Zune Thoughts: ZDNet: Zune Has No Chance

"Microsoft's Zune music player has little or no chance of denting Apple's iPod juggernaut and contrary to all the digital ink spilled on product comparisons and reviews most of the reasons are strategic. Apple has built up quite a moat around its iPod business. Bottom line: Even if Microsoft's Zune is just a first volley it has a tough road ahead."

ZDNet blogger Larry Dignan offers up a pretty harsh opinion on Zune's chances of making a dent in the iPod juggernaut. He presents several arguments which basically all boil down to this: Apple has too big a market share and brand name. While this is a valid argument, there are plenty of examples that show this is far from bullet-proof, especially where Microsoft is involved. Need proof? Just ask Netscape, Palm, or Sony. Obviously these past examples don't mean that Zune is a shoo-in, but it does show that it's a bit naive to assume that iPod's dominance is so complete that there can be no true competition. However there is no mistaking that the Zune is going to have a long, hard road ahead, and Microsoft better not pull any punches.

What do you think Microsoft will need to do to pull market share?