Amnesty for iPod-loving Microsoft Zune staff
By Ruben Francia
Nothing would be more frustrating than seeing a competitor’s product being used in your own backyard. This is what it seems happening at Microsoft. The company is apparently offering “amnesty” to Zune employees who give up their iPods in favor of the Zune MP3 player.
Microsoft’s Zune group headquarters now sports an “iPod Amnesty Bin” into which employees are supposed to dump their iPods. A photo of the bin has been posted on Flickr.
Rex Sorgatz, an MSNBC.com employee, said he thought the bin was someone’s idea of a joke, nothing more. Sorgatz said he is an iPod user, but could be convinced to switch if he found a superior product. MSNBC.com is a joint media venture between Microsoft and MSNBC.
Matt Rosoff, an analyst with Directions on Microsoft, also suspects the bin’s placement is meant to be funny, as it would in the Zune team’s best interest to use the latest iPod devices to better understand the competition. Indeed, none of the iPods in the bin in the photo were current versions.
According to Macworld News, Apple has declined to comment, but a Microsoft spokesperson said she felt the bin might be either a joke or a morale booster for the Zune developers.
It’s unlikely to be a morale booster. After all, it would be even more discouraging to see a bin of such size containing only a handful iPods.
Sure, it could be a joke, but if it’s a joke, what is it supposed to mean? is it the joke saying that “yes we know the iPod is better, but you’re a Microsoft employee, so hand it over” or is the joke that nobody wants to hand over their iPods.
No wonder Microsoft is having a tough time selling the Zune…
Related:
Stumble It!
Entry was posted
on Sunday, May 27th, 2007 at 11:54 pm
under 
Print
Read more entries by Ruben Francia.
