Say hello to my little Zune: official launch tomorrow

Okay folks, the moment you've all been waiting for is almost upon us (and by you all, we mean the .01% of you who don't already own an iPod or SanDisk DAP). We've already heard the name, seen the prototypes, got the lowdown on all of the features, and even peeped some blurry snaps of the GUI (not to mention the artist's renditions), and now the future of portable audio is about to be revealed. Tomorrow, we get the first official peek at the Toshiba 1089 Microsoft Zune. That's right, according to Seattle Weekly, the suits at Redmond are finally ready to unveil their closely-guarded (but not very secret) pet project to the world at an invite-only press event, where the WiFi-sportin', video-playin', friend-makin' Zune will have its first public appearance. To gauge the importance of this occasion, you need only search our archives for the word "Zune," where you'll find approximately one million posts covering every fact, rumor, and wild bit of speculation about this device -- it's even important enough to get an announcement post regarding the pending announcement. Since we already know so much, though, what can we really expect to learn at the press conference? Well we'll be looking out for the little things, such as codec and DRM support, definitive pricing and release information, whether or not Bill G will make an appearance in a black turtleneck, and most importantly, what kind of headphones will be bundled in the package -- oh wait, we know that too. Stay zuned, uh, we mean tuned...

[Raytacular @ Sep 13th 2006 4:41PM]

If it's Xbox Live compatible I'm buying it!

[potato @ Sep 13th 2006 4:53PM]

Color me uninterested, but then again, I wasn't very interested in the Xbox either, but damn did that exceed expectations.

Now the new iPod Shuffle, now that's sexy.

[djsyndrome @ Sep 13th 2006 4:50PM]

Sad for MS, really, that they're doing this on the same day as the Wii conferences. They're going to be completely buried in the press.

[The Other Jason @ Sep 13th 2006 4:51PM]

It only makes sense... Apple just played their card and really didn't show us anything too interesting... adding some memory and puting a retro iPod case on the mini doesn't exactly excite me... all they really did was release some upgrades to iTunes so you could buy more content from them!

If this thing has a built in FM Transmitter that actually works it will be worth EVERY PENNY!

[Roopesh Sheth @ Sep 13th 2006 5:10PM]

Oh please oh please be a real iCrap killer. The industry needs one SOOOOOOO badly. Sansa came close with the e200s, but it's still off a bit. I refuse to buy CrApple products, based on principle (proprietary, locked in, don't believe in any standards or sharing), and it'd be nice to have a real alternative.

[grandmasterdibbler @ Sep 13th 2006 5:39PM]

Down with the iPod, Apple will surely fall this time, the world will bow to MS's, sorry Toshiba's supreme player!
The peoples of the world will ditch everything from the iPod Nano to the Sandisk e200 and instantly convert to the MP3 player of our God-Emperors at Redmond.

All hail Steve Ballmer, destroyer of worlds (oh sorry I mean market alternatives)!

The gospell of Gates cries 'Thou shalt down thy heathen iPods, Zens, e200s and iRivers and learn the truth of what the perfect player shall be!'

Within hours the channels stuffed to the brim by the deep pockets of Redmond will be drained, the iPod shall be no more, anyone caught downloading iTunes will have their Windows XP licence revoked and will be cast out from the loving bosom of Microsoft!

Toshiba and Microsoft will reign supreme over all other device makers (particularly the PlaysForFools suckers) and the Zune will obtain 99.99999% marketshare in the first 10 seconds of availability. The other 0.00001% will all be given free Zunes as a gift of good will from our benevelent overlords!
Any and every file type other than WMA will be cleansed from the hard drives everywhere!

Bow before the almighty Zune!

[Warhorse @ Sep 13th 2006 4:55PM]

So this is why the IPODS became cheaper?

[Kiazen @ Sep 13th 2006 4:56PM]

Wait,

Zune tomorrow!!! I thought this thing was supposed to be coming out for months? Must M$ play tit-for-tat with @pple. I'm the 0.1% that doesn't own an iPod, cause I'm waiting until all the hype goes away so I can get the deal:

Cell + PDA + MP3 Player (that can hold all my albums @ least 80gb worth of memory) + Video Player (where I can upload my own videos / and more than just a couple vids).

I'm tired of carrying around all these Gadgets. Can't I just get them all in one?

[David A. Mendez @ Sep 13th 2006 5:02PM]

I'm looking forward to this announcement; I think the Ipod has played itself out and run its course; it's time for something new.

[CLK @ Sep 13th 2006 4:56PM]

Wooot!

I can't believe they are dropping this just 2 days after Apple.

Microsoft sending a slap to Apple here.

Now if it does wifi and networks with my WMP 11 to stream wirelessly i'm getting it!

[mcloki @ Sep 13th 2006 4:57PM]

led zunepplin. After the announcement there will be two days of talk and moaning and then silence. Simply silence.

[David @ Sep 13th 2006 4:59PM]

FM transmitter will make worth every penny?? What about just getting a radio with an input jack, or one of the 70% of all new cars with iPod integration. FM transmitter's blow hard by design (and by FCC mandate), no matter how "good" they are.

I predict this will Zune join Zima in the trash heap ;P

[bob s. @ Sep 13th 2006 5:01PM]

Could be a very interesting day folks! Nice of em to wait till stevo played his hand...

Now that Apple has uglied up the Nano and I'm lookin to buy a Zune instead.

[cobalt @ Sep 13th 2006 5:04PM]

I'm aggressively bored of these format wars. WMA vs. protected AAC? Really, come on guys.

My one interest in the Zune is that someone will figure out how to hack it. There are enough Windows CE and Windows Mobile saavy programmers out there. If someone can open up all the available file formats (instead of trying to port a version of Tetris or whatever), that would be great.

And then, in a bizarre turn of events, someone will hack the iPod to run the Zune operating system, which Apple will then kind of support, but actually not really. At the same time, someone will hack the Zune to run something that looks like the iPod interface, and Apple will go to court. And then someone will figure out how to play Doom on the Zune, and we'll all be happy again.

[Matt @ Sep 13th 2006 6:19PM]

I'm ready for zune and wii. Both will be in my hands before the end of the year!

[greenfly360 @ Sep 13th 2006 5:04PM]

This is gonna be cool. I really think that all you people shoudl shut your mouth before you REALLY SEE THE DEVICE. I mean come one, you have nots een it and you are complaining?!!

[Evan @ Sep 13th 2006 5:09PM]

Oh yeah, I completely forgot about the Zune. Somehow, I suspect the general consumer will too.

[Jeff @ Sep 13th 2006 5:09PM]

Kiazen: Me too. Some of us have discipline :) Still happily rocking a Palm m515 and a completely budget phone with no camera. Waiting.

"I'm the 0.1% that doesn't own an iPod, cause I'm waiting until all the hype goes away so I can get the deal:

Cell + PDA + MP3 Player (that can hold all my albums @ least 80gb worth of memory) + Video Player (where I can upload my own videos / and more than just a couple vids).

I'm tired of carrying around all these Gadgets. Can't I just get them all in one?"

[Daveoc64 @ Sep 13th 2006 5:12PM]

I don't see it having a built in FM transmitter.

In some countries they are illegal, so having it built in would have to be a non starter.

[Christopher @ Sep 13th 2006 5:15PM]

The Seattle Weekly is reporting that the Zune will be shown to reporters tomorrow, not officially launched. The story says:

"on Thursday, Sept. 14, plans to show the press the Redmond company's answer to Apple's fantastically popular iPod."

http://www.seattleweekly.com/news/0637/zune.php

[BeRoes3d @ Sep 13th 2006 5:18PM]

um, when are those new very small looking flash memory from samsung going to be used in all these new mp3 players? just wondering... i wont be replacing my laptop nor my generic brand mp3 player before i know!

[Matt @ Sep 13th 2006 5:42PM]

Hmmm... I was going to slap down $175 for a pair of Fostex FX120's today, but now I might have to wait and see what the pricing and features are on these...

[unreal mccoy @ Sep 13th 2006 5:22PM]

Hey Roopesh, why is locking into Windows DRM so much better than Apple's AAC format?

Just because a variety of players support MS DRM, it does not make it an open standard. The Zune might be an alternative, but its just the other side of the same coin...

[BiG? @ Sep 13th 2006 5:34PM]

If they are releasing it tomorrow, and new MS products crash x times in 1 hour, how many crashes of the Zune will happen before the release day has finished? :-)

[Jim @ Sep 13th 2006 5:23PM]

Good to see that Zune will actually launch but this buying season will be all iPod. That's the point of the price drops - its consolidation and aimed at kids. So much for Apple making money off the iPod and giving away the content. They can't be making much off a $79 shuffle, but they'll sell like there's no tomorrow. Apple is simply playing Microsofts game and flooding the market with devices because the future money will be in distributing the content. The biggest thing going for the iPod now is the volume of iPod-specific bought content. That's why Zune is supposed to buy out your iTunes collection. Without that money pit, Zune will have an uphill battle and is likely to be too little too late to dislodge the iPod - but it may effectively slice the legs off the 25% of the non-Apple owned market.

Also, I hope Zune is just a test name..... its too close to Zzzzzzune.

[David @ Sep 13th 2006 5:25PM]

If they built in the FM transmitter than companies like Belkin wouldn't get rich selling you commodity accessories for $25 that should cost $1. Don't get your hopes up.

[kwanbis @ Sep 15th 2006 10:28AM]

my god, zune is so horrible, even the name sounds low quality. I'll be buying my video ipod soon.

[bob @ Sep 13th 2006 5:34PM]

Oh please oh please be a real iCrap killer. The industry needs one SOOOOOOO badly. Sansa came close with the e200s, but it's still off a bit. I refuse to buy CrApple products, based on principle (proprietary, locked in, don't believe in any standards or sharing), and it'd be nice to have a real alternative.

this will be a apropriety locked in system you dumb shit!!!! lol god you make me laugh, its a rebranded toshiba for gods sake, that isnt doing anything spectacular itself, im not saying ya have to buy an ipod but itunes is the best software around guys, you have to admit that!

[Jeff @ Sep 13th 2006 5:44PM]

"Apple just played their card and really didn't show us anything too interesting... adding some memory and puting a retro iPod case on the mini doesn't exactly excite me..."

Fortunately for Apple, about 15 million customers per quarter are about to show their disagreement with you. Because Apple just gave pretty much every current iPod owner exactly what they've been asking for, while doing nothing but improving the line for all those people who may be sitting on the fence. (Higher capacities at lower prices, smaller sizes and tougher cases.)

And those are 15 million customers per quarter MS won't be getting, out of a pool of about 20 million available.

I mean, look. Apple has defined this space. Sorry, but that's the truth of it. What MS is trying to do here is the same as what Sony tried to do to Nintendo in handheld games. For a while, it looked like they actually might succeed. Over time, though, it's just going to become more and more apparent that they're getting schooled. What people want in an mp3 player is a player that looks good, is small, has an intuitive user interface, is built tough and has integrated software that just works. And that ain't WMP, and that ain't the Zune.

Feel free to disagree, but history has proven me right on iPod market share to this point, and history will continue to prove me right for the forseeable future.

[rainking187 @ Sep 13th 2006 5:54PM]

Wow, so two long awaited electronics press confrences this week. First Apple and next Nintendo!

[CWY @ Sep 13th 2006 5:52PM]

My Toshiba Gigabeat S comes in the mail tomorrow. Should I even both unpacking it?

[Brian @ Sep 13th 2006 5:55PM]

Bravo, Jeff, bravo. Great comparison.

[What the... @ Sep 13th 2006 6:02PM]

Guys... I think you are getting a little too excited here...

I am under the impression that the title of this article wasn't well thought out.

Microsoft is selling the Zune tomorrow. They are officially "revealing" it tomorrow. All you will get is better pictures... a complete spec list... perhaps a video on what it all does... its a press conference.

I guess if this is the "official launch" of the Zune... I am sure the Zune will "officially drop" in November... in time for Xmas.

[What the... @ Sep 13th 2006 6:07PM]

oops I meant Microsoft "isn't" selling the Zune tomorrow... my bad lol....

And to Jeff... I own a lot of mp3 players... the one I use the most is an iPod... but you say...

"What people want in an mp3 player is a player that looks good, is small, has an intuitive user interface, is built tough and has integrated software that just works. And that ain't WMP, and that ain't the Zune."

Just out of curiosity? When did you get a chance to play with a Zune and physically hold and test drive it? Cuz I would like to do this too. But my guess is you are simply slamming the product without knowing anything about it.

[B @ Sep 13th 2006 6:12PM]

^^^^^
But Sony did school Nintendo in console gaming.

[JinKazama @ Sep 13th 2006 6:19PM]

I am pretty excited, if for nothing else to give Stevie some comp but unless they are planning to drop the price between now and tommorow apple already scooped them by lowering the price of the 30g to $250. If they keep the price at $299 for the 30G Zune they are sunk.

The ipod is so popular any real competitor is going to have to provide more functionality for the same price or cheaper to really challenge these guys.

Wi-fi...is great but the average consumer by name recognition alone is going to opt for the cheaper 30G ipod over the $299 Zune

YOU HEAR THAT BILL! IF YOU WANT TO TAKE OUT STEVE HERE IS WHAT YOU DO: WI-FI, VIDEO-ENABLED, 30G, ZUNE MUSIC PLAYER.......$150.00.

Mark my words Bill if you do the above you have just crashed apple's party.

[Anthony @ Sep 13th 2006 6:31PM]

Why do they have to make it so ugly? And lol cobalt, your post really made me laugh ^^.

[Chubby @ Sep 13th 2006 6:43PM]

The thing is, Zune will never kill the iPod because the iPod is an icon for this generation. Kids at school are not going to go back to school after Christmas thinking they are cool because they got a zune. Especially after their friend is getting all the attention with his new 80 gig iPod. Trendy-ness sells, and zune is not trendy, the iPod is. If they are going to target this market, then they need to make something more functional, which it is not with it's fake click wheel that is going to make navigation tough, and find a way to make kids want it, which they wont because they want to be seen with an iPod not a toshiba.

[Ashley Allen @ Sep 13th 2006 7:03PM]

I've been waiting for the new iPod and Zune announcements as my old iPod is dying. I'm just waiting to make my decision.

Wouldn't it be cool if Zune uses the 360 like iPod/iTunes is going to use iTV? and maybe even some proper HD downloadble films and TV? Then the "Format War" will be trumped out by what every knows is common sense.

[Tone @ Sep 13th 2006 7:04PM]

THAT SH*T IS UGLY!!!!!!!

[cobalt @ Sep 13th 2006 7:18PM]

I remember reading that at the trade show where the Toshiba Gigabeat was revealed, Bill Gates said that he was impressed by a lot of the tech he saw at that meeting, in particular the Gigabeat.

The difference between Sony and MS is that MS makes billions of dollars from software. So although I agree that the Zune is like Sony's attempt to go after Nintendo, it's also like Microsoft going after the console market (i.e., Sony). Once Microsoft goes after a whole market that has generational significance, they probably will never stop. If they lose $3 million per year over the Zune and their version of a "let's continue to fund the RIAA and the multimedia industry as we pay about the same price for worse quality audio and video content and save the industry millions of dollars in packaging and distribution costs" store, that's basically a rounding error as far as MS is concerned.

[TeleCustom @ Sep 14th 2006 12:46PM]

This thing's meh unless it has 100gb in the same size as the 80gb iPod.

As for all you people yelling about proprietary formats and what have you, I scratch my head in your general direction. You could very well buy the cd's, rip them UNPROTECTED to your PC, and load them to your player. I've had an iPod for 2 years now and haven't once felt locked in to any sort of protected AAC or felt left out cause of WMA's.

[zune @ Sep 13th 2006 8:14PM]

And so it begins.

[Rod @ Sep 13th 2006 8:46PM]

Sony only schooled Nintendo in consoles because it was the only one out of the two that you could hack and run pirated games on. That's why the C64 and Amiga were wildly popular for games before the consoles became good.

[the web guy @ Sep 13th 2006 8:47PM]

too little too late, microsoft

oh wait, i mean..

two days too late, microsoft

[Marco (Griffith) Jardim @ Sep 13th 2006 8:59PM]

Releasing an MP3 player a few days after some new iPods get released... let me guess what the outcome of this will be.

[hchute @ Sep 13th 2006 9:09PM]

See a side-by-side comparison of the new Video iPod with Microsoft's Zune.
If you like FM and Wi-Fi, Zune may be the one for you.
If those aren't compelling, stick with iPod.

hchute

http://www.Zunerama.com

[Simone Manganelli @ Sep 14th 2006 1:23AM]

OK, sorry, but iPods do not principally sell because of their trendiness. iPods sell because of their ease of use, their good design, their tight integration with iTunes, and their sleek look. For example, the scroll wheel is a major part of their ease of use, and the Zune's "scroll wheel" is just a traditional 4-way pad that doesn't actually work like a scroll wheel.

Apparently only Apple gets this. Everybody else thinks that you can just slap a bunch of features into a box, sell it for the same price as the iPod, and expect it to sell well. (Same with online music/video services, like BuyMusic or Amazon Unbox.)

Until someone comes up with something *significantly* better than the iPod, it won't dethrone the iPod. And this includes the Zune. No, draining the battery to something like 0.01 hours by including Wi-Fi in it does not count as something that's significantly better. (And that's why Apple hasn't included Wi-Fi in the iPod, yet.)

[Dolomite @ Sep 13th 2006 9:34PM]

This thing will be about as successful as a Dell Deejay. Another overpriced, buggy piece of crap from the beleagured software giant.

[dave95 @ Sep 13th 2006 9:49PM]

Here is da deal!

Microsoft understands now that in order to beat or take any huge share from the iPod, it can not just be another Music/Video player, there is enough of that around. What they are trying to do is 'create' a new paradigm shift with this "connected entertainment" Zune Service. People will be "sharing" their content much the same as YouTube they say.
http://seattleweekly.com/news/0637/zune.php

The central part of the iPod is playing music, and it does it very well. People buy the iPod for music first, the others are secondary, added features. Apple set of a paradigm shift in the way people bought and listened to music; welcoming them to the digital world with the help of crazy advertising.

What is the central part of the Zune, WiFi? If so they have to really do a great job on selling this to the masses. They may need to work even harder than Apple in order to market this new way of listening or sharing music. If they don’t then it will be just another long list of players added to a crowded market.

The problem is see, which is in true Microsoft fashion: This first player is thicker and more clunky than the iPod, (read the above link, they said it them selves). The UI is not much different from what wee see today in the Gigabit. The Wife capabilities is limited, with you only being able to share a few songs (from what I read), So there first player may just be a dud.