Find Your Valentine
Slog
News & ArtsThursday, September 17, 2009
Tech Ouch
Posted by Dan Savage on Thu, Sep 17, 2009 at 10:52 AM
The New York Times praises Microsoft's new Zune...
The new Zune, which replaces the old models, is Microsoft’s version of the iPod Touch—a gorgeous multitouch screen dominates the front. Its handsome, beveled metal case weighs next to nothing, yet still feels expensive and solid in the hand.... The software design is fluid, beautiful and incredibly responsive.
...before burying it:
Of course, there’s an elephant in this particular room, and it’s called the iTunes App Store. At this point, those 75,000 free or cheap add-on programs, which you can download directly to the Touch, are a juicy attraction indeed. Oh, the Zune has an app store, all right. As of today, there are exactly nine programs in the Zune App Store. Not 9,000 or 900 — nine. A calculator. Weather. A Space Invaders game. Woo-hoo.... after three years, hundreds of millions of dollars in advertising, and, yes, a lot of real innovation, the Zune has managed to claim a measly 1.1 percent of the music player market. Now, it’s one thing to fail because you’re greedy, or you’ve made disastrous design decisions, or you didn’t bother sweating the details. But none of that applies to the Zune. If this thing came out in a parallel universe where the iPod didn’t exist, it would be hailed as a god.No, the problem is the iPod’s head start—its catalog of music, movies, apps and accessories are ridiculously superior to the Zune’s—and the Zune’s reputation as the player for weirdos and losers. Among the under-25 set, “Zune” is a punch line.
1
If they keep it up, it might get so outsider it will be geek.
That said, this is the same New York Times that thinks Seattle's Washington Mutual tower is in "Kings County".
That said, this is the same New York Times that thinks Seattle's Washington Mutual tower is in "Kings County".
3
As a Zune owner I'm completely biased, but my view is that the Zune is meant for people who want a pure media experience. Why they have any apps at all, I don't know. I don't care about the apps. I already have a blackberry for phone / email / other shit. Zune is just a media player, evolved.
It's also worth mentioning that the dekstop software is infinitely better than iTunes.
It's also worth mentioning that the dekstop software is infinitely better than iTunes.
4
I got a good deal on my Zune but the only thing was it was the last one is stock and in pink, so it's like driving a Yugo.
5
It's too bad, because the Zune has a few things going for it that they do a shitty job of promoting. They promote iffy stuff like the built in radio or the spiffy Zune software. They don't promote the fact that you can download a song straight from WiFi (I've bought songs while sitting on the bus), or that for a few bucks a month you can get a subscription that allows you to download any song from the entire store and listen to it as long as you stay subscribed, or that the Zune Store uses the same Microsoft Points that are used in the Xbox store, so if you use the same account in both places you can share points in both places. No, they'd rather show you the innovative SQUARE BUTTON. How the hell did Microsoft become a operating system monopoly with such a shitty marketing division?
6
I don't see myself buying a Zune in the near future but this article doesn't exactly bury the product. It points out that it is in most respects the equal of the iTouch but they are too far behind in terms of marketing, advertising, etc. The actual end of the article drives home this point:
"It’s an outdated joke; the Zune HD player isn’t perfect, but it’s every bit as joyful, polished and satisfying as its rival. The question is whether Microsoft will stick it out long enough to close the catalog gap, the ecosystem gap and the image gap."
"It’s an outdated joke; the Zune HD player isn’t perfect, but it’s every bit as joyful, polished and satisfying as its rival. The question is whether Microsoft will stick it out long enough to close the catalog gap, the ecosystem gap and the image gap."
10
"the Zune Store uses the same Microsoft Points that are used in the Xbox store"
Bwah, hah, hah, hah hah hah.
Apple uses a little something you may have heard of: credit cards & USD.
Bwah, hah, hah, hah hah hah.
Apple uses a little something you may have heard of: credit cards & USD.
11
I love how Dan skips almost completely over two pages worth of praise from the article, then prints the negative piece in its entirety. He ignores the soul of what the NYT is actually saying. Consider this, which immediately follows the "'Zune' is a punch line" bit:
"It’s an outdated joke; the Zune HD player isn’t perfect, but it’s every bit as joyful, polished and satisfying as its rival."
The author then closes with:
"The question is whether Microsoft will stick it out long enough to close the catalog gap, the ecosystem gap and the image gap."
...which implies the NYT believes it's simply a matter of time and will. But you imply they "bury" it with criticism when in fact the entire thrust of the review is the opposite.
Look Dan, I know everybody hates Microsoft and you get to sound cool and hip by joining the chorus. But if you're going to quote a piece to make your argument, fucking at least try to accurately represent what the author is saying.
"It’s an outdated joke; the Zune HD player isn’t perfect, but it’s every bit as joyful, polished and satisfying as its rival."
The author then closes with:
"The question is whether Microsoft will stick it out long enough to close the catalog gap, the ecosystem gap and the image gap."
...which implies the NYT believes it's simply a matter of time and will. But you imply they "bury" it with criticism when in fact the entire thrust of the review is the opposite.
Look Dan, I know everybody hates Microsoft and you get to sound cool and hip by joining the chorus. But if you're going to quote a piece to make your argument, fucking at least try to accurately represent what the author is saying.
12
@5 is so right. I cannot overemphasize how great the monthly pass is in convenience, economics, and basic psychological shopping principles. My mom, sister, and I each keep our Zunes completely filled for $5/mo each. $5/month is essentially free. $5/mo is worth it even to people that pirate all their music just to know that all of your music will have the correct, uniform metatags, and it's nearly a divide-by-zero error when talking about how much cheaper it is than getting your stuff from iTunes.
13
I agree with @3. I own a 120GB Zune, and, from what I've seen, it is a superior player to the Apple products. Better user interface, better software, etc. I also own a smart phone, so I don't care about apps either. What I really wanted in an MP3 player was a kick ass device that holds all of my music all of the time.
I also agree with @5. Shitty shitty marketing on the Zune. They're also really trying to push the whole social networking aspect, which 1) with tiny market share is pointless, and 2) I'm not interested anyway. The big SQUARE BUTTON kicks ass though ... That is a big part of the user interface that blows away anything I've seen with iPods.
I also agree with @5. Shitty shitty marketing on the Zune. They're also really trying to push the whole social networking aspect, which 1) with tiny market share is pointless, and 2) I'm not interested anyway. The big SQUARE BUTTON kicks ass though ... That is a big part of the user interface that blows away anything I've seen with iPods.
14
@6 got there before I could post my rant...thanks for the backup. In conclusion: Pull your head outta yer ass, Savage.
15
To believe that somehow Apple has gained an unassailable lead in mobile apps is to forget that a couple years ago, they didn't even have a mobile apps offering. It won't be long before there is a reasonable suite of apps available for the Zune HD, and it does have a number of strengths that Microsoft might be able to make people understand. The Zune has always had better sound quality than iPods, the Zune Pass is one of the best deals going in music, and the integration that Microsoft will be able to offer with their other platforms will allow them to do things that Apple will have trouble matching.
16
I have one, and the device itself is great. I've had issues with bugs, but since installing the new software, I haven't had any that were Zune-related. Of course, that's been all of 3 days now, but anyway.
They need to pimp the Zune Marketplace, and the value of the monthly pass. You can fill your player for $15/mo.! I think that's pretty awesome. And yet, nobody knows about it. This is a problem.
Oh, and the new Smart DJ is pretty cool... kind of like Pandora, only without the stupid new commercials.
They need to pimp the Zune Marketplace, and the value of the monthly pass. You can fill your player for $15/mo.! I think that's pretty awesome. And yet, nobody knows about it. This is a problem.
Oh, and the new Smart DJ is pretty cool... kind of like Pandora, only without the stupid new commercials.
17
Whenever I see someone with a Zune (and it's not often), I feel vaguely sorry for them. Like their mom bought it for their birthday, not knowing any better, and now they're stuck.
The first Zune was a brick, thick and heavy and ugly, and froze up solid due to software issues. My iPod Touch may not be perfect, but I can use it for e-mail, light web surfing, movies, translation, and all the other stuff I need it to do. Zune's got quite a hill to climb, especially since they seem to be using the iPod as their R&D. Whatever Apple does, Microsoft does 18 months later. It's hard to look like an innovator when you're consistently a year late to market with your products.
I think the main problem with the Zune is that it's by Microsoft, and all their stuff sucks. Every person I know who has an Xbox 360--and there are lots!--has had to send it back at least once, and in one case three times, for repair. Plus it plays a dead format of DVD. Meanwhile, my PS3 has been chugging along problem-free for over 2 years, and plays blu-ray.
The first Zune was a brick, thick and heavy and ugly, and froze up solid due to software issues. My iPod Touch may not be perfect, but I can use it for e-mail, light web surfing, movies, translation, and all the other stuff I need it to do. Zune's got quite a hill to climb, especially since they seem to be using the iPod as their R&D. Whatever Apple does, Microsoft does 18 months later. It's hard to look like an innovator when you're consistently a year late to market with your products.
I think the main problem with the Zune is that it's by Microsoft, and all their stuff sucks. Every person I know who has an Xbox 360--and there are lots!--has had to send it back at least once, and in one case three times, for repair. Plus it plays a dead format of DVD. Meanwhile, my PS3 has been chugging along problem-free for over 2 years, and plays blu-ray.
18
I actually really like the Zune, although I don't own one yet since my old Creative Zen's working just fine. I like the styling and interface a lot more; it just feels like a more sophisticated brother to Ipod's candy colours and rounded, bubble aesthetic.
The WiFi feature is fucking amazing, but I can understand why 14-year-old girls and middle-aged parents might not grasp that; they just want something that plays music. Integration with the Xbox Marketplace also has relatively limited appeal (that is, you need to have an Xbox to really care).
I can see the Times' point. It's just too late to really compete; pretty much everyone who wants a player has one (and it's an iPod) and is brand-loyal. The iPod has even become shorthand for "mp3 player," like fucking Kleenex or Band-aid. Can't beat that kind of branding.
Once my Zen dies, though, I can safely say I'd be looking at a Zune next.
The WiFi feature is fucking amazing, but I can understand why 14-year-old girls and middle-aged parents might not grasp that; they just want something that plays music. Integration with the Xbox Marketplace also has relatively limited appeal (that is, you need to have an Xbox to really care).
I can see the Times' point. It's just too late to really compete; pretty much everyone who wants a player has one (and it's an iPod) and is brand-loyal. The iPod has even become shorthand for "mp3 player," like fucking Kleenex or Band-aid. Can't beat that kind of branding.
Once my Zen dies, though, I can safely say I'd be looking at a Zune next.
20
@17: You're comparing different products. The iPod touch came out in 2007; the first Zune in 2006. A year makes a huge difference for gadgets. To damn an entire line of products for its shitty debut is kind of short-sighted. Still, I think even asking Microsoft fanboys to call the company "innovative" is a stretch.
It might suck to own an Xbox if it had problems -- which it hasn't for us. We also haven't thrown out all our DVDs yet.
It might suck to own an Xbox if it had problems -- which it hasn't for us. We also haven't thrown out all our DVDs yet.
21
I love comments like 3:
" I already have a blackberry for phone / email / other shit. Zune is just a media player, evolved."
why wouldn't you buy an iphone so you can have all of that in ONE device? That was why i bought one.
Note to Microsoft employees: You don't have to drink the koolaid.
or 5:
"They don't promote the fact that you can download a song straight from WiFi"
um, you can do that with an ipod touch and iphone as well. and subscription service?!?! that's worked out soooooo well for Rhapsody hasn't it? And buying shit with a point system, in which MS keeps your spare points if you don't use them all? retarded.
Like 10 says: it's called cash/credit. how about we use that.
Wired basically had these same arguments a couple of days ago. Microsoft will keep throwing money at this, and it's not what they do best. they should have stayed out of the fight all together and focused on, uh, i dunno.... Vista.
" I already have a blackberry for phone / email / other shit. Zune is just a media player, evolved."
why wouldn't you buy an iphone so you can have all of that in ONE device? That was why i bought one.
Note to Microsoft employees: You don't have to drink the koolaid.
or 5:
"They don't promote the fact that you can download a song straight from WiFi"
um, you can do that with an ipod touch and iphone as well. and subscription service?!?! that's worked out soooooo well for Rhapsody hasn't it? And buying shit with a point system, in which MS keeps your spare points if you don't use them all? retarded.
Like 10 says: it's called cash/credit. how about we use that.
Wired basically had these same arguments a couple of days ago. Microsoft will keep throwing money at this, and it's not what they do best. they should have stayed out of the fight all together and focused on, uh, i dunno.... Vista.
22
I've never used the Zune, but I feel sexy when I use my iPhone. Do Zune people feel sexy? Just wondering....
23
I never buy anything from iTunes because it is proprietary. I don't want to forever be committed to Apple products to enjoy the music that I have purchased. If you buy a song, you should be able to play it on anything you have.
Made that mistake with Yahoo! Music and their fucking DRMs. When it went out of business, I had to repurchase many of the songs I'd already paid for so that I could play them on other players. Costly mistake not to be repeated.
Made that mistake with Yahoo! Music and their fucking DRMs. When it went out of business, I had to repurchase many of the songs I'd already paid for so that I could play them on other players. Costly mistake not to be repeated.
24
Why not say that the Zune works for some people, and the Ipod works for others. I don't have either. I use my regular ol' mobile phone, and XM. That is what works for me. I'd get an Iphone, but ATT's coverage is crap in Baltimore. I live downtown, near the Inner Harbor, and the stadiums, and I couldn't get a reliable signal at my house.
26
How are those commercials Microsoft preloads on the new Zune?
http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/20…
http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/20…
27
@21 You tell others not to drink the Microsoft Koolaid, yet you come off as nothing more than a typical Apple fanboy/Microsoft basher.
I've owned iPods for the last 6 years, and my next media player will not be an Apple product. That's not to say I've had any problems with my iPods, but Apple does not support their products very well (or at all) once the newer, shinier models come out. If the Zune HD manages to hit a 128gb drive by the time I'm ready for a new media player, Microsoft will be getting my money.
Regardless, iTunes is a fucking joke. It gets along with iPods well enough, but as a program, it's a fucking nightmare to deal with.
I've owned iPods for the last 6 years, and my next media player will not be an Apple product. That's not to say I've had any problems with my iPods, but Apple does not support their products very well (or at all) once the newer, shinier models come out. If the Zune HD manages to hit a 128gb drive by the time I'm ready for a new media player, Microsoft will be getting my money.
Regardless, iTunes is a fucking joke. It gets along with iPods well enough, but as a program, it's a fucking nightmare to deal with.
28
Oh, for eff's sake, 21. The Zune Marketplace takes credit cards. They just track balances in points. Which are the same type of points used by Xbox.
Also, Vista sucked. Everyone knows it. That is why there is Win7 now.
I don't want to buy an iPhone, even though they are pretty, because of the shitty AT&T service and plans (also, shitty, shitty battery life and inability to do picture messaging).
Also, Vista sucked. Everyone knows it. That is why there is Win7 now.
I don't want to buy an iPhone, even though they are pretty, because of the shitty AT&T service and plans (also, shitty, shitty battery life and inability to do picture messaging).
29
lily, you're missing the point. Apple DOES NOT TRACK BALANCES. There are no balances. They charge your card after you buy something. Like a normal store. Exactly the same way Amazon does for example.
Points solve problems for Microsoft. They solve issues of credit card fees, international pricing and regulation. They do nothing for customers.
I don't know about folks who use those cards or who have kids or what not, but for 9/10 people they want to buy something and get charged for it.
Points solve problems for Microsoft. They solve issues of credit card fees, international pricing and regulation. They do nothing for customers.
I don't know about folks who use those cards or who have kids or what not, but for 9/10 people they want to buy something and get charged for it.
31
I'm far from a Microsoft loyalist, but I do have a Zune. I bought it before the iPod touch hit the market, and at the time, the Zune I have (80GB) sold for half the price of a comparable iPod. The screen is bigger, and the sound quality on the headphones is incredible. They offered the exact same features, otherwise, so it was kind of a no-brainer.
The iPod touch changed the game, though. It went unanswered by Zune for way too long, and now the Zune's got a lot of catching up to do.
All in all, though Zune's a quality product. I think it gets picked on too much.
The iPod touch changed the game, though. It went unanswered by Zune for way too long, and now the Zune's got a lot of catching up to do.
All in all, though Zune's a quality product. I think it gets picked on too much.
34
Obviously, the Stranger disapproves of the new Zune for a reason they do not wish to disclose publicly: the new Zune HD removes the ability to squirt strangers in public.
38
In related news, Firefox now has browser dominance and OpenOffice has app dominance in the EU and the Far East.
Not a good day at the lazy M.
Not a good day at the lazy M.
39
I will never, never, never own a Zune or an iPod so long as I live. (Unless someone gives me one, but those that know me know that's a bad idea.)
I will never use DRM encrypted music so long as I live and there are alternatives available. But I'm not afraid to crack DRM encoded media, or reacquire an unencoded version, having already attained the rights to listen to it. Both iPod and Zune are simply fashion-marketed engines for companies to sell you your favorite media over and over again.
For a handheld app device, I'll look forward to something that supports open source software (say something Chrome or Linux based). The Archos 9 will do in a pinch, if it's cheap enough on release.
For a country that is afraid of getting anally violated without consent, folks in the US are awfully keen to let the multimedia industry butt-rape us without lube whenever they want.
Europe is significantly less inclined, and for that I am appreciative.
I will never use DRM encrypted music so long as I live and there are alternatives available. But I'm not afraid to crack DRM encoded media, or reacquire an unencoded version, having already attained the rights to listen to it. Both iPod and Zune are simply fashion-marketed engines for companies to sell you your favorite media over and over again.
For a handheld app device, I'll look forward to something that supports open source software (say something Chrome or Linux based). The Archos 9 will do in a pinch, if it's cheap enough on release.
For a country that is afraid of getting anally violated without consent, folks in the US are awfully keen to let the multimedia industry butt-rape us without lube whenever they want.
Europe is significantly less inclined, and for that I am appreciative.
41
God you're anal Uriel. The zune and ipod have both played mp3s and drm-free video from day 0. So, your point is? I'm somewhat baffled by the comparison of playing mp3s I bought from Amazon on my ipod to anal rape.
44
As a self-professed Apple fanboy, I love how postings like Dan's bring out the worst. On one side you have the iPod owners smugly trumpeting how superior their product is, and on the other side you have the Zune owners saying how they don't need features, quality, intangibles, aesthetics, etc.
Where's Reality Check in all of this?
Where's Reality Check in all of this?
Advertisement
Most Commented on Slog
-
SL Letter of the Day: Pill The Homos! by Dan Savage
-
Dear Huffington Post... by Dan Savage
-
Because Guns Make Us More Safer by Goldy
-
Slog Bible Study: Deuteronomy 21:10-14 by Goldy
-
The AP Is Reporting That Whitney Houston Is Dead by Paul Constant
-
Because Guns Make Us Safer by Goldy
-
The Rick Santorum Rally in Tacoma Probably Could Have Gone Better by Paul Constant
-
SL Letter of the Day: Daddy Loves Who? by Dan Savage
-
Gay Kids Are Still Killing Themselves by Dan Savage
-
Gregoire: "This is signed!" by Eli Sanders
RSS
Facebook
Twitter
Comments (45) RSS