Zune Eats Creative's Meager Lunch, Grabbing 4 Percent of MP3 Player Market

"Put even more simply, the Zune--widely recognized as a complete failure after just 2 years on the market--is actually doing better in its market than the Mac--on the market for 24 years, or about 11 years since the return of Steve Jobs--is doing in its own market." Wow Paul, only you could come up with that kind of analogy. How about Nintendo DS lite has more market share after 2 years than Schwinn bikes have after 50 years. The two are as related as Zune media players and "Mac" computers. The Zune is ugly hardware. The Zune social is a joke, The software is a joke. The Zune store is a joke. The third party support is a non-existent. The Zune has grown market share because its got Microsoft attached to its name. Even now the Microsoft name carries with it "big company" recognition. Compared to Creative Labs, which no one outside the IT world would know, or the Sansa brand Microsoft is a huge name. So in the "other category" for MP3/digital media players I would think that Microsoft/Zune would clean up. My only question is why is it taking so long. I would think by now if you were looking for that "other option" in a media player Zune would be king of that market. I hope MS spend billions upon billions to get to 10%. Its help the 360 almost beat out the PS2.

Thin skin much?

Whats the PC worlds marketshare if we take business sales out? Honest question, because Apple doesn't sell the iPod to businesses like Dell and HP sell PC's to businesses.

I hear ya but media bleat is not gonna change in the near future.

"As far as I know, the Zune is only sold in the US, so it would seem more appropriate to compare Apple's US market share, which is in the 6 to 6.5 percent range. Apple essentially doesn't bother with the business market, so their share of the consumer PC market is even higher." Congratulations. Microsoft doesn't sell Zunes outside of the USA. Apple DOES Macs outside of the USA. Globally the Zune and Mac have about the same marketshare. Guess which one is going to have a higher marketshare in the USA? Is it the Zune? My bad, looked to me for a second like you were trying to convey the message that Paul was skewing the facts to make Zune look better. "It's also silly to talk about market share without talking about growth, which has been pretty good for Apple in the last year or two." Zune went from 0 to 4. Apple went from 2 to 3.3. Congratulations.

Tristanh your right Paul did not compare the Zune to Mac's. However he could have compared the market share of the Zune to Tug Boat engine market share and it would have had the same relevance, which is none. He does it to get readers. Lets just look at his comment returns. He gets more than pingbacks if he jabs at Apple products. I guess I am the fool, for fanning the flames and helping drive up the comments.

If you define success purely by market share, then yes, there's a double standard. If you factor in a little thing called profit and market influence as well as market share %, then that changes things. Is the Zune making a profit? I can't tell from Microsoft's financial results because Zune results are lumped in with Xbox. If the Zune's 4% share points to profit or potential future profit that significantly contributes to Microsoft's bottomline, then yes, the Zune has a done a remarkable job. Is Apple's 4% market share with the Mac remarkable given the 20+ year history of the Mac? No. Is it remarkable in the context of recent success (and profit) and facing an even more entrenched PC market? Yes.

@Paul... With all due respect, the tone of this Wired post is precisely how you often come across regarding Apple on this blog. You're "reworked" example of Apple vs. Packard Bell is only funny because of it's irony. You DO come across like that with everything from the snarky tone to the continual harping on worldwide market share despite it's meaninglessness to the viability of the mac. It's ok. It your blog. And you are snarky with Microsoft too. Just calling it like I see it. "It's funny how Apple fans don't respond to reason " @ibarskiy... ok... try this on for size.... #1. the Zune hardware is nice. Good screen. Nice sizes with the new version. It's interface is pretty slick as well, with a cross-bar navigation system that is arguably faster than the simply hierarchy of the classic iPod UI (though I imagine it's a little harder to understand for some). It is, however, no match for the iPhone/iPod Touch user experience. Not even close. And the fat nano is pretty awesome and crazy thin. Still, the Zune is the best player outside of the iPod in my opinion. Very competitive. #2. it's not fair to compare Zune's marketshare given its US-only status to players that ship all over the world. This is no better than the hack commentary that goes on regarding Mac marketshare. Apple competes in the consumer space, not the enterprise, so it's consumer share is what matters (10 to 20% in the US and 5 to 10% worldwide). The Zune's success should be judged based on US-only numbers. That's being honest. How's that for reason from a Mac fan? Now for the other side... Microsoft's Zune is clearly a failure, and not because of it's market share (though it's lack of progress after entering the flash player market is pretty poor). No, Zune is a failure because it brings nothing new to the table and has only further splintered the ecosystem with another DRM silo. It's a failure because because it did both of those things, while continuing a tradition of turning on partners that only further chills the market for third parties. It's a failure because Microsoft entered the market claiming it would enable them to move faster and yet they have actually moved SLOWER than the competition. It's a failure because, despite Windows Media Player being at version 11, they have chosen to start over with a new application that is still playing distant catch-up to iTunes and multiple fronts. It's a failure because that application, despite being brand new, doesn't even bother to use Windows Presentation Foundation, and thereby misses a great opportunity to lead developers by example. It's a failure because it continues Microsoft's carnival-style points scheme from Xbox Live which shows nothing but contempt for consumers and their intelligence. It's a failure at a fundamental, strategic level. It makes no sense. The Zune is a poster-child for a company that is going increasingly off course through diffuse focus too far outside it's core competence. And, again, I love my Xbox 360 (minus the noise) and think the Zune is a good player.

I am ashamed of my misuse of "you're" instead of "your" and "it's" instead of "its". Oh jet lag.

PS to anyone that thinks that I am a fan boy. I couldn't care less if Apple tanks next year. Me, an average user would do fine with any OS. Besides, I own MS stock.

Excellent analogy, Paul. I think this perfectly puts things into perspective ;)

Paul, does this help you understand why you have a 'problem' with fanboys (of all persuasions but particularly Apple) flocking to your comments? Over the years you have written many many posts and articles about Apple that are peppered with little snide comments, derogatory remarks and asides. And now you are getting all uppity because Wired used one word ..... just one word..... that you take offensively. Do you see the hypocrisy here? Your response? Well let's just fall back on the old Mac market share routine. Because that's a small number isn't it? Even though the Mac market share has very little relationship with even the iPod share .. let alone the Zune's. It's a really poor post Paul. I would put it down to click-bait apart from the fact that you also posted a comment on Wired. I seriously believe that you have a problem parsing some numbers, especially percentages. Microsoft boasted back in June 2006 that they had surpassed there target and sold 1.2 million Zunes. nearly a year later they say they have reached 2 million. So with three different models on sale they appear to be actually selling LESS than when there was only one. "Put even more simply, the Zune--snip--is actually doing better in its market than the Mac" Nice strapline. Shame it's wrong.

Let's look at this another way: The Zune is improving in single digit market share increases. When the Mac does the same thing, Apple fanboy's like to celebrate it fanatically (and posters on these comment sections prove to be more of a fanboy then they let on to be, whenever they call out Paul for criticizing the Mac's minimal increases). Food for thought.

Ahh another Waethorn gem- I'll take the the "single digit market share improvements" of the Mac (and the assocaited profits) over the "single digit market share improvements" of the Zune. That is the point that Paul and his Jihad about market share avoids, time and time again.

" I was just pointing out that you and all others completely missed the point that Paul was adressing the bias of the Wired's piece by substituting names and saying that it would cause an outrage." Umm... not sure where my outrage is. I did point out that paul has made very comparable blog posts in terms of snark regarding mac marketshare. Paul's analysis is generally better than this wired post, since he is more consistent in his use of numbers. But, still, it's a blog post. And Paul's example is ironic. Still, Paul's reasonably fair overall, I'll happily admit. @subzero: "How come Apple has not sealed the deal with the larger segment of the computing industry or consumers? How many more years before Apple makes it to 10 percent? Another 20 years?" Among American consumers, Apple is 10 to 20% of the market, and that's the userbase they target. Their lack of ultra-cheap boxes keeps their volume from being higher, but it also keeps them much more profitable and subsequently more viable and healthy with more R&D. As for comparing the Zune to the Mac... there's many reasons why that doesn't work. Music is highly portable and cross-platform where as software isn't, so the music player market isn't subject to the same network effects and momentum as the PC market. If someone's iPod dies and they want to try a Zune, it's easy. The same isn't as easy for a computer.

Why would anyone buy a Windows Server when distros of Linux are free? Oh that's right MCSE "subversive agents (read: Windows Fanboys like Waethorn) are deluded by the sweat they drink from Ballmer's pits that Windows products are cheaper in the long run then free. After all the Halloween documents told us so and MS never does anything wrong, nor lies, nor both. Next point contention who charges "10-20% for the same stuff", well you were partially right with the crap statement. And as far as PoS and Vista; again you got part of it right... Interesting that software the runs on a OS is the same thing as vaporware. Thanks Weathorn you proved my points nicely. Come back with something more substantive then the typical party line from Redmond. Kool Aid? Indeed, which flavor of Vista is yours?

JohnPapola, I wasn't necessarily referring to your outrage (and in general, I have to hand it to you; out of all Apple fans on this blog you are by the most affording of a good conversation), but the zeal was evident in some other replies.