Waiting for Microsoft’s Move
Timing in the electronics industry is a fascinating thing, with Apple having shown its updated iPod lineup, the light will move to Microsoft later this week with the release of the Zune HD.
In typical Apple fanfare, the iPod will continue on another 6 - 8 months with a handful of upgrades and color choices. With such a lack luster performance, one would think the public would tire of the same over blown announcements. The only two major pieces of news, the Nano gaining a camcorder (no camera capabilities) and iTunes 9 aren’t even really all that interesting as much as confusing. A standard iPhone GS camera in the iPod Touch would have gone over better and made its upgrade more enticing. In place they claimed it was a gaming platform, stating people had no interest in a camera on the touch. One could debate the claim of the system as a gaming platform with the input limitations of the system, not to mention the cost comparison to a Nintendo DS. The iTunes 9 announcements were especially odd considering the lack of new features. With a few changes in how iPods and iPhones syncs with the software the other changes relate to the iTunes Store, in an attempt to clean up some of the mess that has plagued the web driven interface. Until Apple completely scraps the interface for a more natural and graphically pleasing one the store will always be one of the sore thumbs in iTune’s side.
In contrast Microsoft is in the process of a major upgrade to their Zune hardware and software. Considered by many as the competitor to the relative Monopoly the iPod line has on the mobile music industry, the Zune HD has the potential to regain some of the ground lost to the popular iPod Touch. It remains unclear as to how the platform will do beyond music; possessing limited gaming and internet connectivity does not quite put it on the same operating system level of the OS X Mobile. From a purely media standpoint, the Zune line has for the past few generations shined like a giant artistic beacon in the overly sterile design tones of Apple. With smooth interfaces and inventive media organizational skills the device has an ease of use and stability that puts the iPod to shame, especially in the syncing and moving of media between devices. Driven by an Adobe Flash interface, the software side of the Zune has had a silky and way about it, the release of version 4 should prove interesting considering the changes to the Zune HD interface.
Regardless of how well the Zune HD does later this week, nothing short of Apple going bankrupt will change the current iPod dominance in the market. I have always been a fan of the Zune software, especially in the time I’ve been forced to use iTunes with my iPhone. OS X Mobile might be a good mobile operating system, but both its media capacities and its sync software leave a lot to be desired. Considering Apple’s painful commitment to sameness I doubt that is going to change any time soon. If ever there is a proper marriage of the Zune line and the Windows Mobile OS maybe then we will see change in the markets.