing a record 125M in its first 24 hours on the market. Now, Halo 3 set to be released in September and it is already generating quite a stir in the video game world. It is a stir that Microsoft is hoping will propel lagging sales of the Zune forward.
The new Zune, which will be released next month will come encased in collectible packaging and come pre-loaded with artwork, trailers and music from all three “Halo” games. It will also include a new episode of “Red vs Blue” from the machinima creator Rooster Teeth Productions LLC.
The “Halo” Zune will be available June 15th, and Halo 3 will be kicked off on September 25th.
Category: Zune | Tags: halo_3, release-date, video_games, Zune | Be the First to Comment »
04.27.07 - 10:47am
Ipod Mods used to be a place where users would go to get there iPod repaired - simply send it in and presto a whole new to you working iPod.
Well, this iPod repair place has been venturing out also repairing Zunes as well so like Apple switching from Apple Computer Inc. to
just Apple Inc. the iPod Mods is changing their name to Rapid Repair so now you Zune users won’t feel like you’re being disloyal going to an iPod repair shop to fix your Zune.
The companies wrote that “The change comes as the result of the company’s rapid expansion into product and service offerings that now extend past iPod product repairs and modifications.â€
Word is they may even be expanding to fix other sorts of MP3 players beyond the Zune.
Category: iPod | Tags: iPod, mp3_players, rapid_repair, Zune | Be the First to Comment »
03.30.07 - 01:19pm
After having angry Zune users fill up the Zune blog with spiteful hateful comments when the update was not released on March 23rd, Microsoft got to work and has released the promised update!
The Zune 1.3 update takes on the skipping as well as making its more reliable when it is trying to dectect those other Zunes (after all the Zune was made to be “social”, it wants to shed its cocoon!)
And hey! no more putting the battery to sleep when the Zune is put to sleep with a still running FM tuner. Now your Zune can sleep nicely through the night and wake up still charged!
All in all a good Friday for all Zune users.
Category: Zune | Tags: battery, fm_tuner, skipping, Zune | Be the First to Comment »
12.21.06 - 04:27pm
The Zune did not exactly kick off with the roar of a lion, but more like the little beep of a lamb. CES, however could be set to help the Zune go from a beep to at least a bark.
Word is leaking out that one of the things that will be showcased at CES will be a barrage of Zune accessories.
The lack of accessories has been one in a list of reasons consumers avoid buying the Zune at least for the moment. The “made for iPod” monopoly is one of the things Microsoft is trying to challenge - and as a company familiar with monopolies they should know the tricks of the trade.
The Zune does have some accessories available, such as the M604 dock from Altec Lansing, the DLO Power Pack and an okay variety of others. A few though is not enough to come close to the over 3000 accessories available for the iPod, with everything from controlling your iPod through your clothing, with the iJacket, to a blitzkrieg of exotic iPod cases.
Category: Zune, iPod | Tags: ipod-video, Zune | Be the First to Comment »
12.08.06 - 01:30pm
The old joke of how Zune workers forgot to tell the Vista workers, can now be put in the shredder. It would seem the Vista people finally got all the buggs worked out, well at least by January 30th, when the apparently fixed and compatible Vista will be released.
Jason Reindorp, the Director of Marketing at Microsoft for Zune has made the announcement with a “this was always the plan” moment. It would seem the plan is perhaps to keep Windows XP around a little longer and perhaps even sell some more, since anyone receiving a Zune for Christmas, will not be able to download music through Vista till the end of January. (Hope anyone with Vista kept around their old, dead copy of XP).
Category: Zune | Tags: vista, Zune | Be the First to Comment »
11.29.06 - 07:11pm
The Zune is the but of jokes everywhere even hitting late night Letterman and Leno, yet Microsoft Corp. Chief Officer Executive Steve Ballmer says “we can beat them, but it’s not going to be easy,” referring to Apples dominance of the digital music player market. “The market will have two big players for a long time, us and Apple. Obviously we’re the David in this one. Apple’s the Goliath.”
The Goliath Apple is, as Microsoft is struggling to win sales. Even with free concerts by artists including rapper T.I. and rock group Red Hot Chili Peppers the Zune has not seemed to win over music fans. It has fallen on the Amazon’s list of digital music players from number seven initially to number 21. Still Microsoft has maintained that sales are where they should be. Zune Director Jason Reindorp stated initial sales “indicate we are on track to meet our internal business projections.” What their internal projections are, however remain secret as Microsoft has refused to disclose them.
Category: Zune, iPod | Tags: iPod, Zune | Be the First to Comment »
11.29.06 - 01:11pm
The iPod’s snowball effect appears to be a giant unstoppable force as it has rolled over, under and squashed the Zune during the Thanksgiving shopping weekend. Even an iPod accessory outsold the Zune. “The 30GB video iPods are selling well (and appear to be immune to the Zune),” wrote Deutsche Bank analyst Chris Whitmore in a research note.
Apple’s iPods claimed five of the top 10 spots on the list of most-purchased consumer electronic items sold through Amazon.com, and 10 of the top 25 spots. According to Amazon, Apple’s silver 2GB iPod Nano was the top selling electronic device, followed by the black 30GB video iPod and the Shuffle landed in third. By comparison the Zune landed at number 75 trailing even iPod’s USB power adapter which came in at number 65.
Category: Zune, iPod | Tags: ipods, ipod_accessory, Zune | Be the First to Comment »
