Microsoft’s Zunetanic Sinking Fast
Dec 4th, 2006 | By James Lewin | Category: iPods & Portable Media Players, Strange 
Last week, when some experts wondered if reports of the Zune’s demise were premature, we called the Zune’s introduction a debacle and asked if the Zune should be shot out of a cannon.
It may be time to get that cannon ready.
Sales of the Zune sank last week, dropping Microsoft’s portable media player from second place to fifth place in just one week. Zune sales dropped to 2.1 percent of the market in the week ended Nov. 25, according to the market research firm NPD Group.
Zune sales sank as initial reviews of the Zune were largely negative, news came out that the Zune’s price included a controversial “major record label tax“, and SanDisk cut prices.
“Zune did OK in the first week and OK in the second week, but they haven’t had any major impact on Apple” according to NPD’s Stephen Baker.
Microsoft, the world’s largest software maker, is spending hundreds of millions of dollars on Zune to make a dent in Apple’s dominance in the portable media market. Microsoft now trails behind Apple, SanDisk, Creative and Memorex.
More about the Zune:
- Microsoft Zune First Look
- Microsoft Leaving Users Out Of Podcast Explosion
- The Reviews Are In: The Zune Zucks
- Bill Gates Says Zune Will Get Useful Wireless Features
- 7 Things Microsoft Needs to Do to Fix the Zune
- Steve Jobs: iPods Beat Zune For Connecting With Girls
- Newsweek Confuses Lame Zune Wireless Features With Female Ejaculation
- Five Reasons The Zune Is A Disappointment
- The Microsoft Zune Will Be Biggest Flop of 2007
via Bloomberg.com
I regularly browse through “podcasting-news.com” just to see what the buzz is on my beloved ipod. I have a 5G Black Video ipod and I am proud to hear that Apple is crushing the competetors. I was a bit dazzled when I first seen the Zune in the stores. It looked like it had a pretty good presentation. But that didn’t stop me from docking my ipod into the nearest Bose sound system display model to rock the socks off innocent by standers with a bit of “Pink Floyd” and a few movie minutes of “Dazed and Confuzed.” The ipod revolution continues!!
i have a zune – I find it amusing when “editors” proclaim the death of the zune. I have a 30gig video ipod and when it comes to videos, it doesnt even come close to the Zune. I prefer the shape and size of the ipod, and I also prefer itunes, but I much prefer the Zune interface. overall, I think zune will sit in 2nd place (above creative, sandisk etc) and behind the ipod.
btw, http://www.zunegroove.com seems to have plenty of upbeat news regarding the zune – I don’t think it’s all doom and gloom
I knew Zune was doomed when, while watching HDTV, a Zune ad came on that wasn’t HD. Apple iPod ads are *always* HD and really show off their products well.
Ranker
Thanks for the helpful link to your Zune site. Looks like nobody’s visited yet – do I get a prize or something?
[…] Sales of the Microsoft Zune sank from second place to fifth place in one week, according to the market research firm NPD Group. Zune sales dropped to 2.1 percent of the market in the week ended Nov. 25.read more | digg story Related Posts: Microsoft Zune player and software hands-on gallery (w/ pics) – EngadgetMicrosoft’s Zune aims to be social butterflyMicrosoft’s Zune is Definately No iPod10 reasons to hate Microsoft’s Zune […]
I love how zunegroove.com is featuring a youtube video of CNN’s Zune mini-review which ultimately ends on a negative note. Wait for the last 25 secs or so…..
[…] Sales of the Microsoft Zune sank from second place to fifth place in one week, according to the market research firm NPD Group. Zune sales dropped to 2.1 percent of the market in the week ended Nov. 25.read more | digg story […]
[…] read more | digg story […]
[…] On the other end of the mp3 spectrum is the Microsoft Zune. Its sales are down in the third week of its release. Which I guess is to be expected with all the bad press it has been getting. Which is a shame because I really want to like this thing. I really like the screen size and resolution and the interface looks great. It is a little bulky and from what I hear (I have only seen a display model) the software is the real downfall of this gadget. I think judgment needs to be reserved until the second or third version of this thing. It just seems to be Microsoft‚Äôs thing not so good in initial release, better in the second version and great in the third. I guess we‚Äôll have to wait and see if Microsoft has the stamina and patience to stick it out. […]
[…] In discussing the iPhone with various people, many people tend to ask “So what makes the iPhone so special?” To put it simply, the same thing that makes the iPod so special. The iPod wasn’t the first MP3 player on the market, nor does it have the most features. Apple is the epitome of the featureless-success. Hell, Microsoft’s Zune has a larger feature-set than the iPod, but why isn’t that catching on? […]
Hate to break it to the fanatics, but the Zune’s pathetic.
Wifi that won’t sync with my computer, or let me download music? Wrap all my music in DRM just for wanting to take it with me? MS pays the music industry a fee per Zune made, like I’m some kind of pirate? Can’t link my existing Urge account to my new Zune and bring my music to it? Horrid interface? Battery life worse than an iPod or Sansa? Doesn’t support RSS (or podcasts?)? Doesn’t work with Windows Media Player? Can’t play PlaysForSure media? Bulky? Brown?
Yeah. Sure. Welcome to the social. ::snerk:: MS had the opportunity to really kick Apple in gear and the two of them could have gone at it, making real competitive products. Now, that hope is gone.
The Zune fans say that future firmware upgrades will redeem their product, but why come to market with something so immature, then? Why trust the future with your 250 bucks when you can have what you want now in other players?
I think that just because it’s suddenly “cool” to hate Apple, like the Zune fans do, doesn’t mean that it’s right to ignore the Zune’s obvious horrible weaknesses. It’s not a compelling product at all.
[…] ** Podcasting News and podcasters everywhere (who the Zune won’t support) see through it. […]
[…] mszunefan, the self-described King of Zunes, has a new tat to show off. Whether or not you think it’s Zunetastic or Zunetarded probably depends a lot on what you think of Microsoft’s not-so-warmly-received portable media player. […]
[…] Microsoft will have a lot of work to do to rebuild interest in the Zune brand and to combat the “Zunetanic” moniker the first generation players earned. We’ve heard from insiders, though, that Microsoft is hiring people to help with the Zune’s podcasting capabilities, which may be a sign that Microsoft is committing the resources to create a more substantial Zune platform. […]
[…] Independent reviews are starting to come in on the Amazon Kindle, and it looks like the ebook reader is going to be this year’s Zunetanic, an over-hyped iPod-wannabee. […]