Original URL: http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/06/04/no_zune_til_bedtime/
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer told German business and economics magazine Wirtschafts Woche (http://www.wiwo.de/pswiwo/fn/ww2/sfn/buildww/id/126/id/274578/fm/0/SH/0/depot/0/index.html) in an interview that the Seattle-based behemoth will delay the European launch of its moderately-awaited Zune MP3 player until next year.
According to the interview, Ballmer cited the fact that Microsoft was losing money due to substantial initial investment and it had not yet begun to make a profit on its first foray into the mercenary MP3 arena. This is the reason why we have not entered new markets, he explained.
And yet, only very recently, Microsoft had confidently predicted it would sell one million units by the end of June (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/05/30/zune_sells_1million/), much to the surprise of many market analysts.
With the imminent launch of Apple's iPhone in the US at the end of June (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/06/04/iphone_launch_date_revealed/), suspicions abound all across the internet that the European delay is a result of the first generation Zune simply not being up to scratch (judge for yourself here (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/02/06/review_microsoft_zune_mp3_music_player/)), and the model that does eventually arrive in the more merciless European MP3 market, is one that can realistically take on the seemingly-immortal iPod after having been tested thoroughly in the US first.
MS said to have delayed Euro Zune debut to 2009 (13 March 2008)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/03/13/microsoft_zune_euro_delay/
Microsoft revamps Zune with Flash (3 October 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/10/03/microsoft_zune_revamp/
Zune price slashed to under $200 (5 September 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/09/05/zune_price_cut/
MS: Zune 2.0 to arrive in time for Xmas (23 July 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/07/23/ms_confirms_zune_2/
Datawrite's cash-strapped multimedia player (27 June 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/06/27/datawrite_nitro/
Creative rocks on with Zen Stone... Plus (21 June 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/06/21/zen_stone_plus/
Ladybird speakers set to wow Beatles fans? (18 June 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/06/18/brando_ladybird_speakers/
Marks & Sparks to sell iPod suit this weekend (11 June 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/06/11/em_and_s_gets_ipod_suit/
TerraTec docks iPod to internet radio box (8 June 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/06/08/terratec_noxon_2/
Apple's iPhone available on June 29 (4 June 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/06/04/iphone_launch_date_revealed/
Creative Zen Stone MP3 player (30 May 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/05/30/review_creative_zen_stone/
Zune to sell one million by June (30 May 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/05/30/zune_sells_1million/
LG takes a Shine to touchy-feely music player (17 May 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/05/17/lg_brings_touch_me_to_uk/
Wi-Fi equipped iPod on the horizon? (13 April 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/04/13/wifi_ipod_on_the_horizon/
Tiny iRiver media player flows into UK (26 March 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/03/26/iriver_x20_in_uk/