Zune
Beloved by those who owned one, the Zune ultimately couldn’t keep up with the iPod (RIP). It was a matter of too little, too late. The iPod was already taking off when Microsoft released its competitor, but nothing was going to stop Apple—not even Zune’s, erm, squirting feature.
When it arrived, the Zune was little more than a Microsoft-branded iPod. It was a perfectly capable music player but failed to address the problems people had with Apple’s device. That’s not to say it didn’t have its own unique features; the Zune came with a Wi-Fi chip before the iPod, one that allowed other Zune-sters to share songs and photos (with limitations). Microsoft also beat everyone to the punch with Zune Pass, a $15/month all-you-can-listen subscription service (with 10 free song downloads a month!). The Zune HD was also among the first devices with an OLED display—how cool!
Anyway, the Zune was bulkier than the iPod, it didn’t have the same apps and accessories ecosystem, and its video codec support was restricted. The Zune’s limited success can also be largely blamed on marketing blunders—Microsoft just couldn’t grab the ears of customers already making their way to Apple stores.
