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Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
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Microsoft: Zune HD is dead

By | October 4, 2011, 7:49am PDT

Summary: The Zune is dead, long live … ummm … Windows Phone?

Microsoft confirms something that most of us have known for a while … that the Zune HD is dead.

Microsoft confirms the news over on the Zune support portal [emphasis added]:

We recently announced that, going forward, Windows Phone will be the focus of our mobile music and video strategy, and that we will no longer be producing Zune players. So what does this mean for our current Zune users? Absolutely nothing. Your device will continue to work with Zune services just as it does today. And we will continue to honor the warranties of all devices for both current owners and those who buy our very last devices. Customer service has been, and will remain a top priority for us.

I suppose it was inevitable really. I do find it odd that Microsoft didn’t make a better job of rolling Zune into Windows Phone. That said, Zune wasn’t really that strong a brand in the first place.

Poll

Zune ... does it deserve to die?

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Topics

Microsoft Zune, Microsoft Corp., Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes is an internationally published technology author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology.

Disclosure

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

All opinions expressed on Hardware 2.0 are those of Adrian Kingsley-Hughes. Every effort is made to ensure that the information posted is accurate. If you have any comments, queries or corrections, please contact Adrian via the email link here. Any possible conflicts of interest will be posted below. [Updated: February 23, 2010] - Adrian Kingsley-Hughes has no business relationships, affiliations, investments, or other actual/potential conflicts of interest relating to the content posted so far on this blog.

Biography

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes is an internationally published technology author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology -- whether that be by learning to program, building a PC from a pile of parts, or helping them get the most from their new MP3 player or digital camera.

Adrian has authored/co-authored technical books on a variety of topics, ranging from programming to building and maintaining PCs. His most recent books include "Build the Ultimate Custom PC", "Beginning Programming" and "The PC Doctor's Fix It Yourself Guide". He has also written training manuals that have been used by a number of Fortune 500 companies.

Adrian also runs a popular blog under the name The PC Doctor, where he covers a range of computer-related topics -- from security to repairing and upgrading.

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Sacrificing productivity for music is lame.
Justwantmusic 1st May
I personally prefer to separate my phone from my music as it makes me money and a dead battery costs me money. With that said the little time I do spend listening to music on my phone is rather disappointing. Simple features like repeat? Either don't exist or it wasn't easy enough to figure out. That in itself gives you the quality of Zune as a player.
Running file management through it? Or should I say lack of file management through zune. Come on really. It was a huge step back in.

The simple media player and a seperate good old document file tree and I can make the extra money to go buy a separate product that is quality to play my music.

Zune doesn't deserve to just die! It should be tortured first for all the grief it caused people who use windows phones to be productive! Get back on the productivity wagon microsoft, Apple is getting better at that than you are at music players.

Angry Birds and Lady Gaga don't make me money!
View in thread
0 Votes
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No one can compete against Apple in this field
toddybottom 4th Oct
Apple is too strong.

Too ruthless.

There is no point in competing head to head against Apple.
0 Votes
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Except Amazon
tgschmidt 4th Oct
@toddybottom They will compete.
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Amazon is not competing head to head against Apple
toddybottom 4th Oct
@tgschmidt
Amazon was smart.
  • Flagged
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RE: Microsoft: Zune HD is dead
dave95. Updated - 4th Oct
@toddybottom

Yes Amazon is smart in how they're entering the market. You don't have to compete directly, to compete. Instead of trying to out spec Apple with yet another black Android slab, and at the same or higher price point. They're carving out their own space at the bottom of the tablet market, first. Focusing more on their software and their strong back-end (cloud) services rather than solely on hardware and specs like all the others.

Not much different from how Apple enters a market that's already dominated by another. Instead of releasing yet another qwerty (BlackBerry style) smart phone, and taking on BlackBerry in the enterprise space initially. The iPhone carved out its own lane in the consumer market with multi-touch innovations, more emphasis on great UI and new app store business model etc.

Microsoft tried to compete head to head with their Zune, offering much of the same media features as the iPod and pricing it roughly at the same price. And with no marketing push behind it. Big mistake. There was no real incentives for iPod users to leave their iPods for a Zune, at roughly the same price. And if there's no marketing then it will be ignored in the market.
  • Flagged
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RE: Microsoft: Zune HD is dead
WebSiteManager 4th Oct
@toddybottom
Apple is de-emphasizing the iPod, too. It seems that standalone MP3 players are dead, at least as a big player in the market. Your corner Walgreens will sell you something that can play MP3s, but you can get that functionality so many places as an add-on, both Zune and iPod have little future. (I'd even like it if they did...)
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RE: Microsoft: Zune HD is dead
Rama.NET 4th Oct
@WebSiteManager
Correct. iPod Classic, gone. They are more more moving towards the total iPhone/single device.
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RE: Microsoft: Zune HD is dead
Pittles 5th Oct
@WebSiteManager Sales maybe decreasing but is user count going up or down? The market is flooded with these devices. These are stepping stones to the next device (itouch = iphone). I think Microsoft is making a big mistake.
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RE: Microsoft: Zune HD is dead
jorjitop 4th Oct
@toddybottom
There were MP3 players before the iPod. But, the iPod was simply superior. Nothing ruthless there. By the time MS brought out the Zune, they were too little and too late.
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RE: Microsoft: Zune HD is dead
Cylon Centurion 4th Oct
Goodbye Zune. I'll be holding mine extra close tonight. Glad I bought one.
0 Votes
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Too bad there was only room for 1 media playing device
toddybottom 4th Oct
@Cylon Centurion
A healthier, more competitive market would have been more beneficial to consumers.
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RE: Microsoft: Zune HD is dead
partman1969@... 5th Oct
@toddybottom
It remains to be seen how consumers can be convinced to buy into a more competitive market at least by your definition. Consumers in the U.S. have a free market and have made their choices, maybe you should convince manufacturers to make something that is truly competitive but for now, the CONSUMER and their shopping preferences have spoken.
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RE: Microsoft: Zune HD is dead
Rama.NET 4th Oct
@Cylon Centurion
+1. I got mine from Windows Phone 7 Portal which Microsoft ran until last November, as a gift to one of my post there. It is my car music player and I am on road for a good amount of time. I also have iPod Touch 3rd Gen, which I gave it to my son to play Games/Apps. But these days he is using my Windows Phone more because of XBL. happy. I may trade his iPod Touch and get him his own WP7 probably.
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RE: Microsoft: Zune HD is dead
axet 4th Oct
mircosoft is dead... who gona is gonna using win phone again? i did in the past and i HATE IT!

who else wana try ? iphone users - no. android users - no?
0 Votes
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RE: Microsoft: Zune HD is dead
OhTheHumanity 4th Oct
@axet
I actually have the Zune HD and loved the interface and performance that I bought a Windows Phone and its even better. Haven't had one issue, hiccup, or slowdown on the device in 4 months. Not one time have I had to restart the phone like so many other smartphones on the market today. I wouldn't write them off just yet!
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I was an android user...
Yensi717 4th Oct
@axet

...now I'm a Windows Phone user. LOVE it. The reason I left android was the enormous fragmentation. I wanted a device that actually gets updates to the latest OS in a timely manner and doesn't have some horrid half-baked skin + widgets turning the entire experience into a giant cluster (censor).
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RE: Microsoft: Zune HD is dead
OhTheHumanity 4th Oct
@Yensi717
I also came from an HTC Incredible and though it was a great phone, it was not as solid as my Windows Phone. My girlfriend has a Samsung Galaxy and its a nice phone until issues with apps and such arise and "force quit" rears its ugly head. She also had an iPhone before that and I remember after some updates the phone was pretty much DOA and had to be restarted about every day to keep it going. For me to have a phone for 4 months and it work flawless is truly impressive and I have to give props to Microsoft for turning their ship around.
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RE: Microsoft: Zune HD is dead
Cylon Centurion 4th Oct
@axet

Can't tell if troll or...
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RE: Microsoft: Zune HD is dead
spaulagain 4th Oct
@axet

TROLL

I have a Windows Phone, especially with Mango it is farrrrr superior to my friends Android phones and even iPhone. Windows Phone is NOT Windows Mobile.

I wish the Zune would continue, it was the birthplace of the new metro UI and I love the direction it has lead Microsoft. At least the Zune PC Software and Zune Pass are still rocking!
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RE: Microsoft: Zune HD is dead
OhTheHumanity 4th Oct
@axet
well maybe i can try this again without someone deleting my comment like a little kid would do. You may want to go check out a Windows Phone 7 and not a Windows Mobile Phone, they are much much different and I can tell you that in 4 months of owning the HTC Trophy, it has never locked up once, had a hiccup, or any issue that I need to restart the phone or pop the battery. I will say after using it, it is the most reliable platform on the market now, just above the iPhone. Just ask someone that has one and they will tell you the same thing I just did.
0 Votes
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RE: Microsoft: Zune HD is dead
Rick_Kl 4th Oct
@OhTheHumanity Technically is it s new skin on Windows Mobile. Windows Phone uses the same core as Windows Mobile, with a few tweaks. Kind of like Windows 7 is basically Windows Vista with a bunch of tweaks. Neither is new, just updates of the previous version.
0 Votes
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Yes it should die, so should and will ipod
Johnny Vegas 4th Oct
and pda's, cameras, ewallets, etc. No reason for dedicated devices anymore.
0 Votes
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Zune is dead?? Really?
wackoae 4th Oct
Zune was a still born when it came out. MS cemented the coffin the day they release the "brick of s*!t" and the Zune brand became a big joke.
0 Votes
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RE: Microsoft: Zune HD is dead
Rick_Kl Updated - 4th Oct
@wackoae THe Zune was a non-starter because it was another version of Microsoft screwing its partners over. It was/is even more proprietary than the iPod (you have to run Windows to effectively use a Zune) . The original Zunes (see Toshiba Gigabeats) were overly large and did not work well at all. The Zune HD was overhyped, and under delivered (typical Microsoft product), and by the time it was real eased the train had not only left the station, but had stopped offering service to that station.
0 Votes
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It was a decent run.
genefitz1976 6th Oct
Zune came in late in the game, and actually gave competition for Apple. The player was a very good one at that, equalling the quality of the iPod, I believe it had some features slightly better than iPad. But it did come in late. At least Microsoft is doing it's best to honor it's customers.
0 Votes
+ -
Sacrificing productivity for music is lame.
Justwantmusic 1st May
I personally prefer to separate my phone from my music as it makes me money and a dead battery costs me money. With that said the little time I do spend listening to music on my phone is rather disappointing. Simple features like repeat? Either don't exist or it wasn't easy enough to figure out. That in itself gives you the quality of Zune as a player.
Running file management through it? Or should I say lack of file management through zune. Come on really. It was a huge step back in.

The simple media player and a seperate good old document file tree and I can make the extra money to go buy a separate product that is quality to play my music.

Zune doesn't deserve to just die! It should be tortured first for all the grief it caused people who use windows phones to be productive! Get back on the productivity wagon microsoft, Apple is getting better at that than you are at music players.

Angry Birds and Lady Gaga don't make me money!

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