120GB Zune slips past the FCC

Craving some more room for that season of Avatar you've been trying to cram onto your Zune without dropping your Mega Carrie Underwood Workout Mix? It looks like Microsoft is one-upping its 80GB model with a 120GB version, which just blew by the FCC, and should allow all your media to live in harmony. As might be expected, there's not much other than that new hard drive to set this new model apart -- the drive size is the same, as is the 2.5 firmware. The FCC tested this out on June 19th, which helps us exactly none in pinning when this will ship to stores, how much it will cost, or how they'll ever top those Joy Division designs.

[icepop4who @ Aug 18th 2008 2:40PM]

whatever happened to the touchscreen zune? at least give us 160GB... it's too unimpressive

[Darren @ Aug 18th 2008 4:01PM]

Touchscreen? Well, one would think they'd have do something about the underpowered Zune Desktop software first, but I guess that's not needed as long as serious music fans continue to stay away from the Zune.

[WixosTrix @ Aug 19th 2008 2:20AM]

that would be a next gen device genius, this is obviously a new model for people who need more space. i like to carry lots of movies on mine so that i can watch them with friends at their place or wherever. very useful.

[fanman @ Aug 19th 2008 3:31AM]

Yeah, coz I really enjoy the touch screen on my iPod classic.

Douche...

[computer.dude.28 @ Aug 18th 2008 2:42PM]

will battery life also be improved? The 160GB iPod touch has 10 hours more battery life for music than the 80GB.

[reuvypoo @ Aug 18th 2008 2:50PM]

Where are you getting a 160GB iPod touch? I wants.

[BluesK1d @ Aug 18th 2008 2:54PM]

Arent all iPod touches flash based? Can't compare battery life on flash based devices to ones with hard drives.

[Flashpoint @ Aug 18th 2008 3:00PM]

As much as I love microsoft, their treatment of the zune and the xbox360 are perfect reasons I can see why an Apple fanboy would hate them.

Xbox360...no built in wifi...no web browser. Even if I were to ignore the lack of a web browser, for Microsoft to not build in a wifi and sell a damn $100 wifi adapter is insanity. What's worse is that that part NEVER got cheaper and its still up there in price. Even when they redesigned the Xbo360 they never built it in. Meanwhile lowly wii and Ps3 came with it built in. PS3 was expensive, but Wii isn't...how much are they actually charging you for a built in wifi?

ZUNE....pathetic.

Microsoft releases it with a crappy wifi share stupidness - Sansa releases their DAP with built in Wifi and the ability to connect to the internet radio. So what does Microsoft do? They redesign it, make it smaller, but never give it a wifi that can do anything worthwhile. That zune song share bullsh*t was here and gone in a split second. Then Apple comes out and puts Safari on their iPhone and their ipod leaving Microsoft in the dust.

Microsoft has no idea how to make a good product.

[Dan Halen @ Aug 18th 2008 3:07PM]

@Flashpoint

Does any reasonably intelligent person at Engadget NOT think you're a total jackass?

"As much as I love microsoft..."
"Microsoft has no idea how to make a good product."

Don't try to avoid grills by playing both sides of the field. You can't love a company that you believe makes nothing good.

[sinai @ Aug 18th 2008 3:07PM]

flashpoint: i like how you threw in "as much as i love microsoft," to push your anti-microsoft agenda. everyone knows you only post on engadget to stroke steve jobs.

[Quix @ Aug 18th 2008 3:51PM]

@ sinai:

Sounds like *somebody* hasn't been reading Flashpoint's posts. He does a lot more Ballmer stroking than Jobs stroking.

You're getting your fanboys mixed up.

[Saad Rabia @ Aug 18th 2008 3:23PM]

@ Flashpoint: I own an Xbox 360 and a Zune 80, and I can't agree more with you. I mean it pisses me off every single time I think about the lack of the expensively-sold-alone wifi for the Xbox 360 and the crippled useless wifi in the Zune! I seriously haven't used the Zune's wifi ever, except for once to try how fast sending a file was to my brother's Zune, other than that it is very very very pointless addition. I use wired network for my Xbox 360 machine, which ease up my pain when I think "What kind of harm would it get to Microsoft if they build in the wifi and have a web browser in their next software update??".

I swear sometimes I feel like going to Microsoft's R&D department and kicking the crap out of every single stupid copy-cat brain they have in there; If they only check out the ideas posted in thousands of online pages, they would be creating some of the most advanced gadgetry in the world, all for the same or less price of competing devices! God dammit.

Why do you, Microsoft, need to be so stupid?! In the Arab world we have a saying that urges "If you do a job, perfect it"; Microsoft is definitely doing lots of jobs, but they always ruin some of the most obvious and easy parts in their productions; it's like there is a specialized team to make sure everything that comes out of Microsoft has some crippled feature for the sake of it!

[d @ Aug 18th 2008 3:28PM]

I'm jealous. I ran out of room on my iPhone White 16GB last week (and did, in fact, end up deleting Avatar in to save the Carrie Underwood). But a 160GB...

[Decoy @ Aug 18th 2008 3:49PM]

As much as I love you Flashpoint...

[computer.dude.28 @ Aug 18th 2008 4:53PM]

CLASSIC! Sorry, guys.

[WixosTrix @ Aug 19th 2008 2:33AM]

As much as I love Apple.

$10 just so i can write notes on my iTouch!!!

[Tiptup300 @ Aug 24th 2008 10:22PM]

Also, I would like to address the xbox 360 web browser "issue."

I have a ps3, i've used the ps3 browser once to find it doesn't support a certain free suggestive website. I haven't used it every after that.

[heshmati4 @ Aug 18th 2008 2:43PM]

So this year the Zune is only getting a spec update?!?!

Microsoft really needs to do something with that crippled Wi-Fi... Let us do MORE! Like surf the Internet???

[Dan Halen @ Aug 18th 2008 2:46PM]

You really want to surf the internet on your Zune? Because I can't imagine ever doing that, or even wanting to do that.

[Patrick @ Aug 18th 2008 2:51PM]

there's nothing saying that this is the yearly product update, is there? remember their marketing strategy with the original zune and zune 2. they kept the first one around after the release of the second. perhaps this is just a slight refresh to the 2nd gen line that will still be around when the 3rd gen comes around

i've had my zune 2 for about a year now and love it. personally, i don't really feel like i'm missing anything with the zune the way it currently is. doesn't mean they can/should sit. it'd be a little disapointing from an product line point of view if they don't unveil a zune 3 this year.

[Macha88 @ Aug 18th 2008 3:56PM]

We all know the only reason anyone wants portable browsing is for porn. So face it, youll just have to stick with downloading it for the time being.

[Jonathan Sundy @ Aug 18th 2008 4:20PM]

I believe it's been rumored for months now that there was not going to be a hardware change this year.

I figure we're getting a hard-drive upgrade and they're bringing the software to the mac.

That's my bet for this year.
I was kinda hoping it would be 160GB over 120GB though :/

[Tiptup300 @ Aug 24th 2008 10:37PM]

Control wise the touchpad would work for a web browser. It also has 16mb of ram, and would have a beefy 120gb hd for caching pages. It wouldn't be a technical impossibility, it would just be stupid!

[amdou @ Aug 18th 2008 2:43PM]

120!!!!!!

[Dan Halen @ Aug 18th 2008 2:47PM]

Worst comment of the year!

[Saad Rabia @ Aug 18th 2008 3:36PM]

@ Dan Halen: If by "comment" you mean "display picture", then you my friend, are a winner.

[Nate @ Aug 18th 2008 2:45PM]

That's a crazy amount of space. Hard to tell from the photo but it looks about the same size as the 80gb.

[MrFairladyz @ Aug 18th 2008 6:30PM]

it looks shiny, psp2000 style

[Wolfticket @ Aug 18th 2008 2:49PM]

I think that if it was not for Microsoft's epic bank balance and shear bloody mindedness the Zune would have been killed off quite a while ago.
Surely it hasn't taken anywhere near the position in the market Microsoft would have hoped.

[Abuzar Baloach @ Aug 18th 2008 5:30PM]

Yeah and they could have quit with the Xbox too.

Microsoft knows how to make something profitable.

[Radiation @ Aug 26th 2008 1:06PM]

Abuzar Baloach
"Yeah and they could have quit with the Xbox too.

Microsoft knows how to make something profitable."

You idiot, Microsoft has lost billions of dollas on Xbox 360. Zune hasn't earned them a dime either.

[Zach Sears @ Aug 18th 2008 2:49PM]

Everyone should have all three seasons of Avatar on their PMPs. It is the greatest show ever.

[Richard @ Aug 18th 2008 2:59PM]

...or not.

[Eric B. @ Aug 18th 2008 2:50PM]

AW! I was hoping of OVER 9000GB!!!!!!!!

[Blaine Oliver @ Aug 18th 2008 2:54PM]

That joke is lost on many people...

[Phoenix @ Aug 18th 2008 3:40PM]

And those that get it think it sucks

[eiki @ Aug 18th 2008 8:37PM]

made me lmao, OVER 9000, heheheheheh

[Jonathan @ Aug 18th 2008 2:51PM]

Wow. Never thought I'd regret buying my Zune 80. Ha.

[grull27 @ Aug 18th 2008 2:51PM]

And this is supposed to compete with what? There's already a 160 gig iPod Classic, Microsoft. Maybe you should've done a Zune touch.

[Ordeith @ Aug 18th 2008 3:24PM]

That fat looking ugly piece of crap called the iPod classic?

no thanks.

[grull27 @ Aug 18th 2008 3:31PM]

The Zune is almost twice as fat as the iPod Classic. lol

[steven @ Aug 18th 2008 3:36PM]

That is what this is competing against...

[thatrotierkid @ Aug 18th 2008 3:49PM]

"Dimensions:

* iPod: 2.4″ x 4.1″ x 0.41″ (67.2 cm^2)
* Zune: 2.4″ x 4.25″ x 0.5″ (85.3 cm^2)"

source: http://blogs.zdnet.com/Burnette/?p=394

if your going to support a product, at least know what your talking about.

hint: 0.50/0.41 < 2

[ALCie @ Aug 18th 2008 3:56PM]

iPod Classic 80GB - 0.4in in depth
Zune 80 - 0.5in in depth
iPod Classic 160GB - 0.6in in depth.

You cant mean width... they are exactly the same. Hmm, weight? Nope Zune is lighter. And its taller too! Taller, lighter, sexier... I could be talking about a woman, but nope.

I do agree that Microsoft should release a iPod Touch competitor, no matter the cost. Its longer list of features just make it that much more appealing. Unfortunately I dont think they will this year and next year will be too late. Prove me wrong Microsoft...

[zip22 @ Aug 18th 2008 5:36PM]

I like your creative rounding, AlCie. The 160GB ipod is really 0.53"

[Backlin @ Aug 18th 2008 8:37PM]

Okay, just putting this one out there, zip22.

If you wear tight enough girl-pants to where .03" makes a difference, it's time to think about getting a bigger pair.

I'm glad the Zune is getting a hard drive update though. Although you can really easily do it at your house.

[Alec @ Aug 18th 2008 2:52PM]

yay more avatar...

[Rask @ Aug 18th 2008 2:55PM]

Is it just me or does the nav pad look different?

[Johnny @ Aug 18th 2008 3:26PM]

No... its got a Glossy front plastic cover rather than the matte front on existing 80's. 80's never get smudges like that ¬_¬

[NeoDarkSaver @ Aug 18th 2008 2:57PM]

looks pretty good, if the price stays at 250ish, it should become a pretty good competitor on the market.