Renders of flashier new Zune retail displays

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The next time you’re at an electronics store (if they’re still around), you might have to put some shades on if you’re to walk past the Zune display cabinet. Planned Marketing Solutions International (PMSI), an established creative agency out of Oregon, has been working on a redesign for the largely brown Zune retail displays that are in many US electronic stores today. They’ve recently put up some renders of this on their Flickr stream.

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The new Zune retail display concept features brighter orange and pink colors and adds focus to the features that differentiate the Zune, including wireless synchronization and XBOX360 integration. Of course, these are nothing more than renders and what it might look like with solid materials, if it becomes realized at all, is a whole other story.

23 insightful thoughts

  1. as they said on Rove…

    “it wouldn’t be a problem if you Microsoft would start making products that aren’t shit”.

    So well said…

  2. … meanwhile Apple sells another million iPods.

    Please Microsoft!!! try a little harder. You could create the xBox and xBox360 yet you don’t seem to be able to do neither a great media player nor a good mobile phone… perhaps you start by hiring the right people to get the job done… and then let them actually get on with doing the job.

  3. I really like the second one. I hope the Zune service will start in Germany in May after MSN Music is closed…

  4. Okay nice display, but how about a slimmer larger screen Zune 120 with a browser since it already has wifi. I think the Zune software is far better than itunes but they need to go 100 % drm free on purchased music. The 15 dollar a month subscription is a great deal now, we need new devices.

  5. Finally, now the Zune won’t be place with the OTHER MP3 players, turned off, full of dust in a dark corner of the store far away from the iPods. This is how they are pretty much in Canada in big stores. No wonder why they don’t sell, despite being better than the iPod (sound quality, superior quality, headphones, scratch resistant plastic with it’s glass screen, way better software, better navigation on long lists (in my opinion)).

    Now all they need to do to make it perfect is:
    – Make usable as external HDD. I don’t care if I use to use Zune software to store files, nor create a separate partition.. I just want it to be able to. It’s kinda hard to fill 120GB of songs/video/podcast on it 🙂
    – Open up the game store, to encourage game development on the device.

  6. I like the 2nd one better. I think the pink hue has always been an overkill, because it makes the Zune appear too feminine.

    It’s too bad most retailers probably won’t ever bother with a nice display for Zunes, much less other devices. They know everyone buys iPods because of the brand name factor, so iPods will always have the special treatment by being up first or in a special display while Zunes are just barely given a dusting.

  7. I wonder if this will make it into the Microsoft stores? 😛

    True Xbox 360 integration would be a delight though, I’m sure people listen to music on their 360 or download music to their Zune using it.

  8. i wonder if microsoft stores will make it period!

    I think they are too far behind in the game as far as digital players and games consoles are concerned (although i know xbox has a large backing!), people like to stick to what they know and apple already have that confidence in people that their stuff works!!

  9. @Tobias, no they don’t work.. I mean yea they work, but they don’t work well..
    People are starting to realize this. The day I got my Zune, I never looked back at iPods… yes they are smaller and you can use it as an external HDD.. but the device is superior in quality, works perfectly well under our Canadian winter, never froze, superior sound card chip and headphones. Wireless sync works well, FM radio (which I don’t really care about personally) can get a signal very well, even in a metro station (subway with wheels)… well not when you are in the tunnel of source.. but pretty dam impressive.

    Microsoft can make it big with Zune… but they are way too slow.
    They need massive advertisement, Zune store stands, sell the player around the world, more accessories, and open up apps and game store. Then Microsoft could start improving the player by allowing it to use it as external storage, improve OS speed a little, make it a little slimmer. Then you can say bye bye to iPods.

  10. This is what happens when a company doesn’t have any new technology. They try like hell to make the packaging as flashy as possible.

  11. @Kevin, what, like apple with the iPod? There are countless references to the fact that the iPod was an inferior product, only to take a huge slice of the market.
    Microsoft attempts to improve their marketing, and well…….

  12. @Brendan, one has to admit that the Zune’s hardware has gotten very stale. Since it’s release, we’ve seen the iPod Touch and new iPod nanos, both of which are very compelling redesigns of the previous models.

    When I see a company try to remarket its stale products instead of releasing something new, my eyes start to roll. It’s time for a Zune refresh, and IMO Microsoft should hold off on the flashy kiosks until they have something compelling.

  13. Oops, I misspoke – there was no previous model of the iPod Touch – that was a brand new iPod model, which actually furthers my point.

  14. The Zune version 3 was out a few month ago… why… they need to release a new Zune every week, Kevin?

  15. @tom – you are a fk n tosser.

    Do you even own a Zune or tried one?

    I bought a Zune gen 3 120GB in New York just before Christmas and have finally been able to bin my iPod. In addition I subscribed to the unlimited $14.95 per month Zune marketplace and have finally uninstalled the crappy iTunes.

    Zune shites all over an iPod and if you owned one you would agree. It is cheaper, has WiFi built in, Radio built in and the Zune Marketplace software is awesome.

    So get a life you tosser. And keep getting advice from Rove – of course he is the world’s best expert on consumer technology – NOT.

  16. @ tom:

    Here is the email I sent to Rove –

    Hey Rove,

    Just in case you didn’t know, Zune is not available in Australia, never has been and is only available in the USA and Canada so far and only recently been launched in the UK.

    I have one here in Australia (bought it before Christmas in New York) and it shits all over the iPod (has wireless sync, radio built in and more) and is cheaper. The Zune (online) Marketplace is 10 times better than the crappy and buggy iTunes which I had been using for the past 5 years. I have happily binned my iPod.

    So, if you actually took the time to research it and check out online reviews of the 3rd generation Zune or god forbid even try it, you might have some credibility on the topic.

    I love a great laugh but ignorant comedy is as bad as politicians spinning the truth.

    Cheers,

    Marty

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