Il lavoro di ermeneutica della notizia relativa alle nuove capacità radiofoniche di Microsoft Zune lo ha fatto per me Francesco Delucia, inviandomi subito il link a questo post di Podcasting News.
Il succo del discorso è che ancora una volta Microsoft stupisce per mancanza di vision. La scelta di citare espressamente il marchio ClearChannel è incomprensibile, dice Podcasting News. Non si capisce per esempio perché Zune punta a diventare un accessorio per ascoltatori di stazioni del circuito Clear Channel quando il microbroadcasting reso possibile dalla tecnologia di iPod, Zune e compagnia cantando è proprio quella di liberare gli utenti dalla schiavitù nei confronti di un editore radiofonico potente quanto poco fantasioso.
Più in generale l’FM tuning non ha finora dato prova di essere una feature desiderata dagli utenti dei player multimediali tascabili (in effetti anche Apple aveva annunciato il supporto del tagging sulle stazioni digitali HD Radio, ma non credo proprio che si sia formata una lunga fila davanti ai negozi). E questa obiezione getta una luce allarmante sui progetti di “ibridizzazione” radio-MP3, magari con modelli per cui posso acquistare via Internet e memorizzare il brano musicale che ho ricevuto via FM. Ma immagino che in materia non esistano ancora molti esempi e controesempi. Bisogna anche vedere se il modello riesce a funzionare con una offerta musicale appetibile.
Microsoft today announced Zune updates, timed to upstage iPod/iTunes announcements anticipated from Apple on Tuesday.
Unfortunately for everybody who owns a portable media player, Microsoft’s announcements are woefully misguided and mistimed.
You have to give Microsoft credit for releasing another Zune update that brings new features to their existing players. Apple typically saves significant new features for the current line of iPods to give people incentive to upgrade.
However, Microsoft’s previous Zune’s updates have not offered enough value to attract many buyers away from the iPod/iTunes ecosystem, and this update doesn’t look like it will either. Microsoft continues to focus on features, like FM tuning, that haven’t proven to be big with buyers.
Even more bizarre, Microsoft cites Clear Channel’s CEO in their announcement for the Zune update:
“Microsoft’s decision to integrate an FM tuner into the Zune was revolutionary and they continue their extraordinary leadership with Buy from FM,” said John Hogan, president and CEO of Clear Channel Radio. “We’ve always known that radio is the primary source for discovering new music, and Microsoft’s decision to marry music discovery and delivery does two things: enables consumers to instantly satisfy their passion and enables FM song tagging to be enjoyed by all radio listeners, everywhere.”
What is Microsoft thinking?
The biggest value of a portable media portable media player is the fact that it frees you from being chained to Clear Channel and mainstream radio!
Seeing Clear Channel featured in Microsoft’s Zune press release suggests that there may be a fundamental gap in Microsoft’s understanding of what motivates people to get and use a portable media player.
If people want to listen to radio, people have them at home, in their car and at work. Putting a radio tuner into a portable media player is a feature that, to most users, is little more than a complication.
This sort of thing is a disappointment; there are a ton of talented people working on the Zune, and having the device marketed as a sort of Clear Channel radio accessory is a real mistake.
Microsoft has demonstrated that it has the might to compete with Apple in the world of portable media players, but not the vision. This is a loss for Zune owners, iPod owners and the entire portable media player market.
