This is a cool discussion. There is a lot of what I was hoping to get out of it when I first posted. I have missed a good chunk of the discussion and it will be hard to catch up, but here’ goes:
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I want Zune to succeed. I want them to shake the market up and do some stuff to drive innovation. I fully believe that the wireless is the one single thing, technologically M$ is doing right. I am so much NOT a part of that market, but I get it. It makes sense. The simplest example I can think of is the number of young teen girls I see, almost daily, listening to music from one iPod each using a single earpiece. If they could do it wirelessly I tend to think they would.
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Junglebrodda hits the nail on the head when he says that it would actually be COOL if M$ designed the Zune specifically to look like the iPod. I would have no problem with Zune at all if it didn’t smell like an Old School Marketing gong show. I have already stated it in this thread, Zune’s Director of Marketing can be quoted directly as stating that he does not believe Zune looks, acts, or smells like an iPod. It does. Plain and simple.
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csven, the Op/Ed piece you are clinging so tightly to is riddled with more holes than there is room to get into in this thread. The money quotes are:
- “Microsoft is Hatching a Consumer Media Perfect Storm” - So is Apple. Don’t ignore their iTV announcement. There is something far bigger happening there. Some have even alluded to the idea that they are looking to tap into the gaming realm.
- “Zune’s Screen is Better for Movies” - This is debatable at best. The arguments in the article are predicated on the fact that their screen is wide screen when viewing. It is NOT widescreen. Neither iPod nor M$ have a widescreen. The Zune screen is BIGGER, true. But the aspect ratios are the same. But from everything I have heard (from actual users) is that battery life on Zune is going to be a challenge for watching movies on it.
- “Zune is actually pretty cool” - Mr. Elgan bases this opinion solely on styling. See the previous discussion in this thread as to why Zune is not cool because of its styling.
- Lastly, Mike Elgan is a technology writer and former editor of Windows Magazine. This is NOT an Op/Ed piece. This is another piece of transparent M$ Marketing.
For me this last bit it what irritates me so much about Zune. Its a new product, with some cool ideas driven by Old School Marketing mentality. I hate Old School Marketing BS. Its transparent. Its infantile. Its driven by the push mentality of cramming ideas down peoples throats.
The reason the success of Zune will set Design (with a capital “D”) back 5 years is because our industry is beginning to prove that Design is more than styling. It is has more depth and ability to work with the team to create a holistic product. The styling, as Yo stated, is part of that process and is table stakes. Old School Marketers believe they know design. They believe they own design. And worst of all, they hold zero value over design. Its, as you say, just part of business.
This is a sampling of why I am so irritated by Zune. People are sick of just being part of business for the sake of business… Which, csven, as a blogger you understand.