Steve Ballmer on the Zune’s Future

March 19, 2009 by Zombii Matt

In a New York interview this morning, Steve Ballmer sat down with Stephen Adler, editor of BusinessWeek magazine, and talks about the future of Microsoft. In the interview, Adler asks Ballmer what Microsoft’s plan is on the future of the Zune.

"We’re going to keep going with Zune". It’s two things: Service and a device. The Zune service, that’s going to fan out its footprint. Hardware will continue to improve. "The question is whether even if we flog them heavily, is their profit upside". We’re going to keep going "I won’t say full steam ahead, because that implies acceleration of investment, but we’re going to sustain our investment." We like it and the future may be the software/ecosystem on other devices.

Now we have heard from members of the Zune team that the Zune is not disappearing but now we are hearing it from the big man himself.

[via Wall Street Journal]

Read the original thread on Zune Boards!

Comments

MadameMasenko	Microsoft is now amongst the ranks of Roaches and Cher, they will never die. thus with Microsofts immortality, Zunes are now immortal
03-19-2009, 11:01 AM	#2

roebeet

The "service" is obviously not going anywhere. It's brought up first over the device, and it can be used with other devices in the future (like Smartphones).

But the Zune device, itself? I don't know. The existing devices might go the way of the Gigabeat -- still usable standalone devices and can work with some subscription services (Gigabeat being Plays4Sure, and the Zune being the Zune Pass). But as for ongoing Zune device development and future devices, I'm not convinced yet.

03-19-2009, 12:00 PM roebeet is offline

Dilpickle1 Ahh here it goes!	Awesome!
03-19-2009, 01:31 PM	#4

Charge Out of Notion-Into Motion	Well atleast we know the Zune has got one more kick for us, being the next device. After that, who knows.
03-19-2009, 02:10 PM	#5

SilentWalrus Knowledgable Walrus	At least they are going to keep going with it.
03-19-2009, 02:48 PM	#6

Seb	Excellent!
03-19-2009, 04:01 PM	#7

agelmore81	I think the next zune will have a bigger hard drive and new color and that's it.
03-20-2009, 04:47 PM	#8

neb125	did anyone else notice the zune phone in the background? it looks pretty sweet.
03-20-2009, 05:27 PM	#9

Charge Out of Notion-Into Motion	You mean the HTC Touch Pro?
03-20-2009, 05:32 PM	#10

roebeet

Quote:

Originally Posted by agelmore81

I think the next zune will have a bigger hard drive and new color and that's it.

I really hope you're right, but I doubt it will happen. The 240GB 1.8 inch drives are dual platter, which means the case would have to be thicker. Plus, there needs to be a demand for it (I know I want one, and you want one. But MS needs a lot more people to want one).

03-20-2009, 06:09 PM roebeet is offline

#11

Togarr	Touch Zune would be nice but I don't think this next update is gunna be it.
03-20-2009, 08:57 PM	#12

Dilpickle1 Ahh here it goes!	I dont think a touch zune will ever happen, Though a Zune Phone would be nicer IMO but put it on verizon!
03-21-2009, 12:02 AM	#13

rockstar2577	Zune phone Well I got picked to do a survey from Zune.net about they type of phone carrier i use and 10 other questions about cellphone service. I am sure that some of you took the same survey. So I don't see why MS would ask those kind of questions, if they were not going to implement a new Zune soon.
03-21-2009, 06:44 PM	#14

Charge Out of Notion-Into Motion	Its for the Zune software to be incorporated into Smart Phones. New WinMo will probably have Zune instead of Windows Media Player.
03-21-2009, 06:55 PM	#15