Microsoft has been something of a tease when it comes to Zune. For the better part of the last year, we’ve simultaneously seen the PMP production come to a halt while Microsoft has insisted there is life yet for the device.
The mixed messages came to a head recently when the company announced it was finishing making and selling the Zune while support team members said otherwise, and Microsoft pulled the page explaining Zune software would live on for WP7.
But nothing could will the Zune back to life, and it looks like the iPod rival is finally being laid to rest. The support page has been updated, explaining Zune production is indeed done and that the Windows Phone will now be the focus of Microsoft’s media content distribution.
Given Microsoft’s will-they-or-won’t-they dance with Zune, who knows if they will resurrect what has been an incredibly capable and comparatively popular device. Our guess, however, is that Microsoft wants to put all its eggs in one basket, and that basket is Windows Phone 7. Kudos to the company for attempting to streamline what in the past have been fragmented, disconnected platforms into a cohesive mobile brand. But farewell to a quality gadget that gave the iPod the best run for its money to date.
