Microsoft's Bach says 'there are other places where Zune logically could go'
By Chris Ziegler 
posted January 11th 2010 1:26PM
posted January 11th 2010 1:26PM
So that meeting a few days ago where financial analysts physically beat a few choice WinMo 7 nuggets out of Robbie Bach yielded something else that's pretty interesting, too: the expansion of the Zune franchise. Virtually everyone and their mother has been calling for a Zunephone since the day the first Zune 30 rolled off the assembly line, and a very, very carefully-worded statement by Bach in the meeting has us believing that we could finally see it make the bold leap to GSM (or CDMA, or both) this year. In response to a question about how Zune fits into Microsoft's mobile strategy, Bach had this to say:If you read between the lines there, it certainly sounds like Robbie's got his eyes on the prize -- but whether Zune will come to Windows Mobile or live as its own brand remains to be seen. No guarantees, but we're hoping all will be revealed at MWC next month."Now, your other question was about I'm getting old. Zune, so Zune has been critically successful. And the way Zune is going to be successful for us in the future is you should think of that as our media service across multiple screens. We'll continue to have the Zune device screen. But, we now have Zune on Xbox. We have Zune on the PC. There are other places where Zune logically could go that we don't get to talk about yet. And I think lots of different screens with that capability can go."
Yay?
@ustna interesting...
@ustna:
If there was a Zune HD phone I would flush my iPhone in a heartbeat and buy it
@ustna
Methinks Robbie would prefer Zune to be commercially successful (as opposed to just critically successful). Only way that's going to happen is if they open it up to the world (instead of North America) and add phone capabilities. It'll piss of some WinMo makers, but why not licence them the Zune name too? Win-win?
@ustna So Microsoft, how about fixing the godamn Wifi support on the HD? So, you know, those people who paid for the original device can surf the web WHERE EVERY OTHER WIFI ENABLED DEVICE CAN.
K, thanks
@ustna the sidekick clone fell apart so their only gadget left is the Zune. Hopefully they can get it working before Christmas, they been hinting the same thing for 2 years...
Need moar apps
@Jordan
Yeah sure we believe you.
@Jordan
I would Flush my BlackBerry LOL
hmmmmm yeah I'de give microsoft a chance qith the zune HD Phone...
I had to cross the border to go get mine and LOVE this device.....
C'mon give us the phone version NOW!
It was already stated in 2009 that the Zune software would be included in Windows Mobile 7. Wheres the news?
@fatslug
'Included' won't be good enough. It needs to be fundamentally part of it. The problem with Windows Mobile is that it just feels rather taped together; whereas iPhone OS, Android, webOS and to some extent Symbian, feel less like "I was built for a PDA" and more "I was built for this phone". WM is good and has decent features, but there's something fundamentally wrong with it. Needs starting from scratch.
@plastik
What feels taped together? Whats wrong with Windows mobile is that its not finger friendly and uses an outdated user interface. The functionality and usefulness is all there.
I don't want my phone to be a media player first and a phone second. This is the major problem with the iphone, its a game device, music player and has some phone functions. That may be okay for those kids that use devices for that purpose but people that need to get work done rather have a phone with useful productivity features and the fluff put in the back.
@fatslug
I agree. The criticism that has ever truly held water on WinMo had to deal with finger friendly usability. This issue has been handled by third party apps or manufacturers developing skins. I think this approach has led manufacturers and users to have the phone they want customized to what they want.
@fatslug
I really concur with you. Although I do think that MS could have a winner on their hands if they made a Zune 'skin' for more media-centric WM7 devices--sort of like how there is Sense for Android and WM6.5. That way they could have the standard business centric base set-up, but then if they wanted a Zune-phone it could be skinned over...
@fatslug
MS talks s**t all the time. When actually DO stuff its news.
This is speculation and here-say, and frankly, you could replace the name Robbie Bach with 'Paul Thurrott' and you'd get the same effect.
The guy's speculating on his own company. Brilliant.
@Rick James
"if they made a Zune 'skin' for more media-centric WM7 devices--sort of like how there is Sense for Android and WM6.5."
I really think this would be the best solution becuase, you could different overlays for Xbox, Zune and Business phones.
I believe it's all but guaranteed - at least according to my sources. I know I'm going to be waiting to replace my phone & zune until later this year.
"There are other places where Zune logically could go that we don't get to talk about yet."
Like Europe ? :)
@augusztin
Europe, Australia... Tahiti. Anywhere I guess.
@augusztin
Europe!
@augusztin
Hopefully to Canada at least.
@augusztin My thought exactly.
@augusztin
Uranus?
I think you’re going to see Zune as a service and program on the WM7 phones. I think this to be a no-brainer.
I hope you’re going to see a Zune HD like interface on WM7 phones. I think this will be the make or break feature of future WinMo phones. I LOVE the Zune HD interface.
regrettably i think its too little too late! the "zune phone" will have to be truly amazing to beat the iphone, the only way the iphone will die is if it kills it self....
(crosses fingers)
@Gooner14 Er why does it have to beat the iPhone?!?! So tired of that pubescent tech argument!! If Zune translates to phone well it will do well end of story.
@Gooner14 i think it's far from too late. Smartphones still have a few years before they reach market saturation (analyst estimates generally guess between 2013 and 2015), and WM is nowhere near the death knell that Palm was at when they came out with the Pre.
@Gooner14
What is with this "beat the iPhone" business? Why does it have to beat it? Can't it just compete?
@Alan Strangis
Alan is totally right. People are transitioning to smartphones in groves and this trend will continue for years to come. I personally use two different Windows Mobile phones and an iPod Touch on a daily basis and I can see why some people love the iPhone and others hate it.
I would suspect that those that love the iPhone love that IT JUST WORKS while those that hate it WANT MORE CONTROL. What I'd like to see Microsoft do with Windows Mobile 7 is what they tried to do with Windows Vista in having something that works out of the box for the consumer but allows the techie to drill down into and customize if they want.
Also don't lock up the device. We want a way to swap out the battery. We want a way to add additional memory. We don't want to have to load everything through iTunes or some other app. We want to be able to access the file system.
@NeoSeer
Yeah it will do as well as the Zune did.
X-Box Phone anyone? The HD2 was already "the Microsoft Phone", so...
I'd ditch my iPhone for a Zune Phone in an instant. I love my Zune HD!
@meking87
See how idiotic comments like this are highranked, if it was someone ditching whatever phone they use for an iphone, you see how much downranking they would get.
it can go to the hell
@ThomasK
You gonna take it with you?
@ThomasK You'd probably get better service than an iPhone in NYC
@cayton
Or a Nexus One on T-Mobile in Manhattan
If I told you where your Zune could go, I think we might see some upset fanboys.
Finally Microsoft gets the kind of breaking news that Apple seems to always get.
Zune tablet or netbook, perhaps?
@joelaf
too apple
@joelaf
Not yet. It's be a bad move. They need tablets to actually become a success (not just with people that adore tech) before they do that. or it'll look like an "Okay, me too" thing.
lets start with some better codec support. im not tryna to convert 15 gigs of pirated movies and shizzle. you know how long it takes to do three ninjas kick back with pee wee herman as tum tum??? kick rocks, microsoft.
@skyblaze there should be a firmware update that includes xvid support if that what your after. http://ces.cnet.com/8301-31045_1-10429068-269.html?tag=twitter2
@Murkurie
Xvid is so last decade.
I could see MS licensing the Zune to HTC or phone makers? Or adding a HSPA modem to the Zune?
Microsoft repidetly said they would not make phones or computets. Even Google didn't actually do their own phones. I would doubt Microsoft would clash with their partners especially with the importance of WM7 and the need for good partners.
Included like you guys mentioned is still the most likely scenario.
@labrat
You realize when you're entering text, the read line underneath a word is usually an indication that it just might be spelled wrong?
It's 'repeatedly' not 'repidetly'. I won't even bother going into the grammar...
@Rem DX
Damn, I was not even close =/
You realize not everyone speaks English as their primary language, my corrector is in french, red lines everywhere!
Thx for the heads up, no need to be an ass.
@Rem DX
You do realize that the color red is spelled red, not read.. If you're going to correct someones grammar you better double and triple check your own.
You know what would have made this past CES the stuff of legends?
Microsoft unveiling a honest to god Zune Phone and the Courier.
My Bold would be gone in a fucking instant and ill even buy a pc again so i can sync up with Zune.