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Ballmer Hints at Zune's End as a Hardware Platform

Posted 03/25/09 at 08:01:25 AM  by Pulkit Chandna

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The end may be nigh for the Zune. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer came up with a measured reply – equal parts of realism and escapism – when queried about the Zune’s future by BusinessWeek editor Stephen Adler at the McGraw-Hill media conference in New York. Though Ballmer reiterated Microsoft’s commitment to the platform, he admitted that the company will not be pouring a lot of money into it.

He said that Zune is both a device and a service. “And the future may be the software/ecosystem on other devices,” Ballmer went on to add. This is being read as a veiled hint at Zune’s impending demise as a hardware platform; Zune may be reduced to an iTunes-like service for other hardware platforms.

Image Credit: Zune-Phone

COMMENTS:7
TAGS: iPod, music, Zune, hardware, service, steve ballmer, pmp
COMMENTS
avatarzune/ipod suck

Submitted by hogkill on Thu, 03/26/2009 - 2:25pm

My mp3 player (Sony, but pretty much any brand will do)

- costs 1/3rd the price of ipod/zune of equivalent capacity

- plays more music  formats (including windows and apple formats)

- plays FM radio

- came with noise cancelling earbuds

- is more sturdily built

- doesn't make me look like a complete tool

if u bought a zune or ipod u wasted your money and i will also glare at you if i see you

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avatarIpod

Submitted by mesiah on Fri, 03/27/2009 - 11:09pm

Ipods have always been inferior products to most major MP3 players on the market. But they succed for a couple of reasons.

1.) People buy them because they are "cool"

2.) People buy them because the people that think they are "cool" tell them they should.

3.) (and this is the one that drove me to buying an ipod) itunes. Apples underhanded business practice of not allowing any other mobile media player to use their file format has made any other "mp3 player" worthless. If you buy alot of music on itunes your only choice is to burn it all to CD, then rip it back to your computer as an mp3 before you transfer it to your mp3 player. And for most of us, thats just more hassle than were willing to deal with. This may have changed recently, but after my ipod broke after only a year of light use I vowed never to buy one again, and just dont bother with mobile media players. Most companies that take the aproach that apple did with the ipod fail misearably (i.e. sonys minidisc.) But because everyone and their brother runs out to buy their "cool" ipods, they can just keep pumping out the same inferior crap for years to come with no worries of any real competition (gameboy anyone?)

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avatarI use my PSP as my music

Submitted by dracoress on Wed, 03/25/2009 - 8:33am

I use my PSP as my music player and I download my MP3's from Amazon.  It's an all in one option for me.  Microsoft is failing me as a company (games for windows craptackular, game studios closing, etc) and Apple (aka Steve Jobs) is the DEVIL!

 I don't care if the Zune or the Ipods all brick up and fry.

 And I agree about Ballmer too.

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avatarZune could have been.. if only

Submitted by quickone on Wed, 03/25/2009 - 7:02am

The Zune really is a great device.  I have used an Ipod and Zune and I
be far prefer the Zune.  Microsoft seems to have gone into it half
heartedly, I have never seen an ad for Zune, no promotion = luke warm
sales.  Come to think of it, I cannot recall any advertising for
microsofts products, they pretty much rolled over and took it when
Apple started their commercials ripping vista apart.  A couple mojave
ones but for the most part nothing.  Either no confidence or too much arrogance

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avatarZune? Whats a Zune?

Submitted by BoxyBrown on Wed, 03/25/2009 - 6:20am

Just kidding. It's probably smart for Microsoft to get out of the MP3 hardware business. There is very little money to be made unless you can take significant market share from Apple. Competitors have been trying and have been spending a lot of money and only have a combined 20 to 30 percent. At some point MS will have to cut their losses and focus elsewhere. I think we will soon see other MP3 makers use the Zune software. Maybe sandisk can team up with MS and create something that could really stand up to the iPod. 

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avatarAw Crap. I love my Zune.

Submitted by lunchbox73 on Wed, 03/25/2009 - 5:47am

Aw Crap. I love my Zune. Hopefully it never dies. By the way, that Ballmer is one creepy looking dude. Microsoft couldn't find a CEO to hire who you didn't look like a bald paunchy pervert?

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avatarI agree, he is a creeper. 

Submitted by quickone on Wed, 03/25/2009 - 7:03am

I agree, he is a creeper.  He looks like those people who cover the
camera with their hand when they are picked up for child porn

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