Microsoft's new Zune 2 line: new details, due ever so soon
By Ryan Block 
posted Oct 2nd 2007 8:13PM
posted Oct 2nd 2007 8:13PM
Also, on the more rumor side of the spectrum, Silicon Alley Insider has it that he 4GB will start at $150, with the 8GB at $200, and the 80GB at $250, and that Microsoft will also launch is overdue DRM-free music store (although we've no idea how that will play out for Zune to Zune song sharing).
Read - Zune announcement pending
Read - Pricing and DRM-free rumor
Wonder if it will be compatible with Surface...
Ho hum ...
Go do something useful like unbrick your phone.
does it have a browser?
touch screen?
come on ms.
god forbid an mp3 player plays mp3s .......
i think its good that things stick to what theyre meant to do.... or you get things like the iphones (bricks worth 600 whompum)
Does it cost insane amounts of money for an 8 and 16 GB player? Oh.. no... I guess it doesn't do that either. Oh and I guess it won't get bricked 4 months from now either.
Is it even offered in 8 and 16GB capacities?
Read the article, 4+8GB capacities.
Holy shnikies, if this is true, both the big fat meant-for-travel mp3 player that I currently have (Creative Zen Vision) and the small workout mp3 player I was about to get (Creative Zen) will be Zunes.
" Zune Marketplace will have an expanded library including videos " http://www.zunescene.com/
Yes it will include video in marketplace.
Geeze - haven't we had enough of all this obsession with the Zune? I mean come ON - it's just a music player. Get over this obsession with Microsoft and their products, MSFanboy.
[Ok - I don't mean it. :) I'm actually glad to see some other product being focussed on for a change, so actually thanks again to Engadget for the info. I'm hoping that this version will make up for some of the bad design choices in the Zune 1. Waiting for midnight - even if I'm not lined up at a store somewhere. :) ]
aww, what happened to brown? ;)
Microsoft? Codecs? I don't think so.
I like the Zune interface, the orientation of the screen, and the overall feel. However, I have a Mac.
So thanks for locking me out entirely. Not to mention I think I have a few hundred iTunes downloads.
I'm locked into the iPod until Steve and Co. decide to let me be free.
That's something that's always annoyed me - Mac users complaining about lack of support
That's one of the things that's part of OS X, if you haven't known. You're going to face a lack of support, whether you like it or not. Things will not always "just work" as advertised.
I own a Mac too, and I'm ok with it. I understand the consequences.
That's why I also own a Sony Vaio. I get the best of both worlds. No need to worry. I plug my Zune up, and it just works.
And Apple's iTunes is still awful on the Windows version btw. It does the job, but not as well as it could and should. That's why I find myself loving WMP 11 more than all the other music managing programs.
So if you're a Mac user and you want to complain - don't. You should know what to expect from the stuff you buy.
Why would a jailer free you when you locked yourself up?
Because the King5 link is dead, you can read the most important parts of it here:
http://www.zune-online.com/news/zune/official-zune-2-announcement-price-list.html
Still, nothing has come close to the 16 GB Sansa View for $200.
http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/10/the-sandisk-sansa-view-returns/
Then again, this has Wifi.
*CORRECTION* The zune marketplace will have video and podcasts available according to zunescene
http://www.zunescene.com/zune-announcement/
Is it 1992 already? Wow, what a nap!
That photo of the prototypes that has been floating around seriously looks like they were made out of clay...
Cardboard, actually.
Can't wait to see all the new features. Wireless Syncing is awesome and I won't be left out with my 30GB Zune :)
I'm glad to know that their WMV only support makes video 'trivial'... I don't store videos in any iPod compatible format (cause there are so many, right) normally, I convert what I want to watch. You can do the exact same thing for your Zune.
well it's not like the zune software automagically converts your videos into something watchable. 9 times out of ten, it looks more like a mass of pixels that refuses to stay synced with the audio.
If you converted the video to WMV it works fine... and unless you buy Quicktime Pro (BUY, note) from Apple, iTunes isn't going to be converting any videos for you any time soon.
There's free options for converting video to itunes. Better than Quicktime Pro actually.
No one is locked into iTunes. If really, really want to use your purchased iTunes audio files with other DAPs, then burn the tracks to CD and re-import them as MP3s. Then update their metadata. Yes. This is tedious as hell but it works. So the questions is how much your care about leaving iTunes/iPod behind?
I'm staying with the iPod and iTunes. My only gripe is not all the songs (actually just one now) and movies are available iTunes. Movies is a minor gripe because I prefer DVDs over downloads.
omg stfu about the zoon, how much is microsoft paying you? why don't you change your name to zunegadget!
well, either my sarcasm is failing in my old age, or no one found it funny. Either way, I digress
Microsoft reminds me of concrete drying out.
have to ask why.
They make you warm inside?
Ummmmm...... OK?
ooooo the ZOOOOON... can't wait to get the ZOOOOON! LOL What kind of bloody moron buys that trash is way beyond me. Welcome to the LONER
iDiot
"..Silicon Alley Insider has it that he 4GB will start at $150, with the 8GB at $200, and the 80GB at $250, and that Microsoft will also launch is overdue DRM-free music store.."
Huh?
I can't wait to see the new 80GB Zune 2. The iPod touch doesn't have enough storage for me. The classic and new nano are just lame.
Agreed...
I don't get why people are complaining so much about hearing about the Zune. It's not like the iPod's done anything new lately. Seriously... the only "wow" thing it's done any time recently is add a color screen and the ability to play videos... which, now almost every player can do... At least the Zune is doing something different - wireless syncing. I don't know about anyone else here, but, I honestly think MS is really trying, and I succeeding. I don't own a Zune, and I really don't plan on buying one (Too fond of Linux). But, the Zune seems to me to be a better quality player for the price. I've had three iPods and every one of them has crapped out on me, while, I haven't heard really anything about a Zune crapping out...
So...
Which is actually a better player?
-My 2 cents-
GR
Not considering accessory availability, feature for feature this does beat the ipod in several ways. Of course that's what they've all said before and ipods are still everywhere.
Although wifi is nice, if I were in the market, the pricier 160 GB ipod classic would probably get my dollars for storage capacity alone. A ricockulous amount of storage is a feature I'd get more practical use out of than wifi synching.
"I haven't heard really anything about a Zune crapping out..."
Considering there's about 1000 times as many ipods as zunes, it's much more likely you'll hear reports of ipod problems than zunes.
Gene: try syncing 80GB worth of data over WiFi and see how quickly that novelty will wear off. I'd strongly suggest doing the initial sync over USB, then WiFi for the occasional sync of smaller data chunks. Otherwise, it is nothing spectacular.
If you call Zune support they call there new Zune online stuff, Zune Live. I found that kind of strange, so that might have to do with XBOX Live and Windows Live. So Zune might have online stuff on the way.
Undoubtedly MS is definitely pushing an integrated "LIVE" experience. And to think way back when the original Xbox launched everyone thought it was just for gaming.
Apparantly, people who don't want to buy the overpriced pieces of trash that are ipods. Have you tried the new ipod classics? I tried one for about a week and couldn't stand it and returned it because it was so ungodly slow. Also, itunes is a pain in the ass to use, especially for adding pictures. Zune FTW!!!!
What? A new Zune so soon? But what about my $100 credit for buying the last Zune? WAAAAAAAAA!!!!
Your credit will be a nice firmware update to give you the same features seen in the new Microsoft made Zune 2.
The Zune needs to be more than just a cheaper alternative to the Ipod. There are other companies that do it better than microsoft. It should focus on the interface and its selection of media. Right now most will choose an ipod over a Zune, with Wifi.
space is kinda tight on my Zune as currently just my music collection alone takes up 22GB, i may have to pick up that 80 when I get time to convert videos to watch on my zune at work
The first gen Zune is a quality peice of kit for picture viewing, storage and video play back. the screens nice and big and it has a robust feel to it. Also, not to mention the 30 gb hard drive that can store loads of songs along with metadata + artist pics.
iPods are old hat and tiresomely and traditionally breaking down ALL the time. Sorry but those who slte the Zune have never used or tried one out for real. the only assumption i can make as to why this is, is because theyve spent uber amounts of money on a white plastic fad and grown attached to the fact the THINK theyre cool. Sorry but, no. I'll be buying one of these 80 gm Zunes because i know its value for money and it WORKS.
Why does everyone think that WiFi syncing and FM is important? On my palm Tungsten E2, WiFi Sync takes roughly 3 times longer than USB. This is over LAN -- don't even ask about over internet. ( Although BlueTooth seems to be about the same. ) When I add songs to iTunes, and sync my iPod, it takes a couple minutes via USB. Via wi-Fi, It would be an impossibly long task. This makes no sense unless people plan to use the capability to be snoop for open networks and shared drives in an attempt to steal content.
As far as FM goes, Why would I want to listen to a radio station play the same 5 to ten songs over and over again when I have 10,000 in my pocket. Seems kinda dumb to me. I personally like talk radio, but for that I need an AM receiver, but I don't see any one bitching about that.
It seems to me that everyone wants to glom onto some feature on the non-ipod and say why that makes it better then the iPod. When you look below the surface a little, it becomes clear that most of these arguments are worthless. So what if the zune has wi-fi, it will still lack a browser, and will therefore not be able to connect in 90% of open wi-fi areas. (Yes even many free ones make you look at ads and agree to Terms of service). So what if it has FM? There has to be a value to the features that the item adds.
Just so I don't sound like too much of an iPod fanboy, I do like the idea of the 16Gb Sansa Nano thing. I think Apple made a HUGE mistake not increasing the capacity of the Nano. It's the reason why I will not get one. I'll stick with my 30Gig 5G till they get better capacity on the touch and Nano.
Thank god, a reasoned opinion, even though I don't agree with it entirely.
Here's my reasoned counter argument (note, I own neither an iPod or a Zune, but rather a Gigabeat S). First off, the FM tuner. Thing is, lots of people still rely on the radio to hear new songs that they've yet to procure themselves, so having the ability to tune into your favorite station playing your favorite format is valuable to many people. Clearly this is not true for you, but you can't assume you're the market average. I listen to the radio quite a lot on my Gigabeat, though it's usually NPR (talk radio for the FM).
Also, the wifi bit is going to make it easier to exchange content with the xbox I assume. Not something I'm terribly interested in, but many, many people would be. And as for the lack of a browser, yes, the TOS site places you speak of would be problematic, but I can only think of one such place where I live. Of course there's the problem with locked networks and getting onto them but . . .
Here's an idea. And this is just my idea, not anything I've read anywhere, but wouldn't it be interesting if the new Zune allowed you to upload WEP keys onto it from your PC so that you could at least get on to your own network without disabling your security? Hm . . maybe this is obvious, maybe they're definitely going to do this regardless. If they don't then I don't know how I'd ever be able to utilize the wireless syncing . . . I guess we'll see tomorrow.
Anyway, thanks for taking a shot at the Zune in a coherent fashion. I hope you enjoy the DAP of your choice and continue to have opinions on the subject.
Kudos for giving a reasonable thought about why you wouldn't buy the Zune.
But I have to say this:
WiFi - Microsoft didn't do a good job with v1 of course, but as long as they provide a good option for WiFi, I'm ok with that. If it works well, and does more than share, than I'm happy. Maybe Microsoft found a way to make it better in the update.
FM Radio - Some people really like the radio. Radio station aren't only for music - they're also for catching up on local news, winning tickets to a concert, winning other prizes, hearing your daughter shout-out over the radio, talk-radio as you mentioned, and a ton of other stuff. I don't know about you, but some people really like the radio for that. By providing a radio "option" they at least give the user another feature that they can appreciate. I really hope for bookmarking songs you hear over the radio one day, songs that are new to you, and interested in buying.
Zune also has many other things going for it besides the WiFi and radio. You get a bigger screen (way better for videos!), a better UI (sorry, but the Zune UI is way more quicker and intuitive than the iPod's), an "option" to do a music subscription if you're not interested in buy a la carte, durability (how many iPod's have you needed to buy?), scratch-less, and a ton of other things.
The only way to know how you really feel about the Zune is to try it. Without the bias coming from "reviews" of so-called users, and your personal opinions about Microsoft.
I agree with some (but not all) of the comments about IPod reliability, But If Microsoft sold as many Zune's as Apple has sold IPods I belive there would be a lot more failures reported. In fact would Microsoft of even created the Zune if the the IPod did not exist.
"Microsoft sold as many Zune's as Apple has sold IPods"
ZUH?!
It's a fair point, and the guy before me doesn't read very effectively.
$50 price difference between the 8gb zune and the 80 gb zune? holy shnaps i'd pounce that 80 gb one.
*slaps forehead*
Why in the heck did Apple not put wifi in the iPod Nano and iPod Classic? Why?!
Because it would be a pain in the ass to view web pages on such a small screen?
The iPod Touch has wifi, so go for that if you want it in an Apple product.
I'm actually pretty geeked about this...I had a brown zune and lost it....just got my wife a new nano, and got myself an iphone...i've returned the iphone for a bunch of reasons that's unrelated to this post...
my wife is happy with the nano because it's an ipod, cute, red, easy to use/manage, and about as big as a triscuit...personally, i think it doesn't sound that great..i miss my zune and i'm looking forward to seeing what MS puts on the table...
They are boring. Everything they do is boring. Sorry
Pretty impressive overall. What the Zune should have been in the first place. Wireless synching, nice feature that should be on all wifi mp3 players. But not a killer app since I'd still dock it daily just for the charge.
With all this wifi an internet browser should be a feature, if only for playing music online. Still wouldn't buy it, but not bad.
i don't really think web on the zune would be that great. But i think an RSS reader, and some type of streaming radio would be nice. speaking of radio, it is very useful for sporting events, i use my zune at football games to listen to the radio broadcast.
Something like seeqpod on the iphone is pretty impressive. Especially with wifi. Can't see why it wouldn't be similarly so on the zune.
Radio is fine, personally speaking doesn't interest me at all, but different strokes...
I know Microsoft loves their WMV and VC-1 but I really, really, really hope they'll include H264 support. DivX and Xvid would be nice but they're already outdated and no H264 support is the only thing that would hold me back from buying the 80GB Zune the day they're released.
Does this mean more creepy tattoos?
Dear Zune 2, Please provide:
Video other than 320x240 700k WMV. Say DVD quality h.264? Your arch enemy did.
Better Screen quality. 320x240 on a 3.2 inch screen with look like crap.
If not, I'll go IPOD Touch.
i think these post our being flooded with microsoft spammers
Podcast support???
zunescene.com is saying yes for podcast support....though they may call it zunecast...
INCORRECT
"...without a video store or the ability to play anything other than WMV..."
Zune also plays MP3 files, the same format that emusic.com and Amazon's new music service. Here are the formats it can play:
MP3, AAC (.m4a), WMA Pro (2-channel), and WMA Standard
WMV is a video codec. Not audio. It's the only video codec that the first Zune supports.
Thanks, I read it too fast and thought he was implying that was strictly the only format, audio or video, it supported. I'm now properly abashed :)
I hope they keep the zune interface. It rocks! Like everyone else, I'm curious to try the scroll pad. The first generation was very nice.
I won't be getting a new one, since I still have the original zune and it plays my mp3s just fine.
If it had a built-in FM transmitter, I'd buy it!
Do you guys realize the screen is only .3 inches smaller then the ipod touch and it has more capacity. Also, the squircle will be like a joystick. I own a zune v1, and i always use the FM tuner, And from what i hear the screen is going to be awesome,most likely will have games. Im excited!
Also i am really hoping it has that tobisha OLED screen, that would be extremly amazing!
Todo list for Zune 3:
1. Make it not look like ass.
Seriously, this thing is uglier than the first! iPods look great, Creative's players look great, Sansa's look great. I own a few iPods, a Sansa, and a PSP (it plays media too!) and all are well designed. But this... Are you even trying Microsoft?
Guys, put a browser on the damn thing! Any sort of IE6 derivative (it's MS after all) would do.
I can't believe they have Wi-Fi, the CPU power, and all the space in the world to add this, and they're not. God damn.
If that's honestly a touchpad-style control there, it means it becomes feasible to have online keyboard as well.