Zune - a story of a suicide player

It is supposed to be the iPod killer but based on all of the early news, Zune may be well on its way to shoot itself in a foot. Few times. Here is why:

The form factor
It is way too big. iPod comes in 3 unique form factors and the bestselling models of iPods are the Nano's (ex mini) with super small wearable recently available Shuffle making a splash as we speak according to Apple. Therefore, in terms of shear box size Zune is "attacking" only one out of many models - premium and the most expensive "iPod with video" and without success - it is bigger and carries less capacity.

Zune is heavier, taller and wider than the biggest iPod. It is 14.7 mm thick which makes it closer to Pocket PC than personal media player. Check the real life comparison photos here or here. It may sound trivial, but can you imagine women and girls carrying this huge device in their purses and pockets when there is a smaller, colorful, cooler and cheaper solution already on the market? Hmmm. What would your girlfriend prefer?

Featuritis
Zune has many more features.. That seems to be its fault. The features you didn't even now you wanted or need are here just waiting.
So here we go: WiFi and related (more on that later), bigger screen (same resolution as iPod though) with flippable image between landscape and portrait viewing mode, 30 GB capacity (iPod goes up to 80GB), FM radio (available on iPod as an add on), integration with XBOX gaming console (and Microsoft virtual money), touch screen, custom background images. All essential.

Zune features however do not attempt to seduce any of the established user groups and markets where the premium iPod or smaller iPods dominate (from higher capacity, connectivity with digital photo cameras, fitness, jogging and fashion and wearable factor). It seems to me that Apple already spent money researching what goes and what just doesn't.
Features packed, Zune has certain features that iPod "lacks" - but there are many other personal media players on the market that have even bigger screens, embedded electric toothpicks and even smaller user base.
It seems that Zune is tailored for the PC Guy (hint: not the cool guy) from the Apple ads. I am sure there are more of them than we imagine and they would wear proudly their zunes in the holsters on the side of their belts.


Music store
Since the launch, the case of iTunes has been celebrated as the success in seamless integration of software-hardware service because at the time of iTunes launch Apple provided few distinctively new approaches and features:
Choice - it seems that users don't really care for which corporation their favorite artist records . Hence, Apple arranged all so called major labels. Second, simplicity was heralded as the other key winning feature - from the user interface to simplified pricing models and the fact that you can purchase and download individual tunes for around 1 USD, share them between computers and burn them on unlimited CD's.

Now, after you have read the above, plase go to Zune official web site and try to figure out how it works between different subscription plans that "renew themselves automatically", Microsoft Points (XBOX virtual money). Simple is not the word that comes to mind and I can see a lot of teens ripped - of by "renewable subscriptions"... Again Microsoft copied iTunes more or less, but on top of that it added Microsoft Clutter™. Professional Edition. Windows XP compatible, only.

Compatibility - Not sure, not sure at all. Maybe?
Well, it is compatible with itself. Like the iPod. So much for interoperability. And no it DOES NOT PLAY FOR SURE, which is, sort of, Microsoft standard. It seems that the real expansion potential for Zune is the 25-30% of the market not owned by the iPod. Microsoft partners, companies in "Plays for sure" programme will be delighted with this backstabbing move as some have already announced. Including all customers of MSN music. "It plays for suckers."

WiFi, social networking, file sharing
No reports as of yet have been made on the actual look and feel of the service therefore we are not going to say anything except expressing our doubt that the concept is not purely one of the symptoms of Featuritis.
Bottom line, with all that goes on in the world I am sure that moms of the world will be delighted to know that their kids can exchange music, photos and chat with users in proximity over WiFi. Check the video an tell us honestly, why would you want to do that?

And last but noo way the least, it is Microsoft after all
A company that spends billions on R&D and yet manages to produce only a bloated corporate culture, zero innovation and ... bugs. Well , they did it again it seems.
Early report by a happy user - blogger documents it in deetail.

To conclude, Zune, it is, you know, for geeks.