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 3 of 4

Rissa	well if microsoft has changed their minds that many times, who says they wont do it again?
02-01-2008, 05:42 PM	#41

jasonsplace	I don't think that they will this time. It doesn't make any sense at all for them to make a Zune Phone to compete with their current Windows Mobile OS when they can just build the functionality of Zune into the OS.
02-01-2008, 09:05 PM	#42

uaktags	just give us wifi and i'll be happy to IM ppl via zune
02-01-2008, 09:13 PM	#43

jb14079	i think that we're good with the Zunes that are available....i mean, Zune phone? no way it will happen...
02-02-2008, 12:20 AM	#44

maka	no zune phone so that my zune 30 can live
02-02-2008, 12:22 AM	#45

jasonsplace	Would someone please explain how you would IM using a Zune? Have you ever had to to text entry on a PSP before using the d pad to navigate the keyboard. It is very slow and sucks to even enter a simple URL. Chatting would be even worse than using a cell phone.
02-02-2008, 09:46 AM	#46

branedge	well it would have seemed like they were copying the iphone
02-04-2008, 11:26 AM	#47

Rissa

Quote:

Originally Posted by jasonsplace

Would someone please explain how you would IM using a Zune? Have you ever had to to text entry on a PSP before using the d pad to navigate the keyboard. It is very slow and sucks to even enter a simple URL. Chatting would be even worse than using a cell phone.

i would have to agree.
its letter-by-letter torture.
and it takes sooooooooooooo long just to put in one sentence.

02-04-2008, 11:33 AM Rissa is offline

#48

MUfan1313	i wouldnt of bought it anyway it would cost to much money.
02-11-2008, 01:39 PM	#49

detroit_zune313	Lets keep touch and phone away from the Zune
02-11-2008, 01:44 PM	#50

saline	That'd be really cool if there was a Zune phone..But I prolly couldn't afford one right off the bat
02-11-2008, 02:25 PM	#51

jasonsplace	I don't know if the price would be that bad. Some of the cost would be offset by a 2 year contract. I can't imagine it costing any more than a typical Windows Mobile device which can typically be had for around $300.
02-11-2008, 07:53 PM	#52

zunerjosh	the concept is so amazing but it is not going to be like that
02-16-2008, 11:45 AM	#53

bigtex292	i dont think that microsoft will go to the low of apple and join in with the mainstream...they seem like the type of company that would start something new, better, and even more costumer pleasing then something such as an iPhone...just the way microsft seems to me...
02-16-2008, 07:47 PM	#54

liljohns16	i dont want no zune phone then microsoft is following apple and apple is jsut gay
02-17-2008, 12:35 PM	#55

Chri(Z)tian

Quote:

Originally Posted by jasonsplace

Microsoft has been a company to focus overall more on interface than eye candy. Unfortunately though eye candy does sell and you can't forget about it all together. You just need a good balance. If you don't believe me, look at Mac OS. When they release a new version most of there new features are eyecandy related. Coverflow is nothing bu eye candy yet that feature along with a bunch of features that Windows has had for a long time are what propelled the latest Mac OS release to be there most successful yet.

Well said! But yeah no zune phone...ok. Honestly a zune phone would be cool. And if it looked good and had good features, I would probably beg my parents to let me get one. Either way zune phone is something the world doesn't really need in my oppinion. Just another piece of hardware people will be amazed at, at first then forget and move on later.

02-17-2008, 04:30 PM Chri(Z)tian is offline

#56

Corrupt	Hmm I agree with that. Zune lacks the initial "eyecandy" factor but once it's got you, it's got you forever <3
02-17-2008, 09:22 PM	#57

zunerjosh	too bad but anyway the plan could be pretty expensive
02-19-2008, 05:11 AM	#58

jasonsplace

Quote:

Originally Posted by Corrupt

Hmm I agree with that. Zune lacks the initial "eyecandy" factor but once it's got you, it's got you forever <3

That all depends on what you consider eyecandy. I think the Zune interface is nice, smooth and sleek. To me it is eye candy. I think that the iPod interface is bubbly, gay and cartoony. I never really thought that it looked good.