iLounge

1

now it’s 91st. soon it will be out of 100th.

Posted by edward on November 28, 2006 at 9:41 AM (PST)

2

Out of sight, out of mind…

Posted by RC on November 28, 2006 at 9:45 AM (PST)

3

The legendary Jon Lech Johansen (“DVD Jon”) today slammed the insanely negative press the Zune has received.

“The amount of Zune FUD is reaching staggering proportions following Microsoft’s Zune launch.”

http://nanocrew.net/2006/11/27/zune-fud-ii/

For my part, I am utterly convinced that not only have many iPod fans lost their objectivity over the Zune, many have also completely lost their marbles.

Posted by Joshua on November 28, 2006 at 9:49 AM (PST)

4

How many articles would be on this site per day if you eliminated all the Zune bashing? This used to be a cool place to come and read about iPod accessories, now it’s all bogged down by smug hatred for the Zune.

Posted by Jeff Martin on November 28, 2006 at 9:51 AM (PST)

5

Hey Jeff, ever hear of hyperbole? Simmer down buddy.

Posted by urbanslaughter on November 28, 2006 at 10:11 AM (PST)

6

It’s not hyperbole, it’s propaganda. I’m an iPod user and a soon-to-be MacBook owner, but I feel like iLounge should go back to reporting things related to the iPod, not looking up figures about the Zune’s unpopularity to make iPods seem more elite.

I love the Lounge, but the Zune bashing is distracting from the fine reporting that I’ve grown accustomed to expecting here.

Posted by Jeff Martin on November 28, 2006 at 10:33 AM (PST)

7

This is only the third direct mention of Zune on the front page news articles since it’s release from what I can see.

The only other mention of it on the front page was in the editorial written by staff.

Though I agree talk of Zune shouldn’t detract from why we are here, but I don’t think there has been enough “Zune bashing” on the front page to distract from the other great mentions of iPod related stuff on the front page.

Posted by studogvetmed in Loveland, CO on November 28, 2006 at 10:43 AM (PST)

8

I enjoy the Zune bashing.  Not so much because I am an elitist, I am just so…sick….and…tired of Microsoft that I like to see something of theirs fail miserably.  Yeah, it’s a new product and it’s not getting much push, and it won’t win over many iPod users who’ve purchased iTunes music, but maybe with some revisions, it will be a good player eventually.  Right now I run linux and if I don’t have to do anything MS, I don’t.  And what’s the deal with the blocks and points and stuff?  Just everything about the product and it’s service screams faulty and hacked.  So I enjoy the bashing.  I enjoy it because my iPod is so easy to operate, so intuitive, and so functional and cool.  And I enjoy it because the Zune seems not to be that successful for MS and that appeals to me.  So keep posting the Zune news.  I like reading about it.

Posted by gym sock on November 28, 2006 at 10:44 AM (PST)

9

Fair enough. Let’s end this before it becomes a flame war. Overall, I think the internets need to leave the Zune alone. It’s just another freakin’ music player. To each his own.

Then again, that’s what the internets are for.

Posted by Jeff Martin on November 28, 2006 at 10:45 AM (PST)

10

Jeff, I was referring to your hyperbolic statement, “now it’s all bogged down by smug hatred for the Zune”. I’ve found plenty of other interesting articles on iLounge, so I don’t feel it’s bogged down. I don’t want to get involved in a flame war either. I respect your opinion and your freedom to express yourself. I was just noting that you might want to be a little more factual and a little less prone to exaggeration.
In the interest of full disclosure, I love my iPod and I love my mac (although I’m typing this on a Sony Vaio laptop). I’m happy to see the Apple challenged because it will only make the iPod and iTunes that much better. I just don’t think the Zune is that great. I am fairly certain that if it were made by some small Asian company I wouldn’t have even heard of it yet (like the staff at those big box retailers).

Posted by urbanslaughter on November 28, 2006 at 10:55 AM (PST)

11

^^ aaaah, but you forget. The Zune™ is not “just another freakin’ music player,” the Zune™ is THE music player set to BEAT THE IPOD.

SOMEHOW, Microsoft was hoping that the millions of iPod owners would somehow collectively agree that the Zune™‘s is the best alternative and would be abandoning the iPod in droves.

*picks self up off floor after laughing incontrollably*

*ahem* THAT’s why we enjoy bashing this “latest and greatest threat to the iPod’s dominance.”

Sometimes you’re the windshield and sometime’s you’re the bug. Guess which one the Zune ™ is…?

Posted by ahMEmon on November 28, 2006 at 10:59 AM (PST)

12

Hmm, nobody at iLounge put a gun to anyone’s head here and made them click the link to read this story.  If you don’t want to read about it, then simply don’t click on it next time.  It should be easy enough to figure that out.

Posted by Whiny Liby on November 28, 2006 at 12:02 PM (PST)

13

As for the Zune bashing…

If you actually read the article, there is plenty of mention of the iPod.  It’s not simply a anti-Zune article, but an article that talks alot about the iPod’s awareness.  This is why this same article is mentioned on many other Apple/Mac news web sites.  Given that Microsoft is hyping Zune as another iPod killer, mentioning Zune news on iLounge is more than appropriate.

If you want to have a serious, newsworthy iPod dedicated web site, you have mention all types of related iPod news.

Posted by billybob on November 28, 2006 at 12:09 PM (PST)

14

Hey guys-

The great thing that we forget about the iPod is that for the majority of us, it works really well.  For years I contended with crappy, poorly contructed walkman and discman products that died at every level.  This Zune seems to be another product that just complicates the market and adds to long traditions of music players that are contsructed for their image and not for their quality.  Even if it works it couldn’t even begin to sway me from my iPod love.  iPods work. Even when I had battery problems my iPod didn’t totally freak out.  I don’t want wireless when I can’t see the music on the display.

But I have to admit, the brown is kind of cool.  Yeah, I should stop smoking this crack, but hey…

Posted by Charlie Short on November 28, 2006 at 12:12 PM (PST)

15

For better or worse, the fate of the Zune will always draw comparisons to the iPod.

Certainly there are people in the forum who dislike Microsoft for one reason or another, as there are folks out there who dislike Apple and the iPod.

I don’t think the iPod Nation really has to worry about the Zune dethroning our favorite little device anytime soon. Though I’m not a fan of the Zune myself, the device does offer some interesting ideas that could one day make their way into a future iPod.

Bashing or no, it’s the consumers that will ultimately define the Zune’s fate.

Posted by cxc273 on November 28, 2006 at 12:36 PM (PST)

16

Well put cxc273!

Posted by urbanslaughter on November 28, 2006 at 12:41 PM (PST)

17

The Zune is highly relevant to iPod news right now. It just seems like more coverage than it actually is because we’re in a slow news period for iPods.

Why? Most products released for the holidays are already out. The next big announcements won’t come until Macworld in early January. Other than that, we’re waiting on sales figures from this key holiday shopping period.

And yes, that includes sales figures of Microsoft’s Zune.

Posted by BJ Nemeth on November 28, 2006 at 1:11 PM (PST)

18

Microsoft probably killed a lot of the positive buzz they could have had for free, had they not abandoned PlaysForSure - and all the partners and customers they had to begin with. 

The first step in the Zune launch was to screw their most loyal fans and partners… while hypocritically adopting a closed format similar to Apple… for which Microsoft has critisized them in the past.

Posted by jblakeh1 on November 28, 2006 at 2:16 PM (PST)

19

I’ll probably pick one up, but only once you can pick one up for $100 used on eBay or something.

Posted by Josh Powell in VA on November 28, 2006 at 8:04 PM (PST)

20

Raise your hand if you’re surpised?
no hands? didn’t think so.
Seriously, no one cares about the Zune. I’m sure there is more worthy iPod-related news that iLounge could report. We all knew the Zune would fail. I knew it when I saw it. There’s no way anything that ugly would outsell any iPod.

Posted by ddsd on November 28, 2006 at 9:05 PM (PST)