Zune hardware to be axed by Microsoft, but software to continue: report

She's dead, Jim. According to a report in SAI, Microsoft has decided to kill off the Zune music player.  To be clear, the company will continue to sell existing models. It will not, however, be developing new ones.

The original source of the information was Dina Bass, Bloomberg News Tech Reporter. In two Tweets, she said first that Microsoft would eschew any further hardware development on Zunes, but also that Microsoft would take the Zune software and on the Zune software that's used on Windows Phones, Xbox and other devices.

Zune was to be Microsoft's answer to the iPod.  However, it never took off, despite some respect for its software performance.  The ecosystem around iPod, iTunes and later, the App Store, was too much for Microsoft to overcome after it allowed Apple its huge lead.

Farewell, Zune.

Via: SAI