Microsoft to Launch Zune in EU 220
An anonymous reader writes "Happy with the sales from the little brown music player here in the states, Microsoft is working to launch the Zune media player in Europe by the end of the year. According to the Washington Post article, they are trying to have a realistic outlook on the entrenched Apple product line. They're not trying to play catch-up at the moment ... they're just trying to get on the map. From the article: '"Our next round of introductions will probably be in time for the holiday of this year." [Jason Reindorp] said Microsoft planned extensive research with focus groups in Europe to see how it could be modified for a European consumer. He said the Zune had a 10.2 percent market share in the U.S. in the 30 gigabyte category, according to the latest data, and that it was still in line to sell over a million units by June 30, the end of its current fiscal year.'"
Re:iPod? (Score:4, Informative)
Of course it is a funny statement to see coming from Microsoft.
Re:iPod? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Fishy Numbers (Score:4, Informative)
the Zune had a 10.2 percent market share in the U.S. in the 30 gigabyte category, according to the latest data...
That's fishy to me because it sounds like they mean of concurrent sales (meaning it wouldn't include people who bought 30gb iPods when Apple still made them in that size).
What that means is, of all media players sold this year that store 30GB of data that aren't iPods, the Zune has a 10% market share which, factoring in Apple's huge part of that market, is much, much smaller a percentage than it sounds like.
Triv
Ballmer said 20-25% of all hard disks models (Score:3, Informative)
Re:The market share percentage is misleading (Score:3, Informative)
Europe collectively..... (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Even fish would find that statement too fishy. (Score:2, Informative)
MOD PARENT UP (Score:3, Informative)
(It doesn't bother you that everything you've bought will go poof if you don't keep paying $15 every month?)
Re:Focus groups (Score:3, Informative)
I live in a part of Europe that's as far south as you can get while still being in Europe (Spain), and computers are everywhere, as are personal music players (mostly iPods) -- just about everyone seems to have some sort of broadband Internet link too. However, it is likely that the Zune will have a fairly difficult time here despite this due to the iconic status that the iPod has attained, especially among females, few of whom would even consider being seen with anything else.
Re:Soon... (Score:2, Informative)