If you know and love me, you've probably noticed a bit of Microsoft-Apologist running through my veins. I started off with Windows 3.1 and haven't bitten from any other 'Apple' since then. With that in mind, I'll start this post by saying I've taken some serious flak from friends over the last couple of years when I started purchasing my music from MSN Music, when just about everyone else I know was buying from Itunes (stop playing your fake fiddle, serious heartbreak lies ahead).
Using Microsoft's MSN Music, the last couple of years have been a happy time for me: I could buy music and sync it directly to my Windows Mobile phone, listening with my double-ear headset. Hek, my Windows Mobile phone even pauses the song I'm listening to for a phone call, then turns the song back on when the call ends. I don't know anyone with an Ipod who has an experience so seamless as that. In fact, I've been walking down city streets and seen people doing that highly bizarre shuffle/juggle where they try to switch their Ipod headphones with their cell phone headset: not me! I was absolutely glowing about what an excellent customer experience I was having.
Then Microsoft's Zune became a blip on my radar earlier this year. Zune would be one music store that would only work with Microsoft's hardware devices... almost identical to the Itunes-Ipod model. Great idea, and yet I remember the firsts fears I had that the MSN Music songs I'd purchased wouldn't make the transition with me to 'Zune'. Microsoft wouldn't do that to their early-adopters, would they? Of course not.
They did. When Microsoft launched Zune last month, they released a player that MSN Music songs won't work on. Early-adopters like me who acted as MSN Music advocates weren't even offered any sort of opportunity to move their MSN Music songs to Zune. Redmond, I'm not feeling the love here.
And here's the other conundrum I've noticed customers can't get their arms around (ESPECIALLY non-techies): Microsoft now has 3, yes 3 music players vying for your listening attention. Let's count: Windows Media Player, Windows Media Center, and Zune. That's 3. Meanwhile, a majority of mainstream users have a glossy Ipod and one store, Itunes, through which they buy their Movies, Music and TV Shows. I can't help but feel jealous.
As pointed out in a recent blog post by Michael Gartenberg of Jupiter Research, Microsoft is at serious risk of losing MSN Music customers to the Ipod. After all, what incentive is there to stick around for Zune if what they've already bought doesn't come with them? Me, I figure I'm going out Scarface-style with Windows Media Player (which I love, especially version 11 which lets you see albums by artwork), and have had luck so far buying music from MTV's Urge Music Service, which works on my Windows Mobile Phone.
Still, the oddest part of the whole equation is it seems Microsoft forgot about how helpful the early-adopters who had bought from MSN Music might have been in promoting Zune. Wouldn't they want me blogging positively about how Microsoft made the transition a veritable joyfest for me?
Okay, now for shameless begging: Microsoft please make this right, I'm formally begging you, and here's a few tips to start with:
1) Offer MSN Music Customers the option to convert their music to Zune devices. This gets you your goodwill.
2) Give Windows Mobile users some kind of guidance on how to handle Zune. A Google search to this effect turns up zilch. Just tell me what to expect, so I can start buying Zune tracks or stick with Urge.
3) Combine Windows Media Player 11 with the Zune pc player Pronto. Mainstream consumers are seriously confused about the difference between the two, which undermines the simple Itunes-Ipod being emulated.
4) Send everyone involved a Christmas card offering 1 free download of 'I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day'.
Not only has the Zune managed to make music collecting and listening on Microsoft devices such as your laptop media more difficult; But I recently realized that with the Media Player 11 Update, I had to totally re-do my software/media connection and start sharing with the Zune software while still having Media Player 11. How silly can Microsoft be? I think we should (seriously) be ready for a 4th and possibly 5th Media Player by the time Vista is unleashed on us all.
Posted by: Mark Goodman | December 19, 2006 at 10:10 AM