Microsoft Officially Kills Zune Music Player
Device Never Lived Up to ‘Ipod Killer’ Hype
Although it's been rumored for a very long time now, Microsoft has finally announced it will soon cease production of its Zune MP3 music player. The device, which initially launched in 2006 as the first legitimate 'iPod killer', never quite lived up to its early billing.
"We will no longer be producing Zune players," Microsoft said in a recent statement. The company added that its focus for digital music would be on the Windows Phone platform used for smartphones.
For the time being, Zune players will still be visible on store shelves. However, the Redmond-based firm has revealed that once the current batch of digital devices sells out, no further Zunes will be made available.
Microsoft has said it will continue to provide technical support for Zune users, but it's not yet clear how long that support will continue.
"Your device will continue to work with Zune services just as it does today," Microsoft said. "And we will continue to honor the warranties of all devices for both current owners and those who buy our very last devices."
As mentioned, this is not particularly surprising news for industry insiders. There were high hopes for the Zune when it first launched five years ago, but Microsoft simply failed to properly support its player with the kind of music download service made available by Apple for the iPod. Beyond that, Microsoft didn't put the Zune out there enough; whereas the iPod could be seen in flashy advertisements from magazines to bus stops, the Zune had only a catchy name going for it.
Some critics will say the Zune's demise is proof that Microsoft simply can't hack it beyond the PC; however, said argument flat-out ignores the company's important inroads into both the smartphone and video game industries in recent years. There's little debating that the Redmond-based firm currently owns the most popular gaming console (the Xbox 360), and that its Windows Phone line up is gaining momentum, slowly but surely.
For the time being, Zune will live on as a digital media download service available to users of the Xbox 360 and Windows Phone 7 devices.
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