Zune price cuts

re: Zune price cuts

robertsjoe — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:02:15 GMT

@mikegalos: "I'm sure Microsoft would be just fine with people buying a Zune when they shop for an "iPod"

But the user wouldn't be so stupid as to actually buy a lame-duck music player like a Zune when they expect the quality and superiority of an iPod.

The Zune is as niche as the Commodore 64 is today.

re: Zune price cuts

hodari — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 06:55:01 GMT

Does any one have numbers of how may Microsoft zunes are out there compared to Apple ipod ?

re: Zune price cuts

mikegalos@msn.com — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 06:40:19 GMT

subzero

While I'd agree that HD based music players are on their way out (and good riddance, a portable device is the last place to put a spinning hunk of metal or glass), I'd suspect first that solid state devices will take up the capacity challenge fairly soon. I do suspect, though, that they won't bother with the extra electronics of an SSD that are needed to make it emulate a spinning platter disk drive.

re: Zune price cuts

subzerohitman721 — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 05:41:54 GMT

@Mike Galos and Bettieblu,

I agree with you both that HD based MP3 players are fading away. I just think its sad. I really do enjoy my 30 GB iPod that I can store both videos and my music. I also agree that eventually when the GB cost comes down that SSD will be the future.

However I'm rapidly closing in on filling up my iPod and I'm contemplating grabbing a 120 GB before they sell out completely.

I also have to agree with Panache 1023 that a 120 GB iPod touch would be sweet. I'm tempted by the zune however, I've made the investment in the iTunes store. I'm happy overall with the service and ease of use. I just don't like the DRM. Hopefully, I hope DRM is on its way out as people manage to smash DRM encryption schemes lately.

As for the New Xbox Experience, as the Zune is apart of the 360 environment, I am pleasantly surprised by it. Trust me, I was a huge skeptic of this update. I've been tinkering with it for a little more than 24 hours. I have got to admit, its very clean and efficient. Its way better than the Wii's UI. The Wii's UI is horrible and feels so beta-ish. The music is annoying. The Avatars are much better in terms of their appearance. Yes, it copy's the Wii's Mii's. I think MS did a better job. The Avatars have feet and clothing. It looks like a more serious console. So I have to give Microsoft credit where its due. The new Xbox Experience is definitely better than I thought. So I'll eat crow and like it on this one.

re: Zune price cuts

shark47 — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 02:09:32 GMT

"Silly but I have seen it described that way in many articles.

My 360 has not been on a network since July, maybe I will plug it in and check it out. The screen shots I have seen make it look like the Wii avatars."

And you're complaining about Mike? They've made a lot of changes, but the only one the media uses to describe it is the one that is "copied". Again, this is just silly!

re: Zune price cuts

shark47 — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 23:29:42 GMT

Never say never...

That's all I would say.

re: Zune price cuts

chuckb84 — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:21:07 GMT

Mike,

"The misconception of having your brand become a generic phrase is that it corresponds into continued sales.

A lot of people who call any facial tissue "Kleenex" buy Puffs when they shop for "Kleenex"

A lot of people in the southern US who call any carbonated beverage a "Coke" buy Pepsi when they shop for "Coke"

I'm sure Microsoft would be just fine with people buying a Zune when they shop for an "iPod"."

There is some truth to the downside of having a brand name turned into a generic commodity name. Consider "Simonize" as a nearly extinct verb derived from an extinct (or nearly extinct?) product.

However, there is this little thing called the "iTunes Store" which serves to differentiate the iPod from everything else. Strictly for music, this differentiation means less than it used to, although the iTunes store is still easier to use than anything else. However, the "MP3 player" market is now a pretty specialized area, all iPods (and their competitors) do a lot more than that, so the IS adds a lot of product differentiation.

Paul long ago predicted--correctly--that MP3 players would be subsumed into phones. Of course, he got it totally wrong that this would spell doom for the iPod; instead the iPod turned into a "phone", or more correctly, into a portable computing device that is a phone, mp3 player, portable gaming device, GPS, etc.

I'm glad to see Microsoft compete on price; it'll keep Apple honest and might keep Microsoft in the game.

re: Zune price cuts

Dipsh t Admin — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:04:31 GMT

As of late I wouldn't agree with Mike very often, but I think he is right in this case vis-a-vis the brand name degradation. The concept of a name becoming generic does have some potential long term issues as it turns it in to more of a commodity than it does represent a brand. bettiblu it was you who took that out of context. He never said it was what has happened with the iPod. Although it came from a biased source, that doesn't automatically mean that the concept is wrong.

I think a better descriptor is Xerox. I wouldn't touch a piece of Xerox equipment with a 10 foot pole, but the term is still used to represent the generic "copier" equipment.

re: Zune price cuts

DRWAM — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 21:32:43 GMT

I like ya Mike. Criticism of Apple is often helpful to improvement in the future, or insight to my desktop's potential problems. Can I drive your Lotus now?

re: Zune price cuts

bettieblu — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 21:11:07 GMT

Actually Mike not filter at all, I just dont like you and think your a huge gas bag. I think you live on this site and love to tear anyone down that does not agree with your Microsoft view of everything or points out anything negative with anything Microsoft. Many have said the same thing.

Your track record speaks volumes for its self. Anyone on this site knows you took just that piece out my post and tried to diminish it because it was about Apples dominance. If you can bash Apple remotely you will. When you cant answer a question put to you because it would prove you wrong you will change the subject. At that same time in your limited view of the world Microsoft can do no wrong.

If I had said the same thing about MS dominance in a area like say desktop OS'es and how people think PC's are all Windows, you would not have said a thing. Or if you did you would have said I was right, by linking some study done in from the 70's.

Of course you picked just that out of my whole post. A post which gave credit to MS and Apple where they excelled and pointed out the challenges that MS has to increasing its market share against the only other real competitor.

Keep posting Mike, you will just prove my point.

re: Zune price cuts

mikegalos@msn.com — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:30:25 GMT

bettieblu

So you accused me of "turn[ing] that around in favor of MS and downplay[ing] the Apple advantage" by my posting a generic comment that wasn't about Apple.

Wow. That says a lot about the filter you use to view the world.

re: Zune price cuts

bettieblu — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 19:46:33 GMT

Lol Mike, but I did. I said iPod, as in the Apple iPod, is a house hold name, and that I have heard many people refer to any MP3 device as a iPod. You said that, that kind of recognition does not help.

Sort of like when people say "PC", its usually assumed they mean a personal computer with a version of Windows running on it.

re: Zune price cuts

mikegalos@msn.com — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 19:27:36 GMT

Actually, bettiblu, I never even mentioned Apple.

re: Zune price cuts

treestman — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 19:27:14 GMT

But the 4GB is dead, so this is essentially a blowout sale. A shame, really, as I think there's still a place for a 4GB player. I guess MS will kill it because Apple doesn't have one, but I think it's a mistake.

As for the others, is a $10 price cut really going to turn someone to an 8GB Zune that otherwise wanted an iPod? Not sure that's enough.

I think the big Zune news today is the changes to Zune pass. Now the $15 a month gets you 10 free DRM-free tracks to keep. If one assumes they'd buy 10 songs a month anyway (for $10), then the full subscription service could be considered to be only $5 a month. That makes it much, much more compelling for thise considering a subscription service,

re: Zune price cuts

bettieblu — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 19:18:40 GMT

Mike your right. You only pointed out that its note helpful for Apple, based on???? Your dislike of all things Apple?