Microsoft is flip-flopping more than a presidential politician, and it’s doing so in record time.
The software giant came to the defense of its fledgling Zune portable media player earlier this year, quashing rumors that the device was on the chopping block.
Microsoft swiftly responded to say it was still actively supporting the Zune, even though it hasn’t done a hardware refresh in more than two years.
Seemingly unable to convince consumers that there was still interest in the gadget, though, Microsoft adjusted its Zune product support page to read “Windows Phone will be the focus of our mobile music and video strategy, and that we will no longer be producing Zune players.”
That was yesterday. It got picked up and within moments the Internet buzzed with news that the Zune was dead. It didn’t seem like it could get more official than that.
Lo and behold, though, Microsoft has now come forward and backtracked on the statement posted on the Zune website. A post on the official Zune Twitter account came up to clarify, “That site was added to the Zune website in error.”
We wrote yesterday that although Microsoft clearly seems devoted to its Windows Phone brand when it comes to portable devices, that’s not enough to attract customers who are happy with their existing phone but may want a portable Xbox Live or Microsoft product like the Zune.
So it seems the company has realized there may be value in keeping the Zune alive, even though it still doesn’t seem like there will be any new Zune hardware any time soon.
