RIP Microsoft Zune brand • Hacker News Board

Re: RIP Microsoft Zune brand

#11

Post by chops » Tue, Feb 15, 2011, 10:22 PM UTC

As a longtime Zune user and appreciator, I'm hoping that the Zune-Pass will be rolled into something else and that existing devices won't suddenly lose access to the Zune-pass service songs ($15/mo for unlimited (DRMed) songs and 10 MP3 Downloads was generally great).

Further, if the Zune software becomes the "WP7" software, I won't really care so long as it still works with my existing devices.

If, on the other hand, my existing Zune stuff is ultimately gone and no longer supported, I guess it's back to Amazon MP3 for me.

I love my Zune, even when it came out I would say things like "Microsoft products generally suck, except the Zune is a pretty sweet device - they did that right". My opinion of MS has changed for the better since then, and it started with the Zune.

Re: RIP Microsoft Zune brand

#12

Post by Legion » Tue, Feb 15, 2011, 10:42 PM UTC

thasmin wrote: post #8

Yet another spin on the Microsoft brand carousel. Someone over there seems to think that if they give their product a certain name then people will start buying it. Zune seemed like a good brand. The products were of high quality and had good reputations. I feel like a few well placed articles titled "Zune: Microsoft's quiet success" or "Microsoft becomes the underdog with Zune" would have gone a long way.

I think the Zune launch tarnished the name so permanently that it never recovered. In too many peoples' eyes, it was always the poop-brown also-ran.

Which is too bad, because in many ways, the later Zunes were superior devices, although far too prone to sync problems. My old Zune became unrecognizable to the Zune software far too many times.

Re: RIP Microsoft Zune brand

#13

Post by jey » Tue, Feb 15, 2011, 10:48 PM UTC

Damn, I'll miss the self-mockingly absurdist tagline "Join the Social".

Re: RIP Microsoft Zune brand

#14

Post by spoiledtechie » Tue, Feb 15, 2011, 10:50 PM UTC

I hope they don't get rid of the player. That desktop player is by far the best one I have ever used except for maybe Winamp before AOL. Its too feature rich to get rid of. Yes, even better than iTunes.

Re: RIP Microsoft Zune brand

#15

Post by rbanffy » Tue, Feb 15, 2011, 10:55 PM UTC

r00fus wrote: post #4

So no more iPod Touch competitor? Perhaps it'll exist, but not be called the Zune HD (and run WP7 Apps). In fact, that would be quite cool (esp. if Nokia is in on this operation).

> So no more iPod Touch competitor?

Was it ever?

Re: RIP Microsoft Zune brand

#16

Post by thought_alarm » Tue, Feb 15, 2011, 10:56 PM UTC

Well, it was no surprise to most people that Microsoft could release a well-designed MP3 player well after the problem of the MP3 player had been solved. (Although, the Zune Desktop software was way too underpowered for my needs.)

It was also no surprise that it had little impact on the market. They have been 3 steps behind their competition for the entire time. Few differentiating features beyond music subscriptions; a useful feature for some, but clearly most music fans would rather collect music than rent it. And with no connection to their mobile smartphone strategy, the Zune HD was always a dead-end platform.

So the Zune brand is now toxic and worthless. They only way it's mentioned in popular culture is as a punchline to a joke. Microsoft has no choice but to trash it.

But Microsoft will regroup, rename and redesign their desktop music software (again) and release an iPod Touch-like device based on their WP7 platform. I wonder what they'll call it?

Re: RIP Microsoft Zune brand

#17

Post by Refringe » Tue, Feb 15, 2011, 10:56 PM UTC

spoiledtechie wrote: post #14

I hope they don't get rid of the player. That desktop player is by far the best one I have ever used except for maybe Winamp before AOL. Its too feature rich to get rid of. Yes, even better than iTunes.

I can't stand iTunes as a media player. I'm still using an old version of Winamp.

Re: RIP Microsoft Zune brand

#18

Post by rbanffy » Tue, Feb 15, 2011, 11:00 PM UTC

thasmin wrote: post #8

Yet another spin on the Microsoft brand carousel. Someone over there seems to think that if they give their product a certain name then people will start buying it. Zune seemed like a good brand. The products were of high quality and had good reputations. I feel like a few well placed articles titled "Zune: Microsoft's quiet success" or "Microsoft becomes the underdog with Zune" would have gone a long way.

> The products (...) had good reputations

Considering I never met anyone who actually owned one, Microsoft employees excepted, I am not surprised the reputation was good.

Re: RIP Microsoft Zune brand

#19

Post by rbanffy » Tue, Feb 15, 2011, 11:04 PM UTC

spoiledtechie wrote: post #14

I hope they don't get rid of the player. That desktop player is by far the best one I have ever used except for maybe Winamp before AOL. Its too feature rich to get rid of. Yes, even better than iTunes.

> Yes, even better than iTunes.

Beating iTunes is not exactly hard.

Re: RIP Microsoft Zune brand

#20

Post by makmanalp » Tue, Feb 15, 2011, 11:10 PM UTC

brondaire wrote: post #9

Although the Zune was largely a failure in terms of overall market share, it wasn't a bad product offering. * The Zune Pass was an excellent way to get music for a flat monthly rate, and the selection and price was competitive with Rhapsody and other services. * Zune hardware was always top-notch, with Zune devices having FM or HD radio. The Zune HD was particularly nice. * Zune Social was somewhat similar to last.fm…

Especially the hardware. Nice build quality overall with solid plastic and metal, slick braid-covered earbuds instead of plasticy ones. The UI was pretty awesome too, minus a few usability annoyances.