As much as I hate to say it, the Zune is more or less dead. It’s been a year and a half since we’ve seen a redesign, and though Zune hardware has always been quality, Microsoft seems to have refocused their handheld efforts behind WP7 (with rumours of an Xbox-branded device).
But there’s also Microsoft’s Zune store/distribution platform to consider, which is also good (even if it’s Windows-only). According to Mary Jo Foley, Microsoft seems to be working on the successor to the Zune distribution platform, and it’s codenamed Ventura:
“Ventura, from what my tipsters tell me, is the name of a set of services being developed by Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices (E&D) unit. These services are focused on music and video discovery and consumption. They sound, from my sources, as though they include recommendations, ratings and comments.”
This would make sense. Without the Zune name attached, Microsoft could promote the service more widely across all their products – computers, Xboxes, phones, etc – with minimal confusion. And for the most part, it sounds like it will have some of the same discovery features as the Zune desktop software, which was pretty cool. Personally, I just hope they don’t confine the service to the Windows platform and lock content down behind Windows Media DRMs. [ZDnet via CrunchGear]
Womp
Wednesday, March 9, 2011 at 1:11 PMHave to agree when you say “I just hope they don’t confine the service to the Windows platform and lock content down behind Windows Media DRMs”. I’d like to see something that works natively with Ubuntu and has more than 8Gig.
Sean
Wednesday, March 9, 2011 at 1:25 PMI like that this is sponsere by Sony :)
Sicarius123
Wednesday, March 9, 2011 at 1:59 PMKilling the Zune name would be an idiotic move.
Why would you kill an established brand name worldwide because Americans associate it with a failed PMP? You’d be starting from scratch.
What they should be doing is making Zune replace Windows Media Player in Windows 8 to force users into the brand, like Apple do with itunes.
Stefan
Wednesday, March 9, 2011 at 3:38 PMThe zune software pwns n00bs… period
Beredan
Wednesday, March 9, 2011 at 4:22 PMI liked the zune hd. Most stable mp3 player i’ve ever had and it will be sad to see it go also forcing me to switch to the creative zen products.
Tim Acheson
Wednesday, March 9, 2011 at 7:31 PMDon’t underestimate Zune. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again:-
http://twitter.com/timacheson/status/22874929169
There’s a tendency in certain circles to dismiss Zune and even laugh at it, but these people are uninformed. Commentators often confuse one experimental device with a much broader brand — whether they do so deliberately or through genuine ignorance.
You can buy a movie, music video or music track on Zune and enjoy it on your TV/Xbox, PC, Mac, Win Phone, etc. Download or instantly stream. Full true HD 1080p. Welcome to the future.
http://www.Zune.net
olearymo
Wednesday, March 9, 2011 at 9:44 PMGreat. So they drop zune, and even if they made the world’s best product, everyone would still say ‘the zune failed!’
names mean a lot.
Steve
Wednesday, March 9, 2011 at 9:45 PMIf I actually saw a Zune HD in a store, I’d have picked it up. I was really looking forward to a PMP in between iPods in the day and it piqued my interest.
But no, they test it in the North American market and are now potentially shelving it. Nice one.
bmn
Wednesday, March 9, 2011 at 10:35 PMThis is false information and just a rumor, there is no credibility in this news. Zune is part and parcel with windows phone 7, There are no plans from Micrcosoft to stop Zune HD.