Brown Zune finds meaning in Hide-a-Pod

Bill was a hired infomercial actor pretending to be on the brink. He used to lose at least half a dozen iPods to relentless and cunning thieves, continually able to outsmart him and relieve him of his portable music boxes. Then, like a shining light at the end of the tunnel, along came Hide-a-Pod*. "It was like a dream come true," Bill exclaimed: "I picked up a Hide-a-Pod, and I haven't lost an iPod since. If I leave it somewhere and go back later it's always right there were I left it." Harnessing the mathematical perfection of ugliness that only the Brown Zune possesses, Hide-a-Pod makes iPods physically invisible to lower standing members of society. You too can be like Bill, by ordering the Hide-a-Pod today!

[Thanks, David]

*Warning: Hide-a-Pod not a real product. Will cause extreme ridicule if taken seriously.

[Glazun @ Jul 15th 2007 12:57PM]

Well, that would be rather useful.. though just putting the ipod on my inside coat pocket works for me.

[Made in DNA @ Jul 16th 2007 3:18AM]

Agreed. Sounds to me like Bill is a dork. Bill deserves to be ripped off. And I could careless about a hide a pod. I think anyone with brains would figure it out immediately. If this is a joke, I'm not even laughing on the inside.

[Nick @ Jul 16th 2007 9:36AM]

@Made in DNA

what part of "*Warning: Hide-a-Pod not a real product. Will cause extreme ridicule if taken seriously." doesnt compute for you? learn to read.

[sc00tert00ter @ Jul 15th 2007 12:58PM]

i have a brownie :-|
ipod sucks

[Mark @ Jul 15th 2007 1:30PM]

I too have a brownie! Except I don't think the iPod sucks. How could it suck by selling over 100,000,000 of itself... I don't think so. The iPod is a very nice Media Player, the only reason I opted for a Zune was the fact that I just wanted something other than an iPod.

[CL @ Jul 15th 2007 1:43PM]

"How could it suck by selling over 100,000,000 of itself... I don't think so."

hmmm....Apple marketing?

[ark_v2 @ Jul 15th 2007 1:47PM]

And I WANT a brownie, and I don't think the iPod sucks. It's just overprized. In some days I'll get my sansa e260, now I need a HDD player and I've considered the Zune a lot.

[Trace The Hedgehog @ Jul 15th 2007 1:57PM]

I have a Pinky ;_; Does that count? I mean, its still a Zune. And I got my dad a Brownie for fathers day. (Those are my two favorite Zune colors)

So can I join the club?

[narco @ Jul 15th 2007 4:30PM]

I love how people say the secret to the iPod's success is Apple's marketing. As if millions of people would buy a syringe filled with the Bubonic plague just because it was cleverly marketed.

Fishes,
narco.

[Chris @ Jul 15th 2007 5:15PM]

Not speaking on behalf of the iPod, but Brittney Spears's* success doesn't have a whole hell of a lot to do with an over abundance of quality.

Apples marketing has been nothing short of brilliant. If you think that has nothing to do with its success, then I don't think too much of your business instincts. Think of it this way... if marketing has so little to do with success, why does Apple do so much of it?

*one of many examples

[atomicmatt @ Jul 15th 2007 6:31PM]

Narco, companies sell a lot of Cigarettes do to clever marketing..... and those kill you.

[Urza @ Jul 15th 2007 9:35PM]

The iPod is good, but it's far from the best media player. Yes, the hardware is durable, but the software is by far the worst of any media player I've used. If you could use the RCA Lyra software on iPod hardware then that would be a killer media player. A durable player that you can upload songs to without being required to use any specific software (or any software at all other than your OS) with features like built-in radio and custom equalizer. Lyra pricing for it would be sweet too. I would say part of the reason the iPod is so popular is BECAUSE of it's so overpriced. Then it's not a media player, it's a status symbol, and it doesn't matter what the features of it are.

Oh, and a media player that adheres to STANDARDS instead of some way overpriced proprietary dock connectors. Apple is just too obsessed with making apple products not work with the rest of the world.

[srilyk @ Jul 15th 2007 11:02PM]

@chris - but most guys would agree - britney spears is sexy. So is the iPod. If they were hideously ugly...

[Christapher @ Jul 15th 2007 11:13PM]

@ Urza
"If you could use the RCA Lyra software on iPod hardware then that would be a killer media player"

it already is A 'killer media player,' as in 'kills anyone who tries to go head to head with it' ZING

APPLE FTW!!!!!!!!!!1111!

[Ryhan @ Jul 15th 2007 11:17PM]

I personally like both (interfaces); however I have similar gripes about both like compatibility/supported file types, sound-quality, and the software needed to use it... (And thats why I have a cowon d2 and both the new and old clix! (And a sansa r250 (rhapsody) which I hate!)) Still, I think that asthetically the ipod is better, though I love tactile feedback!

Anyways, stuff like this (MS vs. Apple)is really pointless; no one is changing anyone's mind. And whoever said that apple does extensive marketing is correct; however one must remember that the zune also was extremely hyped and advertised...

[Dave95 @ Jul 16th 2007 12:55AM]

Marketing does play an important role in the success of a product but obviously it takes more than just marketing. There needs to be substance, and like it or not the iPod has enough substance to sell at the numbers it did. Its rather unfair to compare it to Britney Spears, a studio performer who lip sings through all of her live performance. Take a poll, most everyone will agree that she was someone overly marketed with little substance (excluding her fans that went head and shaved their heads). Most will agree the iPod's been heavily marketed but for from a Britney Spears.

[Priapos @ Jul 16th 2007 8:08AM]

Yes, Apple marketing, that's it.
Same reason millions of people use Windows - clever marketing, because we all know there are better OSes out there.

Am I right? Am I right?
Yeah, I am right...

[Chris @ Jul 16th 2007 8:28AM]

@Dave95-

I was merely pointing out that marketing is extremely important and that in some cases, it can be the most important thing. I can't speak for the iPod b/c I do not own one; I assume they are nice. I agree that the comparison to Brittney Spears is a bit like apples and oranges (no pun intended), but I could not think of an electronics company that such a strong brand and sold crappy products.

The fact is that Apple has this brilliant anti-establishment image that it has developed, in part, through Think Different and Mac vs PC commercials. And this has huge appeal to the vast anti-establishment youth, even though Apple is just another company with shareholders, well compensated executives, accounting "irregularities", and low wage Chinese labor.

Point is, even brilliant products need brilliant marketing. I don't know much about the device other than what I read, but I do know that their marketing campaigns are great and Apple has a very strong brand.

[Galley @ Jul 16th 2007 9:49AM]

Mmm... brownies. No walnuts, please!

[Dave95 @ Jul 16th 2007 11:25AM]

@ Chris

I don't think anyone will disagree with that, Apple's marketing is brilliant! Take a look at the iPhone and the way it was marketed (or hyped). Introduced at MacWorld by Jobs who 'claimed' he is doing so ahead of the FCC. It was presented as something that's just as important to the company and revolutionary as the Mac and the iPod was. Put on a pedestal in a glass-case away from the public’s hands, which adds to its importance and also its mystic. Jobs walked around with one in his pocket for months only pulling it out for a few seconds at a time to show-off. Only a few was said to be in the wild, by special people hand selected by Jobs. As the released date got closer, more info trickled in and more features was added (Better Battery, scratch-resistance screen, YouTube). This was all well planed and all marketing by Apple. They built enough hype that people were willing to stand in line for days just to buy a $500-$600 phone they never saw in person. Even the Major of Philadelphia was caught in line. Close to a million was reportedly sold in 2-3 days. But all that marketing is moot if the product does not live-up to the hype or have substance. The latest polls taken shows that 90% of 200 owners were “extremely” or “very” satisfied with their iPhone. 85% said they are “extremely” or “very” likely to recommend the device to others.
http://yahoo.usatoday.com/tech/wireless/phones/2007-07-12-iphone_N.htm

Why has it taken the Zune 6 months to reach one million when it took the iPhone a few days? The Zune is much cheaper, was also hype before and after release (engadget?) and is also being heavily marketed. It also has a well recognized strong brand name behind it in (Microsoft). Marketing alone and a strong brand will only take you so far.

[Shabbis @ Jul 16th 2007 12:34PM]

Uh, last time I checked, Windows has like 90%+ market share and it sucks. The Moto RAZR sold millions and it’s a terrible phone, worst UI ever. Market share or sales volume is never a good determining factor for a product's superiority.


(I do own several iPods and an iPhone though)

[Mike @ Jul 15th 2007 12:59PM]

LOL!

[fischju @ Jul 15th 2007 1:01PM]

Do you think an NDS Lite would fit in there?

[i.c. weiner @ Jul 15th 2007 1:36PM]

probably not

[Adam @ Jul 15th 2007 1:03PM]

OLD

[Alan Partridge @ Jul 15th 2007 1:08PM]

"Harnessing the mathematical perfection of ugliness that only the Brown Zune possesses"

Haha! There should be more brown gadgets in general though

[morcheeba @ Jul 15th 2007 2:12PM]

I weeped the day that HP stopped using brown for their calculators. I think the color worked well for them.

[z @ Jul 15th 2007 2:23PM]

What we be even better is a zune in simili-wood! I'd get one of these! And even better a simili-wood-zune-hide-a-iphone.

[3rdsun @ Jul 15th 2007 1:10PM]

Making fun of a MS product like only Engadget can. btw brown is the new white

[K-J @ Jul 15th 2007 1:15PM]

Awesome - now i can have an ipod and an image!

[Argot @ Jul 15th 2007 1:17PM]

Who would wanna steal a crappy iPod?

[Billy Kincaid @ Jul 15th 2007 1:48PM]

Yeah, cuz people stealing iPods are all over the news.

[Chuckles McGee @ Jul 15th 2007 3:36PM]

Yeah, not like any thief wants to make off with a compact yet valuable, demanded and easily resellable device.

[kingofwale @ Jul 15th 2007 1:17PM]

>Making fun of a MS product like only Engadget can.

if MS can only make a product that doesn't either suck or break all the time or crash a lot, maybe people will stop making fun of them?

[Rohit Kapur @ Jul 15th 2007 1:17PM]

I think you guys just did more wonder for their website than they ever could've on their own.

Funny post. :-)

[FordGTGuy @ Jul 15th 2007 1:30PM]

Ummmm my Zune has never given me any problems(bought mine at launch) and has a hell of alot more features then the iPod. BTW who the hell is going to steal a shiny easy to scratch pos like the iPod?

I've never seen an iPod owner ever walk around anywhere with their it. They always leave it in the car or something. I bring my Zune every where with though.

[Jagster @ Jul 15th 2007 2:16PM]

kingofwale said:
"if MS can only make a product that doesn't either suck or break all the time or crash a lot, maybe people will stop making fun of them?"

Well, the Zune does not suck, does not break all the time, and does not crash a lot. But people still make fun of Microsoft. Guess your theory is wrong.

[Clarion @ Jul 15th 2007 2:57PM]

I don't know about you, but my iPod consistently malfunctions. Don't get me wrong, I like it, and I keep it for the ease-of-use and simplicity of the interface, but it still causes me grief when it skips to the next song in the middle of the current one for no reason, or locks up without allowing me to turn it off, or even restart at times, and I have to wait for it die before I can use it again. Apple says that it's a minor glitch and that I just need to deal with it.

But you go ahead and continue to hold Apple on a pedestal. Whatever helps you sleep at night.

[myles @ Jul 16th 2007 3:47AM]

Heh, I bought a iPod mini 2 years ago and it simply would not turn on after 6 months of use. I tried everything, returned it to Best Buy under warranty and got a refund voucher. Then I bought a 4G ipod. Now my iPod's hard drive just failed (sad iPod icon) and it's right past the 1-year warranty. A month before it failed, it crashed 2-3 times every day and needed a reset.

Not only that, my friend went through 4 iPod replacements under warranty until he just gave up, sold the crappy thing, and bought a Zune.

I'm not going back to Apple again, cuz they're the ones that make the players that "suck or break all the time or crash a lot." Why do you think Apple pushes their AppleCare and other warranties so much? Cuz they know that their iPods break easily...

[Brian @ Jul 16th 2007 2:22AM]

What planet are you from?

Before the XBOX, Microsoft's hardware was top notch. (Keyboards/Mice)

The XBOX 360 is terribly designed... but you can't blame Microsoft as much as you can blame Team XBOX for that. And guess who designed the Zune? (A: Team XBOX... which is why "MICROSOFT" appears nowhere on the Zune)

Anywho... I love my brownie. I wouldn't trade it for any iPod... even if they gave me a small amount of cash.

[Anonyman @ Jul 16th 2007 8:54AM]

Dude, the time Microsoft finally makes something that doesn't suck will be the time they make a vacuum cleaner.

[FordGTGuy @ Jul 15th 2007 1:32PM]

Sorry Rohit Kapur thatcomment was directed at kingofwale.

[Mitchell Henderson @ Jul 15th 2007 1:41PM]

Man, I should have thought of that.

[Revrant2394 @ Jul 15th 2007 1:46PM]

Granted it ain't pretty, but I imagine they didn't steal his iPod to have one, they stole it to sell it, so now it's just how desperate the thief is.

[Jorman @ Jul 15th 2007 1:46PM]

so youre saying that, if I buy an iPod, it will most likely endager my life and safety. will i no longer be able to take long walks downtown listening to my favorite tunes without having to deal with someone trying to 'PodJack' me?

well then screw the iPod, Im buying a Zune. why buy something that looks like it, when i can have the real thing and avoid all the hassle.

[Chuckles McGee @ Jul 15th 2007 6:49PM]

But Hide-a-Pod is ONLY $29.99!!!

[Dragod @ Jul 15th 2007 1:52PM]

Haha, wow. I see it's still funny for Apple fanboys to make fun of the Zune, even if it isn't funny at all.


Someone explain how it fits inside it, when they are the same width?

[Karl @ Jul 15th 2007 2:01PM]

"*Warning: Hide-a-Pod not a real product. Will cause extreme ridicule if taken seriously."

[Dragod @ Jul 15th 2007 2:04PM]

Didn't see that... but the first part of my post is still true...

[Dragod @ Jul 15th 2007 1:57PM]

Plus, doesn't this go against the Apple Fanboy's #1 Zune complaint? "It's soo f*cking huge! I could fit an elephant in it!hahhahahhhaa!"?