As
expected, Microsoft is busting out the
Zune today, and we've got the rundown. Not a lot of surprises in the specs department, but they've confirmed the basics we've known for a while, like WiFi, 30GB of HDD, built-in FM, a 3-inch screen and the basic music, pictures and video playback. They also finally let slip the screen res -- an unsurprising QVGA -- and some better news on the codec front: the Zune supports h.264, MP3, AAC and WMA. As for ballyhoo, wireless Zune-to-Zune sharing is where the real action is at, and it works pretty much like we've been hearing: you can share a full-length track with a friend, and they've got three times to listen to it over a three day period, after which they can flag the song for purchase on the Zune Marketplace -- unless they're an unlimited "Zune Pass" subscriber, of course. You can also share playlists and pictures with your buddies, along with what we suppose are "unprotected" homemade recordings. So far Microsoft isn't mentioning
Live Anywhere functionality, but they do hint heavily at future software updates to take even better advantage of the wireless capabilities. Of course, it all really comes down to matching your Zune with that snazzy new fall wardrobe of yours, and to that end the Zune comes in black, brown and white. Sadly, Microsoft still won't spill the beans on pricing and availability (other than a vague "this holiday season"), so we'll keep an eye out for that just like always. Keep reading for all relevant pr0n.
posted Sep 14th 2006 12:23PM
In November of 2006, I received an electric shock through the earbuds of my Microsoft Zune. Simultaneously, the Zune software reset and emitted a very loud noise through the earbuds.
Since the incident, I've suffered blood and fluid leakage from my ear canal, impaired hearing, and incessant ringing and discomfort.
I've been treated with vitamins, steroids, pain killers, sleep aids, anti-depressants, and other medications. All, to no avail.
I notified Microsoft of the problem and promptly received a phone call from Jaret Rettell of Microsoft Zune Escalations. Jaret stated that he was reviewing "a number of similar complaints." He asked me to return the device for replacement and authorize the release of my medical records to Microsoft. Please, would you?
After eleven months of unsuccessful medical treatment, I filed a personal injury/product liability lawsuit against Microsoft.
In initial disclosures, Microsoft denied receiving the "similar complaints" Jaret Rettell previously admitted to. Further, efforts to solicit responses in the Zune forums were thwarted by a "cease & desist" letter. My posts were deleted and membership revoked.
Since so many other similar incidents have been reported on the web, I intend to reconvene as a class against Microsoft. Have you had a similar experience with the Microsoft Zune? If so, please report a claim at www.microsoftzuneinjuries.com
I’m still thinking what to buy an Zen or Sansa Clip. I don’t have lots of music to download and I’ll use my mp3 player for music and/or radio nothing like photos or podcasts. I’ve checked http://go.shopsansa.com/ but still can not decide… can someone help me, if possible?
Just want to get mine fix can anyone help me
screen crack and it wasn't drop just want to fix it
I bought two, one for each daughter. I am astounded that MS has the gall and arrogance to delete content from the devices without warning, because I've removed it from my computer to make room for more music. I have the CDs, and intended to use the computer only as a temporary location to get the music to the portable device. There is no good reason to have to keep the music on my computer indefinitely just to keep it on the Zune! Worse yet, is that it is not clearly documented that this is necessary. My daughters kept coming to me saying their music had been deleted from the Zune... but there was no warning, no informational message, no option to change this behaviour! The best interface to a portable device is simply present it as a removable storage device and let me drag and drop files on it. I'll bloody well make the decision to remove files, when and if I choose!
To buy best mobile phone visit http://www.naaptol.com
SAMSUNG ROCKS ... Zune is good ofc but I just recently bought the new P3 from Samsung and it's really beating everything I ve used so far (iPod Touch, Cowon etc.)
wow that brown is hideous!
I'll be getting myself one of these.
Give me a much larger hard drive and OS X support and I just might get one. Really I'm waiting for Toshiba's jap only player to get over with a big hard drive so I can get that. BUT HEY, if MS does it first, I'm sold. I had an ipod and now i want something new.
I love the widescreen... Apple SEROIOUSLY needs to get their ass in gear and release a widescreen iPod.
"Apple SEROIOUSLY needs to get their ass in gear and release a widescreen iPod."
Why? Why the hell would someone want widescreen on a portable device? Okay you get widescreen movies, more screen space, but it's a PORTABLE media player for cryin' out loud!
Sorry 'bout that... on to my comment on this thing.
To be honest, it looks okay. It doesn't strike me as much as the iPod, but at least it doesn't look like absolute crap (well, maybe the brown one does). I am going to guess that the circlular 'button' thing will work similar to the ipod? The GUI imo could be greatly improved, I don't really like it at all. It's simplistic, which can be good, but it seems too simplistic imo. However, I don't really see the advantage of getting this over an iPod, or (depending what the pricing will be) a Pocket PC (aside from more capacity in the latter's case).
Anyway, overall, I'd say it's a good try, and it kinda meets my expectations for Microsoft. However, they have a long way to go if they think this'll be a competitor for the iPod, I think.
OK... price.. thats the last thing... whats the dang price!!!
That brown is hideous. It looks like an old leather shoe. The others sure don't do much for me either.
wheres the links?
no postation without linkresentation!
Executives at Apple -
"Microsoft launches the Zune! ROFL"
My guess- this will do ok, due to the Xbox 360... but i still think people won't quickly swao their iPods (say zune to someone and they'll really wonder what your on about..)
My prediction seperate iPod true video soon. If apple cn do it, and rumours say they can, they probably will before christmas. They have left that magic £299 open. My guess.. it won't be for long!!
i like it, i want one, a brown one.
There is just something wrong about this, its just not that great looking and seems a bit large. Also ill wait till apple comes out with something.
Hmm so this is supposed to be their iPod killer? I hardly think so.... I can't see any benefit of using this over my conventional iPod, call me an Apple purist I suppose....
Time to return my video ipod 30GB to costco and get Zune.. :)
Its about time. Apple has some SERIOUS catching up to do with that pathetic iPod they released on Tuesday
but can it connect wirelessly with the 360 to stream and control music?
Where are the unpacking shots of the Zune. Only joking. It looks like it's best left in the box.
It looks like an old iPod but with a bigger screen, it even uses similar translucent plastics... why can't a company of Microsft's size make an original design??
I am dumfounded
Looks awfully... thick. What are the dimensions (compared to the iPod)?
MS is bettin' big that people will get on board the sharing/collaboration wagon, but I remain skeptical. I get the feeling some execs said, "iPods are popular... MySpace is popular... let's combine them for something even more popular!"
I think the brown looks pretty decent in an "urban hipster" kind of way. If that's your look, it works.
The lack of a HD over 30 gigs is the biggest deal breaker for me.
I'm looking forward to see the "unboxing" shots of this and how it compares in size to the iPod.
I like the brown it will fit nicely with my Sony Ericsson K800i in Allure Brown
"It looks like an old iPod but with a bigger screen, it even uses similar translucent plastics... why can't a company of Microsft's size make an original design??"
It is original! You see, the wheel isn't actually a wheel! It's just a bunch of buttons in the *shape* of a wheel! Genius!
MS is about to get schooled.
Finally, buh bye ipud. It was painful while it lasted.
Looks good!!!
Ok, Apple fanboys. This Microsoft 1.0 release actually looks decent. Apple really dropped the ball by not releasing an iPod with a bigger screen.
My prediction: Microsoft will eventually win.
Remember the Palm PDA vs. the first Microsoft Palm-Sized PCs? Now Palm is selling Windows Mobile products.
defintely digging the brown.. but.. the Black is the one.
Priiiiiice please
just curirous. Does Zune come preloaded with virii, or do we have to wait a while for them to be written??
Still 30GB of HDD...
Much ado about nothing
Forget about the external design aesthetics for a second and look at the screen itself. That is one awesome looking interface. The ipod's screen is not a joy to look at while music is being played, in fact it's not a joy to look at period.
Brown???
I would like to see the research that said Brown is a popular color for electronic devices.
This player looks so bland, basic, uncool I don't see it going anywhere fast.
Okay well I personally LOVE it, I really did not think I would but now I have seen those pics, heard the facts about it and seen the music store software its won me over. I have always had iPods and was going to get the new 80gig model but now im going for the Zune.
Well anyway looks quite nice, love the screen and has the functionality I want. Its not all about having the 'cool' item its about what it does as well ;)
now i just need to take some photos of someone piggy-back riding me
Can it play Tetris or Mahjong?
YAWN!!!!
Let's see here. If I cared about sharing music and playlists with others, I sure wouldn't want the Zune. Most have iPods or some other sort of player. So, my chances of stumbling on a Zune user are pretty much 0. Yeah, I want that/
Then there's those who bought content on iTMS - what to do then? But it will at least play my AAC files I created with iTunes.
Where's the accessories, ecosystem, and Mac support? Oops, Zune's got none of that.
Where's We Hope It Plays For Sure?
In short, one big YAWN/FAILURE!!!!
God damn that looks slick
Anyone know what the dimensions should be? About the same as the video iPod?
I find it funny that people bash a product because they like another brand name better. You'd all be much happier if you just bought the best product on the market at the time and didn't behave like fanboys.
Microsoft will eventually win what? The OS war? I hate how people say stuff like this like there is a finish line in 2008 and the first stack of media players to cross it gets a trophy. MS will chip away at iPod dominance with this but seriously there is not much outside of a monopoly that could sustain the iPod's levels. At some point people just want something different which is where all these other players step in.
Battery life?
Throw in a bigger hard drive, add OSX support, and swap the plain brown with a white-trash-chic wood veneer!!! then maybe
>I love the widescreen... Apple SEROIOUSLY needs to get their ass in gear and >release a widescreen iPod.
If it's QVGA, it's not widescreen. It's the same resolution as the iPod, only turned on its side and bigger by half an inch diagonally.
And did market research tell MS that people were CRAVING a brown DAP? "I Love the iPod, but I wish it was colored like a turd!"
I, for one, welcome our new wirelessly streaming, DRM-laden portable media playing overlords
The not-a-scroll-wheel wheel is an. . . interesting UI choice. It gives no indication of how it is used, no names, no icons, nothing. The design should give SOME indication of the buttons. I guess they didn't want to break the pure look of it, but still.
The screen is QVGA, same as the iPod with video. MSFT has just turned the screen sideways. Resolution wise, it's identical to the ipod though.
"Remember the Palm PDA vs. the first Microsoft Palm-Sized PCs? Now Palm is selling Windows Mobile products."
Not the same thing. Palm failed because the entire category of device failed. Windows Mobile machines are basically phones, not PDA's. Once people realized they could get all the functions of a PDA on a phone, they stopped buying PDA's.
MS, though, is not doing anything different here than Apple, and they're doing it all worse. Say what you want about the screen size; nobody cares. People don't buy these things for video. There are millions of iPods out there, probably 100 million at this point, and not a single one of them was bought for video. Video is at best a bonus.
FM radio? Please. Plenty of FM radio DAPs on the market already; again, nobody wants or needs it when you've got thousands of songs in your pocket (and given the state of modern radio).
Sharing songs? Would be great if you could listen to them more than *three* times. Sheesh! Non-feature if you ask me. This could have been a neat thing; as it is, it's pretty pointless.
iTunes also still does some pretty important things that Zune probably doesn't, although I'm not 100% positive yet but just haven't seen mention of them. A lot of people, IMO, seriously underestimate the importance of iTunes' server functionality - which serves as a basically *unlimited* "sharing" function. Every corporate network has hundreds of people sharing their music via iTunes, and that becomes an ecosystem in itself. You can do the same at home on a home network, allowing you to keep a central music server and sending music all around the house. (Dedicated machines that serve this purpose still cost thousands of dollars - you can do it with iTunes for free.) So I'm not sure MS has even *identified* all the reasons that iTunes and the iPod are successful, let alone managed to copy or improve upon any of them.
And 30GB max? Please. Enough said about that. Especially when you're talking video *and* music *and* photos on one device. I've got a 100GB drive on my laptop and I'm already constantly having to delete stuff off of it to make room. If you're talking music, 20-30GB or even less is acceptable; for all those functions in one device, it's not nearly enough.
What surprise me is the codec they support:
h.264, MP3, AAC and WMA
Is this a new MS or something, h.264 & AAC?
Looks like J. Allen influences is slowly changing Microsoft for the better.
What I love about my Zune is how lightweight it is in my pocket.
How longs the battery thats all i need to know if I will ever get one... i mean wifi kills battery life...
Only QVGA? No divx, xvid, or mpeg for video playback?
I'll stick with my Palm T|X PDA for video - larger screen, twice the resolution, and plays any format I can throw at it (via TCPMP and plug-ins).
The price is $299, which is $50 more than the iPod for the same capacity, or $50 less than the 80Gb iPod.
I think the extra 50Gb is worth the $50.
If I get to see a price and maybe play with the interface I might get one of these instead of an iPod. I'd never use iTMS anyway (I buy CDs for their no DRM goodness) so I don't care about that.
anybody notice how thick that thing is?
i do like the UI though.
(To comment quoted below)
MS should of hired you, if only you had told them you can see the future on your CV. Seriously though they will have a lot of accessories apparently, they have signed a lot of the iPod accesory makers to help them.
No one with a Zune? That might be because its not launched, thats like saying "The iPod is doomed no one has one, and it has no marketshare" before that was released. I know of 15 - 25 people who are considering getting one of the Zune based MP3 players because they can share the music they are listening to. Afterall sharing headphones and trading iPods can be a pain. In a college enviroment its perfect.
Anyway I do not see it taking down the iPod, instead I see it getting to be the second largest MP3 player within about 2 years....
In terms of functionality its great, looks are nice (black and white ones especially) and the fact that the UI is not a bland and ugly thing is good it actually lets you customise it.
[quote]YAWN!!!!
Let's see here. If I cared about sharing music and playlists with others, I sure wouldn't want the Zune. Most have iPods or some other sort of player. So, my chances of stumbling on a Zune user are pretty much 0. Yeah, I want that/
Then there's those who bought content on iTMS - what to do then? But it will at least play my AAC files I created with iTunes.
Where's the accessories, ecosystem, and Mac support? Oops, Zune's got none of that.
Where's We Hope It Plays For Sure?
In short, one big YAWN/FAILURE!!!![/quote]
I always enjoy the fulminations of the appplets ... so shrill, so panicked, so judgmental prior to any actual experience. I've been using plays for sure with my various Zen and iRiver products for the past 2 years. What can I say? They work.
Subscription music is about ready to break out in a big way. Watch out applets ... even iTunes will see the light ... grudgingly and inevitably. You don't lose ANYTHING with subscription music. You GAIN choices. With subscription music you pay 14.95 a month for unlimited downloads and to-go. Still want to OWN your music? Then you pay .79 to .99 cents per track, depending on your content provider. Pretty simple.
And the Zune just looks BETTER. Check out these pix with the following link: http://tinyurl.com/fvcdw
Unless you like that faded, small screen whiteness. Oh yeah, they have that generic, small screen black as well.
That brown colour really does look horrbile!
And it looks mega thick.
Not getting any of my money.
I think the design is decent from a looks perspective, but i'm reserving judgement on the not-a-wheel wheel. I do dig the brown. But I won't be buying one, it doesn't really scream "buy me" enough to convert from my ipod/itunes.
Can't wait to have the first independant 'hands-on' reviews coming in!
Looks twice as thick as an 5G ipod! While I admit the sharing function is cool the rest is just looks like they've tried to copy ipod! Apple could quite easily release a multi media device with the same tech specs but they know that NOBODY WISHES TO CARRY AROUND A BRICK IN THEIR POCKET!
It's not a bad gizmo. I love the idea of WiFi connectivity on this thing, which has tons of potential. Unfortunately, this thing is out of the question for me. The HD is just too small. I already have 50gigs of audio, so if anything I'm looking at getting an 80gig iPod.
Another big hurdle MS is going to face is how integrated the iPod is into our society. Just think of all the things that have iPod docs in them. Hell, my car even has a built in dock with steering wheel controls (
Ugly design and a fake scroll wheel!
Big disappointment.
Just ordered myself a brandnew 80 G iPod!
They should have used a releaux triangle instead of a circle .. seriously that would be easier on the thumb that a circle. Test it and see.
My question as a product designer: how can a multi billion dolar company bring to market a product without any aesthetic appeal? What is going on? It would not be an excellent chance to create something really amazing? Maybe they don´t know a few things: 1.-industrial design really matters - 2. who are their hardest contender, 3.How this contender treat industrial design (religion)....
"I love the widescreen... Apple SEROIOUSLY needs to get their ass in gear and release a widescreen iPod."
Agree Apple needs to do widescreen. But guess what hotshot: that's SERIOUSLY NOT a widescreen. Take a closer look -- standard 4:3 display. Better luck next time.
I still can't figure out why so much of the industry thinks wireless sharing between players is the killer feature. A recent issue of Red Herring had a bunch of upcoming iTunes killers profiled and the thing everybody seems to be bragging about is sharing songs with strangers on the street.
Heck, if I want to share songs with a friend I normally want to give them an entire album, if not more, so it's time to burn a CD.
Other than analysts and hardcore users, the average person doesn't give a rats ass about wirelessly sharing songs, or for that matter DRM. they don't even know what it is. Their iPod and iTunes work just fine for them. Unless they have a hacker cousin with a homebrew linux player he modded from an atari 2600 joystick they won't know that they can't share with other devices.
Seriously, how many people are going to walk around looking to share songs.
How thick is it? Looking at an angle view, it looks 25-30mm thick!!!
Notice how all the side photos are shot on a soft compressible surfce and the shadowing hides the overall height..........
I love all the apple ads on this page HAHA! Seriously though, I'm neither an apple fan nor an MS fan. Not impressed with Zune. I do like the bold color choice of doo-doo brown ... finally, something other than black or white.
It looks ok...can't say it's the nicest or ugliest player out there. Others have same size or larger screen. The only thing I hate about the design is that wheel. It is positioned way to low on the device. Just hold something about those dimensions in your hand and start pressing on about the where the wheel is.. Very uncomfortable and since it is not top heavy the thing wiggles like a worm in your hand... HORRIBLE... This is why Apple didn't want to do it this way.. they could not that difficult move the damn wheel down a few inches on the ipod and you can easily add 1/2 to 1" of screen space, but the functional wheel becomes hell. This is why I returned my Chocolate Phone, and that was light, just imagine a this sucker.
Something I think the Macheads keep missing - they're 4% of the market. Microsoft really doesn't give a damn if Zune is compatible with them. What they care about is building something that takes away marketshare for the iPod users who use Windows.
So comments like 'if it's not Mac compatible, it's not worth it' are simply laughable.
Same with snide comments about copying Apple. Apple's designs only get them 4% market. Microsoft looks for good ideas and uses them - bringing them to 90%+ of the computer users. That's called 'smart'.
As for the inane virus comments - guys, that really sounds like sour grapes.
The fact is that not everyone likes iPods - a lot of Windows users hate iTunes with a passion - and Apple's anti-PC ads and attitudes makes as many enemies (if not more) than it wins in converts. This means a lot of Windows users are looking for a good alternative to iPods.
The reality is that there is no single product that is right for everyone. Not the iPod. Not the Zune. Just because YOU don't like it (or worse, it's not your brand of choice) doesn't mean it's actually bad - or that no one else should like it.
Grow up.
"The screen is QVGA, same as the iPod with video. MSFT has just turned the screen sideways. Resolution wise, it's identical to the ipod though."
Nope. The iPod is now 640 x 480 for video. Sorry Zune, you lose again.
Sorry, the angle photos I reference are on the MS PR site:
www.microsoft.com/presspass/presskits/zune/default.mspx
All you guys who think the Zune will not work need to rethink that statement... think outside the box, microsoft strategy is bigger than just releasing a standalone product.
They tied up with MTV urge! however the bigger news is the release of Universal's sprialfrog (which uses Windows DRM) around the same time as the Zune... from what I have read even EMI wants to join in with sprialfrog... so here the deal... all of sprialfrog's songs cannot be played on the ipod > plus these songs are gonna be free... and there are tons of ppl who already have mp3s on their computers...club that together and the zune's success has already been written...
itunes does not reach all over the world... there are markets where it cannot and hasnt penetrated... those ppl still listen to music!! and the zune will be a boon to them!
"Apple really dropped the ball by not releasing an iPod with a bigger screen."
Assuming of course that Apple's announcements are done for the year.
I actually like the look of this thing and I'm an ardent apple supporter. However, 30gb, the iPod kind of blows that out of the water since they now offer 80gb. This does go head to head with the 30gb iPod and I do think it may beat it. WiFi, sharing, radio, widescreen, etc. They definetely took a page out of the Nintendo DS's book.
If I wasn't so hooked into the whole iPod I would buy one. This is what I would like the iPod to have. Widescreen, WiFi, and radio and then I would never think about the Zune again.
Gee whillikers... a whole half an inch on the screen size, and same resolution regardless. Yawn. 30Gb... less than half an iPod. Software incompatable with all the crap I already spent money on downloading the first time elsewhere. Wireless sharing... super dupes... too bad files die after three plays.
Apple are bastards for making me wait for a 6g iPod, but when it does come out next year it will blast Zune out of the sky.
Zune is not the iPod killer, it's just another product helping to saturate the shelves. Funnily enough, for a lot of people, the disappointing 5.5g iPod was the iPod killer.
@ mr salty
He raised a good point about the position. The iPod feels comfortable controlling with one hand with the location of the scroll button. This zune begs for 2 hand controlling just for comfort.
Can someone explain to me the "unprotected homemade recordings" thing? If I have unprotected mp3's on my zune, will the 3 listen limit still be enforced if I share it with another unit?
Thanks for the link Mamps. Here's a shortened url to the actual angle pic in it's largest resolution: http://tinyurl.com/kb7wy
It will be interesting to see if MS can compete with iPod based on useability, capacity and price. It's going to need to come out with something like an 80gb just because and it's going to need to be priced LESS than the 30 gb iPod, which just dropped in price.
Otherwise, it's no go. You don't start making inroads into iPod dominance by offering an alternative priced at the same point or higher.
...hm, just ordered my new iPod 80GB...and loving it! M$ U have no chance!
Found this info on:
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/presskits/zune/docs/ZuneFS.doc
1 The Zune-to-Zune sharing feature may not be available for all songs on your device, and works only between Zune devices within wireless range of each other. This feature allows recipients to play full-length sample tracks up to three times in three days. Recipients cannot resend music that they have received via the sharing feature.
2 Music estimates are based on 128KBps WMA files, with length of four minutes each. Pictures transferred to Zune will be optimized for Zune screen size. Video estimates are based on 500KBps WMV files with 128KBps WMA audio tracks.
3 To display station name and song information, stations must broadcast a Radio Broadcast Data Standards (RBDS) signal. Availability may vary.
4 Zune software can import audio files in unprotected WMA, MP3, AAC; photos in JPEG; and videos in WMV, MPEG-4, H.264.
5 Requires a PC running Windows® XP with Service Pack 2 and high-speed Internet connectivity.
6 Dates and functionality of updates are not specified at this time. Microsoft makes no guarantees, express or implied, about the features contained in future Zune updates.
At least the screen looks better than the iPods.
What a joke! What kind of a moron would buy this underpowered overpriced piece of crap?
Some mild surprises with the Zune announcement:
- Choice of downloads or subscriptions. This had been speculated, but nice to see it confirmed by Microsoft. We think many will be attracted to the simple subscription model.
- Imports from iTunes. We need more details on this, but Microsoft pledges to make it easy to transfer your existing playlist to Zune - with the important caveat "as permitted by the online service from which it was purchased". We were surprised to see it highlighted in the Zune fact sheets, and are interested in how it can be pulled off without better cooperation from other online music stores.
http://www.Zunerama.com
As a dedicated Apple user, I'm not planning on buying a Zune any time soon, but I am really glad to see some (hopefully) good competition on the market. I don't think Apple's getting lazy by any means, but it's always good to have strong competition to push your efforts that much more. In my mind: a good Zune = a better Ipod.
I find it interesting how all the mac fanboys can't say anything constructive. I didn't realize mac owned the rights to both the rectangle and plastic.
Now, with that aside. I like the looks of it, and the widescreen and picture quality appear to be nice.
Downsides appear to be the small harddrive, lack of codecs such as xvid, divx, mkv, etc. I also haven't found any specs on the actual audio or (existant?) recording capabilities.
Video, after a thought though, doesn't seem to be an issue either, because I am not likely to be watching a movie/tv episode/etc. on a screen that small anyways.
One thing that would make or break this for me if I were going to buy it would be Napster compatibility. I've never had a complaint with their service, but it's difficult to find an mp3 player I want that works with Napster To Go.
For my money, at $299, the 60gig zen vision from creative seems to be a better option for those wanting an all in one. (see: codecs, size, battery life, styling, intuitive controls, price comparison, sound quality, speed).
Unfortunately, I still think my Zen vison M is better.
As far as "needing an 80 GB capacity goes, applets would be well advised to understand the MOST POPULAR iPod model being sold is the 4 GB model. http://tinyurl.com/g5zck
Want market penetration? It's finding a sweet spot in the harddrive category. Will MS be able to do this? Unknown.
Finally the pefect solution. NO itunes DRM, the weight of a major group behind it, MS, and an FM tuner. Itll have the add ons simply because of the marketing weight of MS. No tie to itunes and DRM either. Ill take the brown too as the perfect anti fashion DAP with an FM tuner. Dump my collection MP3s onto it, and them jump on LIVE to buy any new music I need, and never have to deal with itunes ever again. On and WMP11 will take care of all the management. Can't wait.
I swear there is just something about the fact that this thing makes certain people whine that makes me want one.
I was completely agnostic about technology before the Ipod. Seriously I have never felt any illwill toward Apple and still don't. But man if something would make the Ipod users STFU for just one day I would buy 10 of them. Who wants one? I'm buyin'...
Visually it is no revolution over any other player on the market. I still prefer the look of my VAIO Pocket. However, the GUI does appear to be very smart and minimalistic.
In terms of functionality, the inclusion of wifi and a larger (albeit non-widescreen) screen make it an interesting option - providing the price is acceptable.
Given the number of iterations the iPod has gone through, I'm surprised Apple haven't included such features in their range already.
Unfortunately, I have a feeling that the larger screen and wifi will have a negative impact on battery life - even if the wifi has the option of being disabled.
wow, like me dear departed mother would have said..."Look honey, it comes in babys!@T brown!"
brown?? WTF?? I can see the marketing meeting now...25 year old product manager shows prototypes in red, blue and green. 50 something manager says , "I want it to match my new loafers...Brown!" 25 year old says "seriously?" manager says "yes, or better yet come look at what I just made in the mens room, make it THAT color"
this thing will flop, no begining to end "expeirence". Until somebody meets/beats apple in that department they will stay on top.
@ Microsoft
Thanks, but no thanks. I'll be sticking with my ipod and once the iphone is released I'll upgrade. But until then i'm satisfied. If you guys buy this you can upload Help Line tunes to it. Check em out by clicking on my name.
Yours Truly,
help Line
Not being funny or anything but are Engadget the official marketing company for Zune?
I'm not accusing you of bias (heaven forfend) just you seem to have lost your usually excellent tone with all this stuff...
Hahahaha !!
What is that brown thing? They all look awfully thick..?
No thank you.
"FM radio? Please. Plenty of FM radio DAPs on the market already; again, nobody wants or needs it when you've got thousands of songs in your pocket (and given the state of modern radio)."
Yeah, execpt when you want to catch the News/Weather/Traffic report. I know you've probably never stepped foot inside a gym before either, but a lot of times they'll broadcast the audio of all the TV stations they're showing over FM so you can watch TV without having to read the closed captions. Its a good feature that should be a gimme for every media player.
Are we supposed to be impressed?
It's got the same features as the other players than the iPod (FM etc.) and a bigger screen. Why would this be any different than any of the other high capacity 'pro' music players out there?
Apart from the Deep Pockets Of Redmond what does this have going for it that the gigabeat S or ZVM don't?
Oh and love the brown Microsoft! If I drop it down the toilet it'l look the same colour before and after!
"Finally the pefect solution. NO itunes DRM, the weight of a major group behind it, MS, and an FM tuner. Itll have the add ons simply because of the marketing weight of MS. No tie to itunes and DRM either. Ill take the brown too as the perfect anti fashion DAP with an FM tuner. Dump my collection MP3s onto it, and them jump on LIVE to buy any new music I need, and never have to deal with itunes ever again. On and WMP11 will take care of all the management. Can't wait."
Umm ... you really think there's no DRM? Microsoft? Heh ... what do you think makes it so your shared song only plays 3 times?
Expect some lovely Microsofty monopoly DRM goodness to go along with this bad boy...