In case you haven’t heard already, Microsoft is about to launch their iPod killer that they have been talking about all summer called the Zune. The Zune is a little bit bigger, lot uglier, MP3 playing knock off of the iPod, however, it does have Wi-Fi and a builit-in FM tuner. (too bad I mostly listen to sports radio on AM channels)
What I think may be cool about Zune is not so much the device itself, but the Zune MarketPlace where, unlike iTunes, Microsoft will offer an all you can download option for about $15 per month. You can also share your content via Wi-Fi with other Zunebies, Zuneophiles, ZuneFolk, or whatever the hell people with Zunes will be referred to as. Copy protected media will be able to be played up to 3 times over 3 days before you are forced to by a licensed copy.
You’ve got to admit, that this is pretty cool. What would be cooler, however, is if you could do this from your mobile device as well as from your Zune.
The way I see it, Microsoft isn’t going to stop selling Windows Mobile devices anytime soon, and although I believe that Billy and the rest of the gang in Redmond want to sell as many Zunes as humanly possible, they may as well make all they can from Zune MarketPlace as well. Consumers want MP3 playing mobile phones. If Microsoft puts Zune MarketPlace on Windows Mobile Powered smartphones, they could do at least as well as the phones that support iTunes if not get a leg up on Apple simply because the songs could be shared.
Personally, I can’t say if I would buy a Zune or not. I have been thinking about an iPod Video lately, so, I probably will give the Zune the once over. I can say, however, that I absolutely would buy a $15 per month subscription that would allow me to download all the content that tickles my fancy to my mobile device.
It would be stupid for MS to allow Zune MarketPlace content to play only on the Zune. My guess is that like iTunes, you will be able to play content on the computer that the Zune application is installed on. It shouldn’t be a stretch for MS to come up with a way for Zune content to play on Windows Mobile devices.
What do you think?
ok, but say you stop paying the $15/month – what happens to your music collection? is it DRM’d and therefore unusable? of course. so why pay for DRM?
Daniel, I see what you are saying but I think you might be making the point as to way zune on pocket pc would be a good thing. Mobile phone users are used to paying a monthly fee and they know that if they don’t pay the fee that their phone won’t work.
They can always pay the one time fee if they want to have the song forever, but, they can get as many songs as they like if they just keep the service going. Microsoft could work something out with carriers like BlackBerry does so that that the zune fee is just part of the bill.
Dude, DRM is the reason that this will never work. Who in their right mind would be willing to pay $15 per month on top of their cell phone bill and not be able to listen to their music once they realize how crappy Windows Mobile is and move to the BlackBerry.
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Cingular is about to announce a new music service for their phones that will allow for such a subscription service.
I think that’s a great idea like you do, Robb…I know that I use the Rhapsody service on my home PC and it’s fantastic… for a small fee of about $10 per month I have unlimited access to literally millions of songs. Not only is it like having the largest music library around, it also has saved me money in terms of buying CDs for new music. Now when I’m intrigued by a new release, I can just listen on Rhapsody. In most cases, I’ll be satisfied by that and won’t purchase the CD, like I might have in the past before such services were available. I remember throughout the 1990’s spending a lot of money on impulse CD purchases.
It wouldn’t matter if MS had a zune marketplace or a windows mobile marketplace or a playforsure marketplace…. wait get the idea? When you keep making multiple marketplaces you just cannibalize your own customers
I am not suggesting multiple marketplaces, but, a single marketplace that will be attractive to a larger segment of the market than Zune owners.
I just don’t think that enough people would be willing to spend money on a subscription that wouldn’t allow them to cancel and still listen to music they’ve already invested in.
Two words for you. Cable TV.
Not to turn this into a digital rights management debate, however, if you don’t see the beuaty of subscription based media service, like cable tv, don’t subscribe. You can always go buy a CD or DVD if you want to have it forever.
Two more words for you. Satellite Radio.
Does anyone think that this type of service could be added to the BlackBerry? No DRM did make a good point about how crappy Windows Mobile is. I think that I would pay an extra 10 dollars on top of my phone bill if I could download all the content to it that I want.
Amit,
I think that eventually we will see something like this available for the BlackBerry. In my opinion, all smart phones will and higher end mobile phones will offer such services before it is all said and done. Media rich mobile devices, eventually, will be the next big thing, if the aren’t already.
Since the Zune was officially launched today, I figured that I would sticky this post back to the top to see if anyone else has any comments.
Will one be able to port some Mobile 5.0 apps to Zune?
Zune is a joke! No one should be buying them it will come to haunt you in future. No music bought from a Plays for Sure certified music download store i.e. service like Microsoft’s own now defunct MSN Music, the Napster 2 Go, Wal Mart Music Downloads etc will even be able to play on the Zune because it uses a different DRM. Zune does not work with Plays for sure and anyone who bought Plays for Sure will have their content left out of Zune.
What’s more Zune content via Zune Marketplace with DRM won’t play on Plays for Sure certified devices. Zune does not work with Windows Media Player — MS ditched Media Player for making a new program just for Zune and the software is not that great.
Whether or not you get an iPod don’t get a Zune. If I had to choose a Plays for Sure certified player — well mp3 players like the Toshiba Gigabeat, the Creative Zen, a iRiver, a Dell Digital Juxebox etc (I think the Dell DJ has been discontinued) versus a Zune I would then get a Plays for Sure player like the ones mentioned above.
As it stands I like my iPod though and don’t need a Plays for Sure player. Apple has now introduced new iPods with WiFI capabilities — did u know the Zunes WiFI streaming capabilities are crippled. They limit wireless sharing to 3 plays or 3 days. Also Zunes only can share with other Zunes and there just aren’t enough Zunes to share with — it would make more sense for Microsoft to also offer Zune 2 Zen sharing, or Zune to iPod sharing etc in addition to Zune 2 Zune. Music shared from Zune to Zune can only be played on a friend’s Zune 3 times after which it expires — if you don’t play it at all it will expire in 3 days — whichever comes first.
WiFi is nice but the feature is crippled and Microsoft rather than provide a good player that is consumer friendly — is focusing less on innovation and more on pleasing the record companies. It is restricting the Zunes features to make record labels happier and the offer to pay record labels a dollar for every Zune sold shows how misguided Microsoft is. They’d rather make a player that screws customers and makes the RIAA happy than provide a decent player that when bought will provide a good experience.
As for DRM I don’t like it and oppose it! I oppose DRM in Sony BMG’s root-kit infected CDs — remember the fiasco a few years back over this and the settlement reached in 2005? I oppose DRM in iTunes! I oppose DRM in Sony’s Blu Ray which is why I refuse to buy a PS3. I refuse DRM from Microsoft so refuse to upgrade to Windows Vista and refuse to buy an XBox or XBox 360 and allow Microsoft to grow its monopoly further.