Several friends and co-workers have recently asked what I thought about the Zune player. Below is basically what I have told them and why I don’t think the Zune will succeed, and most certainly is not the “iPod Killer” toted by so many.
Everyone knows that this devise was rushed to the shelves for the holiday season. I have seen a few TV commercials, however I don’t see any great media buzz about the product. Since it’s debut it seems to have fallen off the radar. I would say Microsoft has the cash but they will never be able to compete with the marketing power Apple puts behind its products. This alone may be the main reason Zune will fail. “Out of sight out of mind”…
There is only one bonus feature that Zune (currently) has over the iPod. Wireless sharing… This is a cool feature and has been a major part of Microsoft’s promotion. This sounds like a great idea however it has a couple issues.
First issue is that you can only share songs with no Digital Rights Management (DRM). This is something that MS seems to have downplayed. There are restrictions on songs you actually pay for. Illegal songs and photos are no problem.
The second issue that I foresee being a problem is viruses. As we all know MS is famous for the viruses that target its systems. It wont be long before viruses infect the Zune. It’s wireless feature is a welcome banner asking for trouble. Wireless viruses have been around in cell phones for a couple of years now. It is only a mater of time.
The main reason I think the Zune will fail is that it will simply take to long or never have the integration abilities that are available with the iPod. If you need an adaptor for your car, stereo, etc. they are available by multiple retailers. All the big (and a lot of small) electronics manufactures are making products for the iPod.
The world has embraced the iPod. Even last week an airline company announced that you will be able to plug in your iPod and watch the in-flight movie on your iPod. All major automotive manufactures have built in connectivity to the car stereo.
There are hundreds of thousands of add-ons and gadgets for the iPod. Companies around the world have noticed it, and have spent millions to integrate with it. The iPod has been out for several years. MS will have to work really hard to catch up. I simply can not see the same manufactures and companies invest as heavily in Zune.