On: R.I.P. Microsoft Zune, 2006-2011

[rotoscoped]

That is too bad. As a consumer, I want as much competition as possible.

I predicted that Microsoft would turn Zune into a phone like Apple did with the iPod. This was before the Nokia mess.

[Samuel_Michon → rotoscoped]

Apple didn't turn the iPod into a phone. The iPhone is derived from the iPad [0]. Later, they created the iPod touch from the iPhone.

Before the iPhone, there were several Moto phones with iTunes integration [1], but those were less than successful (and frankly, horrible to use).

[0] http://thenextweb.com/apple/2010/06/02/steve-jobs-the-ipad-c...

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorola_ROKR_E1

[rotoscoped → Samuel_Michon]

I understand your technical point, but the iPhone followed up on iPod features and when it was announced, the concept was sold and received as if it was the future of iPods. (And it was.)

[recoiledsnake → rotoscoped]

Erm isn't that what effectively happened? Didn't we get a phone out of it? Except they're not made by MS.

Microsoft likes to build platforms where other companies manufacture the hardware(XBox excepted). That's why Windows/WP7 run on multiple OEMs hardware.

The theory is that competition among hardware manufacturers will drive down costs. Sure worked with PCs.

[rotoscoped → recoiledsnake]

No. X-Box should not be excepted, because it is a major new product and is successful. I was expecting the X-Box strategy.

Actually, I also still think that they will make an "X-phone", if you will. Think a PSP + voice/data and Windows Phone 7.

[recoiledsnake → rotoscoped]

I guess MS felt that phones were more like portable computers and not like niche devices like the XBox.

Unlikely they will make an XPhone, because that would fragment WP7 games into those that support hardware input vs. those that don't, and making software that does both usually results in suboptimal results.