Microsoft Reportedly Ends Zune Hardware Development 276
ideaz tips this Bloomberg report:
"Microsoft Corp. will cease introducing new versions of the Zune music and video-player amid tepid demand, helping the company shift its focus to mobile phones, according to a person familiar with the decision. The company will concentrate on putting Zune software onto mobile phones such as those running Microsoft’s Windows operating system, said the person, who declined to be identified because the decision hasn’t been announced. Zune software lets customers buy songs and movies, as well as pay a monthly fee to stream unlimited music."
Re:What a joke. (Score:2, Informative)
Why? Seems to be pretty much spot on. MS has been playing catchup for years. Only their obscene warchest (and Office lock-in) has kept them going.
Re:What a joke. (Score:2, Informative)
Don't be silly, bashing Microsoft is the only proven way to get modded up on Slashdot. Doesn't even matter if what you say is true or not.
Re:And in other news (Score:2, Informative)
Poison Beer Incorporated will now be concentrating on Thalidomide Cola, where it sees the future of its toxic drink product sales.
Not to take a joke seriously, but Thalidomide isn't very "toxic." That was one of it's selling points in fact. It is a potent teratogen, but those of us who are fully formed, it appears safer than most medicines.
It had been tested extensively on mice and found to be nontoxic. It was so harmless, in fact, that no lethal dose could be established.
Wired [wired.com]
Re:And in other news (Score:2, Informative)
BTW, thalidomide is successfully used for other treatments nowadays.
No, the joke isn't whooshing over me.
Re:What a joke. (Score:5, Informative)
Don't be silly, bashing Microsoft is the only proven way to get modded up on Slashdot. Doesn't even matter if what you say is true or not.
It's really true. I mean, I thought making outrageously disrespectful statements about your mom and her promiscuity would be an easy way to get modded up "funny" - but for some reason people seem to think those statements are true...
Re:Their key strategic mistake (Score:3, Informative)
When it takes me 30 minutes to figure out how to put a song on the device after consulting an operating manual and several forums then something is wrong
Maybe it's changed since my iPod died (some years ago now), and the iTunes UI has got worse with every release since 4.2, but I seem to remember the procedure for putting songs on the device was:
If this is too hard, maybe you shouldn't be using computers. Or anything with sharp edges, come to think of it.
Re:Microsoft has been changing (Score:4, Informative)
Did a quick check to amuse myself. Hmm, first 6 adds on every Bing search result are spam, pretty much guaranteed. Beyond that definitely more spam on Bing than on Google, oh wait, I am using https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/optimizegoogle/ [mozilla.org] to filter out crappy sites (including ebay). Well since you seem to be doing M$ advertising, is there a similar addon for Bing on IE to Optimize Google on Firefox.
Back on topic, I guess Ballmer's uncle is going to be really really disappointed to hear no more Zune, their number one customer. Using you phone to listen to music and watch streaming video is neat and convenient, apart from battery life and data download limits http://reviews.cnet.com/cell-phone-battery-life-charts/ [cnet.com].