Today I saw a commercial for the Microsoft Zune mp3 player, and I thought does that thing still exist? When the Zune first came out it was being called the IPod killer. This new media player had the same functionality as the Apple IPod, plus a FM tuner, and wifi connectivity. The Zune is also not tied down to new software like the IPod is. In order to use your IPod you must use ITunes on your computer. The Zune has the ability to work with windows media player, which is already installed on most PC’s since it is included with windows. With these improved features you would think that the Zune would quickly capture a large portion of the business from Apple.
In reality the Zune is still underselling the IPod and it does not seem to be gaining much more ground. How could Microsoft have gone wrong? I believe that a big portion of the IPod’s success is tied to its looks. Apple took the normal black music players of the time and went in the completely opposite direction, a white player with white headphones. Walking around town you can immediately spot an IPod due to these characteristics. This helped to make the IPod a more “hip” device. The Zune has none of these distinctive features. The IPod also has many more accessories available from a variety of different companies. That is why I ended up buying the IPod myself, for its ability to dock to my home theater system and car stereo.
The Zune is still being made and improvements have been made over the previous designs. It will be interesting to see if these continued improvements will help Microsoft break further into the portable music industry.
