"We started trying to add iPhone like interaction on the Zune, but when we realized that would take some real engineering know how to get something this cool into an affordable device that small, we decided 'if you can't make it smaller, it's easier just to make it bigger!'"
In the interest of explaining what Microsoft's marketing speak really means, here's my take on their positioning statement of this revolutionary new concept.
Here's what Microsoft says:
Similar to the way ATMs changed how people got money from the bank, Microsoft is changing the way people will interact with all kinds of everyday content...What Microsoft means:
Similar to the way cinder blocks changed tender love making, Microsoft is doing absolutely nothing to change the way people will interact with all kinds of everyday content because...What Microsoft says:
including photos, ...What Microsoft means:
deciding whether to crop my photos in landscape or portrait is generally a personal decision that doesn't require family, friend, or group input.What Microsoft says:
music, ...What Microsoft means:
Buying music at the iTunes Music Store is, and will remain a personal activity, so long as people maintain individual tastes in music (although it might be a hit with binars or something)What Microsoft says:
a virtual concierge, ...What Microsoft means:
People will continue to use real concierges because while Chez Gauche's marketing manager might have a boyfriend who is a talented graphic artist who produces snazzy collateral, only a person who has eaten there knows their cook sucks and that the meal to die for in the 5ieme Arrondisement is the Ratatoille at "La Pomme".What Microsoft says:
... and games.What Microsoft means:
It's like Monopoly (the game, not our business practices) except instead of $9.95 at your local Target, this will cost a few grand at your local CompUSA and like tables from IKEA, "some assembly required, batteries not included (and yes, it will require you to run an extension cable)".(I kid you not, their prototypes were made from IKEA tables)
What Microsoft says:
Common, everyday tasks become entertaining, enjoyable and engaging, alone or face-to-face with family, friends or co-workers.What Microsoft means:
Our lives are like the hollow crysalis a butterfly leaves behind when it flies away, so we were desperate to invent something where you'll spend several grand on a table (which only really goes with the decor in Building 16 ) so you can continue your habit to invest in products which instill a fleeting moment that your life has some kind of meaning.
