Next-generation Zune "Scorpio" set for July production?

According to a super-secret, top level official inside Microsoft's megaplexing-hyper-bunker in Redmond, the Zuneinites are readying an 80GB Zune 2.0 called the "Scorpio", which will be a companion to the also-rumored 4GB or 8GB flash-based "Draco". The rumor additionally proffers that production on the Scorpio will begin towards the end of July, although we can't recommend any fancy breath holding. The diabolical naming convention apparently stems from the original Zune codename "Argo" and its WiFi component, called "Pyxis." Regardless, if Microsoft was trying to make their products sound less Satanic, it isn't working.

[3rdsun @ Jun 26th 2007 9:58PM]

Ahh good news that isn't about iphone. Nice to see a Zune 2

[carlo @ Jun 26th 2007 10:00PM]

ugh, GROSS DUDE!!!!! EW!!!!!

We have scorpions here and they are NO JOKE... are you trying to steer traffic away from the site?!!

YUUUUUUUUCK!!!!

[carlo @ Jun 26th 2007 10:34PM]

You all suck for ranking my post so low...

[supermeerkat @ Jun 27th 2007 5:09AM]

We all like scorpions, and don't like to see them insulted.

[Ravi @ Jun 26th 2007 10:04PM]

They should've waited to see what Apple has up their sleeve before wasting money on another zune

[Dragod @ Jun 26th 2007 10:16PM]

Well, I personally, will NEVER buy and iPod. I love my Zune, as does a majority of the Zune owners. 90% of the negative stuff you hear is from people who haven't used a Zune, or just thought it was too big.

I don't mind size, but I do care about the durability and the storage of the device. And the Zune does a great job on both. I don't really like the click wheel, it's a bit too touchy, but that's just me.

A Zune 2.0 Will be great. My friend is actually waiting until the Second Generation, so this will be a welcome surprise.

Sure, people love the iPod, but Microsoft is trying to do something different from the iPod. Their own device, and if anyone has the power, and money, to make a device that they can upgrade often that works well, it's Microsoft.

[The Blotch @ Jun 27th 2007 4:42AM]

Microsoft has the MONEY to make ANY given product work well. That doesn't mean they will. I've never used a Zune (I don't listen to music, so I haven't used an iPod for an extensive amount of time either), so I'm not saying anything about it specifically, but in general Microsoft makes the worst quality products on Earth. Just saying...

[iBalla @ Jun 26th 2007 10:07PM]

iPhone FTW!!!!11!11!ONE!!!! MOAR IPHONE NEWZ! PLZ OMG ENGADGET R TEH SUXORZ. ZUNE LOLOLOL

[sickmanseth @ Jul 2nd 2007 2:33PM]

Somewhere in iowa,a fourteen year old boy just pissed himself laughing.
Luckily,sickmanseth lives in new york,also called the real world,Where we don't consider 1337 a language.

[iBalla @ Jul 2nd 2007 2:47PM]

Funny you should say that.. I live in NYC as well. NYC speaks 1337.

[Dave @ Jun 26th 2007 10:07PM]

Satanic, eh? That rocks. Now I want one.

[Bachus @ Jun 26th 2007 10:09PM]

they best get that hot wifi goodness pumping before the inevitable iphone firmware update beats them to it. hell, just go ahead and build utorrent right on in.

[Dragod @ Jun 26th 2007 10:20PM]

Apple will put WiFi in their next iPod, and everyone will claim that it is revolutionary and "Only Apple could think of such and amazing idea! All hail Steve Jobs!"

[Dave95 @ Jun 26th 2007 11:55PM]

@ Dragod

That's because Apple would do WIFI RIGHT, instead of two Zunes "squirting" songs to each other that can only be played 3 times, and where half a play equals a full play. What is that?

[Big @ Jun 26th 2007 10:14PM]

just add the ability to listen to WIFI internet radio like the SANSA connect and you've got a WINNER.

I recently talked one of my coworkers into getting a ZUNE over an IPOD and they thanked me for it. I see him with it everyday.

When do we get a ZUNEPHONE?

[Dragod @ Jun 26th 2007 10:19PM]

I doubt there will be a Zunephone, only a Zune application in Windows Mobile. And if there is Zunephone it'll be polished with lots of nice features. And They'll learn from the mistakes of the iPhone. But in any case, Zunephone is a few years away.

[mirsad @ Jun 29th 2007 7:49PM]

Your next iPod upgrade might be a Zune. It might take 3 years. 5 years?
I got a Zune, got the Halo3 Zune for my son, will get at least one flash Zune and the new 80gig Zune, maybe also ZunePhone if I find that it works good for me... also I made three of my friends to buy one... Apple is New Big Brother! iPod is Uniform. iPod + iTunes is Monopoly. No Freedom of Choice.

[eh @ Jun 26th 2007 10:32PM]

It better be touchscreen if they they want to get a headstart on the next ipod. If all they do is make a slightly improved version of the current Zune with the same controls then.... wow.

[Equis @ Jun 26th 2007 10:31PM]

It's nice to see that someone finally got both Zune users in the same picture.

[M@ @ Jun 26th 2007 10:41PM]

Hahahahaha!

Now "mszunefan" is gonna get a scorpion tattooed on his backside...

[M@ @ Jun 26th 2007 10:41PM]

Wow, 80GB HDD player and 4 or 8GB flash players eh? Groundbreaking, MS, just groundbreaking. What will they come up with next?

[Bachus @ Jun 26th 2007 11:11PM]

Zing!... oh wait... apple didn't make the first hdd mp3 player either (lol compaq)? or touchscreen? or media software/media player sync? or cellphone? oh god, no!
(pretty pictures and two fingers at once do not a revolution make. they just happen to sell lots and lots because mass consumers go for the lowest common denominator.)

[M@ @ Jun 26th 2007 11:31PM]

Bachus, who invented the technology is irrelevant. The point is, now that the marketplace is well-and-truly established, copying existing designs doesn't cut it anymore; if MS want to really compete, they need to do (much) more than increase capacity to the same as that of the ipod.

[Bachus @ Jun 27th 2007 12:13AM]

other than a big brand name touting a huge ssd and good wifi integration, there really isnt much anyone can do that would be "groundbreaking" in the current mp3 market atm. this is a tiny snippet of possible info on a device that is coming. it's not quite fair to bemoan it because it isn't doing anything special... yet

[M@ @ Jun 27th 2007 1:06AM]

It's a bit absurd to say that there isn't much anyone could do to be groundbreaking - it's the manufacturer's job to improve and innovate. MS missed an opportunity to do just this with the crippled wifi in the original Zune.

True the new Zune may have something new and exciting and I really hope it does, but based on current info it (along with the iPod) is lagging far behind most other players on the market in terms of innovation. And it's still kinda amusing that the new Zunes are going to match the iPod's capacities exactly - feels like deja vous from when the Zune's RRP was announced.

[jere @ Jun 26th 2007 10:55PM]

Draco? I would never buy a product called that. Scorpio, on the other hand, is a pretty sick name.

[Dustin @ Jun 27th 2007 12:19AM]

They're internal code-names. Most companies do this.

[Jake @ Jun 26th 2007 10:56PM]

Ugh!! I'm so sick of all this Zune hype and sqirting songs around. Engadget can you come up with a Zune less news solution?

[Zeus the God @ Jun 27th 2007 7:28PM]

Uh... Hype? Has there EVER been any Zune hype on these blogs/forums?

[bernard @ Jun 26th 2007 10:59PM]

I thought Pyxis was the codename for the flash devices

[Jim @ Jun 26th 2007 11:01PM]

Scorpio!
He'll sting you with his dreams of power and wealth!
Beware of Scorpio!
His twisted twin obsessions are his plot to rule the world
And his employees' health!
He'll welcome you into his lair
Like the nobleman welcomes his guest!
With free dental care and a stock plan that helps you invest!
But beware of his generous pensions
Plus three weeks paid vacation each year!
And on Fridays the lunchroom serves hot dogs and burgers and beers!
He loves German beer!

[Fernando @ Jun 26th 2007 11:45PM]

lol, nice knowing I wasn't the only one who thought of that.

[M@ @ Jun 26th 2007 11:30PM]

Bachus, who invented the technology is irrelevant. The point is, now that the marketplace is well-and-truly established, copying existing designs doesn't cut it anymore; if MS want to really compete, they need to do (much) more than increase capacity to the same as that of the ipod.

[MaX PL and the 360 r4pe Tr4iN @ Jun 26th 2007 11:16PM]

they better not make a touchscreen zune. i'm all pro Zune mainly because i dont want the same old product everyone else has, the ipod; but going the iphone route is a bad idea. dont do touchscreen because its not necessary. what benefit does touch give over standard buttons? nothing. why fix what aint broke. touch isnt even new tech, its been around for ages. dont make it touchscreen microsoft, please.

[Penguin Warlord @ Jun 26th 2007 11:47PM]

Not true. If atouch screen is done well it is much better (and that's a pretty big if). With a touch screen you get a much bigger display for videos and people with bad eyes. However I think it's best if you keep like 3 dedicated buttons on the bottom (non touch) strictly to help navigate. If this thing can pull of touch nicely then I will probably buy it even though there are only like 2 places in Canada where you can get them.

[M@ @ Jun 26th 2007 11:15PM]

Yeah, tell me again where I'm 'hyping' anything, mate? I actually don't own anything made by Apple and hold them in the same contempt as I do MS (and brand-whores like yourself for that matter). In this instance, MS deserve to be bashed.

[Paul @ Jun 26th 2007 11:22PM]

cant wait!

[Jake @ Jun 26th 2007 11:31PM]

Engadet we need more iPhone news or crazies who get Zune tattoos, how pitiful.

[Jeff Lewis @ Jun 26th 2007 11:43PM]

The big question is: will this fix the handful of problems that made the Zune unattractive to many people. In my case, I was quite excited about the Zune until I found out you couldn't use it as an external hard drive.

For others, it was the limited use of WiFi (3x3 DRM, no wireless synching, no wireless purchasing of music). Or the one size fits all DRM that treated our own non-DRM files as if they were DRMed.

They could make the Zune instantly attractive to a significant group by just doing two things: make the Zune a portable hard drive, and don't apply DRM to non-DRM files.

Of course, there's a bunch of extra things they could do which would make it even better - like adding a ebook reader for example.

The Zune just wasn't that bad a device. It just fell short in a couple of really important areas.

[Chris @ Jun 27th 2007 12:42AM]

You iPod lovers don't know what you're missing. I love my Zune, as do both of the other owners!

[kitron @ Jun 27th 2007 12:54AM]

Same here,
I have 2 ipods and one zune, and I love the zune more now. It doesn't look as cool as the ipod but it works really well and I have access to the entire marketplace for 15$/month.

[bernard @ Jun 27th 2007 12:25AM]

I don't think they'll release 2G Zunes until they address some of the issues/requests of the original zune, like full podcast support, Marketplace on the device itself, and support for DVR-MS (Recorded TV)

[Aaron @ Jun 27th 2007 2:14AM]

If it's a decent price ($200 or less), I'm all over this. Can't wait.

[Dinraj @ Jun 27th 2007 2:54AM]

Microsoft has been playing a very smart game. They didn't flood the market with a suite of players. Instead they waited to establish a brand name first. More importantly they touched their projected target. The marketplace now has as much as songs as itunes has. Probably they are working on the legal issues to get the 3play thingy sorted out. If it were that, MS is soon gonna cut a huge dent into iPod sales.

Seriously you think MS is a company made of dumb-asses?

[Ant @ Jun 27th 2007 5:58AM]

Your right MS ain't no dumb-asses. Windows, say no more. I use loads a Microsoft stuff but one thing always comes to mind with me and that's the styling. If my dad was a designer (which he isn't) and I said to him, 'Dad I need me a small multi media player, here's all the stuff you need to get into it, now bring me your best design'. My dad would bring me the Zune design. Now my cousin who's the coolest dood in school, If I said the same to him he would bring me the iPod design. Both would do a good job but it's that thing. I don't really get it. I know someone that works for Microsoft and it sounds great there but I have notice the odd mustard coloured jumper and dark blue jean set sneaking in.

[klew @ Jun 27th 2007 3:36AM]

Scorpio! He’ll sting you with his dreams of power and wealth. Beware of Scorpio!

[klew @ Jun 27th 2007 3:39AM]

only 4.5 hours late with the joke, not too bad

[Ant @ Jun 27th 2007 4:59AM]

I gota be honest I've never noticed a Zune for sale in the UK. I'm not pro Apple or Microsoft, I use more Microsoft than Apple but I got the 5gen iPod and it just feels so well made, I still get excited when I use it now after nearly two years (ish). I'd love to have a go with a Zune but from the pictures I've seen I wouldn't say it looks, I don't know, special, in a good way. I dowt we'll be seeing 'Multi Touch' on the Zune cus Jobs has all the Patents for the electric field detector panels that the iPhone uses, Microsoft went for the infra-red side of multi touch, the Zune would need to be massive. I'm fedup of Apple at moment with the sodin iPhone, but if the 6th gen iPod is based on the same technology and styling I'm afraid whatever the new Zune is like they are going to be fighting a loosing battle.

[jimmyb @ Jun 27th 2007 5:55AM]

umm i am pretty sure that is because they are not for sale anywhere outside of North America...

[ace @ Jun 27th 2007 5:56AM]

M@

For one, Microsoft has successfullytaken over a dominated market before and came out on top. Don't you remember everyone laughing at the Xbox, and how it would never be as good as Playstation. They all said Microsoft is stepping into a ring it shouldn't?

Well they're gonna do it again 'cause I'll tell ya why.
#1 Microsoft chooses the best models to slowly, but surely get out on top.
#2 Zune isn't a failure as everyone hoped for. And the next generation Zunes will continue to increase Microsoft's share of the market (OF COURSE MICROSOFT HAS ONLY 6% OF THE MARKET - IT ONLY HAS ONE MODEL!!!!)
#3 iPods will never come with wi-fi - here's why: The record labels will never allow Apple to do what everyone want (free sharing wirelessly). Everyone who thinks Zune's wi-fi feature is 'crippled' or useless are idiots. You have no grasp of copyright laws. If Apple did decide to put wi-fi in an iPod, many loyal iPod fans would see Apple copying Microsoft.
#4 Zune isn't a copy of an iPod. It's pulling out ahead. And hardware upgrades aren't all that are in the works for Zune. Rumors are also flying about IM, profiles, messaging, friends list to all make it onto Zune Marketplace.

Face it. Zune is BETTER than iPod.
An Microsoft has got the deep pockets and resources to play (and beat) Apple's game. It's about DAM time someone did!!