Zune 2 "source" leaks launch date and specs
By Joshua Topolsky 
posted September 19th 2007 9:01AM
posted September 19th 2007 9:01AM
Heads up, Zune fans -- some new product is heading your way sooner rather than later, and we suspect there's more than a couple of things to get jazzed about. According to reports from a "source" inside Microsoft, a new batch of Zunes (AKA Zune 2, Draco, Scorpio, etc.) are due out on October 16th (just in time for the holidays), in both flash memory- and hard drive-based forms. The new, smaller, flash Zune (the Draco) will be hitting shelves in pink, red, black, or army green colors, will have a 4GB or 8GB capacity, and will feature a "squircle" (the source's term, not ours) for navigation, which won't have a center button but can be pushed, "From any side." The hard drive-based player (the Scorpio) will be available in 80GB, sports the soon-to-be infamous "squircle," and touts a screen which the source claims is "awesome" for video. We can safely say that there is at least one man out there who is going to be very, very excited about this.[Thanks, Tyler]
AWESOME! Cant wait to try it.
AWESOMO!!
can wait to get a new tattoo!!
Squircle? Are they serious?
It's a mathematical shape:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squircle
Yes, which we learned an hour and fifteen minutes before your post. Scroll down.
Can anyone say squircle tattoo for this guy?
http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/17/what-kind-of-man-gets-three-zune-tattoos/
will it be launched outside of the USA? (Not that I care) Canada is iPod Nation now..
Well I bought my first iPod last weekend.. 80GB Classic and the sound quality is utter shit - I did a search and it seems many others agree. The only decent sounding iPod I've listened to is the Shuffle! LOL - so my iPod is going back to store and I may bite the bullet and get one of these IF they're decent sound quality.. I know the screen will be better than iPod anyway..
I have to say I agree with you. I picked up an 80GB iPod 5.5G a few months ago and promptly returned it because of sound quality. I had a Zune when they fist came out, and although it was kinda big and clunky, the screen was nice and the sound quality was heads and tails above the iPods (except the shuffle) at the time. I can't wait to see what the Zune 2 sounds like. Hoepfully it'll be a bit more compact and easy to pocket than the original.
Cowon seems to have the best audio quality, you two might want to give them a shot although I don't think they have an 80GB player just yet.
My nano has fine audio quality but for 5.5 and 6 (classic) iPods I refer to the experts here:
http://homepage.mac.com/marc.heijligers/audio/ipod/comparison/measurements/measurements.html
An audio engineer who's measured iPod classic vs. 5.5, he comes to the conclusion that the Classic does sound worse than the 5.5 generation. He also thinks that the 5.5 happens to have very good audio reproduction.
So all those people who keep posting that the audio quality is bad are either 1) lying, 2) paid by M$, 3) general Apple haters 4) unable to change their recording settings to a proper quality level, 5) Listening to some crap mp3s they got off the interwebs , or 6) have shitty headphones. Whatever it is the 5.5. had good sound quality. The Classic seems to have some problems though.
Good thing the new iPods are based on OS X now, basically running a mini-iTunes, no more embedded application. Apple will be able to tweak a lot more in the software to improve sound quality, just like they have done with iTunes.
IMHO, I think my iPhone is the best sounding iPod yet. I disagree on the shuffle's sound quality, although it's good enough for my daily run.
Ditto!
The sound quality should come from using good hardware. Trying to compensate for mediocre hardware with software fixes is never going to be all that good. Remember, the sound quality can only be as good as the weakest element.
In contrast, the hardware is also only as good as the software
A "squircle"?! Zunes are going to have pokemons now?
Yes, complete with a self-destruct button that causes 60 damage to everyone in its surroundings.
And what about DRM and the 3x3 rule?
Why does everyone make a big deal out of the Zune's DRM support but not any other players' DRM support?
It's 2 Zune too tell!
No it's Zune360
Draco? Scropio? Ever heard of marketing to women? Who is running MS? Is Bill Gates 13 years old? wtf?
I think those are just internal code names, you wont actually see a product called The Draco.
What's wrong with Draco? Chicks love Slytherin.
Isn't Draco the name of the "creatures" in Enemy Mine? I'm sure M$ will sell dozens of these, just like the Zune 1.
you mean metrosexuals, guys who don't know what side they are on.
it comes in pink! women love pink! it also is rumored to have an attachment for mounting to an apron or a vaccuum.
Squircle... hmm... I always chose Charmander
Let's hope it does not suck, I'd like to see some serious competition here.
completely agree!
Squirtle, squirtle squirtle... Squirtle!! Squirtle - squirtle squirt; SQUIRTLE!!!
Oh, go f'in read a book or something
Say your lines, Earl! Or you'll get the gas!
what the hell is a zune?
It's an MP3 player (considered ugly by some) that has a hell of a lot better sound quality than the (very pretty) iPod.
I own one and thoroughly enjoy it.
God damn, I sure did, use a, lot of commas, in that last post
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squircle
it is a shape
All I can say is I saw those pics on Zunescene and the body style sucks. I'd rather them use the first gen cases and just add wifi. That's all I would need. Wifi, Bluetooth, video-out capabilities, good sound quality, decent UI. Why the hell did they go and make these look like crap. I'm hoping that those pics are a joke.
...because the way a MUSIC player looks is deathly important to it's function, right?
I think there's a company you should be introduced to; they're called Apple, and they make some really pretty MP3 players.
@ Jason
Hey guy. Yes, aesthetics are frickin' important to me in a music player, but so is functionality. That's why I haven't bought anything from crapple. I'm not really that impressed with their products, that's why I own a PC. So take your comments and shove them right back up in the hole they leaked out of.
@ Jason
While looks may not be "deathly important to function", Looks are important any way you cut it. Plain and simple. Think about car manufacturers. You could have the most dependable car on the planet, but if it looks like crap, most people will not buy it. Human beings are visual creatures. You cannot dispute that. Women, cars, art, homes, and yes... even gadgets get attention because of how they "look" in addition to how they function (especially when it comes to women.. no offense ladies!)
;)
If this "leak" is one of Microsoft's attempts to create buzz, they really suck at it. No creativity, no imagination. Microsoft should really make a huge sum of gold to try to hire away some of Apple's marketing people.
down with Apple and Engadget!
If these are any good (and are released worldwide, not just the US) it could put a bit of pressure on Apple. I'm really disappointed with the new iPod line and would consider a Zune if it offered the right features.
now if only this source would leak some info about the new firmware for my 1st gen zune
Maybe I watch too much TV (24), or maybe Microsoft is trying to flush out a mole who is forwarding information. I think high-ups gave different names for this "Squircle" button to a few different people they suspected. Now that squircle is all over the net, this guy is gone.
If Microsoft are going to make an impact in the DAP/PMP space then they will need to come out with something MUCH more innovative and appealing than these iPod wannabe products. Seriously, these look like they could come from Creative, iRiver, Samsung or any number of other manufacturers that are anywhere from even with to two steps behind Apple. Listen to this Microsoft - you need to get much further out ahead of the pack if you want to win.
The squircle is the most visually unpleasant geometric shape known to man.
That alone will keep me from even considering to buy a Zune 2.
And yet, I would wager that, when you were a child, you spent hours a day looking at one.
lmao, I bet he still does (secretly), Josef