[miceblue]

http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/14/microsoft-reportedly-kills-off-zune-hardware-will-focus-on-soft/
 
http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2011/03/zune-hardware-apparently-dead-software-and-services-live-on.ars
 
So much for that...I personally thought it was a pretty good-looking device, but I guess it just can't compete very well against the iPod Touch.

 

[doof-ed]

Wow! that really sucks
 
I hate how apple has the hold on the market, I'd never buy one. It annoys me that they are just giving up, instead they should be trying to promote it better outside US borders and build up the marketplace for it.
 
At least if they integrate it into smartphones then the next windows phone might actually be a really good pmp. I know my smartphone (Samnsung Wave) sound quality sucks so anoother rival to an iPhone would be great

 

[swanlee]

Just the way the market is going, with Win7 phones accessing the zune marketplace there probably was no reason to keep putting out Audio only players. I've moved onto a win7 tablet for my portable audio needs

 

[Ricardo Dawkins]

did somebody wake up the OP in the last week or something?
it has been deade since early 2010 like after the last firmware update to the Zune HD.

 

[miceblue]

Quote:

did somebody wake up the OP in the last week or something?
it has been deade since early 2010 like after the last firmware update to the Zune HD.

Well sorry, I don't own a Zune nor do I know anyone with one, so I haven't heard of any Zune firmware updates at all. Not only that, the hardware is being discontinued, the software is still in use. Hence the links I posted in my first post: "Bloomberg is reporting that Microsoft will cease development of its family of Zune-branded music players due to weak demand and a desire to focus on its smartphone platform."
 
Just because the software hasn't been updated doesn't necessarily mean the hardware is 'dead.'
 
 

 

[Uncle Erik]

Yet another example of Microsoft being late to the party.

The Zune was a good piece of hardware. Microsoft just brought it to market too late.

 

[Anaxilus]

The only thing I liked about the Zune was being able to share files wirelessly w/ other Zune owners.  Oh well.  Honestly, the days are numbered for common DAPs in general from a mass market perspective.

 

[LFF]

RIP
 
Can't say I am all that surprised.

 

[Region2]

I still like my Zune HD, I was hoping for another take on it, but I guess they decided to back off.  Though the DAP market is so insanely hard when people think of DAPs they think of an iPod.  Well there goes one more choice for the general public,luckily we here keep our ears to the ground for other options.  Here's to hoping that Fio's DAP turns out to be a success.

 

[Currawong]

I feel sorry for Nokia. What if MS decides that their efforts at a phone platform were a failure and abandon it? The only things that MS seems to have kept together have been Office, the XBox and the mice and keyboards. 

 

[Carlsan]

Too bad, have owned a few Zunes over the years.
The various Zune players had good sound stage for mass market mp3 players, certainly much better than the same generation ipod.
Glad I recently started using a cowon.

 

[Brent Hutto]

IF a company existed whose only products were WIndows, MS-Office and the XBox that would be a mighty healthy company, larger than all but a dozen or so US corporations.

 

[Nagasaki_Kid]

Frankly zune had the same problem as sony. They kept the zune closed with in windows and their sync software . They had a brilliant idea" wifi syncing". If they opened it up and allowed an open standard of drag and drop over wifi. they would have a larger following.

 

[batphink]

Microsoft posted this on the Zune Nation Facebook page:
 
Quote:

Hey ZuneNation - here’s what WE have to say: We're absolutely committed to providing the best movies, music, and TV show experiences through Zune on Xbox, the PC, Windows Phone 7 and Zune devices. We'll share more information about the evolution of the Zune entertainment service and Zune hardware as future plans develop.
 
Thanks for being a part of this awesome community!

 

 

[kite7]

Not dead according to this
 
http://anythingbutipod.com/forum/showthread.php?t=62057