See You, Zune: An Obit for Microsoft's Media Player

Thanks for the Flash memories. A little more than five years, Microsoft has pulled the plug on both the Zune Original and one of my favorite pieces of tech Zune HD. Yes, I am the proud owner of what was yesterday the gadget of a conscientious Apple objector and today a piece of obscure and obsolete tech. In a short paragraph on Zune.net, Microsoft announced that going forward their mobile music and video strategy will be focused on Windows Phone.

They went on to reassure me and other  Zune HD holdouts in glib fashion that the change means “[a]bsolutely nothing” since our devices will still work and they’ll still honor our warranties. In the meantime, they’re going to highjack our beloved Zune Pass subscription service and make it more Windows Phone-friendly. As I listen to Jay-Z’s “Lost One” on my Zune HD, I can’t help but look back on all the good times.