R.I.P. Microsoft Zune, 2006-2011
Bloomberg is reporting that Microsoft has finally decided to put an official end to its Zunemedia player line. “A person familiar with the decision” has informed them that Microsoft will not be putting out any new hardware in the line, and will be henceforward focusing on integrating Zune functionality with the Windows Phone 7 platform.
Not exactly unexpected; the Zune hardware hasn’t changed since mid-2009′s release of theZune HD, although it has received several significant software upgrades. The writing has been on the wall for a long time, but whether Microsoft would double down (again) or cut their losses was far from clear.
Let’s just have a quick trip down memory lane. CrunchGear was one of the first in the world to see the Zune after a Microsoft employee unwisely (or perhaps wisely) left one on the table at a Seattle dive bar with bloggers around. We covered it feverishly, as it seemed to be a dark horse competitor to the iPod that might actually stand a chance. The unique (but cumbrous) sharing features, the brown shell (which, despite ridicule, was their most popular Zune), and the obtuse advertisements all suggested… well, something new and interesting.
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