Zune 16GB and 120GB boxed in the wild?

We can't verify the claim, but we have no reason to doubt the authenticity of this picture taken of Microsoft's new 16GB flash-based Zune 16 and FCC approved, 120GB Zune 120. It's not the backstory we find so solid, it's more the thought that some lonely soul is busy Photoshopping Zune rumor images on a Friday night -- an ennui so black we could not possibly fathom. Oh and the French? Zune's in Canada remember, blown-up international and the source country of this photo.

[who? @ Aug 30th 2008 1:59AM]

Ugh. News? Yes. Important? No.

[Cerberus @ Aug 30th 2008 2:19AM]

Ugh. Comment? Yes. Important? No.

[Flashpoint @ Aug 30th 2008 2:29AM]

Here's a great comment for me to get a nice low rank - not that I care.


MICROSOFT HAS NO IDEA HOW TO MAKE A GOOD DAP.

Apple has beaten them so badly, its incredible.

I wrote a review praising the ZUNE a long time ago. I criticised the lack of a good wifi component for it.
http://www.epinions.com/content_279002975876

Apple comes right back around and releases the IPod touch and the Iphone. BAMMM Microsoft...your DEAD.

How is it that the largest, most powerful company in computing could go so wrong in so many ways? How could they let Apple get this far, this fast when they clearly have market manipulation on their side?

I am getting so sick and tired of Microsoft's stupidity that I can see them declining in the future just like America's has declined over time in the face of renewed threats from Russia, China and the world stage. POOR LEADERSHIP = POOR STRATEGY = FAIL

[z3r0D @ Aug 30th 2008 2:31AM]

You'd be shitting your pants if there was a in the wild shot of a 240GB (or whatever) ipod classic.

[heshmati4 @ Aug 30th 2008 2:44AM]

Come on Microsoft! I don't want crippled wi-fi! Let me do more! Not just share songs! That was a waste!

[Darren @ Aug 30th 2008 3:02AM]

You can tell there's a lull in regular news when the Zune starts making appearances. But don't worry, new iPods are coming on Sept 9th.

[erhan @ Aug 30th 2008 3:03AM]

@ Flashpoint

Poor Commentary = Poor Intelligence = EPIC Fail !

[nicko.dvz @ Aug 30th 2008 4:02AM]

@heshmati4 - and those who high-ranked the comment:
see, i want to rage at people like you, so i will.
ZUNE'S WI-FI DOES NOT JUST SHARE SONGS!!! FOOL!
you can sync wirelessly with your PC and play multiplayer games. HOW THE HELL IS THAT CRIPPLED WI-FI???

ok. finished.

[nicko.dvz @ Aug 30th 2008 4:06AM]

@heshmati4 - and those who high-ranked the comment:
see, i want to rage at people like you, so i will.
ZUNE'S WI-FI DOES NOT JUST SHARE SONGS!!! FOOL!
you can sync wirelessly with your PC and play multiplayer games. HOW THE HELL IS THAT CRIPPLED WI-FI???

ok. finished.

[nicko.dvz @ Aug 30th 2008 4:07AM]

the engadget commenting system makes me want to kill myself.

[nicko.dvz @ Aug 30th 2008 4:09AM]

the engadget commenting system makes me want to kill small children. this may be a double post too.

is it so hard to add a delete button?

[Heshmati4 @ Aug 30th 2008 4:12AM]

nicko.dvz

Sorry it doesn't share songs, it's worst! You can only listen to them three times.

True, the Zune allows to you sync via wi-fi. (I will give you that one)

Other than those too, wi-fi is completely useless. No internet and no wi-fi music store (like the Touch and Sanza Connect)

[Derry Quinn @ Aug 30th 2008 5:16AM]

Anyone see the jpeg distortion around the 16GB/16GO black/Noir text?

Pity, i liked this news.

[WixosTrix @ Aug 30th 2008 5:46AM]

its been said time and time why there is only a 3 play rule...it would be against the law to do it any other way without permission, which is pretty hard to get it seems like.

and doesnt "crippled", in this case, usually mean that something is actually capable of features but someone disabled said features. to my knowledge the zune has never had internet capability...so how could it be crippled? correct me if im wrong.

[fanman @ Aug 30th 2008 5:53AM]

It always pisses me off when people go "OH ZOMG THIS NON APPLE HAS NO TOUCH SCREEN/WIFI!" as though it is in anyway connected whatsoever. This is a rival to the iPod nano, and as such should not be expected to have touch screen and wifi as standard. The fact that it has any wifi at all is a bonus point.

What are you going to criticize it for next, not having as much memory as the classic? Not having the form factor of the shuffle? Not having as quick a 0 to 60 time as your car?

[Stupidiot @ Aug 30th 2008 6:18AM]

@Flashpoint
Say wha? Not only do you bring up a review for an old device (it would be like me comparing the Creative Zen Touch with the iPod Classic), but you assume that the Zune is designed as a competitor to the iPod Touch and iPhone, which is obviously not the case as evidenced by the huge price differences between them. The Zune is a competitor to the iPod Classic, and beats it quite handily in every area except battery life and menu clarity.
Both the Zune and iPod are terrible on the software front, and for that I have always preferred Creative. It's just a shame they've been lagging so far behind with hardware lately.

[StanHSmithy @ Aug 30th 2008 9:33AM]

there are so many better daps than this player

[happy_penguin @ Aug 30th 2008 9:54AM]

@stupidiot

I'm not defending Flashpoint for his rant but I think you miss a point or at least one way his comment could be taken. What he seems to be talking about is Zune as a brand as opposed to iPod as a brand. If it's true that Zune is targeting the iPod classic and not the rest of the line then I think Microsoft may be making a few mistakes. I like what I've seen of the Zunes other than the original brown which I hated. I have yet to try one though.

If you stop viewing Flashpoint's comment as a rant and look at some of the points he is making I think you might see that he has some good constructive criticisms in there. I committed to iPod years ago but I want to see Zune as serious competition for iPod because only serious competition forces companies to do their best.

[OneLove @ Aug 30th 2008 4:43PM]

120GB of Flash?

[sinai @ Aug 30th 2008 4:46PM]

WOW. it just dawned on me...

Flashpoint = Zune tattoo guy!! I KNEW IT!

[xValentine @ Aug 30th 2008 2:00AM]

Wait, they made the Zune 16's front plate glossy now ?

[Tony @ Aug 30th 2008 2:26AM]

The leaks for the 120 earlier this month showed a glossy Zune.

http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/18/120gb-zune-slips-past-the-fcc/

[heshmati4 @ Aug 30th 2008 2:00AM]

I hope it's not true. All it looks like is a storage upgrade.... One year for this??? Sigh....

There's always next year....

[Saad Rabia @ Aug 30th 2008 2:06AM]

I only wish that it was 160 GB instead of 120 GB. Also that glossy finish is not all that bad, until your eyes bleed from the bright lights reflected of both the screen and body.

Microsoft... Microsoft, what's wrong man? you were heading to the right way, what's going on now?

[Kelmon @ Aug 30th 2008 9:13AM]

Yes, 120GB seems a very odd choice in drive capacity given that its primary competitor has had a 160GB version available for a year. Why Microsoft voluntarily ceded a competitive advantage to Apple is quite beyond me.

[happy_penguin @ Aug 30th 2008 9:56AM]

I don't know if this is true but it could have everything to do with cost of a larger drive and a desired price point. Bigger isn't always better when it comes to projecting sales.

[PynkFloydd @ Aug 30th 2008 4:12PM]

The 120gb hard drive might have something to do with contracts and their suppliers. I was looking for replacement 1.8" drives and you'd be surprised how little is out there (especially in mini-SATA). Hard drive speed, interface, etc. could have also been a consideration when they picked the drive.

I'm with you on the glossy part. Not good... The matte finish on my 80gb Zune is still perfect and I've dropped it a lot. It's also a perfect match to my Thinkpad.

[410 @ Aug 30th 2008 4:15PM]

It's easier than that. 160GB disks with the form factor of the 80GB disk of the Zune doesn't exist, the 120GB is the larger drive that fits in the case of the zune... The 160GB iPod is larger for that reason.

[Michael @ Aug 30th 2008 2:13AM]

what's a "zune"?

[fanman @ Aug 30th 2008 2:27AM]

Some MP3 player from North America apparaently.

[nohone @ Aug 30th 2008 3:25AM]

A Zune is a media player that has more features than a "Classic", has a better UI, has easier to use software that does not try to backdoor install trojans such as Bonjour, Mobile Me or Safari, does not catch on fire, has better sounding audio, has a bigger screen, does not require you to be an attention whore to own one, does not have a restrictive EULA keeping you from developing programs for it, allows developing programs for it for free, does not require a ass-backward programming language to create programs for it, does not need to have the device manufacturer approve your program to distribute it, the device manufacturer will not arbitrarily pull your program because they don't like it, has better sounding headphones, does not require non-standard headphones, supports more audio formats, supports more video formats, does not arbitrarily block competing formats (even if the hardware supports it), offers automatic syncing with recorded TV shows and movies, offers music sharing, offers wireless syncing, has FM radio, does not have a cumbersome "click wheel", doesn't break the day after the warranty expires, does not have that fat ugly guy as the #1 fan, offers firmware updates for earlier versions of hardware to give it new features.

And those are just a few things I can think of in just a couple minutes, and there are many more...

[Hesh @ Aug 30th 2008 3:55AM]

Get a life nohone

[Kelmon @ Aug 30th 2008 9:06AM]

It's a fair question. Why, in 2-years, is this device not available outside the US? Does Microsoft really not want our money that much? I mean, it's not like there aren't competing devices available throughout the world that we could buy instead. It's rather immaterial at present discussing whether the Zune is better or worse than Product X since you can't buy one anyway.

[Konrad @ Aug 30th 2008 3:39PM]

nohone, that is false. You obviously forgot about Zune Guy.

[Zeus.:God @ Aug 30th 2008 8:55PM]

Kelmon, it's available in Canada.

Konrad, Zune guy isn't Zune guy anymore. He's gotten the tattoos removed (I believe) and has ended his obsession.

[Zinger314 @ Aug 30th 2008 2:13AM]

I can't wait for Zune Guy's reaction to these photos!

Oh wait.

[Jon Doe. @ Aug 30th 2008 2:13AM]

OK they have the hardware. How about a good update. Starting off with going to an actual rating system instead of that Heart thing which is a complete joke.

[smithlis @ Aug 30th 2008 2:16AM]

people actually use rating systems?

[Jon Doe. @ Aug 30th 2008 4:14AM]

It helps me sort through my 9,000 tracks. I have a few hundred 5's. A few thousand 4's. Another few thousand 3's. My FG's stuff is 2's. And 1's are relegated for tracks I find corrupted for some reason or another. Mark it as a 1, to into iTunes go to my 1's list find the track. Restore from my DLT backup and hopefully the track is fine.

Meanwhile Zune has what? 2 options? Go to any site on the net that does ratings. TV.com, IMDB.com, hulu.com, etc and show me where they have a rating system with 2 options. Life isn't black and white.

[L.M.L.Y.P @ Aug 31st 2008 12:29AM]

Nice, i hope that makes the 8 gb or at least places the 16gb at a decent price range now. GF's birthday is coming up and a nice 16gb zune would be jawsome

[PH0ENIX @ Aug 30th 2008 2:16AM]

I wonder if this will prompt Apple to release a 16GB nano...

[WixosTrix @ Aug 30th 2008 2:21AM]

wow thats a good idea, now apple can copy microsoft...

[fanman @ Aug 30th 2008 2:29AM]

Let's be honest, capacity increases aren't the most original of ideas.

[heshmati4 @ Aug 30th 2008 2:42AM]

Everyone does storage upgrades.

I'm disappointed that the Zune is only getting a increase storage and it looks it has a glossy front now! YIKES!
Maybe something will surprise me on Sept. 9th...

[Cerberus @ Aug 30th 2008 2:17AM]

To be honest people can bitch and moan about how it hasn't been redesigned or whatever, but I'm just happy that theres so much memory compared to other devices on the market.

[)law( @ Aug 30th 2008 2:20AM]

Hmm no mr blurry cam to take the pic.....

[Mitch @ Aug 30th 2008 9:56AM]

You forgot this is more than likely a fan of the zune, most zune fans know how to buy good hardware, including camera hardware.

[alanvalek.com @ Aug 30th 2008 2:30AM]

BFD.

[Znarfaggle @ Aug 30th 2008 2:53AM]

ya know, if this was some shitty random DAP no one would flame it. forget apple or microsoft, what would the reaction be if this was a 16 and 120gb sony walkman, or sandisk, or creative? it would get a posted on engadget, and no one would talk about how it was crap and how sony/sandisk/creative were the worst thing since original sin was invented. so the way i see it, people don't flame the zune because it's as shitty and worthless as they claim in said flames (i have one. it's not bad. it's not awesome, but not bad), but because it's made by microsoft. which in my book makes you as stupid as people who love shit just cos it's microsoft or apple.

sorry, just a bit cranky.

[bertross @ Aug 30th 2008 3:04AM]

Why gloss, why!?

matte is so much cooler & less fingerprinty