It appears Microsoft has mixed feelings about the Zune. The Redmond giant denied that the Zune was dying earlier today when the device page was taken down from Zune.net, even going as far as stating to the media that the move was a mistake.
Now, a page on the Zune support page confirms the Zune HD's fate, with the company stating "going forward, Windows Phone will be the focus of our mobile music and video strategy, and that we will no longer be producing Zune players."
The post also went on to say they would continue to look after those with the devices, saying "your device will continue to work with Zune services just as it does today. And we will continue to honor the warranties of all devices for both current owners and those who buy our very last devices."
The move has been a long time coming, and it was widely suspected Microsoft would drop the device with the effort the company is throwing into Windows Phone as of the Mango release. Despite this, it'll still be disappointing for those who own Zunes to hear the news. It's worth noting that there will be no change to the Zune software, nor Zune Pass (other than dropping the price!) under the announcement.
It's sad to see Microsoft leaving the portable music player game, but it's great to see the company willing to admit when it's gone wrong and learn from those experiences.
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