New Zunes already hitting store shelves

You can't keep a good retailer down, especially the kind that gadget nerds like us so adore: those that breaking sales embargoes and put hotly anticipated product (like these new Zunes, for example) on store shelves early. Behold, new Zunes -- which aren't supposed to be on sale until next week -- popping up on store shelves at Circuit City and Target. Granted, we don't know how many (if any) sold, since it sounds like they may have actually gotten pulled before customers made a dash for the registers, but who knows, perhaps you might strike Zune gold by trawling the shelves at your local mega-retailer this very weekend. You know who to tip off if you bring home the booty, right? (Note: read link only hits up the Target Zunes, not CC's Zune batch, which is separate.)

[Thanks, Ryan and Scott]

[Nick @ Nov 8th 2007 6:47AM]

Ahh, how I envy them...

I cannot wait until the 13th....

[shishyan @ Nov 8th 2007 3:09PM]

Did anyone notice, nowadays all the Microsoft entries(well most of 'em) are exclusively posted by Ryan, not by anyone else.

What's up with that?, crowd (fanboy)control perhaps?

[Evan @ Nov 8th 2007 1:13PM]

Ha, They are out at my Target. I quit bothering telling them that it shouldn't be out anymore because they are too dumb to listen. I put my two weeks in a while ago and its almost time for me to part ways with Target. I will be sure to stock some street dated items early :)

[Nick @ Nov 10th 2007 12:03PM]

Ahh, the tech world thanks you...which target are you at anyway? Perhaps I could pick one up two days early on the off chance you're near me...

[Vince @ Nov 8th 2007 6:50AM]

Man, that is one sexy looking player. It will sell millions on looks alone.

[bigredmachine @ Nov 8th 2007 1:06PM]

does anyone not notice the "green" box contains a gold Zune?

Smells fishy

[Ihar `Philips` Filipau @ Nov 8th 2007 7:12AM]

Though stylish it reminds of iPod, I think it looks terribly well. Except for brown color - they should have made it more like "golden" or something.

[DeoWulf @ Nov 8th 2007 4:55PM]

That's green, buddy. There is no gold zune. Blame camera flash, if you will, but you're probably just colorblind.

[Mike @ Nov 8th 2007 7:59AM]

"hotly anticipated product" LOL - nice one Engadget! My first laugh of the day!!

[Erwos @ Nov 8th 2007 8:03AM]

I really think Microsoft has started picking up some serious mindshare with this product. Remember what happened with the Xbox - the first gen, it was a distant second. The second gen, the 360, it's fighting it out for first place. Same thing could happen with the Zune, especially since they've really started getting the software worked out.

[KJ @ Nov 8th 2007 8:36AM]

@Erwos, second gen maybe, but still no playlists, a shop that needs you to convert currency into MS points, useless wireless with sync feature that only works when docked (rofl), no seamless playing and many more design flaws.

There are tons of other players out there that are better and they are not iPods.

[Mike Botros @ Nov 8th 2007 9:09AM]

Wireless Sync does not only work when docked. If there is a permanent power source like a dock, or car plug, and the zune enters ur home network's range, it will automatically run a wireless sync within a couple minutes. If it is not docked, running on batteries, it can still wireless sync but has to be selected manually.

[Michael @ Nov 8th 2007 9:52AM]

@KJ
What do you mean "still no playlists"?
Are you telling me the new zune software doesn't let you make your own playlists?
I sure hope that isn't true. I'm looking to get new zune80 but only if the new zune software is everything iTunes is.

[Kevin @ Nov 8th 2007 10:51AM]

Where on earth do you get "no playlists" from? i'm listening to a playlist on the Zune software right now, and i'll be sure to sync it to my Zune later just for you.

[brad77 @ Nov 8th 2007 4:40PM]

Wow, KC. That was FUD-tastic.

[Simo @ Nov 8th 2007 8:43AM]

Wasn't the whole rumour about it having to be docked for the wifi-sync to work debunked ages ago?

[timatl @ Nov 8th 2007 8:40AM]

i am excited about the new player and interface.

[qwerty @ Nov 8th 2007 8:41AM]

@KJ
Ummmm you know you can wireless sync w/o a dock. Right? Sure you did. You would let that fat head of yours stop you from actually researching a product. Right?

[Neebs @ Nov 8th 2007 8:42AM]

If they add xvid/divx support unexpectedly, it is a purchase for me.

[Homeboy @ Nov 8th 2007 10:17AM]

They'll never do it. Those a piracy formats and MS want to keep the movie studios happy.

[Rususeruru @ Nov 8th 2007 11:30AM]

If you dig around long enough you can find ways to get those formats on the Zune... I want to say the WMP11/Zune hack will do it, but no guarantees

[Neebs @ Nov 8th 2007 6:09PM]

Homeboy - Why do you think I want those formats?

[KJ @ Nov 8th 2007 8:47AM]

@qwerty, unless they changed it you can not wireless sync without the player beeing in the dock. If they changed the Software since the first preview i have seen then i take back what i said.

[jhakmail @ Nov 9th 2007 4:37PM]

I believe it will only auto sync when it has auxiliary power so it does not drain batteries unexpectedly. I'm pretty sure you can make it sync manually though as mentioned above.

[DeoWulf @ Nov 8th 2007 5:00PM]

There's a 'sync' feature on the menu. MS did a terrible job clarifying this. If it's docked, it will auto-sync with your Wifi. If not, you must MANUALLY sync it. That's the difference.

[Trent @ Nov 8th 2007 8:48AM]

I am happily getting the new red Nano for Xmas which I believe the Apple's 8G are far cuter than the Zune ones coming out.

However, if I was going to get an 80G player, I would no doubt choose the Zune over the Classic simply because of the size of the screen, the premium earbuds, and the fact that they are revamping their Zune Marketplace for much more goodies.

[melloncollie @ Nov 8th 2007 8:54AM]

Cuter?

[DeoWulf @ Nov 8th 2007 5:06PM]

Haha some girls in my class once said a pot of spaghetti was cute... you never know. Some people might actually be enamored to the looks of inanimate objects.

[Will @ Nov 8th 2007 8:57AM]

@KJ
The wireless sync does not require it to be docked. When you are within range of your network, you can manually kick off a sync. When plugged into external power (not necessarily docked), it will kick off an automatic sync on its own.

This rumor was debunked on Zune Insider a few days after it started.
http://zuneinsider.com/archive/2007/10/03/wireless-sync.aspx

[blade417 @ Nov 8th 2007 9:05AM]

behold


the squircle

[KJ @ Nov 8th 2007 9:12AM]

@Will, thanks for clearing that up. I take back what i said then. Did not know about the manual sync.

[gluefactory @ Nov 8th 2007 9:17AM]

Rushing out? Really?!?!? You might want to tell them to just Rush out to their local target Zune was was such it hit it's on the Red Sticker Clearance isle. Or they could just wait and buy it on woot for a third of its price as retails try and unload the unholy beasts.

[Rususeruru @ Nov 8th 2007 11:34AM]

Apple Fanboy Go Away, Come Again Some Other Day. Leapord Blue Screens By The Way. Apple Fanboy Go Away!

anyway don't hate on the Zune my man, just hope that iPod adopts a similar UI on the player. And if you're using a Zen or w/e you should be thankful that Microsoft is trying to shift the DAP market away from things like "Oh I got a Creative Zen iPod."

[Rich @ Nov 8th 2007 9:39AM]

Dear Microsoft,

Please release this product to the rest of the world. I've had three iPods but I'm growing weary of Apple and their fanyboys. Their motto used to be "think different" but now it's turned into "if you think different to us, you're thinking wrong". I want a good alternative to the iPod and currently there is none.

Yours, Rich

[touristique @ Nov 8th 2007 9:42AM]

How helpful of them to title the box with the color inside. You know, for those who can't see the color of the Zune directly below it...

[Rat Bastard @ Nov 8th 2007 3:31PM]

Maybe you're color blind and buying one as a gift? I'm just saying, is all...

[DeoWulf @ Nov 8th 2007 5:06PM]

Hahah, see the guy near the top who was like, "It says green, but there's a gold Zune inside". That's why they put the colors on there :P

[Ricardo @ Nov 8th 2007 9:59AM]

Go Zune. Zune 30 and 80 FTW!

[Guzzie @ Nov 8th 2007 10:14AM]

@KJ

"@Erwos, second gen maybe, but still no playlists, a shop that needs you to convert currency into MS points, useless wireless with sync feature that only works when docked (rofl), no seamless playing and many more design flaws.
"

Are you serious? Zune DOES have playlists. I don't know where you're getting your information, but it's largely inaccurate.

Please point out the "many more design flaws" for me. I'm actually curious what else is so bad about the Zune.

[3monkies @ Nov 8th 2007 10:34AM]

garbage…

[silverblackvoid @ Nov 8th 2007 11:14AM]

r u talkin bout urself?

[3monkies @ Nov 8th 2007 4:21PM]

wow… pure genius. do u work for microshaft? go away.

[SteveMB @ Nov 8th 2007 5:05PM]

Do you work for Apple? PLEASE, go away and play in the street.

[3monkies @ Nov 9th 2007 7:24AM]

by the way I don't even own an iPod, just because I dislike microsoft shit, doesn't mean I'm an apple fanboy. what an !d!ot…

[widgetware @ Nov 8th 2007 1:34PM]

Don' take me wrong no fanboyism, but am I the only one who thinks that the box looks like the one of the iPod?
Like they took the style of the box and zuned it. I believe it's even the same font.

Have a nice day.

Btw rating people down because they don't have your opinion is not very " think different ", on BOTH sides.

[Drew Page @ Nov 8th 2007 1:39PM]

hard to believe that people choose this Microsoft garbage over the great audio/video players out there. No, I am not referring to just Apple. Both Creative and Sandisk make awesome players, as well as Samsung. Maybe instead of 5 people buying the Zune, they will make it up to 10, haha!

[mwells @ Nov 8th 2007 2:02PM]

haha what an original joke, to imply that only a small handful of people actually own a zune, you are truly a delight. :)

PS: get worms

[DeoWulf @ Nov 8th 2007 5:09PM]

Zune is a bit more reliable than Sandisk. I've known quite a few people who use them, and had one myself, and the thing didn't last a year. It was also glitchy and froze. The Zune is reliable and solid, which is something consumers either think about consciously or subconsciously.

I've never had a Zen though, but it seems small, and the UI doesn't look too hot. Zune's UI is one of the best on the market, and now they're improving it.

[fuzz @ Nov 8th 2007 3:21PM]

Quick question- with the new Zune, can you sync it up with more than one computer? I know Apple limits you to one computer, but I couldn't get a straight answer about the Zune from anyone at BB. Thanks!

[touristique @ Nov 8th 2007 3:53PM]

Apple only limits auto-sync with the iPod. If you manage your iPod "manually" with the check box in iTunes then you can use as many computers as you like. For music anyway, not contacts etc.