Zune 2 "source" leaks launch date and specs
By Joshua Topolsky 
posted Sep 19th 2007 9:01AM
posted Sep 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
waiting to see the new Zunes in action but anyway I don't think I will move to Microsoft Zunes soon :)
kinda makes me regret buying my Zune 1.0 back in June...
LMAO @ Zune
well, the pictures must be pretty bad, cuz they look shiny in the image but TFA says they still have the doubleshot cases
*waits for a better image
I smell a lawsuit! LOL
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Squircle-SD-Card-MP3-Player/dp/B000GCGBLY
I don't seeing as how the name of this player is the ZUNE but uses a squircle shaped controller. Look at all the cell phones that have squircle shapped d-pads.
They player in those pictures looks eerily similar to a Sansa... except the Sansa is lacking the lame-ass squircle.
Any word on a European release for these players? Or is Microsoft going to let Apple have a 750mil person market to itself?
squircle = bastardised offspring of a square and a circle
or what you get when you "presuade a square peg into a round hole!
or a geometric shape defined by (x-a)^4+(y-b)^4=r^4 ... I'm just saying
I'm thinking I might get a Zune2 for the holidays, although I really wish they'd include a HD radio tuner. If they did that, I'd buy one on the release day.
When the zune was released many here predicted continuous firmware updates making the zune better and better and better. Those same people ridiculed Apple and iPod users who are "suckered" into constantly buying the next generation of iPod because Apple, unlike Microsoft, is only after their money. LOL.
Remember?
MS is a "me too" company. Which is why they are always two steps behind.
Keep smiling
Waddo
I always wondered why businesses don't make more use of the "Canary Trap"...when you find out who is leaking info by giving everyone a slightly different version of something, then if it leaks, you check whose version it matches.
(( Extra credit for anyone who knows where I got the term "Canary Trap" ))
Jack Ryan would be proud...
So I heard you like mudkips...
metrosexual are STRAIGHT guys are into fashion and that stuff...ive been refered to at metro and im FAAAAAAAR from gay man.
Nothing wrong with grooming yourself but i've seen some guys that take it way too far. especially when u have one of those mini dogs.
I would be impressed if they came out with a portable-XBOX Zune. If they can't compete with Apple on the cool factor, then they ought to at least compete with them on everything in their arsenal (XBOX, Media Center, & Zune wrapped into one portable device! And if they included a phone, then there would be no stopping Microsoft. Unfortunately Microsoft doesn't seem to be so forward thinking like that.)
Xbox-Zune... The number one feature would be the three red rings of death.
I smell bullshit, this article-interview reads like a couple of 12 year-olds conversing.
I hope that Zune tattoo guy is ready to put big Roman numeral IIs next to all his existing Zune tats.
"Sorry Roger, you obsolete now..."
Guys what images, those zunescene images arent real their just some fanboys mockup and really bad ones at that i'd imagine,
There haven't been any leaked real images of the zune 2 lineup or feature details as of yet.
Also the squircle is just something the "source" called it, i doubt it's any more a final name than draco, their just codenames
I got my Zune in December right after they were released, haven't regretted it, Zune a way better device then the iPod, and I had one.
The 80 gig is what I’m going for, can't wait to see the new U.I update, and from what I’ve seen the new iPod Nano and classic U.I is basically the same crappy one.
Zune is not competing with the touch so it's a non issue, storage beats fancy touch screen any day.
I bought my first Zune 4 months ago. Couldn't wait to get it home. Loaded my music in a snap. It sounded like shit! Took it back and I'm going to try the iPod!! This was a disapointment as I love all things MS :(
dont bother with iPod - like I said before.. my iPod sounds like shit and it seems many the web over are finding the same with this new batch..... get a shuffle if you want a half decent sounding iPod
Do you love all things Wal Mart & McDonalds too?
Do you really think MS is innovative?
Please, tell me an innovation of theirs that has come out that is not a lame copy of something else?
Or is that what you admire, their ability to be so successful by just copying stuff & using their monopolistic might to kill other companies, then come out with their own versions?
Just wondering...
GenericEric, you know what I find quite funny with your post? You try to make it sound like Microsoft is out to kill all other companies, when in all reality, MS has saved Apple's ass on more than one occasion.
1st occasion: Back in the early nineties, Apple was having troubles with their operating system code. MS lent them a TON of code from their operating system to get things rolling. A major investment and a huge risk for them, but they kept them going.
2nd occasion: back in the later nineties, Microsoft invested 6 million dollars in Apple to keep them from going bankrupt. If you don't believe me, these two instances were brought up and admitted in an interview with Steve Jobs and Bill Gates a few months back.
The Zune is a great product that does it's job as well, if not better than the iPod, and has features that the iPod doesn't- not to mention better sound quality (yes, it does have better quality), and you can get it for $50 to $65 bucks cheaper than the last gen iPod- much less these new gens.
Apple is less innovative than its fans want to believe. They build on Linux and bought cover flow from another company: http://www.steelskies.com/coverflow
wow... this post just shows how biased the Engadget crew has become.
This is supposed to be a gadget news-oriented site. Not an Apple fan site.
Just have that in mind Joshua.
If those "leaked" photos are correct, then the screen totally pwns iPod classic and Nano, but doesn't come close to the glamor of the iPod Touch. If Mac support is available on Zune 2, then I'd totally consider picking up a Flash-based one because i tactually look pretty decent. Somehow, I think asking for Mac support is just a pipe dream, though.
:(
just what the world needs, a zune 2 ... it's laughable
Please explain. Without an explanation you kind of just come off as an idiot.
Why the hell isn't it touchscreen? They say the newe screen is going to be awesome for video. The last one was merely QVGA so I hope the new one has a VGA or higher resolution instead of QVGA.
Then they could have a virtual squircle, releaux triangle etc. or any damn shape they want. They could make the whole screen a pressable button.
Who cares!? The ZUNE is a TURD...
At least they were smart enough to not release a zune 2 in the turd brown color of the original.
I like the brown one w/green trim.
Turds aren't the only things that are brown ya know. Just because someone made that comment about it when it came out doesn't mean you have to propagate the hate.
Be above the influence.
Down with Crapple!!!
How is not releasing a product in a certain color that some nobody named 'darkzero63' doesn't like, a "smart" move?
If I were to buy a Zune 2, I would hope they make a brown one like they did with the first Zune. The more colors the better is the smart move. In my humble nobody opinion, the brown Zune was sweet anyway.
Jesus was brown and so are hot girls on the beach. Both of which are pretty un-turdlike.
If the screen isn't widescreen, video won't be worth watching on it cuz it'll be too small to be worth it (just like the nano and iPod classic).
Ah crap, now my tattoos are obsolete!
And what sort of compiler do I need to use this 'source'?
Yes, heads up Zune fans! Both of you!
I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself.
really are there 2....
just kidding -)
omg hahaha so original, kinda like the OSX BSD core.
Well, as they say, "It aint released until the Fat Guy gets a tattoo".
I'd rather have a nekkid squirrel on it.
Engadget for the love of all that is good please stop linking to that fat, hairy bastard!
thats a big squircle, is the screen smaller than the original Zune?
october 16th...
alchemy index vol 1 and 2
thrice.
IT IS ABOUT TIME THAT MICROSOFT IS FINALLY GOING TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE.
PS: MAYBE THEY WILL EVEN GIVE US A ZUNE PHONE.
Ford has been using squircles in their concept cars (and the Fusion) for a few years now.
http://jalopnik.com/cars/news/square-things-are-afoot-at-the-squircle-ford-225275.php
I'm under the impression they coined the term.