The story of the Microsoft Zune, the would-be iPod killer
The Microsoft Zune is essentially just a footnote in technology history. Microsoft spent years – and huge amounts of money – trying to create a real competitor to Apple’s iPod, but never succeeded. The Zune was simply too little, too late.
But you know what’s surprising about the Zune? Microsoft made many good bets with the Zune. The company realized — long before most others in the tech industry — that adding social features could make its product stickier. He realized that these handheld devices could eventually be useful for more than just music. And it contained a bunch of interface design ideas that are still very much present in our lives today. The universe in which the Zune was a hit isn’t that far away (and there are a lot of fans in that one too.) Maybe if it hadn’t been brown, you know?
For this episode of Version historywe tell the whole story of the original Zune. (There’s a Zune HD episode to do here at some point – we’ll talk about that another time.) David Pierce, Nilay Patel and Victoria Song look back to the days of MSN Music, the Toshiba Gigabeat and the Xbox 360, to try to understand the future that Microsoft saw coming. The hosts also talk about the shocking ambition behind Zune, which was supposed to be much more than just a music player. Microsoft has even entered into new types of deals with the entertainment industry, to support its expansive vision. And finally, they explain why the Zune didn’t work and if it ever had a chance.
This is the fourth episode of Version history. If you want to catch the show, there are three good places to go:
Thanks to everyone who has already watched or listened to the show and sent in their comments! We’re already planning the next set of episodes and want to hear anything you think we should or shouldn’t do or do differently. How many more MP3 players deserve their own episodes? You tell us. In the meantime, if you want to learn more about the history of the Zune, here are some links to get you started:
