iLounge

1

‘eventually be the leader’ right, keep dreaming.  It’s new, it’s hot and it’s #5, ROTF

Posted by Rick on December 6, 2006 at 2:30 PM (PST)

2

Lee said that Microsoft expects to eventually “be the leader” in the category…

Which category?  MP3 players that aren’t iPods?

Posted by PushButtonAction in Atlanta, GA on December 6, 2006 at 3:23 PM (PST)

3

This guy must me smoking some MJ or something.  When will M$ learn that they can’t be the “leader” in every category.  What’s next the Microsoft car??  That’s one Blue Screen Of Death I wouldn’t want to have anything to do with…

Posted by MatrixSJD on December 6, 2006 at 4:00 PM (PST)

4

I want some of whatever wacky tobaccy they’re smoking.

Posted by ahMEmon on December 6, 2006 at 4:51 PM (PST)

5

hey! what the hell is wrong with you! Mr. Kim died for trying to save his family and you give us this sick joke??  i hope you fall off Mt. Everest you ###.

Posted by Ketsuo on December 6, 2006 at 5:20 PM (PST)

6

Yeah…I see Kim-Jong-Il as buying a LOT of the Zunes, seeing as they don’t ship iPods to North Korea anymore.

If Microsoft built cars:

The airbag system would say “Are you sure?” before going off.

Posted by The Soup Nazi on December 6, 2006 at 5:29 PM (PST)

7

Microsoft saying they’re going to be the leader in the MP3 category is like them saying they’re going to be the leader in frozen vegetables or imported parrots. Sure, they can SAY it as many times as they want, but it’s not going to happen.

Posted by multimoog on December 6, 2006 at 9:08 PM (PST)

8

catboy17, I’m not exactly sure when Microsoft ever forced Apple in the position to “keep up.”  Especially when it comes to the mp3 player market.  It seems to me Apple’s already a step ahead, leading the way in the Digital music marathon, and Microsoft is barely getting one foot in front of the other at the moment.  I guess we’ll just have to see.

Posted by Phillip on December 6, 2006 at 9:23 PM (PST)

9

This guy must me smoking some MJ or something.

He works for Steve Ballmer. Enough said.

Posted by flatline response on December 6, 2006 at 10:52 PM (PST)

10

1. Apple
2. SanDisk
3. Creative
4. Memorex
5. Microsoft / Walt Disney (hrr?)

Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=a4mxDq8JK89U

Posted by Chucklenuts on December 6, 2006 at 11:08 PM (PST)

11

Memorex???

Posted by Laer on December 7, 2006 at 12:53 AM (PST)

12

What???? Not Cowon, iRiver or Archos???? Memorex…. that’s a shock….

Posted by Glorybox3737 on December 7, 2006 at 4:40 AM (PST)

13

I would not be surprised if MS becomes the leader.  At one time, Palm had 80%+ of the PDA market, and MS came in with lame, expensive, slow devices with poor battery life, poor reviews, buggy OS, crashed every 10 minutes, etc.  And look now how the tide has turned.  MS will keep at it as long as it takes.  And if there are significant benefits to using MS products to seamlessly integrate with the computers of tomorrow, they will eventually win.

BTW, I am a die-hard Palm fan.

Posted by kokketiel on December 7, 2006 at 5:39 AM (PST)

14

Kokketiel - the reason Windows Mobile devices have become more popular than palm is because the palm OS has been pretty much static for the past few years with no major developments.  In contrast WM (formerly windows CE) has undergone several revisions, major bugs have been ironed out, and there’s a lot more 3rd party software available (a lot of it for free).

Back on topic, does anyone know how many 1st gen iPods were sold in the first 6 months, for comparison?

Posted by Dopial on December 7, 2006 at 5:51 AM (PST)

15

Microsoft did manage to win the handheld OS market race with Windows Mobile, but only because Palm seriously fumbled the ball.  Palm was the leader but then failed to innovate and kept on putting out devices with the same OS year after year after year.  No wonder that MS was able to win the market share eventually.  (Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of Windows Mobile.)

So, I hope Apple doesn’t do a Palm and let MS win this race by failing to continue their innovations.

Posted by dodo on December 7, 2006 at 6:51 AM (PST)

16

I finally understand Microsoft’s strategy in this market.

1. Create a derivative device that fails to improve in any of the four key areas: size, weight, capacity, or price.

2. Set low sales goals.

3. Release the device with a multi-million dollar ad campaign.

4. Sell a few units.

5. Send out press releases applauding the fact that it reached its (low) sales goals, and declare it a “success.”

6. ???

7. Profit

Posted by BJ Nemeth on December 7, 2006 at 7:56 AM (PST)

17

I reckon the big 5G iPod is going to be the next model to be discontinued; it’s too big for a music player and the screen is too small for a video player. By the time the iPhone and video iPod are launched next year Microsoft will find they are No 1 in a field of 1 with the Zune and the rest of the world has moved on…

Posted by Andrew C (UK) on December 7, 2006 at 8:16 AM (PST)

18

BJ Nemeth,
ROTFL!
It’s like the South Park episode with the underpants gnomes and their 3-step strategy:

1. Collect underpants
2. ???
3. Profit!

The fact that they had no idea what step 2 was going to be, didn’t curb their enthusiasm for pursuing step 1.

Posted by dodo on December 7, 2006 at 8:40 AM (PST)

19

I have to say, the Zune is a really impressive offering.  Microsoft’s got the size right and the screen right and most of the other stuff, which not as good as the iPod, would be tolerable by their audience.  The styling elements are much more in line with the Xbox and Playstation crowd than the iPod’s are, and this is a big point.  And so while pundits and iPod-philes like us may scoff at the thing, there’s a big market for it and I’m sure they’ll be buying.

However, considering that this very market is ALSO the market for the PS3, the Xbox 360 and the stacks of games coming out for each, I don’t know that the Zune will be at the top of wish lists this year.

Posted by dasmegabyte on December 7, 2006 at 8:41 AM (PST)

20

I don’t know about the Zune but they do make something perfect. Xbox 360 is awesome, and I all the systems so thats saying a lot. I don’t know how they managed to make a game system so good but can’t make a decent mp3 player?!?

Posted by Tom Savini on December 7, 2006 at 9:00 AM (PST)