Microsoft has announced that the Zune media player is officially dead: We recently announced that, going forward, Windows Phone will be the focus of our mobile music and video strategy, and that we will no longer be producing Zune players. So what does this mean for our current Zune users? Absolutely nothing. Your device will […]

Microsoft has revealed in a Security and Exchange Commission filing that the company’s Zune revenue in the 4th quarter of 2008 was less than half of what it was the previous year.

Is it time to start a Zune deathwatch?

Microsoft has announced its official response to the Zune 30’s leap year problem, which caused Zunes around the world to fail: My Zune 30 is frozen. What should I do? Follow these steps: Disconnect your Zune from USB and AC power sources. Because the player is frozen, its battery will drain—this is good. Wait until […]

Remember all the Year 2000 hype about computer systems all failing at the same time? It looks like it’s hit the Microsoft Zune – 9 years late. We’re going to apologize ahead of time to our friends at Microsoft, because we’re bringing the Zunetanic icon out of retirement for this one. Across the world, Zune […]

Last year, we called the Kindle “this year’s Zunetanic, an over-hyped iPod-wannabee.” A little harsh, maybe, but the prediction is panning out to be true.  Since then, Amazon has dropped the price for the Kindle, announced a lot more books for the device and sold in modest numbers, leading Amazon to admit that the device was […]

Microsoft today announced Zune updates, timed to upstage iPod/iTunes announcements anticipated from Apple on Tuesday.  Unfortunately for everybody who owns a portable media player, Microsoft’s announcements are woefully misguided and mistimed.  You have to give Microsoft credit for releasing another Zune update that brings new features to their existing players. Apple typically saves significant new features […]

Speculation is running wild on the Web about Microsoft possibly building a content censor into the Zune software. It comes as a result of a New York Times article that looked at why NBC pulled its TV content from Apple’s iTunes store and is now distributing it for the Zune. NYT’s Saul Hansell writes: Late […]

Molly Wood has a great take on the state of the Zune over at Crave, offering 5 reasons she’s leaving the Zune behind and a scary tale about how her Zune erased thousands of her songs: About two weeks ago, I was going on a trip. My Zune’s battery had run out, so I plugged […]

When Microsoft introduced the 2nd generation Zune portable media players last fall, it was clear that they’d done a lot to catch up with Apple’s iPods. If Amazon’s sales are any indicator, though, Microsoft’s 2nd Zune sales have tanked since their introduction. Apple’s iPods continue to dominate the list of top MP3 players at Amazon, […]