Microsoft overhauls Zune division
13 comments
Filed in Portable Audio Devices
Here’s an interesting move: Microsoft, just days after the release of their brand new lineup of Zune personal media players, has announced that they will be replacing the head of their Zune division. The company has appointed Rick Thompson as the corporate VP in charge of Zune business operations. Thompson will report directly to J. Allard, the "mastermind" behind the entire Zune department. The move comes on the heels of the company’s new Zune launch, leading us to question whether they are happy with the direction that the new generation of Zunes are headed. Allard will still have final say over general Zune operations, but new blood is never a bad thing, right?
On Oct 8, 2007 @ 10:33 am, Dtest5477 Said:
Anytime you shake up the management right after product release, it says something is wrong. They are just missing the marketing on these, I’m sure they are good products but MS cannot make “cool” products. They will always be just a little bit geeky.
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On Oct 8, 2007 @ 10:47 am, JJLO Said:
Well said Dtest…
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On Oct 8, 2007 @ 11:01 am, xsighted Said:
it’s a business developement move, i think it came at the right time, now that they are getting serious about pushing the zune
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On Oct 8, 2007 @ 3:05 pm, AlphaVirus Said:
I finally got a chance to play with a Zune over the weekend and I must say it is a solid product. 1 thing I loved about it, NO lag. Compared to the iphone/pod that lags once you start putting things on it. The one I played with had about 10 movies, 100 songs, and a few pictures. The quality was superb as well considering the smaller screen than the iphone/pod.
I would not mind buying a Zune.
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On Oct 8, 2007 @ 3:20 pm, RAZRkid Said:
When will Microsoft learn what every other company that makes MP3 players know? It is impossible to topple the iPods!! It doesn’t matter if an iPod doesn’t have an FM radio or Wi-Fi sharing, as long as it’s an iPod, people will buy it instead of a Zune, and that’s that. You can switch the head of the Zune division around all you want, but it’s not going to make a difference. Microsoft should focus on Windows and XBOX360 because that’s where they’re outselling at. Everywhere else, like Internet browsers and MP3 players, they’re getting ravaged by Firefox and iPods.
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On Oct 8, 2007 @ 4:39 pm, RS Said:
I don’t think it’s any big deal. Seems like a natural progression as the product gets more mature.
After tinkering around with a friend’s Zune I was actually pretty impressed. The interface and responsiveness were very nice. And the upcoming generation pound-for-pound looks every bit as strong, if not a little stronger, than the Classic ipods (although there’s obviously no counterpoint to the Touch.) The Media Center integration is very attractive for a media center user like myself. They’ve actually got a natural trio of products in Windows Media Center, the Xbox and the Zune. They just need tighter integration and a single Itunes-like media management front-end so they can start to complement each other more.
I can’t decide whether they’re being stupid or smart by pricing each model the same as the comparable ipod. First instinct would say to undercut the ipod’s price. But I’d assume they’re now trying to position it as a premium product equal to the ipod. And with the exception of the Touch they might actually be right. It obviously won’t outsell the ipod anytime soon, but this generation could actually make a more noticeable dent in the sales of the ‘Classic’ ipod line.
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On Oct 8, 2007 @ 4:40 pm, MNZuning Said:
This isn’t a shakeup. Its the appointment of a permanent staffer to a position that’s been vacant for months.
http://www.zune-online.com/news/zune/rick-thomson-new-zunes-vice-president.html
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On Oct 8, 2007 @ 5:09 pm, David Hoff Said:
It’s funny that people are still attacking the market this way. It would seem that investment in any new product would be for a converged device with phone, gps, and media player. There’s a reason that you don’t see PDA devices anymore.
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On Oct 8, 2007 @ 5:28 pm, RS Said:
@David
That’s why I kind of wonder if the next-gen Zune device might be something of a convergence between the Zune and a portable Xbox. It seems like a natural progression given their product line and the shared content between these devices.
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On Oct 8, 2007 @ 5:39 pm, Nate Said:
I didn’t give a rip about the Zune, until Woot! started selling them for a hundred bucks. At that price, I’m the biggest Zune fanboy West of the Mississippi. Goodbye iPod.
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On Oct 8, 2007 @ 5:48 pm, Jibi Said:
J Allard not J. Allard… surprising that the Zune hasn’t done all that great under him, but it may show either the evolution of this particular market space or the de-evolution of Allard’s skills as a CTO in Redmond.
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On Oct 8, 2007 @ 6:56 pm, Jeff B. Said:
These new Zunes are HOTT, it doesn’t matter what you all say. They are actually something that’s cool…ish and came from MS, I bet your all just scared they might ding the iPod market.
Naw just playin’, but they are pretty hott little toys.
I bet somehow, like everything MS touches, they will have some major malfunction/problem that they’ll fix.
In due time Microsoft, in due time you’ll see something go wrong. Whether it will be small heatsyncs, overheating processors, or something else in due time something will bust.
Just you watch.
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On Oct 8, 2007 @ 7:22 pm, JJLO Said:
Does any one know if you can migrate from an ipod to a zune?
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