Zune: The Failed iPod Killer - Krazy Ken’s Tech Talk

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Former iPod user Krazy Ken is trying a Zune for the first time! He's going to tell you all about the product history, and he'll debunk some myths.

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[ComputerClan]

Enjoy the new episode! And subscribe stay tuned for my next SCAM-BUSTER on June 20 where Krazy Ken travels to California to try and debunk a fake "hard drive recovery" product. 🔔

[SeniorCharry]

Years ago I asked my dad for an iPod for Christmas. The day came and I opened the package and saw a Zune. I was never one to throw fits or act like a brat, so even though I was disappointed I acted happy and excited. My dad works hard and is a great man, the last thing I want is to hurt him, you know? After using the Zune for a while I actually started to like it, I guess not getting an iPod wasn't the worst thing.

[zollotech]

The Zune Player was by far my favorite Music player software ever. Really wish the interface took off on Windows Phone too, but oh well…

[RussellFlowers]

Over 10 years ago, I was working in a small software team, and one of the guys had a Zune. He told us about the "squirt" song loaning feature. We were like, "Oh, neat, that work pretty well?" He said, "I dunno, I've never run into anybody else with a Zune."

[wamrainc]

When’s Zune first came out, my girlfriend at that time got it for me for my birthday, and quite honestly, I loved it more than the iPod I used to have. The fact is, you can put your MP3s in there without having to convert or rely on iTunes was a big seller for me.

[gardiner_bryant]

I had a first-gen Zune and it was awesome. Despite the DRM and other stupid crap, it was a fabulous device with a great UI and I remember using it as my primary dedicated music player. I still have it in my car and it plays music well!

[Frowdo]

Man, I loved my Zune back in the day. The Zune pass was fantastic and the built in HD radio was a great feature.

[SavvySage]

Special thanks to Ken for (once again) having me onboard with the research for this episode! Here's a few other Zune facts that weren't brought up in the video:

1. The Zune Marketplace was originally codenamed "Alexandria".

2. The 2nd-gen Zune flash models were originally in development as early as 2006 under the codename "Pyxis". (Also, while we're on the topic of the 2nd-gen Zune, all of those models were manufactured by Flextronics.)

3. The Zune Social service predated Apple's attempt at a social network dedicated to music (iTunes Ping) by almost 4 years.

4. The Zune was sold exclusively in the US for its first 1.5 years on sale—the 2nd-gen Zune was the first to sell outside the US, beginning June 13th, 2008 in Canada.

5. A September 2008 firmware update brought in new features to existing Zune devices, most notably sample games (Hexic and Texas Hold' Em), a clock, a screen lock feature, and the ability to purchase songs directly onto the device through the Zune marketplace...exactly one year after the iTunes Music Store was brought over to the iPod Touch—ouch.

[basicfacekick]

I remember I had won an iPod Mini from a contest, and I was pretty happy with it. I didn't buy many songs from Apple... my library was mostly ripped songs from CDs. Then I accidentally dropped said Mini and ran it over backing out of a driverway for a trip. I ended up buying a Zune on that trip and loved that little player. I still have it to this day.

[ThatPhilBurgGuy]

I begged my mom for a zune when i was like 12. I finally got it and it lasted me like 10 years with the original songs i out on it. I loved that thing.

[trevorgreen]

I had a Zune and Microsoft phone. Zune was at that time was far superior to iTunes. The content in terms of music, images, videos and easy of use blew the rest away. Unfortunately Microsoft was “uncool” and did didn’t have the backing of celebrities. But damn it was a good product and so intuitive. Between iPhone and Google’s Android, the Microsoft phone and Zune died far too prematurely.

[codix__]

Being in the Zune community for 3 years, making a fix to sync videos on Windows 10 builds higher than 1509, having my nickname onto a Zune tutorial onto the Microsoft official YouTube channel and this video was still able to learn to me so much stuff about the Zune !
I was really happy because I watch every videos of Computer Clan for 2~3 years now to see Apple content a bit and I was very happy to learn about a video talking about the Zune. Thanks for your hard work and I'll see you in your next video. 😆😉

[ThatTonybo]

Thanks for giving our beloved Zune a much needed & well put together retrospective without being too negative. You really hit it on the head with all the goods of what the Zune is for us. I love mine and love the community, and it'll always be better than the iPod to me.

[nelsn]

The Zune came out during the worst possible time which was ‘Peak iPod” and only a few months before Apple themselves decided to destroy the iPod market with the iPhone. Had the Zune came out in 02 or 03, it would’ve been a great competitor to the iPod. Nevertheless, I do have a used Zune HD I purchased on Mercari for $45 in 2020 before prices when up and well before GOTG Vol. 3

[ObiWanBillKenobi]

When a friend brought over a chocolate-colored Zune 30 to our nearly-weekly LAN party, I immediately noticed it and the interface design, and asked what it was. It would be another couple years before I bought one used on eBay, but I used it until it would not stay turned on. (As I later learned, that was because the internal HDD died, and I have never bothered to have it replaced. It still worked if I kept it constantly plugged in to an electric outlet, but it never stayed on long enough to sync when plugged into my computer.) I used and used and used my Zune 30. I loved its matte finish, the gorgeous font, the directional pad, the big physical size, and the huge amount of storage. I loaded music, pictures, audio books, and even some video clips onto it. It was quite the enjoyable portable library for me before smartphones became omnipresent.

[soogymoogi]

As someone who likes owning their music (and a LOT of it, ) I miss dedicated music players. My ipod classic finally bit the dust a year or two ago and watching this just makes me miss the days of not having to stream music off my phone to listen on the go.

[rampdavidson]

I love my Zune. I bought a refurbished one in like 2010 or something and still use it. It has died, but I've just been keeping it going with repairs. Thanks for the great video!

[EpicureMammon]

I still use my Zune. I upgraded the 30gig to 128gig SSD, and keep it on the dock (with a remote) for music on my bedroom stereo. Works great! The Zune software still works on windows and has a clean, intuitive interface. It helps that I got it on clearance from Woot for around 80 bucks. :)

[towjam]

Props to you Ken. I'm a computer and technology history buff and subscribe to a butt ton of these types of YT channels. That said, this is the best balanced/objective presentation of the Zune I've seen yet. 👍👍

[SeattleSandro]

When the Zunes came out, I owned an iPod, but I worked at Microsoft. You'd get stink-eye if other employees saw you with white earbuds, so I'd just use my over-the-ear headphones. The internal buzz about the Zune was intense in the beginning, but every month you could feel it die down to where there was more enthusiasm about a new flavor of seltzer water in the fridges then there was about a new model of Zune.