Wednesday, October 4, 2006
Computerworld: Why Microsoft's Zune Scares Apple to the Core
Posted by Jason Dunn in "Zune Talk" @ 08:55 PM
"Microsoft Corp. plans to launch a competitor to Apple Computer Inc.'s iPod, a wireless media player called the Zune, just in time for the holidays. Apple fans point and laugh at Microsoft's entry into a market totally dominated by the iPod and its transcendent design. Apple's media players are so good they have transformed consumer electronics, inspired a massive gadget "ecosystem" and spawned a thousand imitators. Every pretender to the media player throne -- and there have been hundreds -- has been thoroughly smacked down by Apple and its untouchable iPod. The secrets of iPod's success appear obvious: beauty, simplicity and "extreme coolness" -- three characteristics Microsoft has never achieved in any product. So why is Apple so scared? (I'll tell you why in a minute.)"
Mike Elgan, formerly of Windows Magazine (I knew I recognized that name) was kind enough to email me a link to his article the day it was published - them it promptly got lost in the vortex of chaos that is my Inbox and I'm just now posting on it. Such is life in the online world. At any rate, this article is probably the best overall wrap-up of what the Zune is, from top to bottom, that I've read. If you're still unsure of what the Zune is and does, give this a read. Elgan's analysis of why Apple should be scared is also spot on, though again this is a long-term game - no one should expect the Zune to have more than a very tiny percentage of the market by the end of the holiday season. But by the end of 2007 if all goes well? The Zune could be a bigger blip on Apple's radar.
Mike Elgan, formerly of Windows Magazine (I knew I recognized that name) was kind enough to email me a link to his article the day it was published - them it promptly got lost in the vortex of chaos that is my Inbox and I'm just now posting on it. Such is life in the online world. At any rate, this article is probably the best overall wrap-up of what the Zune is, from top to bottom, that I've read. If you're still unsure of what the Zune is and does, give this a read. Elgan's analysis of why Apple should be scared is also spot on, though again this is a long-term game - no one should expect the Zune to have more than a very tiny percentage of the market by the end of the holiday season. But by the end of 2007 if all goes well? The Zune could be a bigger blip on Apple's radar.
