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Original material is licensed under a Creative Commons License permitting non-commercial sharing with attribution.
08/19/09
I think it's also important to note that while Windows is certainly the dominant platform, I'd wager that 40% of it's market share is the office environment, meaning that Macs, while still a small minority, make up a larger portion of the home market than people really realize. No one buys a Zune for the office, therefore, I think the market for a Mac-compatible Zune is actually greater than people realize.
08/19/09
On the other hand, Microsoft has very little incentive to make the ZuneHD Mac compatible because: (a) most Mac users prefer to stick with iTunes, (b) most Mac users will prefer to go with iPods or iPhones and the killer (c) Macs are 5-7% of the world market tops.
For those of you about to reply with "I have a Mac and I don't like iTunes.." or some variant of that - note the word "most" up there. It means more than half, typically significantly more than half - but not all. You're being the exception doesn't disprove anything. You'll have to prove that at least 33% or better 50% are not as I suggest.
As OMG Ponies suggests, given that Mac fans are into hacking all sorts of bizarre things - find one - give them a ZuneHD and wait for them to be so frustrated that they reverse engineer the protocol and add it to iSync.
08/19/09
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08/19/09
So the market shares gained by selling to a minority of a minority ( mac users are already a minority compared to windows users) wouldn't cover the cost of development, there would be too few potential customers.
08/19/09
Also, we should look at the target market for the Zune HD/iPod touch. It's generally younger-ish people and everyone knows that on college campuses, MB and MBP are beginning to out number the competition. I realize I'm still in the minority, but still, the average mom and pop probably won't be looking at a Zune HD and even if they were in the market, they're less likely to be reading tech blogs and following the hype. Anyway, I'm rambling on, but the point is, younger people are more likely to be in the market for a Zune HD and Macs are gaining in the younger market.
08/19/09
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08/19/09
There was a Final Cut for Windows, back in the day.
08/19/09
Now all the MS fanboys are all, "wah wah wah...Macs are such a small market share why do it!"
Well, some people who use Macs would buy a Zune HD if they could use it. But, we can't. I like my iPod Video, and my iPod Touch, but, the Video is on it's last legs and will need to be replaced soon.
I will end up having to buy an iPod Classic for all my music because MS won't let me use a Zune on my Mac.
08/19/09
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08/19/09
I don't know how iTunes is on Windows, but it's fine on the Mac.
08/19/09
I was ecstatic for Halo on the mac. But then you bought it. Assholes.
[typo]
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08/19/09
Adolf Hitler's eternal punishment is riding a unicycle in Hell? Please explain...
08/19/09
...Make the dang thing MS.
In the mean time you can enjoy zune HD on you mac by downloading these two zune HD wallpapers i created. enjoy
leave a comment
[twitpic.com]
08/19/09
08/19/09
We don't want any more MS bloatware on the Mac - they can keep their Zune cr@p!
08/19/09
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08/19/09
You all seem to have a short memory when it comes to PMPs. Back when the iPod was launched, it was Mac only. Jobs’ plan was that people would switch to a Mac to be able to use the iPod. It was thought that the "halo effect" would increase Apple’s marketshare. The iPod was repeatedly hacked to allow it to run on Windows, and Apple repeatedly tried to thwart Windows compatibility until Apple finally caved and offered official Windows support.
Whining about wanting Mac-compatibility is just that: whining. If there is a Mac user who really wants Zune on Mac, step up to the keyboard and code a hack for it. Mac represents about 10% of the personal computing market. That’s the ceiling. Being optimistic, let’s say half of all Mac users will want a Microsoft Zune, you are still demanding that Microsoft devote R&D in a recession to capture a maximum of 5% of the PMP market for a device that Microsoft doesn’t even see fit to regularly advertise on television.
First, get Microsoft to spend $250 million a year on advertising the Zune to generate actual demand. Then, get documented demand from Mac users BEYOND Gizmodo’s readership (i.e. - get Goatberg to come out and ask for Zune for Mac).
Until then, accept the fact that Microsoft is in the business of selling software - Windows software - and if you really want a Zune, you can plonk down the money to buy Windows 7 to put onto your computer.
08/19/09
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08/19/09
The Zune offers almost nothing that the iPod touch doesn't already do now and then some.
08/19/09
For music discovery, subscription plans are easier on the pocketbook.
08/19/09
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08/19/09
At least with a subscription, you don't have to worry about buying an album to find out that it's crap.
08/19/09
08/19/09
Right now I run 5 OS's at home - OSX, Windwos 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, and RHEL 5 and outside of OSX, everything else runs in a virtual machine. Vista gives me a better feeling, but not good enough to run as a host and I think microsoft can use the Zune platform just as Apple did--As a lure to say "hey we can make great innovate stuff."
Expanding the Zune to the Mac would be the exact same thing that Apple with the iPod to Microsoft to take so many of their frustrated users away.
I actually might take you up on your idea and write some native Mac software for it though :). Just gotta finish the project I'm currently working on.
08/19/09
08/19/09
Yes, but it's different times now. Jobs' plan changed when he understood how powerful iTunes would become if it became the standard on both OS X and Windows, which it did. Times, plans, things change.
08/19/09
08/19/09
[www.eweek.com]
08/19/09
08/19/09
Do you have sand in your vagina or something? Talk about cranky.
08/19/09
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08/19/09
It's $15/month and you KEEP 10 songs. $15/month on iTunes would get you 15 songs you get to keep.
Except with a zune pass you also get to PACK YOUR PLAYER TO THE BRIM with thousands and thousands of songs that you do not pay 99 cents for.
Your argument is retarded, get over it.
08/19/09
Seriously. Fucking dual boot in Windows, buy a goddamn Zune HD, and quit bitching about it.
There are a million other things to rightfully complain about. I honestly don't feel like this is one.
08/19/09
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08/19/09
I live in Brooklyn, where a movie ticket costs $12. A single subway ride costs $2.25 ($2.50 before the end of 2010). A good cocktail is $8.
$15 a month to get all the music I want is not expensive in comparison. I spend more on a monthly LIRR pass ($205) than on a year of ZunePass ($180). I've spent more on an anniversary dinner than on a year of ZunePass.
Money is money and the "you're just renting" argument is a non-starter to my pocketbook.
08/19/09