Zune RIP

THE EDSEL OF MUSIC PLAYERS GOES BYE-BYE: Ironically, on the eve of the iPhone 5 presentation, its pathetically unsuccessful Microsoft rival the Zune mysteriously vanished from the company’s Zune website, then magically reappeared, CNET News reported. The following statement on a Zune support page appears to confirm the demise of the fived-year-old Zune: “We recently announced that, 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. So what does this mean for our current Zune users? Absolutely nothing. 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.” Goodbye, poor Zune; you never had a chance. (10/4a)