Why I think the Zune was designed to fail

If, when you read that title, you said to yourself "What the fuck is a Zune?", then well it kind of proves my point. Here are some of the limitations Microsoft has placed on the Zune:

DRM (Digital Rights Managment, or copy protection)
Not only does the the Zune use DRM to copy protect the music that is sold in their online store, it also imposes DRM restrictions on content that doesn't have DRM on it already. Anything shared to other Zune owners via the wireless capability has DRM added to it. That means, if you create your own podcast, put it on your Zune in mp3 format and share it wirelessly to another person, they can't share it to others. Why Microsoft feels that they have the right to impose restrictions on content that they don't own or control is beyond me.

- Not for sale in Canada
Currently only available in the US, over a year later you still can't find one in Canada... or anywhere else for that matter. Now I can understand not selling them overseas, shipping costs, localization etc, maybe they wanted to let it get established first before venturing into other markets... but Canada? We speak the same language (except for Quebec). Shipping would be very close to shipping within the US, we have a free trade agreement last time I heard. It doesn't make any sense.. to say its because of the French language requirement is ridiculous.. its not that hard to translate stuff into French. The only reason I see for completely ignoring an easily reached potential market is that the product was never meant to be successful in the first place.

- Crippled wireless
No direct purchase from the internet via the wireless built into the device? Thats just stupid, Apple has since included this functionality in the iPod iTouch, so they completely dropped the ball on this one. They could have had the only player to be able to do this a YEAR before Apple.. I can't believe it was laziness, or that they couldn't figure out how to do it.. if friggen Microsoft for gods sakes.. not some fly by night startup. Only reason I can think of is that they wanted a functionally superior device, but have it fail miserably on purpose. Why? Read on for my toughts..

So here's why I think they did all of this. DRM is the key. I think Microsoft secretly wants it to die. Maybe I'm being overly optimistic of my view of the big M$. Its fasionable in the IT industry to badmouth Microsoft, they are an easy target.. lots of flawed software, insanely frustrating support issues, monopoly style overpriced software, stupid licensing schemes, its goes on and on..
But I don't think the people in charge at MS are stupid, they know the flaws in digital copy protection.. it just doesn't work. Theres a fundamental flaw in the DRM, and thats the fact they the end user needs to be able to play back the content. As long as thats the case you have to give away the keys to unlock the content to the user, hence giving them the tools they need to remove the copy protection as well. Its for this reason someone will always find ways to remove the DRM and then make it available for everyone else by putting it on the internet.
The Zune imposes these restrictions, but does it in such an obtuse way that to me its obvious they wanted the device to fail completely to unseat the iPod as the dominant player. Nobody wants it.. why? Its too restrictive.. sure its a great piece of hardware.. but the software sucks. It too encumbered with the software to be any good. But theres the tricky part.. its just software.. firmware in this case, something thats easily upgraded or replaced. Once the device has been out for a while they can re-release it sans the stupidity of the DRM. Now they have a hit on their hands, and be hero's in the online media world. A world by the way they are fully backing since Bill gates decided the future of the computer is the internet.
The recording and movie industries will of course cry foul.. probably sue them for making a device that promotes 'piracy', a term by the way that I don't think should be applied to file sharers.. a Pirate is someone who steals for profit. Most people don't copy music to sell on the street corner. Anti-piracy laws were intended to punish the real criminals, not somebody's grandmother that just wants to find a digital copy of that song she had on a vinyl record (and paid for BTW) years ago and has since lost or broken.
But Microsoft will then have a good argument against the DRM. 'Look' they can say... 'here are the sales figures for our player with the DRM, now look at our sales without the DRM...'
Bye Bye DRM...
Apple is already heading that way... and I applaud them for that.
I hope Microsoft can see the excellent position they are in to put a nail in DRM's coffin.. I hope they are as smart as I think they are...