__/ [ Nick Ballard ] on Sunday 26 November 2006 23:00 \__
> On Sun, 26 Nov 2006 09:01:50 -0600, Linonut wrote:
>
>> After takin' a swig o' grog, John A. Bailo belched out this bit o'
>> wisdom:
>>
>>
>>> iPod vs. Zune
>>> http://youtube.com/watch?v=V5ENLm0JsQw
>>
>> From the video:
>>
>> "It's not as good as the iPod and it's five years too late."
>
> Exactly. Apple was the innovator, and they've had five years to perfect
> their product. The iPod is now the definitive MP3 player, and the Zune is
> just an experimental venture. Microsoft is optimistic that the Zune's
> features will eventually make it popular, but features don't do much for a
> product that doesn't work to begin with. Any Zune feature that the iPod
> lacks only serve to make the Zune look silly and gimmicky, while
> reaffirming the iPod's dominance in the market. The Zune is proof that
> Microsoft overlooks what should be obvious, while addressing too many
> problems that didn't exist in the first place.
>
>
> http://www.suntimes.com/technology/ihnatko/147048,CST-FIN-Andy23.article
>
> ,-----[Quote}
> |"Avoid," is my general message. The Zune is a square wheel, a product
> |that's so absurd and so obviously immune to success that it evokes
> |something akin to a sense of pity.
> |
> |The setup process stands among the very worst experiences I've ever had
> |with digital music players. The installer app failed, and an hour into
> |the ordeal, I found myself asking my office goldfish, "Has it really come
> |to this? Am I really about to manually create and install a .dll file?"
> `-----
>
>
> http://www.digitmag.co.uk/blogs/index.cfm?entryid=174&blogid=2
>
> ,-----[Quote]
> |*Hardware issues. Users and reviewers are discovering that the Zune is a
> | little too bulky and heavy. As Palm discovered long ago, a large device
> | can feel smaller if the designers round off the edges. Microsoft ignores
> | this lesson of gadget history, with its boxy, blocky design.
> |
> |*Zune's fake click wheel is really just a cheap plastic rocker switch
> | and serves only to remind users of how cool the iPod click wheel is.
> |
> |*Wi-Fi is nice, but you can't connect to anything but another Zune.
> |
> |*Compatibility issues. Zune will not work even with the vast majority of
> | Microsoft's own operating systems-forget about Mac, Linux, Unix or
> | any other operating system. At the moment, Zune works only with Windows
> | XP. Microsoft promises full support of Vista by January.
> `-----
>
> ...so really, nothing all that great. Just an over-hyped piece of crap.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Same with Vista, AKA Windows ME 2.0.
Same with Office 2007, AKA Microsoft Bob 2.0.
Same with the XBox(/360), a close sibling of the Origami fiasco.
Even a million marketeers and a thousand lawyers cannot force the public to
buy a brown brick. Innovation and inspiration comes from within, not from
one's pockets. Moreover, the public image that Steve Ballmer helps Microsoft
attain is not helping /anyone/. But let's just have him carry on. I enjoy
seeing how he sinks Microsoft while the tech world gradually exits the
middle/dark ages.
Best wishes,
Roy
--
Roy S. Schestowitz | Roughly 2% of your keyboard is O/S-specific
http://Schestowitz.com | SuSE Linux | PGP-Key: 0x74572E8E
11:05am up 39 days 21:19, 9 users, load average: 0.64, 0.91, 0.83
http://iuron.com - Open Source knowledge engine project
|
|