Microsoft tries cutting Zune HD prices to fight rivals
updated 02:55 pm EST, Sun February 7, 2010
Zune HD now 20 to 30 dollars cheaper
Microsoft in the past few days has quietly cut prices on the Zune HD through an at least temporary promo. The touchscreen media player now costs $190 for a 16GB model at Amazon, or $32 less than the original price; the 32GB model has dropped by a similar amount to $250.
Microsoft's own store has also dropped its prices by a lesser amount, to $200 for a 16GB Zune HD and $270 for a 32GB edition. Walmart and other retailers are also closely matching Amazon's prices.
Officially, Microsoft has only said that the new prices are part of "sales" and implied that they may be temporary, although it hasn't said if or when the promo will end. The cuts, however, give it about twice as much capacity at the same price as an iPod touch or else a significant discount for similar capacity.
They price drops come as an attempt to spur sales post-holidays and suggest sales have cooled significantly since the September release. Microsoft has implemented such cuts in the past when Zune players weren't faring particularly strongly and suggests as a result that the effective restart of the Zune line has had little direct impact on the company's ability to increase its market share. Historically, Microsoft has had about 2 percent of the media player market while Apple has had over 70 percent.
Try cereal boxes
02/07, 03:54pm reply
Maybe.
Paul Huang
Dedicated MacNNer
Joined: Sep 1999
Without an ecosystem the Zune HD will never
02/07, 04:11pm reply
have high sales. It seems to be a pretty good device in terms of hardware, but that's about it.
iphonerulez
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Nov 2008
Do what RIM does
02/07, 05:16pm reply
Buy one get one POS free. Then brag about the millions that were sold. Well in this case, the dozens or so sold! LOL
slapppy
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Mar 2008
Cereal boxes are excellent distribution channels
02/07, 05:17pm reply
Make a product enticing and regardless of price, people will buy it.
Make an odious product and it will move like bricks.
Wait, Volvos were like bricks at one time and they still sold well.
Paul Huang
Dedicated MacNNer
Joined: Sep 1999
wait a little longer
02/07, 08:39pm reply
and one will be free with a copy of Windows 7
George3
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jul 2008
LOLLLL
02/07, 11:52pm reply
Monkey see, Money do, Money Fail (again).
jarod
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Apr 2005
A Cheaper t***
02/08, 09:34am reply
A cheaper t*** is generally not appealing by itself. However, if you can do it in bulk, you may generate interest from the farming community.
Foe Hammer
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Feb 2005
Censor-y Overload
02/08, 11:57am reply
OK, what's up with the MacNN censor?
How come a lump of post-digested matter that you can notoriously not polish is converted to t*** yet we get Jobs: Google's "Don't Be Evil" motto is "bullsh*t"???
Foe Hammer
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Feb 2005