So Negative

[pelllik333]

It seems to me that as more and more "news" is coming out about the Zune HD, more and more people are ragging on and trying to tear down the Zune Dev Team. Thats kinda messed up. Every device has its lifespan. If they can't support it anymore its probably because of the fact that iPods own the market. I myself am quite disappointed about what I've been hearing about the Zune. But oh well, we have to move on. I'm thinking about Cowon, but am waiting for much more extensive news on the Zune HD. Anywho, try not to destroy the Zune Dev Team with your mind. They're just doing their jobs.

[CrowdAds]

[musichound]

I don't think people are complaining that Microsoft is stopping support. I think it's mostly due to the way Microsoft is going about this, trying to sugar coat, saying it is not being abandoned while at the same time the main focus is on Windows 7. What MS should have done, IMO, is make the Zune HD a primary focus, then build on this for Windows7. Apple has long touted that the iPod Touch is training wheels for the iPhone. I think MS should have had the same approach, as to let the application platform be the same on both types of gear, so to encourage people to upgrade to the MS phones.

[Angus_NB]

No one is blaming the Zune Development team for Microsoft's mistakes. If Microsoft chooses to stop supporting the Zune it's not because they can't it's because they won't.

By the way, moving to Cowon doesn't help support the Zune team but we will all move on if we have to, I suppose.
The people that are complaining want the Zune to live, we just want Microsoft to want it as much as we do.

[daglesj]

The Zune Team has to take some of the blame. You have to fight your corner in any big corporation.

Are we saying the Zune team never had any marketing budget? Never had a proper development cycle? A PR team? If so, why not?

Most firms/teams have brought 2-3 generations of products out in 18 months.

All we've heard is "we're really busy right now!" (why folks seem to think thats news worth praising I dont know)

Busy on what? Busy for over 18 months and nothing to show or even hint at? No roadmap, no tech conference titbit to tease to show the brand is till vaguely alive?

Sorry but that just doesnt ring true. In fact I'd go to say do some of these folks saying they work for the Zune team actually still even work for MS?

Folks keep on swallowing the total 'non-information' we are getting as something of value. Go back and read the posts, nothing there. Thats just bizarre.

Check on the Zune website and they still have a big bit up promoting the launching of the HD BACK FROM 2009! They havent even bothered to change it. How lazy is that? Laughable.

In years to come someone will write a book or a business white paper on the 'Zune Debacle' going over how not to develop and market a product.

[Pandemic]

Originally Posted by daglesj

In years to come someone will write a book or a business white paper on the 'Zune Debacle' going over how not to develop and market a product.

Funny you should mention that. I had to write a paper about the success and failure of two competing products due to marketing in my Business and Marketing course. Guess who those two products were? I explained how Microsoft has done a ****tastic job of marketing the Zune HD while Apple marketed the iPod Touch/Nano/Classic (whichever) till they got the market exposure they needed.

The Zune HD was a last ditch attempt to test the metro UI while making a couple of bucks. I don't care what anyone says, even DaveMac, that statement above is true. The Zune HD only got one major software update, gets apps in the most ridiculous schedule one can imagine, and was completely engulfed by WP7 (it has a hub called Zune using almost exactly the same UI as the Zune HD).

I for one feel completely betrayed as a customer and sickly disappointed in Microsoft. I will no longer be buying another product from them unless the next Xbox blows the socks off the next Playstation.

[Olley]

What MS did or didn't do for or with the Zune HD between when I bought my Zune HD and now doesn't matter. It is what they show us tommorrow that matters. Announce a firmware update, email app, and a new HD-2 coming soon and all the negative chatter will evaporate. Throw us one new game even, and we'll forget for a day or two.

If what MS hasn't done makes a person mad or angry, then they spend too much time worrying about it. Tommorrow will come. New hardware will show up from somebody. Whatever we wanted the Zune HD to do has been answered by Archos and Cowon and Creative with their android players. The media capability has been provided by other music streaming apps that run on those devices.

[daglesj]

Originally Posted by Olley

What MS did or didn't do for or with the Zune HD between when I bought my Zune HD and now doesn't matter. It is what they show us tommorrow that matters. Announce a firmware update, email app, and a new HD-2 coming soon and all the negative chatter will evaporate. Throw us one new game even, and we'll forget for a day or two.

Scraps from the table.

I dont think many of us care anymore. We are past worrying or caring about the hardware. It's finished. What annoys us is the total mushroom farm attitude MS/Zune team have had to us in stringing us along. Thats pretty poor. Other depts in MS manage to put their hands up and apologise when they screw up so why not here?

If you look on the main Zune site the Zune doesnt even appear anymore.

If MS suddenly bring out a new Zune tomorrow, I'll be the first to put my hand up and say I'm surprised and amazed.

Bu that would be 4th time lucky? What would be different this time round?

[pelllik333]

I honestly hope that Microsoft is building up to something. I don't want to lose all faith in them. They seem to be lagging behing in everything they do now besides Windows. And even Apple's OS is getting more and more popular among the masses. I really hope they try to take car of the small, and ever shrinking fanbase that they seem to have.

[The DarkSide]

If we got honesty from MS we wouldn't be so negative,...

[wthsound1]

Originally Posted by The DarkSide

If we got honesty from MS we wouldn't be so negative,...

I don't know if they'll ever change but of course if we get something saying a definite yes or no from them and stop with the vague stuff. We are lucky they aren't Apple because they never answer rumors. It's always quiet no answers from them until launch day.

[The DarkSide]

Originally Posted by wthsound1

I don't know if they'll ever change but of course if we get something saying a definite yes or no from them and stop with the vague stuff. We are lucky they aren't Apple because they never answer rumors. It's always quiet no answers from them until launch day.

But at least Apple follows a real schedule, and we know there will BE a launch day,...MS straight out shafts us. 18months, nothing,...screw MS.

[wthsound1]

Originally Posted by The DarkSide

But at least Apple follows a real schedule, and we know there will BE a launch day,...MS straight out shafts us. 18months, nothing,...screw MS.

Good point! I hadn't noticed that.

[steinburger1109]

Mm. I'm not sure why everyone's looking for a ZuneHD 2. It's not like there's a limited number of PMPs out there... If you're so exasperated with Zune, why bother crossing your fingers for it? I, personally, love my HD, don't have issues with it, and would be thrilled if another one came out, and likely would buy it when my current one kicked the bucket. HOWEVER, I don't think I'd be worse for wear if they didn't. I'd just jump on the J3 train (or whatever Cowon next makes that is to the J3 what the J3 was to the S9. Now THERE'S something to hope for). Me, I'm gonna stick it out here with Dave.

[spankyistheman92]

yea im content with my zuneHD with or without updates. theres no need to demand things. if i get tired of my zune ill buy one of the new samsung tablets coming out.

[Deathscythe]

Originally Posted by steinburger1109

Mm. I'm not sure why everyone's looking for a ZuneHD 2. It's not like there's a limited number of PMPs out there... If you're so exasperated with Zune, why bother crossing your fingers for it? I, personally, love my HD, don't have issues with it, and would be thrilled if another one came out, and likely would buy it when my current one kicked the bucket. HOWEVER, I don't think I'd be worse for wear if they didn't. I'd just jump on the J3 train (or whatever Cowon next makes that is to the J3 what the J3 was to the S9. Now THERE'S something to hope for). Me, I'm gonna stick it out here with Dave.

QFTW. Yeah basically I'm just going to look at stuff that is official from ms/dave. other than that I'll take it mildly unless they got something to back it up and have some good reasoning.

we don't know what is going to happen or know what is within the doors of ms, so why make up a bunch of bs

[daglesj]

Originally Posted by Deathscythe

QFTW. Yeah basically I'm just going to look at stuff that is official from ms/dave. other than that I'll take it mildly unless they got something to back it up and have some good reasoning.

we don't know what is going to happen or know what is within the doors of ms, so why make up a bunch of bs

Why keep looking/waiting? MS/Dave hasnt said anything of value for nearly two years. If Dave had said nothing at all we'd still know just as much.

The Zune (in any form) no longer even appears on the Zune website.

How much more of a hint that its over do we need?

Wake up and smell the coffee. It's over and has been for some time.

[futurejp]

Originally Posted by daglesj

Wake up and smell the coffee. It's over and has been for some time.

But who cares if it's over? If there's an official announcement about the HD being dead, it's not like my HD will just poof out of existence. It'll still serve me well for years to come. So many people here are trying to force the others to 'realize' that the HD is dead, but... what does it matter?

[daglesj]

It doesnt matter, you are right. Its just that a lot of folks still think more juicy Zune PMPs will be on the way and suddenly all Zune HD owners will be wrapped in a snuggly love blanket by MS with loads of updates and 100's of new apps.

They wont.

The HD is dead too as far as MS is concerned. If it wasnt it would be on the Zune site.

Folks need to stop wishing for stuff that will never come. Most folks have realised this. The Zune part of this forum is a good indicator, 18 months ago these threads would be 10+ pages long after just a couple of days. But not anymore.

Just play your music and have fun.

[musichound]

What MS should do is at least say if the Zune DAP is officially dropped or not. I think it's better that way than sugarcoating messages/blogs and stringing people along.

[Mr Manager]

But who cares if it's over? If there's an official announcement about the HD being dead, it's not like my HD will just poof out of existence. It'll still serve me well for years to come. So many people here are trying to force the others to 'realize' that the HD is dead, but... what does it matter?

I get your point, but my issue is that, as much as I love the Zune HD player, I've been holding off on buying one hoping for a few crucial improvements (really, capacity is the only thing holding me back at this point, though I do have a wish list I'd love to see if they were to release new hardware). I have a pretty large music collection and, with the Zune Pass, I don't want to buy a player that will already be at capacity. Right now, in fact, there aren't really any players on the market that would meet my needs any better than the Zune 120 I currently have, but it's going to die eventually, and, of course, flash memory will come down in price/increase in capacity. It was my hope that, sometime in the future, the Zune HD could benefit from this evolution. However, if this is the end of the line for Zune hardware, then it never will. It's just kind of a bummer.