Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
The Microsoft Zune is mostly just a footnote in the history of technology. Microsoft has spent years — and huge sums of money — trying to create a true competitor to Apple’s iPod. Without getting any closer To actually pull it off. The Zune was simply too little, too late.
You know what’s so surprising about the Zune? Microsoft made a lot of right bets with the Zune. The company saw — far ahead of most other tech companies — that adding social features could make its product more sticky. I realized that these pocketable devices might eventually be useful for more than just music. It contained a set of interface design ideas that are still strongly present in our lives today. The universe in which the Zune crashed isn’t that far away (and it’s out there There are a lot of fans in this onetoo.) Maybe if it wasn’t brown, you know?
to This episode of Release datewe tell the full story of the original Zune. (There’s a Zune HD episode to do here at some point — more on that another time.) David Pearce, Nilay Patel, and Victoria Song go back to the days of MSN Music, Toshiba Gigabeat, and Xbox 360, to try to figure out the future that Microsoft saw. The hosts also talk about the incredible ambition behind the Zune, which was meant to be much more than just a music player. Microsoft has even struck new types of deals with the entertainment industry to support its broad vision. Finally, they discuss why the Zune doesn’t work, and whether it has a chance at all.
This is the fourth episode of Release date. If you want to find the show, there are three good places to go:
Thank you to everyone who has already watched or listened to the show and sent their comments! We’re already working on the next batch of episodes, and we want to hear everything you think we should do, not do, or do differently. How many MP3 players deserve their own episodes? You tell us. In the meantime, if you want to learn more about the Zune story, here are some links to get you started: