Zune 3.0 video blowout with just a hint of Zune phone

You've seen the PR, now check the videos. The zunitedcommunity just posted four introductory videos straight outta Redmond -- three demonstrate the new WiFi Marketplace, buy from FM, and Channel features in the 3.0 firmware while the fourth demonstrates the updated desktop software with new Zune mix, improved Now Playing view, and new Picks view auto-populated to reflect your listening habits. CNET News also had the chance to get some hands-on time courtesy of Zune's Joe Belfiore. Joe confirms that WiFi access to Marketplace only works from hotspots that don't require a browser-based login (duh) while once again hinting at future Xbox and Zune integration since "both stores are based on the same technology." He also confirms that the 3.0 firmware will work with all Zune devices as we expected. Curiously, when asked about accessing your Zune music collection from a phone, Joe responded by saying, "that's another really interesting device that you may someday see us do work on but nothing that we're announcing here today." Funny response since CNET asked him about accessing Zune music from a phone, not a Zune phone. See all five videos after the break.

[Via Zunited, thanks Ryan and Milo]

Video: Zune Fall 2008 Wireless Features


Video: Zune Fall update: buy from FM


Video: Zune Software Features - Zune Fall 2008


Video: Zune Fall Update: Channels

[Evangelion @ Sep 9th 2008 1:35AM]

Awesome. The Zune just keeps getting better and better.

I can't wait for September 16th.

[Flashpoint @ Sep 9th 2008 2:10AM]

Microsoft designing Windows mobile for a "zune phone" would definitely be as good a device as Apple's iphone.

One of Microsoft's biggest problems is that they don't design enough of their own hardware devices and tie it to their own software. Apple does this...that's their strength - the reason their software and hardware perform so perfectly together. If Microsoft built their own device from the ground up, it would be just as good as anything coming out of Apple.

XBOX360 is a perfect example.

[LordFarkward @ Sep 9th 2008 2:42AM]

Wow... I've never thought that I'd ever agree with you, Flashpoint, but I think you're right.

If MS can produce something so versatile such as the WM for so many phones and mostly works (if you don't install everything that's available out there), I'm sure a phone made by MS that is INTENDED to work a particular in collaboration with its software will be awesome.

Can't wait.

[LordFarkward @ Sep 9th 2008 2:45AM]

*INTENDED to work a particular way and in collaboration

[Evangelion @ Sep 9th 2008 2:49AM]

I agree. It would be great to have Microsoft develop something from the ground up. Do you know how awesome that would be? And your right, the Xbox is an excellent example.

[Pavelz @ Sep 9th 2008 11:22AM]

I can't seem to notice a ring with 4 leds on the Zune

[CJ @ Sep 9th 2008 6:05AM]

Flashpoint, I'm quite proud of you. When you first started commenting here on engadget, you were a vicious automaton, defending apple to the very end, without thinking.

But now you're actually putting some thought into your comments, and I think we're all the better for it.


... Unless it's just someone who is using flashpoint's name, in which case, forget I said anything.

[Ermm @ Sep 9th 2008 6:14AM]

Microsoft obviously still don't believe in hiring a designer.

[Neuro @ Sep 9th 2008 6:45AM]

Honestly I don't understand what's this obsession with "if MS did the phone hw, it would be all roses". The problem of Windows Mobile isn't stability because of different hw (it's all mostly the same under the hood anyway), it's the fact the OS is stuck somewhere in 1990s (and I am saying it as current and past user of wm phones, not apple fan boy). If ms designed the hw, it wouldn't make that problem to go away automagically.

It is however true that if MS did they own phones, they might be pushed a bit more to pull their fingers out and upgrade the whole system, since they care more about success of their own hw. As a whole, it pisses me off that there were so many obvious problems with mobile phones' UI 5 years ago and no one cared, until Apple came and did something (typical problem would be calendars and alarms, which pretty much sucked on the different phones for years and years - it's like 90% of the features were/are there just to put a checkbox on the package, and no one really expects them to be used). Then again, I was working in the industry before and given most of the people involved, I shouldn't be all that surprised.

[wtf @ Sep 9th 2008 8:23AM]

Actually, Apple doesn't design most of their hardware. They have design firms and tech companies contracted out to develop these things. Due to contractual agreements, Apple owns all the rights to the design and elements within the new hardware.

[Eric H @ Sep 9th 2008 9:13AM]

They are definitely designing a Zune phone, why do you think they bought Danger. Why else would they buy a phone designer.

[ooglek @ Sep 9th 2008 10:30AM]

The audio on the first video is the crappiest of crappy! Virtually unwatchable. I can't believe in this day and age that people still think that the VIDEO quality is more important than the audio quality.

Audio Craptasticness aside, I'm stoked for the FM music ID, very cool. I'm not a *-Pass $15/month fan, whether it be Real, Zune or Napster, and I buy my music from Russia DRM free, so the Marketplace improvements aren't exciting. Games could be cool, though depends how much disk space used and how much they will cost.

A simplistic web browser would have blown my socks off, though I realize the UI was never meant for the web, nor can I conceive how it would be best implemented. Typing would be supercraptastic! An addon wifi or plugin-to-dock keyboard would do it. They already have the Xbox360 mini keyboard, just do it for the Zune! Add a little tiny nub mouse like on those old IBM laptops.

I'm happy with my refurb $80 30GB v1.0 Zune -- it plays songs, the UI is fine, and it just works. I'd get the 120GB, but only when the price drops sub-$100, because I'm a cheapskate.

[dinghus @ Sep 9th 2008 11:23AM]

@ooglek: "I buy my music from Russia DRM free"

So essentially you pay Russian organized criminals for copies of music where none of the proceeds go to the artist? Why not just torrent them? It's no more of a copyright infringement and doesn't support organized crime.

[riggs @ Sep 9th 2008 11:51AM]

his name is cromag aka cro-magnon man, he still has troubles creating fire and wheels.

[hungry @ Sep 9th 2008 1:38AM]

if u ton on YouTube and type zinephone in and u fat a couple of 20 year old holding up a computer u found an even better video:)

[Hotrod @ Sep 9th 2008 1:44AM]

Exactly.

[Benson @ Sep 9th 2008 1:44AM]

Please go away. Your writing hurts my eyes.

[Le Master @ Sep 9th 2008 10:59AM]

What the fuck?

[who? @ Sep 9th 2008 1:38AM]

Zune phone? Zphone? Zone? Yep. I like Zone. Catchy.

[BlissX @ Sep 9th 2008 1:40AM]

Register the Domain ASAP so Microsoft can buy it from you for millions.

I would, but I'm too apathetic to become rich. :\

[who? @ Sep 9th 2008 1:41AM]

Also- zone.com goes to MSN. Who owns MSN? Yeah. It all comes together.

[Benson @ Sep 9th 2008 1:43AM]

Naw, it'll totally be the Phune.

(Or maybe not: http://www.phune.com/ is taken.)

[who? @ Sep 9th 2008 1:49AM]

@BlissX

LOL- see what I posted at almost the same time you said that? Wow!

[benjitek @ Sep 9th 2008 3:06AM]

I like zPhone

[Sholland91 @ Sep 9th 2008 6:23PM]

please not zPhone, let's not stoop that low. I now make a point not to buy items with the prefix "i", unless it is a vacuum cleaner.

[J-Rad @ Sep 9th 2008 4:13PM]

zPhone sounds french

-"Can you pass me zphone?"
-"No! Im le tired!"
-"Well, take a nap, THEN GIVE ME ZPHONE!"

[Kimatg @ Sep 16th 2008 1:56AM]

I'll go with Zhone.

..now that sounds chinese ;)

[Eric @ Sep 9th 2008 2:02AM]

The zune is getting better and better, saw these videos an hour or so ago on zollotech.com

http://zollotech.com/content/zune-30-update-videos-released

[Benson @ Sep 9th 2008 1:41AM]

"You've seen the PR, not check the videos."

I've shown you your mistake, not fix it!

[George @ Sep 9th 2008 1:44AM]

Holy crap that's awesome.

[Lediur @ Sep 9th 2008 1:42AM]

Am I the only one tired of your mindless comments littering the community?

[Lediur @ Sep 9th 2008 8:56PM]

It appears that the comments I was replying to (Intelligent and Open Minded) have been removed.

Ignore the above.

[Hotrod @ Sep 9th 2008 1:43AM]

This needs mac software!

Everyone keeps talking about how the iPods will look, but to me that doesn't matter if the software is crap. Zune 3.0 software and zune pass sound like a awesome combo.

My 5th gen ipod feels really outdated.

[michas_pi @ Sep 9th 2008 2:11AM]

I'm with you on this one.

I have an iPod classic, which I like very much. While it integrates beautifully with iTunes, I wish I had another choice, like the Zune. It can even be a hack so that iTunes can see it or whatever, I don't care.

It does Microsoft no good to limit their market like this.

[UnixSystemsEngineer @ Sep 9th 2008 2:26AM]

michas_pi:

It does Microsoft no good limiting their market like this?

What are you smoking?

I have no comments as to the quality of the Zune (never used one; haven't bought a new PMP since the Zune was released anyway), but what would Microsoft gain from this? The Zune has a tiny fraction of the Windows-using PMP market. There's simply no way they will get anywhere near that percentage of Mac users who use PMPs. Why should Microsoft devote resources to catering to a few thousand potential customers, when they could devote those resources appealing to the broader market?

It's like the "why write software for the Mac" argument times 10, since Mac users likely are already pro-Apple, anti-Microsoft, or both.

[az_runner @ Sep 9th 2008 3:57AM]

Okay, so I love Apple. I'm going to admit that from the beginning. I am not a blind Apple fan though. I know the Apple Core gets a bit rotten from time to time. With that said....

I own a Zune. My biggest gripe is that I have to boot into windows just to sync it, so I never use it and Windows is an inferior operating system in my opinion and for my purposes. If I had a Mac Zune Player that would rock I would put the iPod Classic in a drawer instead. That is unless Apple has some incredible improvements with iTunes 8 and the new iPods.

A ton of my friends are Mac fans. Why are they all mac fans? It's not because it has an Apple logo on it, it's but because most of the time Apple has more technologically advanced and seamless devices with fewer issues and fewer stolen ideas. We're not stuck on Rotten Apples or Broken Windows. If there is a better technology elsewhere, that's what we'll get. Just not if that means we have to run on a buggy and inferior OS which currently is windows....or vista, or mojave, or whatever it is microsoft is calling it these days. So, give us a Mac Zune Player.

One last thing. The Zune culturally targets a younger demographic (Teens/College Students/etc.), with its "Welcome to the Social" type stuff. Guess what the platform of choice is for this demographic...Mac. (Don't believe it, go walk through any campus and pay attention)

[fanman @ Sep 9th 2008 4:20AM]

Europe soon?

kthx

[Forrest @ Sep 9th 2008 10:36AM]

"fewer stolen ideas"

WhyTF does that have anything to do with it? If a device meets your needs, what the hell does it matter where the idea came from?

I call shenanigans.

[Neal @ Sep 9th 2008 11:06AM]

@ UnixSystemsEngineer - You mean like how MS writes Office for Mac, and has for about 10 years now? The original agreement was for MS to do that for 5 years, but if it weren't lucrative, why are they still writing it?

I'm not saying that they should, or even would be a good move to support Zune on Mac, just pointing out that your opinion of "why wrote software for the Mac" is flawed to some degree.

[hungry @ Sep 9th 2008 1:43AM]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=WRLRjKCGHek
LOL I love this vid

[me! @ Sep 9th 2008 9:31AM]

perfect example of what apple fan boys are. greasy, dirty, hairy, failure hippies who sit around together and touch each other. thanks for posting footage of them in the wild.

[bob @ Sep 14th 2008 4:08PM]

So, did the Zune team ever decide to put unicode on this thing? I'm so tired of seeing boxes in the place of the title of my japanese songs.

[PynkFloydd @ Sep 9th 2008 12:29PM]

It doesn't sound like there's specific mention of it. The good news, if you put it into the "Wishlist" section of Zune.net it might end up there. A lot of the improvements seem to come directly from user suggestions.

I'd guess that they're not in a hurry to include it because they're only selling the Zune in North America now. Maybe we're the beta testers?

[Kenneth @ Sep 13th 2008 12:01AM]

This looks so awesome

I'm gonna get this update as soon as it hits

[Ben @ Sep 10th 2008 9:47AM]

Wow with this new update the zune just dommed the ipod. I wouldn't even think about getting an ipod now!
Zune has finally hit its prime.

[Brian @ Sep 9th 2008 1:51AM]

the software is now actually quite good
it used to suck with importing music and editing info but now it works just fine sooooo yea
the zune 80 is fantastic and destroys ipods buddy

[who? @ Sep 9th 2008 1:52AM]

Judging by the supposed new iPod Nano design, the copycatting goes both ways...

[Alex Padilla @ Sep 9th 2008 1:53AM]

Man, I was just about ready to purchase a Zune in hopes that the new software would make it compatible with Macs.

On one hand, I am depressed that I can't have a Zune. On the other, I am optimistic that one day, just one day, I will be able to use this wonderfully crafted PMP.

[ooglek @ Sep 9th 2008 10:37AM]

Just get VMWare Fusion or Parallels, and run Windows XP virtualized on your mac. Works just fine. Annoying, I realize, but at least you could have a Zune. I admit to being an Apple fan boi, well, ok I just like Apple's products, but I own a Zune because the iPod costs more because of features I don't care about, like iTunes OTA and iTunes DRM and iTunes TLA. Sure, the iPod lineup are (is?) sexxxy too, and the Touch is practically a MID which I would pay for since nothing else exists like it. But the plain iPod just doesn't do much more than a Zune when it comes to playing video, audio and pictures. The UI is better, but the UI isn't bad enough on the Zune to make me pay more.

When it comes to laptops though, yeah, I'm an AFB.

[travisvn1 @ Sep 9th 2008 2:01AM]

And by copying you mean the buy from FM feature, or would that be the wireless sync feature? Maybe your talking about the 720 dpi video output they are copying. I know, I know you believe Apple invented the PMP just like Al Gore invented the internet.