Filed under: iPod Family, iTunes, Apple
Microsoft takes aim at the iPod
The paint wasn't even dry on the Laptop Hunter ads and Microsoft is after Apple again, this time with a 30 second TV spot [YouTube link] complaining about the costs of filling an iPod, and what an absolute bargain the Zune Pass is.Claiming that it would cost $30,000US to fill a 120 gigabyte iPod with music, and only 15 dollars a month for a Zune pass, Microsoft wants to make a point that in these trying economic times, Microsoft products make the most sense.
Of course, a lot of the math here is fuzzy, and if you stop buying the Zune pass you lose all your music, except for the ten tracks you get to keep a month. It also doesn't address how many people, like myself, use their iPod. I have a large collection of music on CD going back to the 1980's. I want it to be portable, and to have in the car, so I rip the music in iTunes, and it costs me nothing additional to have about 500 CDs at my beck and call.
For a company as dominant as Microsoft is, they seem plenty worried about Apple. Of course, the Zune hasn't exactly been a world beating product, and who can forget the little New Year's Day present when a lot of Zunes simply expired?
I give Microsoft props for trying. It keeps the Apple fans riled up and on their toes, and certainly choice is a wonderful thing in consumer electronics.
Thanks to Maggy for tipping us to the new ad.
[H/T to Ars Technica]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Gary Givens said 10:44PM on 5-11-2009
Kind of late...by several years...
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Michael said 2:42AM on 5-12-2009
Yeah - this was the exact angle the "new" Napster promoted in a wave of TV ads.
And THAT sure worked, didn't it?
(I think the problem is with the ad men who think "filling" one's player is what we're looking for - people just don't think that way.)
(01) said 5:41PM on 5-12-2009
I think I see what they're doing here...tell everyone to hold off buy an iPhone in June, then aim at the associated cost of an iPod. The Zune phone will be released where you can add, say, $10 a month to your phone bill and have unlimited access to the Zune store where you can both stream and download music/ideos(?) over cell and wireless. People might go for it, especially if it's more of a phone and less "smart".
chriswmasterson said 10:46PM on 5-11-2009
This is exactly correct. Who buys $30,000 worth of songs on iTunes? Nobody, thats right. Maybe its because people own CD's! Weird, I never though of that...
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Guy said 11:37PM on 5-11-2009
Exactly! And it's not like you go to the bank and withdraw $30,000 right after you get an iPod. I've had my iPod since 2005 and purchased every song, and I only have about 500 songs. It's not because of the money, its because I don't download music that frequently.
macserv said 5:09AM on 5-12-2009
It may cost $29,700 to fill that iPod with nothing but 99¢ songs. What about video? That fills up an iPod much more quickly. What about 69¢ songs? Games? Other data, documents, app installers, etc.?
Here again, we have Microsoft, continuing their advertising policy of telling half the truth. Also continuing their sales strategy of "pay less up front; owe us your time, sanity, and paycheck later, after we lock you in".
Birch said 10:44AM on 5-12-2009
Not to mention that the iPod Classic doubles as an external drive and you can never have too much space in that case. You also rent your music with Zune Pass. Once you stop paying every month (or the store closes) your entire collection goes away.
I prefer to buy my music but there are plenty of people who prefer this plan and that's fine but the services aren't comparable the way this ad makes them out to be.
Gunnar said 10:49PM on 5-11-2009
Bless their stupid little retarded hearts.
Didn't Microsoft side with that cranky Universal Music CEO when he claimed all the music on iPods was stolen anyway? They did after all agree to pay royalties from every Zune sold to his record company.
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macserv said 4:49AM on 5-12-2009
You can always count on Microsoft to demonstrate that they just don't get it, and that they'll be late to the party in doing so.
Notwithstanding, the industry and enterprise will accept whatever they're shoveling, without question, every time.
mabhatter said 12:47PM on 5-12-2009
nearly ALL stolen music comes from Windows computers too!! Why aren't they fixing that problem?
Also, Apple doesn't sell many of the big iPods anymore. The hot sellers are the 8, 16, 32 GB models with much less storage space... i.e. people don't feel the NEED to fill them up either!! Like other posters said, start adding $1.99 TV shows or $2.99 movie rentals (microsoft?) at 250 MB each and those iPods fill up really fast.
Kento Ito said 10:53PM on 5-11-2009
I smell another iPod ad, featuring the silhouette .
Also, I can smell another get a mac ad.
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reddy said 11:04PM on 5-11-2009
Good new , I have been waiting for it for a long time , here I also have a good share that is tradestead there are different kinds of beautiful and useful consumer electronics with very cheap price that I like it very much!
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Andy Pepperstone said 11:17PM on 5-11-2009
Filling a 120GB iPod is also quite easy when you consider the size of TV shows and movies. The CDd mentioned in the article are a major factor, and so are podcasts, both video and audio. Bad math=bad ad.
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syedmdfaisal said 11:55PM on 5-11-2009
"It keeps the Apple fans riled up and on their toes..."
You forgot "entertained".
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Adam Schoales said 11:24PM on 5-11-2009
So... umm since iTunes is now DRM free and the music can be put anywhere I have a question for Mr. Zuneman:
Can I use this magical Zune Pass with my iPod? Or just a Zune? Cause if its just a zune then it's useless. Cause you know, all my iTunes purchases will play anywhere.
And of course lest we forget about all those CDs I own. And Videos I put on. And Podcasts I listen to. And photos I have.
Seriously, did they put ANY THOUGHT into this argument at all?
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Birch said 10:54AM on 5-12-2009
Step 1: Criticize Zune Pass for having DRMed music that only plays on their players.
Step 2: Criticize the Zune for not playing DRMed music from iTunes.
Step 3: Fail to see irony.
Step 4: Consider if you yourself put any thought into your argument ;)
superberg said 11:06AM on 5-12-2009
Hi, Birch.
Step 1. Welcome to 2009.
Step 2. iTunes music is no longer DRM'd.
Step 3: Fail to see irony.
Step 4: Consider if you yourself put any thought into your argument ;)
Adam Schoales said 11:08AM on 5-12-2009
funny I dont remember talking about the zune not playing my iTunes purchases. In fact I mentioned that iTunes is now DRM free so its tracks can be played anywhere, but the zunes can't.
perhaps you should read more carefully before you question other people's arguments...
Thomas said 11:29PM on 5-11-2009
Are you all so blinded by your shiny iPod backing that you can't recognize a good idea just because it comes from Microsoft? You think that spending $15 per month for an entire catalog of music is a bad idea because you get to keep ONLY 10 songs per month? Hmmm...if I'm the type of consumer who keeps buying new music, I'll probably end up having to spend $1.29 per new song from the iTunes store, which means I'll get...GASP...11 new songs per month. So, I can get one more song from the iTunes store than from Microsoft. That Zune Pass really is a stupid idea. I can't believe Microsoft even bothered to spend the time to think of it.
Come on people! That would be a nice addition to the iTunes store. Plus, the argument about already having 500 CDs is pointless. You can put the music from those 500 CDs on either a Zune OR an iPod. In economics, it's called "sunk cost". You've already spent the money. But, if you wanted another 120GB worth of music, it would still cost you $30,000 for that new music on an iPod, but only $15 more for the Zune Pass.
By the way, I have an iPhone, an iPod Shuffle, a Gen 2 iPod, and multiple Apple computers, so I'm no Microsoft devotee, but I can recognize a good idea when I see it.
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David said 11:35PM on 5-11-2009
If they're using sunk cost, they need to apply it to both scenarios. The iPod functions under sunk cost as well. 120GB ≠ 120GB of purchased songs so ≠ 30,000.
Subscription might be nice for the iPod (I'd buy it) but it's not equal to $30k of content. Who fills up 120GB with only music, and only music purchased from the iTunes store?
It's like saying you could fill up a grocery cart with nothing but diamonds, and it would cost millions, or just fill it up with twinkies, and save a few million dollars. They don't equate.