According to a piece in Bloomberg this afternoon the end is coming for the Microsoft Zune. Since 2006, the media player has failed to gain enough traction to battle the Apple iPod at the cash register and now Microsoft is ready to pull the plug. Amidst mild demand, new versions of the Zune will no longer be released.
Based on NDP Group Inc.’s latest data, the iPod maintains 77 percent of the music player market. With a sizable lead, the Microsoft Zune is not the first media player to fall pray to Apple music player. Instead, the Zune is the latest in a long line of competitors who hoped to best Apple by offering better price points, more functionality and stylish designs. At the end of the day it all boils down to software and music stores. The combination of iTunes and the iTunes music store has kept Apple a step in front of the competition.
So where will we see the Zune next? Apparently, Microsoft will be focusing its efforts on Windows Phone. Since the Zune player is a key component to WP7, Microsoft is following Apple’s lead by bringing the iPod to the iPhone and iPad in the form of an app, as opposed to a device. For current Zune owners, Microsoft will remain committed to providing support. Future Zune users will likely only have access to the media player inside of Windows Phone.
via Bloomberg
