Zune Too Soon? - iPod lookalike, without the logo
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Apart from the perspective horizontal screen for video viewing, the Zune (especially the white one) bears an uncanny resemblance to the iPod. Is this supposed to help the buyer or confuse the buyer in distinguishing between the products?
Combine copycat looks with passive design and coloring, and I begin to wonder who the product designer was. I mean, did s/he check out the competition? Mod iPods looks cooler, and Creative is simply divine. And honestly, I think they should have skipped brown, it looks like it was designed by a conservative business man, as opposed to a tormented freakazoid.
This fear is totally unfounded
But I fear for verification systems and rights management, probably because I do not personally like protected formats. It will probably be okay now that Microsoft's Playforsure system has been thrown out.
Competition
The Zune's biggest challenges (apart from the iPod) will probably be in the future, with Samsung who have developed a 65 GB flash drive. Add to this the fact that MP3 players such as Gremlin and Zing are also incorporating Wi Fi technology into their players, and the portable media player market is still wide open.
Zune, right on time?
Maybe some real competition has arrived for the iPod? It could be something for Apple's design team to compare itself against, and its famed marketing teams to duel against. And we could just see something special with the Zune. So let's hold our breaths, and watch the Zune bloom.
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