Microsoft's Zune 2 just around the corner?

Don't go betting the farm or anything, but "according to sources close to the situation," Microsoft will be unveiling the second-generation of Zune players come Tuesday. Apparently, Mr. Gates and J Allard will be attending the shindig, and it sounds like both the "thinner" HDD-based Zune and the flash-based Zune will indeed be launched. The overall design of the HDD Zune isn't set to change all that much, but the 3- x 1.25-inch flash Zunes "are said to look much like the iPod nano," and they should include video playback capabilities and larger storage capacities than "competing products." As expected, Redmond wouldn't respond to the hunches, but if these rumors prove true, we could see the new flock of Zunes hit shelves "this November."

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

[Preston @ Oct 1st 2007 4:44PM]

I'd love to see a new Zune with a screen comparable to that on the Archos 605, and better wifi capabilities instead of this Social crap.

[Paul @ Oct 1st 2007 5:06PM]

Maybe we'll get lucky and Microsoft will take everything into consideration that has been said about the Touch over the past month and use some of that to it's advantage. A Touch raping Zune...hrmm..

[Dragod @ Oct 1st 2007 5:25PM]

A touch raping Zune?

I don't want to have to file charges on my MP3 player :p

Anyway, I'm looking forward to it. Love my Zune v1.

[jason51873 @ Oct 2nd 2007 1:05PM]

I agree - I know they could add a wifi web browser to Zune easy - I dont know why they have put so little effort into making the wifi on the Zune more useful.

[AndyS @ Oct 1st 2007 4:44PM]

nice, lets see what microsoft has for me before I go get an ipod

[mike @ Oct 1st 2007 4:45PM]

what the hell is a zune?

[Josef F @ Oct 1st 2007 4:54PM]

HA HA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!


HA HA HA HA HA!


HAHAHAHAHA!



HA!


HA HA HA!

[mike @ Oct 1st 2007 5:00PM]

I'm really glad you enjoyed that!!

[Josef F @ Oct 1st 2007 5:25PM]

I did! You should take that routine on the road! I don't think I've ever heard such rapier sharp wit!

You, sir, are the funniest mother-fucker alive.

[angelsvairwaves1 @ Oct 1st 2007 5:34PM]

/sarcasm........?

[Andrew @ Oct 1st 2007 5:57PM]

It's a perfectly valid question. Zune is only available in the US. Therefore "what the hell is Zune" sounds just about right. You might as well ask what is the most popular cell phone brand in Japan. Unless you're Japanese, who cares?

[Rob Fleming @ Oct 1st 2007 4:46PM]

Good im first to respond.

Dear Microsoft,

If all you show tomorrow is some new video/mp3 players, with no web browsing capability, wifi, etc, then dont bother. Your products so far have been behind the competition. Whats the point in continuing the trend?

[L.M.L.Y.P @ Oct 1st 2007 6:35PM]

"behind competition"? . Behind Apple?......
because a brand is in 2nd place they are failures and shouldn't release new products?

Rethink that one chief.

[iofthestorm @ Oct 1st 2007 7:49PM]

Well, to be fair, Zune had wifi before iPod, it's just that they didn't do anything useful with it. But I can almost guarantee that the Zune 2 will have some form of IE, it'd be stupid for them not to what with the Safari on iPod touch. Then again, it is Microsoft...

[josh @ Oct 1st 2007 11:58PM]

I know you are itching to get your hate on their Hoss, but slow down and think about things a bit. While the iPod touch and iPhone are spiffy, they are by far the minority of the iPod sales. The majority are going to be the Nano and Classic, which from the mockups is exactly what MS is targetting. Arguably the iPod classic is still lagging behind the zune in feature set (crippled wifi is still better than none, and the FM tuner is a nice bonus), and while the coverflow enhancements helped the UI come closer to parady with the zune, I was not impressed with the responsiveness of my friend's new iPod. All MS really needs to do in order to compete here is slim the device down and shave a little height (though hopefully keep the current case; it feels durable which I like), while adding capacity, though from the looks of things they are doing more than just that.

Most people want a solid media player first, with all of the other stuff second. Personally, I don't want a web browser in a device that small if it comes at a compromise to the primary function, listening to music (and the price / size / capacity is certainly a compromise) since no amount of well thought out work arounds can make the experience even close to match that of my laptop (I am of the opinion that targetted, web connected native apps are the way to go on devices). For people who want an all in one pocket computer (what UMPC really should have been), the Touch is spiffy, but for people who want a portable media player first and foremost, the touch is not the best solution. The latter is the majority of consumers in this space, and the people MS is going after.

[David @ Oct 10th 2007 11:45PM]

Why the hell would I want a web browser on my music player?

[David Clark @ Oct 1st 2007 4:46PM]

The Zune is like the bad guy in movies that you secretly hope to win. Except the Zune isn't that bad, and seeing it win wouldn't really make your day.

[Eric M @ Oct 1st 2007 5:12PM]

No, the Zune is more like the Pathetic dork that can't get the hot chick and keeps loosing to the cool "artsey" guy that....

The Zune isn't like anything, it's Microsoft's failed attempt at being cool. Microsoft is like sliced bread, as in, it hasn't been changed in forever, and it will always be the same.

[jmattick @ Oct 1st 2007 5:44PM]

"The Zune isn't like anything, it's Microsoft's failed attempt at being cool. Microsoft is like sliced bread, as in, it hasn't been changed in forever, and it will always be the same."

It took Apple 5 generations to change the design of the iPod and bring out the Shuffle.

At least Microsoft is changing things up on their second generation.

[Cleverboy @ Oct 1st 2007 5:47PM]

Let's be honest. Microsoft created the X-Box, and its flaming HOT. But, with the Zune, they've entered into a sector where the market leader is beyond flaming hot, and spends its entire day in the police office, filing restraining orders... on EVERYBODY. --And the restraining orders don't help.

[Nate @ Oct 1st 2007 5:59PM]

@ jmattic:

Actually, that's not true... The shuffle was their second form of changing the design of the iPod, the first would be the iPod mini, which was released during their third generation iPod, and they were the first company to really try and be successful at that. At least they weren't overtly copying another company, if you read the article, it's supposed to look a lot like the iPod nano.

[Mr Angry @ Oct 1st 2007 4:48PM]

This thing is going to kick the iPhone touch, into touch

[wombat @ Oct 1st 2007 5:01PM]

Umm, that doesn't make any sense. . .

[Derry Quinn @ Oct 1st 2007 5:02PM]

It does if you know rugby

[wetworker @ Oct 1st 2007 4:53PM]

I’m defiantly looking forward to this, I hope they updated the marketplace as well as ad more functionality to the new firmware, like the ability to access marketplace via Wi-Fi, zunecast, video downloads form marketplace or xbox live.

A thinner HD player will defiantly be a plus, I just hope they use the same materials that were used for zune1, and I’ve had mine 11 month now and not even a scratch.

[Zach @ Oct 1st 2007 5:39PM]

Defiantly looking forward? Did someone tell you not to?

[wetworker @ Oct 1st 2007 7:45PM]

ya, your mom!!

[Sam @ Oct 1st 2007 5:00PM]

Hoping for Bluetooth stereo and mass-storage mode transfers. So in other words, I'm grasping at straws.

[Derry Quinn @ Oct 1st 2007 5:03PM]

Grasp Harder

[Derry Quinn @ Oct 1st 2007 5:03PM]

Grasp Harder

[Paul @ Oct 1st 2007 5:08PM]

oop...not that hard...


Grasp it, any more than twice and you'll go blind.

[Zeb @ Oct 1st 2007 5:01PM]

I just want them to update the zune I already have. I havent had it long, and I really like it, but they should put out some firmware updates for us. Just let us know that you still support us Zunev1 owners microsoft. Dont leave us out for dead!

[Zeeliv @ Oct 1st 2007 6:15PM]

Don't worry, you'll get a clock soon!

[engadget @ Oct 1st 2007 5:03PM]

Still looking for Audible support.

[404error @ Oct 1st 2007 5:04PM]

Nice. I've been waiting to replace my 4th gen iPod until these new Zunes are announced. I hope they'll be worth waiting for.

[potato @ Oct 1st 2007 5:04PM]

1 - Is the stupid squirt feature still there?
2 - Can I buy songs on WiFi yet?
3 - Is the wireless feature horribly crippled still?

If the answers are no, yes, and no, it will be a strong contender I think.

4 - Is it Mac compatible?

If the answer is yes, I may just get one.

[MacGuru @ Oct 1st 2007 5:35PM]

Haha, Mac compatible... Bill Gates is in too hefty a pissing contest for that. It would be the first time Microsoft makes anything Mac compatible.
LOL LOL LOL

[AKBlade13 @ Oct 1st 2007 5:48PM]

@Mac Guru

You seem to be forgetting Microsoft Office and partial compatibility with MSN Messenger.

AKBlade13

[MacGuru @ Oct 1st 2007 6:19PM]

@AKBlade13


I was talking about hardware.. as you know, the zune is a piece of HARDWARE.....

[John @ Oct 1st 2007 6:35PM]

Yeah, because it's the HARDWARE that's not mac compatible. Oh, wait, no, you're an idiot.

[MacGuru @ Oct 2nd 2007 7:09PM]

@ John

Ah, thanks for enlightening me!
John the great source of knowledge.

I am not worthy.

[Phil Perman @ Oct 1st 2007 5:09PM]

16gig of flash in a Nano sized case please. If you can fit an SDHC slot in there too that would be great.

As for the HDD based models, match the iPod Classic capacities at similar price points. Forget all the fancy iPod touch features, 90% of people don't actually need them and it'll just make the thing more expensive than it needs to be.

[Preston @ Oct 1st 2007 5:22PM]

Without all the fancy feature it should be at a lower price point, not just matching the iPod.

[Andrew Horn @ Oct 1st 2007 6:26PM]

Hell, lets make it 80 gigs in a toothipick sized case, 60 in. screen with full on wifi, kitchenette, and only cost $15. Will it just happen already?

[Paul @ Oct 1st 2007 7:23PM]

@andrew

Actually, they already have that, it even has a tow hook.

[Javi0084 @ Oct 1st 2007 5:10PM]

larger storage capacities than "competing products."

Cowon already has a 16GB flash player, is MS going to top that?

[Gene @ Oct 1st 2007 5:40PM]

Thing is, Cowon isn't necessarily a "competing" product. When they say that, I really think they mean Apple, Sansa, things like that. Things people can go out to a retail store and buy. I don't know if you live in the US, but, I've never seen a single Cowon player for sale in a retail outlet here in the states.
That and Cowon players are awesome, and they'd be hard pressed to match that quality.
GR

[joe23521 @ Oct 1st 2007 5:11PM]

I just hope the squircle is not in any way involved.

[wslcrew @ Oct 1st 2007 5:17PM]

It could be a rebranded toshiba or asus player with crappy software, crippled functionality and same old Zune DRM. Or it could be brilliant, packing all the functionalities of internet, media player, long batteries, etc. Hopefully they'll come up with something that can be much more competetive to iPod than the last one.

[ScOObyDoo @ Oct 1st 2007 5:19PM]

I hope they make a brand new Zune logo, just to see that dorky tatoo guy cry.