Why do we (Apple Users) NEED the Zune so bad?


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It’s rumored that the new Zune may launch today.

Who cares?

Well…we do, for some reason. If you go looking around the Apple blog-o-sphere, you’ll see Zune related posts on every single blog. Now, I know you’re going to say it’s because the Zune is a rival MP3 Player and is, thus, worth covering.

But that’s a load of crap, and you and I both know it.

The Zune is worth covering because it’s made by Microsoft. We NEED that rivalry to feel that all is right in the world. Let’s face it – it just wasn’t as much fun when Microsoft wasn’t in the MP3 player market. We didn’t have an enemy.

I mean, seriously – has anyone ever cared on way or another about the iRiver? Can you even name another MP3 Player? I can’t. I know Sony has some that are called Walkmans but that’s about it. We don’t care about Sony vs. Apple or Creative vs. Apple….we care about Microsoft Vs. Apple.

If the Zune 2 launches today (and it might, it could have launched by the time you read this) it won’t affect the iPod one bit. If Microsoft pulls a touch enabled Zune out of a bag, it’ll only be considered an iPhone/iPod Touch rip off. If they don’t…it’ll look old an out dated coming out of the box. It doesn’t matter what Microsoft does today, we’ll all call it a rip-off of Apple…and if any of us DARES to say that the Zune might have legs…he will be thrown to the wolves (I say he, because women are smarter than we are – and they don’t care about this junk as much).

We need the Zune, because of some reason, it’s just more fun to have the rivalry…and, for that reason, I hope the Zune does well…and is around for a long time to come.


Kokou Adzo

Kokou Adzo is a stalwart in the tech journalism community, has been chronicling the ever-evolving world of Apple products and innovations for over a decade. As a Senior Author at Apple Gazette, Kokou combines a deep passion for technology with an innate ability to translate complex tech jargon into relatable insights for everyday users.

7 Comments

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  1. I agree with Bryan.

    It’s nice to laugh at M$. I mean…could they be any later to the game? They missed the boat by over 5 years. It’s just pathetic. And the brown and pink? It just illustrates perfectly their complete and utter lack or design prowess that’s carried through their software as well as their hardware.

    We’re (iPod fans) not worried about the Zune2. It’s just a self-assuring pat on the back that “yeh, we’re still the best”.

  2. In the UK we still don’t even have the Zune.

    Microsoft versus Apple has always been something of a touching point between the two companies. Microsoft have the pockets to maybe pull out something revolutionary.

    Apple see the need to up their MP3 market than the computer market because that market is covered. They love beating Microsoft in something and all the Apple fanboys enjoy bashing the Zune.

    When the apple fanboys are not as good at something though or don’t have a big enough market share then they whine and whine.

    We need the Zune to bash and Apple needs the Zune to rival Microsoft so that people can complain and turn to Apple.

  3. Interesting and honest (mostly)… I think the reason that Apple fans hate the Zune so much is that Apple is an insignificant player in the PC game. Microsoft won and Apple fans just cannot deal with it, even after all these years. That is where the rivalry began….

    The irony of Apple fans criticizing a product that has a reportedly 10% of the HDD market share is funny. Considering Apple has a less than 10% market share of the PC market.

    The iPod is a great device and the truth be told, would you have the touch or iPhone if Microsoft didn’t get in the game?

    Competition is good for the market, the Zune and the seriousness of a true competitor with a deep pocket will force Apple to keep inventing and pushing their technology.

    In the long view (5-10 yrs) MS will maybe capture 20% of the market, any more than that will take an extreme amount of invention on MS part. Or simply more iPod fattys and poor manufacturing (touch, fatty, ect..).

    To clarify, I am not an MS fanboy or an Apple hater. I own neither device (iPod or Zune) and I am still using a 5 year old 256m iRiver. I do prefer MS OS to OS X, but that is due to my needs for work.

  4. We don’t NEED the Zune, but its sure as hell worth it to see Microsoft try and fail in another different industry.

  5. Can we lay the 10% of the hard disk market to bed please.

    The Zune has 10% of the 30 Gig Hard Disk Market.

    For FUCK Sake please see the microsoft HYPE for what it is…

  6. I personally won’t buy a zune because of the capacity. But if feature wise it is a good mp3 player, now that zune store would be selling drm-free music and there might be a DRM-free future plans…

    Although, MS should remove the allowed 3 times of play time. What is good about it, you can share the files to unlimited users.

    Another good thing MS has to offer is backwards compatibility. If you want coverflow and such on your iPod; you need to buy the new one but for zune what the new Zune 80 software has the classic zune 30 will also have through software update..