Well, That's One Way To Try And Boost Zune Sales
from the hot-man-love dept
With Microsoft hard at work trying to spin low Zune sales into a positive story, it really seems to be struggling to find ways to boost sales. It's trying -- rather poorly-- to market its way to success, but with an uncompelling product, that strategy perhaps isn't the best one. So it looks like the company's taking a new approach: load Zunes up with porn. A woman in the Chicago area says the Zune she bought her 12-year-old daughter for Christmas from Wal-Mart was full of smut, and as Wired says, specifically a "homosexual orgy they had videotaped for an hour and 44 minutes". It's a bit odd that even though the woman was so offended, she managed to sit all the way through it to gather such a precise measurement, but we digress. It sounds like the Zune had been returned to Wal-Mart and resold; a store manager, however, blames Microsoft. Some Chinese mobile-phone sellers use porn to try and boost sales by showing customers video clips to demonstrate handsets' video-playback functionality, then throw them in for free and load them on the device if the customer purchases it. Perhaps Microsoft could use a similar approach with the Zune.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
?
It's a bit odd that even though the woman was so offended, she managed to sit all the way through it to gather such a precise measurement
Have not used Zune, but I suspect that like most players, it shows the total length of the media in minutes without having to hear/watch it all. That was just a pointless comment on your part.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Well
I think it's pretty obvious this was a returned unit and Wal-Mart didn't bother to at least wipe it before reselling.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Old news..
http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2006/12/zune_comes_with.html
In any case, it was just some asshat who turned his Zune back into the store.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Funny how they are discussing whether or not she watched the whole thing over there in the comments too.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Have not used Zune, but I suspect that like most players, it shows the total length of the media in minutes without having to hear/watch it all. That was just a pointless comment on your part.
Dead on.
This was just another in a series of pointless threads here trying to strike a chord and failing.
Zune does seem to have a problem. Who wants to buy a product almost as good as an iPod?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
While a Zune may show the length of a video, I doubt that it provides a blow-by-blow (pun intended) synopsis of the video's full content. To ascertain that you would need to view it. Am I wrong? Can any Zune owners out there verify that the Zune indeed has such a magical feature?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Ooo
------
ctyankee:
"Zune does seem to have a problem. Who wants to buy a product almost as good as an iPod?"
Well, considering thats an opinion, you're welcome to it, but I wouldn't consider the Zune "almost" as good. Its at least as good. Its on par with iPod. It has its ups with the wifi, FM tuner, bigger screen, on top of the fact that it has everything the iPod has. So maybe those extra features don't tickle your fancy, but iPod doesn't really have anything to top it.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Ooo
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Ooo
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
pointless comments
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
microsoft
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
kah
seriously, the debate about the iCrap and all of it's variations confuses me, and I hate to be the one to bring up an old conflict, but why would anyone want to buy a 'music/media playback device' that only allows copy protected media?? not that I'm promoting illegal downloading, but why can't I make 20 copies of my music, DRM-free, and play them back on my stupid music box!?
I just bought the new LG Fusic phone, for Sprint, and I have about 4, 2gig cards, all full of drm-free music, software, and whatever else is convenient to have with me at all times... and I love it.
please, someone explain to me, WHAT IS ALL THE FUSS about with these stupid MP3 players??
fyi: imho, iRiver is the best, so far... do people not know about this? blows both Zune and iStuff away...
>_>
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: kah
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: kah
To my knowledge, none of the players require you to use DRM files. They just support it. I can vouch for the iPod, I don't think I have a single DRM'd file on there.
I think you've been wandering around with 2GB memory sticks for no real reason other than your own naivety... that or price.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Obviously...
If it was 1:44 of straight porn, no problem. As soon as it's multiple guys, back to Wal Mart it goes!
I'm surprised none of you picked up on that.
(Sorry, it was unneeded sarcasm, but no one else took the angle.)
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
It just shows.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
re: kah
seriously, the debate about the iCrap and all of it's variations confuses me, and I hate to be the one to bring up an old conflict, but why would anyone want to buy a 'music/media playback device' that only allows copy protected media?? not that I'm promoting illegal downloading, but why can't I make 20 copies of my music, DRM-free, and play them back on my stupid music box!?
Hmmm... both Zune and iCrap have support for DRM files. And both can play DRM-free files as well. Are you warm under your rock there?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Oh for goodness sakes!
Everyone, please think about something else as yo ushop in techy stores. Microsoft has bought a LOT of shelf space. For example, circuit city and staples had to move out a lot of competitor products to showcase the Zune the way they do.
The big shelf space strongly suggests that Microsoft expected the Zune to sell well, and persuaded many stores they were right. Ask your local sales people about their Zune self space!
- P.B.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
For all we know
That's not the question I have. Mine is why did she return it? I would have just formatted it before I gave it to the kid.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
WOW
[ link to this | view in chronology ]