Microsoft Zune's Missing Ingredient: Appeal

I stopped by Best Buy earlier to examine the Zune. The unit on display was a brown one, and when it wasn't powered on, the matt finish makes the device look dull. With a push of a button, the media player lights up to life. I must admit, the 3" LCD display is gorgeous.

However, I don't think this product is selling as hot as anticipated due to one reason: lack of appeal.

The Zune is missing appeal in:
Image - that the brilliant Apple marketing team couped up for the past 5 years
Innovation - the Zune is just a slight improvement over existing products, another MP3 player
Brand Loyalty - like the huge cult-like Apple fanboy club

While the Zune is an excellent audio/video device that can out perform the best of mp3 players, its association to Microsoft's pre-conceived image and lack of that missing appeal may be why the mass public have not responded well it it. I am still waiting for a hack on web browsing capability and the update video sharing. That should make this device interesting.

For a thorough review of its features, visit Engadget.