Filed under: Humor, iPod Family

As if the Microsoft Zune didn't have enough bad publicity, now the Fox Show Family Guy is beating up on the iPod competitor. In last night's episode, called "Ocean's Three and a Half", Carter Pewterschmidt asks Bill Gates for some help programming his Zune. Then Carter remembers he has an iPod, "like the rest of the world." Zing. Pow.

Of course Apple doesn't escape the sharp scalpel of satire either. In American Dad, a Fox show from the creator of Family Guy, Roger the Alien thought he was facing certain death and said: "I'm going to be dead, and I have two more years of AppleCare." Rim shot. Clank.

Here's a Hulu link to the clip from the show last night, and you can also watch the entire episode from the same link.

Thanks to Nick and John for the heads up. I've just got to start watching more television.

TUAWZune gets a smackdown on Family Guy originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft has split the Zune team into separate hardware and software units, and folded those units into other Microsoft organizations, according to a CNET report.

The move seems to further signal a shift in  Microsoft’s focus from Zune hardware to Zune software and services. The software group is going to the Media Center TV division, led by Enrique Rodriguez.

The fact that the Zune team does not exist as a separate entity any more is concerning to me. This does not seem a strategic measure for Zune so much as a cost-cutting measure. (They’re not doing this with Xbox, after all.)

The official reason, from Rodriguez, is that the reorganization was about “bringing more heads together to work on a unified entertainment approach… a more cloud-based approach.”

It smells like a cost-cutting move to me. Collapsing organizational units into a smaller set can cut a lot of overhead costs. In a different fiscal environment, I doubt that Microsoft would be doing this. Rodriguez’s comment is telling: “We’re just being very pragmatic and even more so in a world in which not even Microsoft can afford to over-invest.”

It also seems apparent that Microsoft feels it has more to gain from Zune software and Zune Marketplace than it does from Zune hardware. As Zune software and services extend into other 3rd-party devices, the software grows in importance and the Zune player ceases to be the centerpoint of the Zune strategy.

There’s one variable that could change this: how well the next Zune player is received. I mentioned before the excitement that I’m sensing from the Zune hardware team about this. And the new player line will almost certainly come out this fall. That might not change the emphasis on Zune software, but it could ensure a continued focus on Zune players in the years to come.

As Rodriguez notes, “The reality is, [the Zune player] will continue to be the one vertical device that we control every…aspect of it all the way to what it says on the box,” he said. “So shame on us if it is not the best.”

And here’s the word from Brian Seitz of ZuneInsider (emphasis mine): “For our current customers, this internal, organizational adjustment won’t result in any changes. Like I said above we’re still committed to delivering the next wave of the Zune hardware, software and services – and we will do so this calendar year, so stay tuned.”

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Filed under: Retail

Microsoft is giving retail stores another try, even after closing its only store at the Metreon in 2001. It plans a "small number" of stores, but did not mention locations or size.

The company is hiring Walmart veteran David Porter -- an expert at negotiating deals between the movie industry and the big-box retailer's expansive DVD sales division. Porter most recently worked at Dreamworks Animation, managing worldwide product distribution for their games and movies.

The stores apparently will be geared for sales and education about Microsoft's product line. Porter said, "I am excited about helping consumers make more informed decisions about their PC and software purchases, and we'll share learnings [sic] from our stores with our existing retail and OEM partners that are critical to our success."

If Microsoft is aiming to compete with Apple on a retail level, they seem to be omitting a key part of Apple's retail success: Service. The Genius Bar is arguably the most crowded area in Apple retail stores, with every store booking appointments well in advance. A Microsoft service bar for both PCs and Zunes could be a very popular destination. If Microsoft stores can offer a competent service experience for the vast diversity of PC hardware, they might have something.

Microsoft has a 20,000 square-foot "Retail Experience Center" in Redmond, on the company's corporate campus. The Center is designed to show how Microsoft products can be used in every corner of a business' operations: from the loading dock to the reception desk. It's unclear if it will serve as the model for Microsoft's new retail initiative.

[Via ifoAppleStore.]

TUAWMicrosoft investigating retail options, hires former Walmart exec originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 13 Feb 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft has restructured its Zune division into two divisions.

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BBC News

Microsoft to open retail stores. Yeah, good luck with that ZDNet - Feb 12, 2009 David (Porter’s) unique and diverse background, coupled with his deep retail roots and distribution understanding, will be an invaluable asset in this ... Microsoft opening retail stores Seattle Times all 735 news articles

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Filed under: Internet Tools, Software Update, MobileMe

We assume that there are a few of you who have got Windows machines with MobileMe access in place. If so, you'll be pleased to know that version 1.3 of the Control Panel is now ready. As you know, this control panel allows Windows users to synchronize MobileMe services and iDisk.

According to Apple, version 1.3 "...delivers faster syncing of contacts and calendars between MobileMe and Microsoft Outlook ... [and] a new tray icon also indicates whenever an automatic sync is in progress." Additionally, any change in Outlook will automatically trigger synchronization.

This is a 2.27 MB download and requires Windows Vista SP1 or later ( or Windows XP Home or Professional SP2) and Microsoft Outlook 2003 or 2007 for calendar sync.

[Via MacNN]

TUAWMobileMe Control Panel for Windows updated originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 11 Feb 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zune exec Joe Belfiore is moving to Microsoft’s Windows Mobile team, in what may be another indication of plans to spread the Zune media experience into Windows smartphones.

This is fueling speculation that Windows Mobile is gearing up for significant changes. Todd Bishop of TechFlash posits that an iPhone competitor could be in the works, or - much more likely in my opinion - that this is part of the plan to extend Zune capabilities to more devices.

We expect to hear announcements related to this, at the Mobile World Congress taking place in Barcelona later this month.

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Zune 30GBs - the older, first-generation Zune players - are on sale at Newegg for $99.99.

While the 30s lack the touch-sensitive Zune Pad of the newer models, the look and feel of the UI is as rich as the latest Zune players - thanks to Microsoft making its 3.* firmware backwards-compatible with all player generations.

So, if you’re looking for a good price on a (reasonably) high-capacity player, check it out. More good prices on the 30GB can be found at Amazon, although selection and pricing varies from color to color.

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“The more I got to know the Zune software and Marketplace, the more I came to really enjoy what Microsoft has done with the platform. Features like the cover art quilt that appears over the Zune software, and a Mixview that is a much more visually interactive version of Apple’s Genius feature, show that Microsoft is really thinking about how to make media consumption more fun, interesting, and engaging. I may be a long-time customer of the iTunes Store and the owner of two iPods, an iPhone, two Macs, and an Apple TV, but when it comes to the music aspect of these products, I’m beginning to think that Microsoft has really zeroed in on some of the greatest aspects of enjoying music.”

David Chartier of Arstechnica.com gives a solid review of Zune Marketplace. In insightful fashion he compares it, mostly favorably, with iTunes Store.

It’s a worthwhile read, and probably eye-opening for iTunes users who haven’t given Zune Software and Zune Marketplace a try.

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After speaking today with two members of the Zune team, and with my MVP rep, I’m feeling encouraged about the health and future of Zune.

I am hearing very clear statements that, despite the concerning reports of Zune player sales, and some visible layoffs in the Zune team, Microsoft is unquestionably committed to Zune player hardware. In fact, we can expect to see a significant new generation of Zune players before the year is out.

Other sources are reporting similarly unequivocal statements from Microsoft.

While I don’t know details on the new hardware, and would be under NDA if I was told anything officially by Microsoft, my perception is that we’re looking at some considerable advances in the next line of Zune players.

Microsoft’s focus on player innovation seems to be undiminished, even while work is afoot to extend the Zune experience to additional devices - among them, according to many hints, devices from Microsoft’s Windows Mobile cell phone partners.

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