The Zune Manifesto
Posted on 2:19 pm by Paul ColliganWe’ve Been Dugg - Please Digg This Story
I’ve seen nearly 100 pieces of email asking me what my “deal” is with Microsoft and Zune. Am I corporate stooge? WTF?
Here is my take on Zune and Podcasting - in as few words as possible:
- When Microsoft makes it “easy” for their audience, on whatever platform (Zune, Windows Media Player, Xbox, Windows Mobile, etc.) to catch Podcasts, the Podcaster wins because the potential audience just got significantly bigger.
- Podcasters that desire that the “media embrace Podcasting” should salivate at the idea that Microsoft will one day do the same.
- Podcasters should support anyone, or anything, that could make their audience bigger.
- Zune is not a “bad” media player. The Windows software that “manages it” is terrible. The marketing campaign is even worse. Software and marketing campaigns are always easier to fix than hardware.
- Zune’s built-in Wifi could, when someone in Redmond flips the switch, enable the world’s first mass-market platform independent, wireless Podcatcher.
- Microsoft is a sleeping giant scared of the “new media” and have only responded, to date, with a desire to control it (and within Windows, at that).
- When Microsoft realize’s they can’t control it, they’ll (attempt to) produce the equipment and software to dominate the space. We’ve seen this before. Look at Xbox. Look at Windows Mobile. Look at their market share too!
- When Microsoft finally enters our little world (and they will), and we respond intelligently, our increase in numbers will make for a lot more profitable Podcasters.
So, my sites and Podcasts about Zune …
PaulColligan.com will always discuss the Podcast industry as a whole (with my angle on the profitable). I will never hold anything back. You want the whole story, subscribe away friends.
ZuneLuv.com will track the saga of those who want a little Podcast luv from Microsoft on their Zunes. Twill be a bit obsessive at times, but I have to keep some people focussed.
ZuneBrothers.com is the video Podcast that hopefully shows Microsoft the kind of fan attention (and industry support) they could get if they listened to their audience.
So, yes, I think Podcasters should look at Zune and Microsoft for what it could mean one day. Yes, v1 was a lousy launch, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t fix things with v2. (Anyone remember the first game to come out on the Xbox?)
And if they do, we’re all better for it.
And yes, Microsoft, I would love to help.
Thus ends my Zune Manifesto.
Technorati Tags: zune, microsoft, zune podcasting, zune manifesto
4 Comments »
December 21, 2006
Michael Paul said:
I have to agree with Paul. The Zune could be the device that finally brings podcasting to the general public. At this point, we’re still caught in the trap of podcasters listening to other podcasts. The iPod and iTunes (with RSS support) helped to open the doors a little bit, but podcasting is still something that eludes most people. Consumers want (and I would think that podcasters would want this as well) a device that they don’t have to think about updating. They don’t have to think about checking their email, it just arrives. And Blackberries made that process even easier. Any device that can deliver content to the consumer should be of interest to podcasters. After all, are we just podcasting to hear ourselves talk, or do we really feel like we are offering something that many people can find useful or entertaining?
Don’t jump on the bandwagon of Zune hate just because that’s what the tech guys are all doing right now. The device itself is fine. Like Paul said, the software can be changed faster than the hardware and we should push for those changes. Nobody else will do that for us, podcasters have to be the people that “push” podcasting and let other people know what a great medium of content delivery it is. It’s all about people choosing what they want, rather than having it shoved in their face, and I think the Zune is in a better position than the iPod to be the device that finally brings podcasting to the mainstream.
December 27, 2006
2007 Podcast Predictions | Paul Colligan’s Profitable Podcasting (Pingback)
[…] Microsoft “Embraces” Podcasting. It will happen at some point this year. I put “embrace” in quotes because, honestly, I don’t know how effective their embracing will be. It will, however, be a starting point, and it will be smart of us to play along. Read my Zune Manifesto for more on this point. […]
December 29, 2006
db said:
I have to agree as well.
Podcasting is still pretty young and the best aggregator out there right now is iTunes. While there are millions of iPods (and iTunes installs to go with) out there, I think that as soon as podcasting ends up on the Windows desktop (Zune, WMP, whatever) our audience will grow like crazy!
February 9, 2007
generationzune (Pingback)
[…] For more on this topic dear to our hearts, check out the “Zune Manifesto” at http://www.paulcolligan.com/2006/12/21/the-zune-manifesto/ Do you enjoy your Zune more then your previous MP3 players? No, because it takes too many steps to get Podcast content onto our Zunes. We love the big screens, the Xbox integration (see Podcast Brother Episode #3), and how it will transcode any file format so that it fits on the Zune. The thing has better potential than my current iPod - it just hasn’t met it yet. It will, and we know that. It is just a matter of time. […]