Bill Gates Says No Zune Phone

January 9, 2008 by ACE

A recent Yahoo News article on Germany’s Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung’s interview with Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates quotes him saying,

"we will concentrate solely on software"

First the Zune Phone’s on, then it’s off, then it’s on again, now it’s off? If you’re confused about this, read on…

Microsoft has been going back and forth on this for quite some time. Speculation started over a year ago when Microsoft said a Zune phone was definitely in the works. Chris Stephenson, GM for Zune, told the press in Sept. ‘06,

"A Zune phone is definitely part of the future of this brand."

All of that seemed to end with what Steve Ballmer said in April,

"It’s not a concept you’ll ever get from us. We’re in the Windows Mobile business. We can put Zune into Windows Mobile, we can put Xbox into Windows Mobile. We can pour everything in."

Then in September, it seemed Microsoft was flip-flopping again when Mindy Mount, chief financial officer of Microsoft’s entertainment and devices division said,

"It wouldn’t be unreasonable to think at some point there might some integrated thing,"

Now Bill Gates rings in and says,

"No, we won’t do that. In the so-called smart phone business we will concentrate solely on software with our Windows Mobile program," Gates was quoted as saying in the interview published on Wednesday.
"We have partnerships with a lot of device manufacturers from Samsung to Motorola and this variety brings us significantly more than if we would make our own mobile phone,"

And that’s what we’ve seen in recent uncovered documents. Zune will be integrated into Windows Mobile 7. Let’s hope this is the end of the round-about ’cause I don’t know how much more of this I can take!

Read the original thread on Zune Boards!

Comments

Page 2 of 4

PityOnU	Why make a "Zune Phone" when they have Windows Mobile? Wouldn't that be like doing what Apple does? Making it so that their software could only run on their hardware?
01-29-2008, 11:45 AM	#21

jasonsplace

Quote:

Originally Posted by PityOnU

Why make a "Zune Phone" when they have Windows Mobile?

Wouldn't that be like doing what Apple does? Making it so that their software could only run on their hardware?

Exactly. I agree with you 100% here. I've read articles and heard people say that Microsoft needs to copy Apple again and jump into the phone market. From what I see, Microsoft has been in the phone market for much longer. For the most part, Microsoft stays away from hardware. That being said, I think that it would be nice if Microsoft would go in with some of these hardware developers and help them create some really killer phones. The new version of Windows Mobile looks like it will really beat the crap out of the iPhone as long as there is a good piece of hardware to support it.

01-29-2008, 11:49 AM jasonsplace is offline

#22

NightFire	Heh, thanks Pity, was actually talking about this topic and then you post in it making it the recent one. I don't see a point to the Zune Phone either, with it, you can only get one choice, as with the iPhone, also one choice at who to be with. Yet, with Windows Mobile, you get more of a choice on what phone and don't have to be with a certain provider that you have to be with.
01-29-2008, 11:50 AM	#23

mr.handsomeman

Quote:

Originally Posted by NightFire

Heh, thanks Pity, was actually talking about this topic and then you post in it making it the recent one.

I don't see a point to the Zune Phone either, with it, you can only get one choice, as with the iPhone, also one choice at who to be with. Yet, with Windows Mobile, you get more of a choice on what phone and don't have to be with a certain provider that you have to be with.

that is pretty cool that you get to choose.

01-29-2008, 11:51 AM mr.handsomeman is offline

#24

Andre3000	Its a good thing. It would have looked like Zune was swagger jacking Ipod totally. Zune should continue to create greatness in the MP3 market 1st.
01-29-2008, 05:25 PM	#25

jasonsplace	I think that Zune has basically almost hit greatness with the device. They just need to work on the software now.
01-29-2008, 05:50 PM	#26

Trogdor Formally known as Zach	If the feature of wireless sharing goes through WM phones under the name of zune I will be glad. Though to be honest I am more excited about google android
01-29-2008, 06:10 PM	#27

jasonsplace	I am more intrigued about Android than anything else. I think that it has the same disadvantage as Windows Mobile as you don't know if it will ever end up on good hardware but if it does it has massive potential.
01-29-2008, 06:33 PM	#28

nathanlawliet	They don't need a Zune Phone since they already have Windows Mobile. And since they are basically incorporating the Zune(or parts of it) into WM 7, there is no need to copy everything Apple does. They suck. Big time.
01-30-2008, 06:57 PM	#29

stkr Ars longa, vita brevis	There's no need for a Zune Phone at the moment if you think about it. They need to make sure that the Zune itself reaches it's highest potential at least in it's current state, before they move on to a phone.
01-30-2008, 08:43 PM	#30

jasonsplace	That's a good point as well. The iPhone had basically plateaued before the iPhone was released. The iPod Classic is just a lower quality iPod Video with a firmware update.
01-30-2008, 10:11 PM	#31

nathanlawliet

Quote:

Originally Posted by jasonsplace

Microsoft has been a company to focus overall more on interface than eye candy.

Not really. In Vista, they have a good interface(but tough to use for advanced people, like getting into what would be "View Network Connections" or whatever in XP), but HORRIBLE for Zune Software 2.0

That's all eye candy, all bullsh*t. That's why there is that Zune Service Provider Alternator from pityonu.

01-31-2008, 04:52 PM nathanlawliet is offline

#32

jasonsplace	The Zune software is bad but Vista is easier than XP if you jump in and learn it. If you think back to when XP came back people griped that things were hard to find but now it's 2nd nature. Vista will be the same way in a year or 2.
01-31-2008, 04:55 PM	#33

iPod Killa	I'm glad they won't be making a Zune phone, they should set the trends not follow them. I think MS has a good thing going with this Zune and I hope they keep it up and get some fresh minds in there to get them ahead of the curve and make Apple follow thier lead instead of the other way around.
01-31-2008, 05:22 PM	#34

jasonsplace	I definately agree that Microsoft needs to be the trend setter and I think that they will be over time. They have more money and if they can stop making the mistakes that they do then they'll end up in the lead.
01-31-2008, 07:11 PM	#35

Superaison	I really like the zunes, microsoft should release something like an accessory for like wifi phoneing or something.
01-31-2008, 08:20 PM	#36

jasonsplace	They just need to keep it simple. There is no reason to add that feature right now. Let them take it one step at a time. As much as I would like games i'd like better desktop software first.
01-31-2008, 08:41 PM	#37

Adthrawn	Windows Mobile is a great platform, my friend has a iPaq with WinMo6 on it, and its great.
02-01-2008, 03:05 AM	#38

Vicky	so basically, let microsoft stick to their windows mobile, and if they end up making a zune phone, then so be it.
02-01-2008, 04:09 AM	#39

PhilipE	That's too bad... A Zune phone would be great The iPhone is supposed to be terrible (A friend of mine had one, before selling it on e-bay), and I don't see what's so great with it. Zune>IPod
02-01-2008, 05:25 PM	#40