Eruantale

Oct3 Microsoft Unveils their Newer, Butt Ugly Zune

Recently Microsoft unveiled their new 2007 version of their iPod competitor, dubbed the “Zune”. This newer version is the first major upgrade to the Zune since its release last year. While it includes many feature/technical updates, the most noticeable change is its physical design. Simply put, they’ve managed to make an almost decent player look absolutely butt ugly.

A Comparison: Old Zune vs. New Zune

For the record, Microsoft now offers a 4 GB, an 8 GB, and an 80 GB Zune. But since the 80 GB Zune is now only available in black, I will be comparing the old 30 GB pink Zune to the new 4 GB pink Zune, because it’s difficult to see the buttons in the photos of the black Zunes.

The Old

I actually really liked the design of the old Zune. I thought it was very attractive.

The silver border around the screen and the circle in the middle contrasted nicely with the color of the player and the screen. I liked the fact that the two buttons on either side of the scroll wheel knockoff* were centered vertically.

All in all, everything contrasted nicely and there was good symmetry. If my iPod looked exactly like that and did not need a case, I would be in heaven.

Enter: Zune 2.0

Where do I even begin criticizing this fart of a design?

The lack of a silver border separating the pure black screen and the pink finish takes away a lot of the appeal of the old appearance. I hate the fact that the scroll wheel knockoff and the buttons are no longer perfectly round. Also, as one of my friends put it, the scroll wheel now has “Mickey Mouse Ears.” I can’t see any good reason for putting the buttons above the scroll wheel. It’s not useful and it’s not pleasing to the eye at all.

Additionally, there seems to be entirely too much pink now. Even the labels on the two little buttons are pink. It seems somewhat difficult to distinguish them. The entire design in general is just very unappealing, and it makes me say, “Man, am I glad my iPod doesn’t look like that.”

Sadly, this pink version of the new Zune is actually the most attractive color of them all, save perhaps black. But the only reason black looks more attractive is because all of these little design flaws are less noticeable.

Is Microsoft just Stupid?

I cannot fathom why Microsoft would throw away such a nice design in their new incarnation of the Zune. I mean, the Zune didn’t really have much going for it anyway. Its greatest innovation was the ability to wirelessly send a song to another Zune, whose owner could then listen to the song a grand total of three times—and even then, the system was flawed.

Microsoft always seems to be several years late on everything they release. They never really offer anything better than what’s already out there, and when they do attempt to innovate, they end up breaking something that works nicely, such as this, or Internet Explorer’s user interface in version 7. And how about that new OS, Vista? That one’s really selling like hotcakes, isn’t it?

Maybe it’s time for Microsoft to fire a few of the morons who design this junk and hire some folks who actually know how to come up with decent new ideas.

Meanwhile, I’m pining for an iPod touch. How ’bout you?

Notes:

*I hesitate to call this a scroll wheel, as I don’t know if it functions that way, but the term works for me and I’m going to use it anyway.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 3rd, 2007 at 9:32 pm in Technology. You can subscribe to the comment feed to follow replies or leave a trackback from your own site.