Now that I'm back from CES, I have some final thoughts on Zune at CES, and have for you 7 big wins for our favorite media player at the Consumer Electronics Show.
Zune In The Booth. You'll see my picture in the previous post but it was so nice to see a Zune booth that promoted Podcasting as part of the whole package that Zune offers. You'll notice the wording was/is "3 million+ songs, videos, podcasts and DRM-free mp3s." Instead of "pieces" of it, the entire story is being told.
As much as this is a blog about Zune and Podcasting, I can't tell you how much I enjoy the music side of this too. The Zune Pass subscription lets me enjoy music in ways I never could before.
But the story is add that to "the mix" of Podcasting and other options - and we got something very cool.
And we do have something very cool.
Zune In The Keynote. Yes, I complained that Bill didn't mention Zune in the keynote much at all but then I grew up (a little sleep will do that for you) and realized that the Zune imagery mixed into the even bigger Microsoft story is a very good thing indeed.
Zune ain't going the way of Bob.
Zune In The Story. This is a subset of the first two - but is really important. Zune was there because Microsoft wanted Zune there to tell the story that they're putting together. It might have been a dig at Apple TV, but Bach's comment that "this isn't just a hobby for us" is very telling indeed. CES 2008 wasn't Zune begging Microsoft for some space, this was Microsoft saying Zune, help us tell the story.
Zune Leadership And Marketing Together. So who helped tell the story, was it the token marketing types? Was it booth babes? No, in heavy booth duty (he couldn't even come to my presentation on Podcasting because of his booth duty requirements) was Rob Greenlee - Podcast Programming Lead. Microsoft sent their best to tell this story.
Podcast Gets Respect. To some, the Podcast represents amateur media production. I can't say that every Podcaster is innocent of propagating that meme but the Podcast channel is so very important and Microsoft has embraced it fully, by name. They've done so in the top level menus for the Zune (it ain't there for the iPod, check), and they've done it for the story, mentioned above, of what the Zune is all about.
To this day my Mom still thinks she needs an Apple to listen to what I do. Now that Microsoft (she's still pretty sure there are about 20 people in the company and that Bill Gates personally asked me to write those FrontPage books way back when) talks about Podcasting, my Mom might start paying attention - and seeing what her son has been up to (for Bill personally, of course).
Podcasting needed, and I'm gonna get some flack for this, Microsoft's respect to get to the next level.
We got it.
It was all over CES.
Apple Was Missing. Everybody and their Mom seemed to have some dock for the iPod (read about Creative's funny device on my other blog) but Apple wasn't there. Rob Greenlee, Podcast Program Lead was in the booth but Apple won't let their Podcasting people even tell the public what they do for a living.
Yes, I know, Apple has a show next week. I can't wait to see what Jobs unveils but the story next week is Apple … not Consumer Electronics. Microsoft and the Zune fit into the Consumer Electronics world. I might not have been a big fan of Gates' keynote but the fact of the matter was they asked him to kick off the event with his keynote - which he's done for a long time.
Microsoft is part of the bigger story.
Apple is their own story.
I want Podcasting to be part of the bigger story.
Microsoft Was Not. They weren't missing at all.
It was a pleasure.
Gonna be a good year for the Zune and Podcasting.
Join us for the ride.
Go ahead and subscribe to Zuneluv.com so you can go with us on this ride.
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