Zune and Marketplace come to scare rivals
Finally, Microsoft on Thursday has announced the release and cost details of its Zune digital media player and online music store, the Zune Marketplace. The software giant said in a statement that the wireless media player Zune along with its online services will hit US stores on November 14 this year, just in time for the holidays.
Similar in looks and workings of iPod, Microsoft’s Zune will now be sold at a cost matching Apple’s extremely popular digital music player. Zune device will retail for US$249.99 and the Zune Marketplace service will cost about US99 cents for a song, on par with prices at Apple's iTunes.
Chris Stephenson, general manager of global marketing for Zune, said, “On Nov. 14 we’re delivering not only a device, but a shared, social experience that will be shaped by the collective imagination of consumers,” adding that “We’re infusing the spirit of discovery and sharing into everything we do — from the experience we crafted around the device and service to pre-loading music and videos on every device to expose people to something new.”
Zune, whose retail price is US99 cents more than the iPod with the same amount of storage, will create new ways for entertainment fans to connect and share media experiences device-to-device through the use of wireless technology and new software scenarios, the Redmond company, said.
Emphasizing on the quality and intending not to trigger a major price war to gain market share, Microsoft with its Zune pricing is ready to bear the loss in this holiday season.
"We had to look at what was in the market and offer a competitive price," said Scott Erickson, Microsoft's senior director of product marketing for Zune. "We're not going to be profitable this holiday but the Zune project is a multi-year strategy."
Echoing with the software major, market analysts are also placing the quality, rather price, at top. "It's not going to be price that really drives people to Zune," asserts Michael Gartenberg, an analyst with Jupiter Research. "It's going to be the quality of the device and the quality of the experience that will make consumers' decisions. The price is a wash."
According to the world's largest software maker, Microsoft, the Zune player, which comes with a 30GB hard disk, 3 inch screen, FM tuner and wireless connectivity, with which the consumers will get an incredible entertainment experience right out of the media player.
Apart from some standard accessories, Zune users will also have access to an array of optional extras, like a car pack that costs US$79 and includes FM transmitter with AutoSeek and the Zune Car Charger, a travel pack for US$99, which includes the Zune Dual Connect Remote, Zune Premium Earphones, Zune Gear Bag, Zune Sync Cable and Zune AC Adapter and a home pack for US$99 that includes AV Output Cable, Zune Dock, Zune Wireless Remote with Lithium Battery, Zune Sync Cable and Zune AC Adapter to hook the Zune player into the home TV and stereo systems.
Zune Marketplace, as scheduled, will offer both a subscription service and the ability to purchase music and videos. Microsoft has announced that it will sell a music subscription pass for $US14.99 a month, enabling users to listen to any of the songs available on Zune Marketplace.
Users can purchase songs individually using Microsoft Points, for 79 points per track. Microsoft Points enables users to buy packages of points of 1200 for US$15, 2000 for US$25, and 4000 for US$50. Predictably, a song costs 79 points, equivalent to US$0.99, the same as Apple’s iTunes. The points can also be used to purchase other Microsoft products. Much like a pre-paid phone card, Microsoft Points is a stored value system that can be redeemed at a growing number of online stores, including the Xbox Live Marketplace.
Japanese electronics maker Toshiba is under the contract with Microsoft to manufacture the Zune.
No details of pricing and release for the Australian, Europen and other non-US markets are yet available.
delicious
digg
ignorant.
no, jackass, putting an FM radio on an mp3 player isn't going backwards, the point of an MP3 player is to have portable media, and there are people who actually like to listen to talk radio, live radio, things that you can't just "download" and put onto your player. Think globally, man, a lot of the better selling non-apple mp3 players have implemented not only FM radios, but FM recorders, so you can actually record directly from the radio, and with proprietary software, kick it back to your PC and crop it and keep it. That's pretty cool to me. Obviously, the iPod is going to have a plethora of accessories, because it's been on the market for much longer, and these so-called car i-pod hookups are nothing more than 2.5mm auxiliary jacks, which will work with the zune or any other mp3 player, anything that has an audio out via a headphone jack, for that matter. This Zune has a lot of really awesome features, especially the I.R. feature, which will let you see what other players in your vicinity are listening to, and actually giving you the option to stream it right on your player and purchase it when you get home. That's awesome. Here's the real point, dude. Quit being such a douchebag and open your mind, Toshiba is going to be manufacturing this bad boy, and last I checked, although it didn't sell too well, the gigabeat series from toshiba was stacked with features, had an awesomely vibrant color screen, was really durable and had a fantastic battery life. Get bent.
"These things will be a lot harder to find for the Holidays.."
absolutely - retailers will stop stocking them after no-one shows up to purchase them - and the ones that did return it when finding that most music bought online does not work on this.
"even the Brown ones"
This is the funniest color ever chosen for an mp3 player.
AM
Weak, pathetic, ugly,
Weak, pathetic, ugly, laughable. I can hardly believe Microsoft released this product. A cheap, poorly thought out imitation. Nothing new to offer, not even cheaper. Why bother even showing up? Microsoft should fire all of its employees and hire some people with a few ounces of creativity.
Are you for hire? Oh
Are you for hire? Oh wait... you said people with a few ounces of creativity... nevermind.
This thing kicks butt...
Let me see - Wireless, 3" Video, TV out, Radio, 30GB, etc,etc.
How long until Apple can put out a comparable package?
Way too late, and it'll be hurried and even MORE unreliable as the typical junk they make.
Why else would apple have to lower prices on their 'Dad's Generation'
players? Too much money for too few features.
These things will be a lot harder to find for the Holidays than ANY crapPod, even the Brown ones.
Read on:
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1869042,00.html
Personally, I welcome the Zune
After experiencing nothing but problems with my iPod and having it turn into a 300 dollar paper weight 2 years after purchase, I'm excited about a product with the features the Zune has and the fact that I'm not buying a "pretty" product of Apple's that costs more with less functionality.
Although Microsoft is known as being full of problems and such... I use Microsoft products every day and have no problems (while I try to troubleshoot my friends macs as none of them know how to use their overpriced asthetic toys).
But thats just my two cents.
Yawn. Typical fanboy troll.
Yawn. Typical fanboy troll. Go make up your fake experiences somewhere else.
Amusing. Pundits believe
Amusing. Pundits believe that Zune's wireless transmit a piece will earn sonsumer points. They're wrong: the DRM imposed on every transfer -- even music I've made myself must be wrapped in the "3 plays or 3 days till death" -- will kill the bling of this 'feature'.
Missing the point
I seem to recall hearing the same "meh" when IE first rolled out to compete against Netscape.
It's premature to make a call on how well the device will do with consumers. For sure, it will not dethrone Apple in v1. I don't believe it will begin to cause Apple to lose market share until v3.
But that's always been Microsoft's strategy: Get into the market with an offering. See how people use it. Adjust. Adjust. Adjust.
Hard-core, polar opposite types who are Apple/Open Source/Code-hugging hippies will stick with their brand and eschew MSFT just for spite. But they're not the target market, now are they?
Wi-Fi sharing on the Zune
Three predictions:
1. Hackers will exploit the platform with data-damaging and irritating worms, bots and viruses. [anybody got at egg-timer?]
2. The vulnerabilities will involve "buffer overload" -- Microsoft has not figured out how to check a *%^$ buffer to THIS DAY!
3. The product won't find its market niche until they integrate a still/video camera in it.
Zune Doomed, a non-event
Microsoft has the money to make noise of course; but whatever happened to their criticism of 'closed systems', specifically Apple's iPod/iTunes? The Zune and its accompanying 'marketplace' is exactly that...a cheap copy of what Apple has been so successful at. And, it's laughable that Microsoft's "Plays For Sure" DRM scheme WON'T PLAY on their own Zune!!! When Apple cut the price on their latest iPods, Microsoft had to drop their price to an uncomfortable low to at least be competitive. This is just another example in the long history of Microsoft wishing it was Apple, imitating, but not getting it quite right, not understanding consumers and what motivates them. Add that to the fact that they will now lose $50 on every Zune sold, and you have a total non-event here. The hip factor is completely absent; the Zune is a redecorated Toshiba with a fake click wheel, and no one wants a brown music player either. I am sure there is a small niche of engineers and office-bound people who will buy one, but I expect this to be just another turd like the now-historical Dell DJ. A company can not be all things to all people, especially when you have a horrible reputation for making bloated and buggy software like Microsoft. They simply aren't COOL enough to sell music and movies, and should not even have tried. It's like when you were in high school, and you wanted to be like the cool and popular kids, but you didn't really understand what made them cool or popular. Microsoft has lowered itself to just another wannabe.
Meh..
I'm sure that apple has nothing to worry about. In order to dethrone a highly successful pruct or trend, you need something truely revolutionary. The ipod for instance, was successful because it was nothing like the music device of the time which was most popular: the sony walkman. Another example of this would be when the personal computers "dethroned" IBM in their domination of the computer market with their mainframe computers.
Zune is not this. It is mearly a copy, and an ill copy at that. Though it does have a few tricks and is better than any of the other "ipod killers" that have come around before, it still can not play video and is not a different enough product to affect Appl'e market share.
What I expect to see is Zune shutting down all of the other mp3 players if they're lucky. But as for touching apple, I doubt it.
you say "as
you say "as for touching apple, I doubt it." WITHOUT the Zune on the market, apple has begun to loose market share. At one time, they were slightly over 90% of the market, and the last public figures showed apple at barely above 70% of the market.
Apple is loosing market share without Microsoft competing against them.
Apple (iPod) is NOT loosing marketshare... that is a myth..
propagated by people who dont know how to count or read. Apple (iPod) market share has consitently INCREASED every quarter - what you are talking about was decrease is sales from the holiday quarter to the next - which is there with every consumer product.
Stop the FUD.
zune
Since the two products are identical in price, and ipods have sold 60, 000, 000, and zune zero, what moron would buy one?
Perhaps all the people who
Perhaps all the people who want to try something new?
And where you saying this when the iPod first came out? The sony walkman has sold (insert number here) and the iPod has sold zero what moron would buy one.
Hm, how bout the smart one.
hilarious!!!
You've got to be kidding...what a joke...I can't even believe this is even making it as "news"...putting out a copy of whatever Mac does seems to be Microsoft's only strategy...why would anyone want an FM radio on their MP3 player...isn't that going backwards...the whole point to having an MP3 player is to play your own tunes without all of the advertisement heard on the radio...besides, telling me the accesories are something I should get excited about insults my intelligence...try competing with a player that just made major deals with some major car manufacturers who are putting IPod hookups as part of their features and companies like Nike who just invested in putting IPod adapters built into their shoes so you can track your own pace and workout...not to mention some of the backpacks that allows you to use your IPods handsfree as the controls are on the backpacks...yeah...tell me why I'd want to buy an ugly IPod lookalike again?...oh yeah...an AC adapter and a home pack for $99...