Zune moving at slow tempo

SAN FRANCISCO–Though Microsoft’s answer to Apple Computer’s iPod juggernaut officially went on sale nationwide Tuesday, the Zune wasn’t exactly flying off the shelves in downtown San Francisco.

At two retail outlets, the new media player wasn’t even on the shelves. The Virgin Megastore near Union Square had them in stock, but the Zune display wasn’t the right fit for the store’s shelving. The players would be on sale “sometime this week” when new signage was scheduled to be delivered, said a store representative who declined to give his name.

Zunes were also absent from the digital audio player display at the nearby CompUSA. “We were supposed to get them, but somehow they got delayed,” an employee said. But there has been interest, he said. About 15 people had come seeking the Zune just that morning.

Radio Shack was another miss, but a delay or shipping problem was not to blame–the store is not scheduled to sell them yet, said John Nashed, assistant manager of the Market Street Radio Shack. He estimated that four customers Tuesday morning had shown interest in buying one.

But there was a steady flow of interested customers at Best Buy just before lunchtime. A stream of mostly men sauntered up to the brown Zune, wedged between a lineup of satellite radios and other handheld devices.

“We’ve sold 10 already today,” said Best Buy general manager Ben Bagwell, while noting that most of the store’s customers don’t typically drop by until later in the afternoon. “The Zune’s actually been doing pretty well, better than I expected.”

Full article: CNET News.com