Looks like the Zune player’s Samuel-Clemens-greatly-exaggerated demise yesterday was, well, not so greatly exaggerated. The new official word from Microsoft is that it will “no longer be producing Zune players”.
After prematurely yanking the Zune HD off the Zune website yesterday, Microsoft had originally claimed it was a publishing error. Nope. This is the end of the road for the hardware end of the Zune line, though the official post notes that they’ll continue to honour warranties and provide customer service for recently-purchased Zunes or, god help you, to anyone who buys one going forward.
The future of Zune will be Windows Phone now, and it’s a pretty pleasant-looking one to be honest. Well Windows Phone and an admittedly hobbled Zune Music Pass. But for now, lament the loss of the little music player that never quite got a fair shake. [Zune via WinRumors via Techmeme]