The Microsoft Zune is usually only a footnote in tech historical past. Microsoft spent years — and huge sums of cash — attempting to create a real competitor to Apple’s iPod, with out ever coming shut to truly pulling it off. The Zune was just too little, too late.
You realize what’s shocking concerning the Zune, although? Microsoft made numerous the appropriate bets with the Zune. The corporate noticed — effectively forward of many of the remainder of the tech trade — that including social options may make its product stickier. It understood that these pocketable gadgets would possibly finally be helpful for way more than simply music. And it had a bunch of interface design concepts which can be nonetheless very current in our lives right now. The universe through which the Zune was a smash isn’t so far-off (And there are many followers on this one, too.) Possibly if it hadn’t been brown, you understand?
For this episode of Model Historical past, we inform the entire story of the unique Zune. (There’s a Zune HD episode to do right here in some unspecified time in the future – extra on that one other time.) David Pierce, Nilay Patel, and Victoria Track flash again to the times of MSN Music, the Toshiba Gigabeat, and the Xbox 360, to attempt to determine the longer term Microsoft noticed coming. The hosts additionally discuss by way of the surprising ambition behind Zune, which was meant to be a lot, way more than only a music participant. Microsoft even made new sorts of offers with the leisure trade, to assist its huge imaginative and prescient. And eventually, they talk about why the Zune didn’t work, and whether or not it ever even had an opportunity.
That is the fourth episode of Model Historical past. If you wish to discover the present, there are three good locations to go:
Due to everybody who has already watched or listened to the present, and has despatched suggestions! We’re already placing on the subsequent bunch of episodes, and need to hear every little thing you suppose we needs to be doing or not doing or doing in another way. What number of extra MP3 gamers deserve their very own episodes? You inform us. Within the meantime, if you wish to know extra concerning the Zune story, listed here are some hyperlinks to get you began:
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