We recently announced that, going forward, Windows Phone will be the focus of our mobile music and video strategy, and that we will no longer be producing Zune players. So what does this mean for our current Zune users? Absolutely nothing. Your device will continue to work with Zune services just as it does today. And we will continue to honor the warranties of all devices for both current owners and those who buy our very last devices. Customer service has been, and will remain a top priority for us.
Those "Zune Services" include the Zune Software suite, which is a media manager for the Zune and Windows Phone; the Zune Marketplace, where Zunies can purchase their music and movies; and the Zune Music Pass, a $10-per-month all-you-can-eat music streaming option similar to premium services from Spotify and Rhapsody. The Zune software is integrated into Microsoft's Window Phones (which are just now receiving the much-hyped and potentially platform-saving Mango operating system) and will continue to operate as it did before, only without new physical Zune mp3 players on the shelves.
The Zune never sold very well, and perhaps the most notable moment of its life was a bizarre glitch that caused almost all Zune players around the world to freeze simultaneously on December 31, 2008; Microsoft immediately issued a fix that involved draining the battery and then recharging after 12 PM Greenwich Mean Time on January 1.
Play the Zune off, Keyboard Cat:
For more Microsoft fails, take a look at the list of the company's biggest flopped gadgets (below).
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Kin 1 and Kin 2
The <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/01/microsoft-kin-dead-micros_n_631439.html" target="_hplink">Microsoft Kin</a> smartphones debuted in April 2010. Marketed for teens, the devices were priced at $50 for the Kin 1, $100 for the Kin 2. Less appealing were Verizon's $70-per-month subscription plans, as were early reviews calling the devices "<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/13/microsoft-kin-review-phot_n_574697.html" target="_hplink">not smart enough</a>" and "<a href="http://dvice.com/archives/2010/04/why-microsoft-k.php" target="_hplink">downright ugly</a>." In June, Microsoft pulled the plug on the Kin family and focused exclusively on Windows Phone 7.
Spot Watch
Launched in 2004, the Smart Personal Objects Technology (SPOT) watches connected to Microsoft's FM radio-based network (MSN Direct) and delivered weather reports, news snippets, stocks and sports scores to users. <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-9927213-1.html" target="_hplink">Writes</a> CNET, "Microsoft put a lot of money behind the Smart Watch and partnered up with Fossil, Suunto, Swatch, and even Tissot, which produced a high-end, touch-screen model that cost $800." Critics and consumers were not buying it, though. <em>Washington Post</em> reviewer Rob Pegoraro tested a $300 Suunto model and <a href="http://voices.washingtonpost.com/fasterforward/2008/04/microsofts_spot_watch_winds_do.html" target="_hplink">wrote</a> the following: "[It was] too big, too ugly, too useless, too expensive (especially with a $9.95/month subscription charge for Microsoft's MSN Direct data service)."
The devices were discontinued in 2008.
Courier Tablet
The <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/29/microsoft-courier-cancele_n_557493.html" target="_hplink">Courier Tablet</a>, leaked in 2009, was expected to be announced shortly before the iPad's debut in January 2010. According to rumors, the device would have featured two seven-inch screens that folded shut. However, this innovative twist on the tablet PC never saw the light of day. Microsoft instead unveiled a comparatively "<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/07/hp-slate-tablet-microsoft_n_414364.html" target="_hplink">underwhelming</a>" single-panel tablet device called the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/07/hp-slate-tablet-microsoft_n_414364.html" target="_hplink">HP Slate</a>, which PCWorld called "<a href="http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/186247/hp_slate_lowers_the_bar_for_apples_tablet_pc.html#tk.mod_rel" target="_hplink">a mediocre device</a>" and "<a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/186172/why_the_microsofthp_tablet_is_a_big_disappointment.html" target="_hplink">a big disappointment</a>." By late April, both the Courier Tablet project and the HP Slate were tabled.
<blockquote><strong>UPDATE:</strong> A post written for the official Microsoft Blog in 2010 clarified that the Courier "project" was <a href="http://blogs.technet.com/b/microsoft_blog/archive/2010/04/29/speculation-about-the-courier-project.aspx" target="_hplink">never an official Microsoft product</a>. The statement read: "<em>At any given time, across any of our business groups, there are new ideas being investigated, tested, and incubated. It's in Microsoft's DNA to continually develop and incubate new technologies to foster productivity and creativity. The 'Courier' project is an example of this type of effort and its technologies will be evaluated for use in future Microsoft offerings</em>." The HP Slate was the result of a partnership between Microsoft and Hewett-Packard.</blockquote>
Windows Ultra-Mobile PC
The first hand-held devices built on Microsoft's unique Ultra-Mobile PC platform launched to ample buzz in 2006. This new class of powerful mini-devices, which accepted pen and touch input, never caught on. The first U.S. release, the Samsung Q1, received <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/125919/mobile_computing_ultra_mobile_pc_update.html" target="_hplink">poor reviews</a> because of its hefty price tag ($1,099), buggy software, and odd keyboard design. Other releases suffered similarly.
The Zune
Microsoft's answer to the iPod hasn't had a good run. The Zune's share of the mp3 player market peaked at 10%, slumping to 2% in 2009, according to <a href="http://www.investorplace.com/34097/microsoft-kills-zune-mp3-player-smartphones-windows-phone-7/" target="_hplink">Investor Place.</a> <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-14/microsoft-said-to-stop-releasing-new-zune-models-as-demand-ebbs.html" target="_hplink">Bloomberg</a> reported that Microsoft would be killing off its music player due to "tepid demand" and cease releasing new models, though it would continue developing the Zune software.
<blockquote><strong>UPDATE:</strong> <a href="http://zune.net/en-US/products/software/download/default.htm" target="_hplink">Microsoft announced on October 3</a> that it "will no longer be producing Zune players."</blockquote>
MSN TV
Microsoft's MSN TV (aka WebTV) was a service that allowed users to access the Internet via their televisions. The product, which may have been ahead of its time, was ultimately a flop, failing to attract more than 1 million subscribers.
The <a href="http://cachef.ft.com/cms/s/0/a20ccd80-d16e-11df-96d1-00144feabdc0,s01=1.html#axzz1GxNEJiL8" target="_hplink">Financial Times</a> wrote of Microsoft's efforts, "Surfing the TV on a keyboard and web browser sounds about as enticing as pushing a rickety shopping cart across the plush carpet of a designer boutique."
The Zune is dead; long live the Windows Phone.
That's a paraphrase of a statement from Microsoft, who quietly discontinued the Zune line by removing all mentions of the Zune hardware from its websi...
The Zune is dead; long live the Windows Phone.
That's a paraphrase of a statement from Microsoft, who quietly discontinued the Zune line by removing all mentions of the Zune hardware from its websi...
Once touted as an iPod killer, Microsoft's Zune media player is dead. According to Bloomberg, Microsoft will no longer release new versions of the Zune...
welcome to the social !! LOL
how did i miss THIS story??? the premire "ipod killer" fades into the sunset of yesteryear. everyone with half a brain can see that it was a Failure from the very start, yet there are those who still champion it as tech extraordinaire.to all you broken hearted zune fans i say cheer up!! just over the horizon you'll find the apple store!! and who knows?? maybe you'll fall in love with an ipod touch, or maybe an ipad, or anything else that "just works" so... ill see ya real zoon at the apple store;-)
BTW... whats a zune?? LOL
maxbianco: welcome to the social !! LOL how did i miss
I just don't see the windows phone making it big. However, I can see a windows 8 tablet making a huge dent in the tablet market as people want their tablets have have the same functionality as their windows laptops and not just very large smartphones which is all really, iOS, android, and webOS tabs are.
J0E1: I just don't see the windows phone making it big.
anyone can make a cheap mp3 player the key is to make it look good, be functional and inuitive. one should not have to think too much to play a song. my 2 year old can use the ipad immediately. that would never happen with any microsoft product.
Robert_Sidonio_Jr: anyone can make a cheap mp3 player the key is
Fail, failing, failure, as the economy downgrades : Bad news is all we hear about at Microsoft. Throw the captain overboard. Let him swim for awhile with the sharks. He needs to get hungry to do something right with Microsoft's staff. They are brilliant. Why isn't Microsoft being intelligent? Why isn't Microsoft being smart? The same could be said about investors. Take the money and run to Baidu, Amazon, Google,or Facebook : Would you let the decision makers at Microsoft into your home (let alone your wallet?)
AspenInternet: Fail, failing, failure, as the economy downgrades : Bad news
I got one about 4 years ago as part of a Woot-off: the player was nice, but the software and upload system was just god-awful. Eventually switched to a Sony Walkman after the Zune finally croaked earlier this year: it's got its flaws (rewind/fast forward is capped at 4x and the radio function is worthless) but drag-and-drop uploading is just wonderful.
Still, when I DID finally get all my stuff on there the Zune was pretty swell, and it got me through plenty of Old Time Radio collections. If only they'd cut out the BS software and just allowed direct access...
I still use my Zune HD. It's light, thin, and has a great UI. I can control most all functions and navigation with just my thumb. Too bad it never took off. I think it's a great piece of hardware.
writersbloc: I still use my Zune HD. It's light, thin, and
i had zune for a few days and i absolutely hated it. i have never had a piece of hardware i hated so much. in fact i hate all those kinds of hardware that has a portal. instead of being able to put any media you want in your folder, you have to go thru their store. and the player window on the desktop was the worst. the music bar was tiny while the rest of window was the store. the only thing that was fabulous was the packaging and the overall style. i have a sansa and sony mp3 players that are very simple and sweet, just put the file you want in the folder of your choice. thei look is not as elegant, but i would take either of them over ipod or zune any day. the sony doesn't play audible files and that is the only problem.
socialtalker: i had zune for a few days and i absolutely
complete rubbish. no it WASNT "a chair to keyboard interface problem"
zune didnt have a simple windows explorer system, if i wanted to download or upload anything, it had to be thru their software/store.
socialtalker: complete rubbish. no it WASNT "a chair to keyboard interface
Wow, this article couldn't be written by a Linux user, due to the fact that the website is obsessed with Apple--so I'll have to assume it was written by the same group that thinks that Windows requires daily security updates...you know, the group that doesn't know **** about computers.
NerdyStudent: Microsoft Fail? Wow, this article couldn't be written by a
It will be claimed to have been a success by MS. They killed it to save it. They will call it a research project to make the Zuenphone. I dunno. I would still use MS-Word or MS-Excel if it hadn't morphed into weird-ware after 2003.
BZ.
bryanzth: It will be claimed to have been a success by
My Zune has been great for the past four years, with nary a problem. I had a WebTV in the late 1990s and that performed well when I lived overseas. Things come and go; the pace of change is so fast now that I haven't bothered buying a tablet. As long as it works, I am happy.
KenInd: My Zune has been great for the past four years,
Sooner or later I will be forced to pay a couple hundred dollars and a whopping monthly fee for a smart phone I do not want or need. Today's HP also informs us that the laptop and PC are goners, to be replaced by the iPad and iCloud for everything from telephone service to music/video downloading to file storage. Hmmmm, I pay a flat fee for my current ISP; will there be a flat fee and unlimited use of the cloud? I'm thinking not and suspect the cloud will quickly become bottlenecked (possibly rationed) and economically unviable for average users. At work I've been through the standalone/shared resources transition and back again, with the inherent difficulties of each, and have no desire, patience or money to go through it again. I'll stick with my PC/laptop/mp3 until they die or I do.
PunKinPai: Sooner or later I will be forced to pay a
I've had a Zune HD for a couple years now and absolutely LOVE it. It simply is the highest quality digital music player ever made. With features like detailed artist info and photos, in addition to sound quality superior to any Apple, it is a player for true music lovers.
TomP100: I've had a Zune HD for a couple years now
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The Huffington Post Jason O. Gilbert First Posted: 10/04/11 11:39 AM ET Updated: 12/04/11 05:12 AM ET