MS Zune may have limited battery life
updated 03:15 pm EDT, Mon July 24, 2006
Analyst on Zune battery
Wall Street analyst Shaw Wu is skeptical of the battery life on Microsoft's "Zune" digital media player, reports AppleInsider. The first business day after Microsoft confirmed plans to rival the iPod + iTunes offering with its own hardware and software solution, some are already skeptical of the Zune system. In a note to clients today, Shaw Wu wrote that Wi-Fi power requirements of the Zune may weaken the battery life the new player. As a reference point, the PSP reportedly has a battery life of 45 minutes when Wi-Fi is active. Wu also believes that the effect of Zune's entry may be minimal on the iPod, but he stated that, "While the focus is on Apple, we believe this move will likely have a much larger competitive impact on Creative, SanDisk, Sony, Samsung, iRiver, Archos, and others." Shawn Wu also pointed out that many see the Xbox as a success in terms of user experience and sales, but he states that it has been a financial failure for Microsoft.
"If it were any company other than Microsoft -- who can afford to lose billions and price below cost -- we believe the Xbox would have been shuttered due to its high unprofitability," concluded Wu, "We believe Microsoft's effort in portable media will likely result in similar economics."
Please...
07/24, 03:21pm reply
We all know analysts don't know what they're talking about. Apparently another prime example.
testudo
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Aug 2001
Respectfully...
07/24, 03:50pm reply
disagree. These are spot on with what others are already saying, particularly about MS canobalizing their partners. XBox is a known financial failure, whatever the public success. MS would better spend investors money sticking with Vista (thinking about all the wonderful promises they made which are now so much vapojumbo).
smitch
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Nov 2005
Here here!
07/24, 03:52pm reply
I agree with testudo 100%.
There is no way that wireless in the Zune could *possibly* shorten its battery life.
*Obviously* those analysts have *no idea* of the fact that wireless cards take *absolutely* no power from the battery!
Idiots! Listen to testudo and me and you'll know the true score!
Spacemoose
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Feb 2004
I Fi You Fi, We Fi
07/24, 06:16pm reply
I got a WiFi camera, it's really cool. A Nikon P1. You turn the switch to make it do WiFi, so obviously it's not taking up power when it's not running the WiFi. Duh!
A more nettlesome effect is that the WiFi only works about half the time and then I have to go plug in the cable, making the whole procedure take three times as long (try WiFi, wait for WiFi to fail, then finally set up cable). So, basically I don't use the WiFi aspect of it. WiFi on the Zune is, to me, a negative.
ggirton
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Nov 1999
pffffsshh
07/24, 07:11pm reply
This guy needs to get his head examined! How can you criticise a product that has no finalised technical specs available.
"Wi-Fi power requirements of the Zune may weaken the battery life the new player."
No s*** sherlock!
devilla101
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Dec 2003
frankly..
07/29, 12:18pm reply
I don't know why Microsoft fees like it has to compete on every freaking playing field. It seems to me that, at this point, MS is such a large, complicated beast that it has lost its ability to innovate, and do so effectively. I don't think this will be any better than the whole Origami thing. There's lots of hype, then the product ends up being a warmed over update on whats already out in the marketplace. If previous products are any indication, it'll also be overloaded with features, some of which will work well and others won't. 5000-in-1 devices are usually not better than special purpose devices designed to a minimal set of things very well.
jsnyder
Forum Regular
Joined: Dec 2002