Microsoft, the Zune, and getting beaten at its own game

When I see things like Microsoft's newest Zune, I actually feel pity for the company. Where Microsoft is good, it's great. But where it's an also-ran, it stinks. The Zune is a product that never should have been born. It adds nothing to the industry.

Except a nifty "community website":

The Redmond-based company also announced an online community website for the range, dubbed Zune Social. The beta site allows users to interact with one another and to create user cards, highlighting their favourite and currently playing tracks. However, cards can?t be traded.

The "community," which goes by the name of "John" when he's not online, awaits the social with bated breath.

The only way the Zune ever becomes relevant as more than an also-ran storage device is when the world goes DRM-free. Ironic, that. Apple's iPod is popular, in part, because it does to music what Microsoft does to office productivity: locks it up in proprietary formats that only work with its own "player."

Maybe Apple will trade its proprietary Fairplay DRM in exchange for Microsoft opening up its Office file formats? And maybe pigs will buy a Zune.

[darksavior47]

Not quite on the mark

I used to own an iPod and I now own a Zune, which I like a lot more. It was cheaper than a Nano, has 30 GB memory, and also plays videos. I understand your point about music being loaded with DRM, but there are ways to get around that. The only way a Zune isn't a better choice is if you bought your iTunes music and are too lazy to go and change the format.

[smartin684]

Not quite right

Zune original price for 30gb $249. Ipod Video 30 gb $249. Previoius style Nano 4GB $199. Dont know where you are getting your numbers, but they are wrong. I am talking original price. You can now buy the old zune for $180, but you can also buy the Previoius 4gb Nano for $129. Zune not cheaper, besides it is not the same form factor or capacity.

[botchagalupe]

Hey, I am online quite often...

Actually my wife and I decided to surprise each other last Christmas. She bought me a Zune and I bought her a Video IPOD. Now I use the IPOD and the Zune is in her closet.

Johnmwillis.com

[cosnet]

Zune is great.

I disagree totally but you are right there are lots of choices on the market for portable music players and most do a better job than Apple's. The Apple has market "coolness" and I have one of those too but I am not sad that I have a Zune and it is much more practicle than an iPOD video. So while there are others that have similar features to the Zune offers a nice style, great functionality. I only wish it would act as a normal hard drive and be able to beam files back and forth. With Apple you pay for the name and definitely not the functionality.