Blue & red Zune 120s available just in time for the holidays
It looks like Microsoft's trying to reel in shoppers not only through price cuts this holiday season, but by introducing some new colors as well. The folks up in Redmond have just made blue and red versions of the socializing little PMP available on its Zune Originals site. Prices start at $249, and the company suggests placing orders by the 19th to ensure delivery by Christmas Eve. Sure, It may not be a Gears of War 2 special-edition, but it's definitely an alternative to black. So if you've been looking for something to give that special someone -- and nothing on our guide matches your style -- be sure to hit Microsoft's site to check out all your options.
[Via zunerama]
[Via zunerama]



















wait wait wait....blue?
i like the blue version its not apple but looks good enough
But still not in Europe.
Ughf.
Who's buying these things?
(I love bill)
Who cares about the color? I just want them to go back to using the same finish they did on the 80Gig. This glossy finish is so annoying to clean all the time.
happy America day
Yawn..who cares
Nice. Possibly my next PMP if things stay as they are.
Won't be mine if things stay the way they are...
Send the damn Zune to Europe already!
Um how bout the iPod. Its been using the trackwheel for like 4 years
I would if they sold it in the uk.
Or anywhere in Europe, really...I wonder why they can't manage to at least offer it in their new online store for the people how know it exists. Shouldn't really cost them all that much that way...
if you have friends in the US you can get them to ship it to you, only problem is no zune pass :(
I might do that, but to me Zune pass is what makes it awesome.
@L:
It's the content licensing that's keeping it in North America. I learned a tiny bit about licensing via my job and can tell you that having a device to be able to share songs (even if they can't find many people to share them with) and have a subscription model that now allows users to keep 10 tracks per month permanently really complicates things. When licensing something so complicated, you basically have to single-handedly deal with almost every single record label in every single country. And sometimes you even have to handle this type of deal with individual artists: i.e. Remember when Zune first launched, music by The Rolling Stones were far more restricted than most other artists. They probably had to go back and deal with RS individually to get a plan resolved.
I can only guess that licensing content for the Zune would be total hell. It takes months, sometimes years to put those deal together. Keep in mind that the iPod doesn't have song-sharing nor a subscription service (yet) and I'm betting that the licensing headaches are part of it.
And just think, Steve Jobs feels that licensing Blu-Ray is "a bag of hurt..."
Perfect gift for zune guy
Actually I think funding his tatoo removal plus a membership at a gym would be the perfect gift. A bonus would be a back razor...
Nobody else reply to iEye's comment. In fact, let's just never reply to his comments and let them stagnate with low-ranked ratings.
S-t-o-p S-p-a-m-m-i-n-g
The iZune? Who's ripping who off now!
Wait...since when has a trackpad been used for a media player?
The ipod trackwheel only works in 2 directions, while the zune is a full trackpad, like on a laptop (see the new starship game yet?)
and stop comparing it to an ipod touch, thought that was already settled a while ago
Seriously Engadget - give us an ignore feature already!
You have anything to back up your comments, iEye?
i think you have some kind of a problem, like an Apple-illness or something like that...really
So, shall we give him a Zune then?
Zune? Microsoft still making those?
Children? Your mum's gash still making those?
Thread-crapping? People still doing that?
"ipod trackwheel only works in 2 directions"
Plus play/pause, forward, backward, menu and center click. In reality both are equally functional and it is a simple a matter of preference. Personally I prefer the iPod's scroll wheel, but that might have something to do with the fact I've been using it for 6 years...
Does that make buttons outdated.
Ah, I wish there was Zune software for the Mac....
Hey Mactards who keep complaining about the Zune Software not available on Macs:
It's called bootcamp... the same program you all use to boot any Windows program!
Get off your lazy arses and get it and quit your belly-aching will ya?
Do you know how awkward it is to boot into another OS to sync your PMP.
I LOVE my Zune, but if I had a Mac I would just get an iPod.
@ Abuzar Baloach
Hey, you know how awkward it is to have to tell someone their a Mactard? You MacFans insisted on buying into this closed system called a Mac - now live with it. While the rest of the world hums along on Windows, you wanted to be "cool" on your little niche market PC. Welp, if you think it's so "awkward" to boot up a second OS - you really shoulda thought of that before you bought the damn thing - 90% of the world's software isn't written for you so at some point you would have to need it (duh). As for me, I'm happier than a toad in water with my Windows Vista (*gasps* yes, I said that) and my Zune Software which starts quite nicely!
So go get Boot Camp if you want the Zune Software - or go get an iPod. Let Jobs sucker you in (try to tell yourself he hasn't already), and then bend you over trying to get music on that thing (or go steal the music... equally honorable). I'll just pay my $15 per month and get my monthly 10 songs to keep forever (not to mention the other services such as Channels, Picks, etc.) on top of unlimited (safe) downloads!
Uhh, I have a Custom built Gaming computer and a Dell Studio running Vista...
Oh and I got my Zune 30 the day it came out and the Zune 80 the day it came out.
ENGADGET, PLEASE BAN iEYE!
This guy is the most Apple-worshiping fanboi alive!
AND WE HATE FANBOIS!
his comments are always low-ranked. Don't just ban his username, ban his IP from ever trolling engadget again! please, for the love of god (and us who actually like the Zune, like myself).
He gives apple fanbois a BAD NAME, and that's pretty hard to top.
If there should be a good feature engadget should add, it should be community petition ban, where you get up to 75 or more (maybe 50) community users of engadget to sign in to a petition (you see what I did there?).
THEN we can ban iEye! Please engadget, do one of these two!
@ Thatonekid
The iPod USED to use a trackwheel (where it physically moved), then in the 2nd gen they introduced the Touch Wheel (without buttons), then at 4th gen they introduced the Click Wheel. It doesn't rotate around, like a trackwheel.
People still like to use the Click Wheel for its simple design and functionality.
Are these Zunes the 3rd generation, I thought the 2nd gen Zunes had silver outlining the pad whereas 3rd gens had color matching rings around the pad?
While the new models of Zunes "called" Zune 3.0, the software is what really got the overhaul and deserves the v3.0.
These Zunes could be better characterized as Zune 2.5 'cause all that really changed was the capacities. And BTW - the Black Zune is the only one to have the ring the same color as the device.... this was apparent when Zune 3.0 was released and there were these blue, red, even WHITE Zunes embedded in the software...
For more on the WHITE Zune 120 - go here: http://www.zuneboards.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=584&Itemid=1
I just bought a black 120 a few weeks ago :( I like the blue one...
Oh, and Zune software is the best music software I have ever used. It has alot of stuff that reminds you of Pandora, and alot of the stuff that iTunes tried to rip off and call their own, in true Apple fashion.
iEye, you are a virgin.
Go kill yourself, as nobody likes you or finds you funny. I bet you sold your apartment and car to buy a macbook and iPhone, just so you could go into starbucks to show them off to the little kids who think they're mature drinking coffee.
BTW, how is a trackpad dated? If it is so dated, then why does apple use it in their notebooks? The trackwheel isn't any better, it's much worse especially when you're trying to select a song and you have to move your fingers slowly.
And on the price difference, the ipod classic costs exactly the same amount for the different storage amounts, yet for some reason the zune has a higher resale value on ebay, amazon, etc. I wonder why?
You wouldn't want to block his username or ip, those can be changed quickly, just block the email address (which can also be changed), but after awhile it'll get tiring.
There really just is no good quick and easy way to block annoying people online.
dude i seriously hope you come to engadget's holiday party in new york. we'll give you a holiday present.
My entire filmmaking class consists of mindless iTards. If Apple would fix their community, I would consider buying one of their products.
If you think iEye is bad, you should see the idiots in my class. They dont even know what GPU stands for but they think their white plastic macbook can run COD4 better than my gaming desktop...o_o
@ Craig
I was referring to only the touch functionality, because otherwise, the zune also has up, down, left, right
In my opinion the zune is easier to use just because of the back button. I still haven't gotten used to pressing menu on the ipod, and not pressing the backward button
w00t, love how the games and updates all work on my Zune 30! ty microsoft!
Screw iEye, let's go after Ocean (clak)
MS please oh please include premium earphones with the Zune 120!
on the site it does say they include premium
well on zune.net it says just headphones, but in the zune store it says premium headphones. so i guess if u buy online you get them.
If I get an iPod as a gift:
I would be angry because I hate this crap
Then I would be happy cuz I can sell this crap
Then I would be angry because nobady wants to buy this crap at full price
Then I would be happy cuz I get to buy a DOS shirt
Yeah no joke, I have an ancient Zune 30 and it is so dope that I can update it to be just like the new ones. Apple would force that dough out of their customers by not allowing update between models. Plus Zune Pass is the SHIIIT! You pay 15 a month, get unlimited music, and you get to keep ten songs a month forever. Sounds like a way better deal than Apple Store.
So you think paying 175 bucks per year for unlimited music and you ONLY get to keep 10 SONGS is a good deal? lol pathetic
Matt....
10 songs per month for one year...
10 songs X 12 months = 120 songs by the end of the year yours to keep.
the difference goes to the unlimited music ( $5)
$5 x 12 months = $60 for unlimited music for a year.
Where as itunes, each of those songs cost you $1. so if you get 15 songs a month. it cost the exact same as a zune pass for a year.
Pathetic?
I just bought a Zune120 with Original Art on the back. I must say, it's awesome! I've been using a Zune30 for over a year and a half, and I've been really happy with the device!
Very simple to use. The software's evolved into a very usable piece, but there's always scope for improvement. Sound quality is amazing! Battery life is still awesome! It still gives me 4+ hours of playback after all this time.
My old iPod's battery degraded really fast! When I took it to the Apple Store for checking up about the battery, they said that it worked for 3 hours in their lab-test. Compare that to my day-to-day 20 min battery life, and it was enough to sway me away from the iPod.
All in all, I'm very happy with the Zune!
I found that my iPod mini fell to about 3 hours (from 8) in about 2 years, but my 3rd Gen Nano lasts for days and days of reasonable use and I've had that for 18months (give or take)
At the end of the day, it playes music and I dont have to re-charge it often at all. Its all I would ever really need from a pmp...
can we have a poll to ban to see if people want to ban iEye, Clack, and Fusion?
The last time I entered into an Apple store, I felt like I was in a cult commune. I despise the way Apple fans obediently follow Job's every word then spread out across the Internet to spread that word.
Even when I like Apple products, I can't bring myself to buy one for fear I will be associated with the creepy unquestioning tech-cult to which this guy belongs.
That tells it all...
http://www.wayodd.com/head-up-your-ass/v/4735/
Meh, as for me I gave up on zunes when Microsoft wouldn't return me a new one after the screen broke because of the battery pressure. I'm not really into ipods, but I hate poor customer support more. Had to buy myself a shuffle because It was the cheapest at the time, and now I actually like it because I don't even use itunes. And for everyone who believes the zune's screen can't break from the battery, you guys probably didn't get a zune when they first came out.
You are mad that the screen broke so you buy a model with no screen? What?
odd. ive had a friends zune 30 mess up ( she dropped it and the HDD failed) and she got hers replaced within a week without asking for receipt. ive had my zune 30 since a week after launch and now its my fathers. still kicking.
@maveric101
did you forget about jubei? I swear if I had all his comments on one page I could make a java program that writes comments nearly identical to his.
Somebody suggested that iEye is a Microsoft plant for the purpose of making iPod users look like idiots.
I don't know which is harder to believe: that MS is that smart, or that iEye is this stupid.
YES! i was waiting for the blue 120. come to papa!
Just switched from iPod to Zune, and loving it.
The iPod was getting stale and very dated. The Touch looks OK, but... $400 for 32 GB :( ...get real !! I need more storage than that.
The Zune software and Zune social was an added bonus, both take some getting used to. But are well worth a little time for a much better experience.
Now that I have used them, even if I was keeping the iPod I would still use the Zune software and social. They blow iTunes away.
I recommend that iPod users give them a fair try, and the zune pass is a great deal. All the music you want, and10 songs a month that you OWN, not like the rip off songs from iTunes that only play on their stuff.
I agree. The Zune is very good. I only have an iCrap Classic because my Zune 30 blew out on me.
Welcome to the club, JDM. Soon people will see the light, and transcend the cultural stagnation that Apple products have given us the past decade.
If only they would start to advertise the Zune some more...
I would if they only brought it out in the UK!
In that case, CLAK, I'll get you one, and iEye too.
@iEye
Well at least you & the other iTards are consistent. I'm sure you understand.
I'll buy you one, CLAK.
Hahahahaha... TERRIBLE COPY, microscrap. Way behind my iPod touch.
Two questions:
1. Why isn't iEye Low/Lowest Ranked yet?
2. Why are we talking about click wheels (he was talking about the iPod Touch)?
3. Ah, shucks... I only get two rhetorical questions.
I love my Zune 120. I bought the Black one in October and it's been my best friend.
Having access to the Marketplace and ZunePass in Canada would be great but to be honest, I use the thing more for podcasts and audiobooks on the commute to and from work and the occasionnal TV show from my Vista Media Center during my lunch hour at work.(I've watched most of "The Sarah Connors Chronicles" Season 1 and 2 on my Zune)
That YouTube vid was funny.
I bet iEye Jacks off to his own comments while Steve Jobs tells him what to buy.
it's ok to type "shit" iEye.
Captian Obvious: "That's pink, not red."
People actually buy Zunes? Lmao....
The iPod rocks in everyway that matters.
What's a Zune?
Come on now iEye, There was no need to start all this IPod v Zune shit up again.
What? Zune stills around? With Zune business unit continues to lose money, it is a matter of time before Ballmer will unplug
the unit for good.
That's exactly what happened to Dell DJ! Zune business unit will be shut down if the economy continues to deteriorate.
Then you can go to ebay and get it for $1. :)
Arrg! Here is a DJ for 99 cents on ebay. :)
http://cgi.ebay.com/Dell-DJ-DJ20-5GB-5GB-Digital-Jukebox-MP3-Player_W0QQitemZ250337442526QQcmdZViewItemQQptZOther_MP3_Players?hash=item250337442526&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1234%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A0%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50
How the screen compare with the itouch/iphone one??
With Miscreansoft inability to innovate, the Zune "me too" player will have to endure the ridiculous painting jobs to encourage sales. At least with the iPods, the addition of colors isn't merely slathering crayola inspired colors on the device, the chromatic colors are stunning to behold. The fecal inspired Zune colors, are bland and the same old same old. Good thing MS can afford to continue and waste untold millions of dollars on this device. Most ethical businesses would have killed this laughable endeavor by now. MS with their golden goose of a monopoly firmly in place, can afford to continue making a laughing stock out of themselves and users who are fooled into buying this junk of a player.
what is wrong with this guy? Almost all of his posts say "me too" in them.
lol
Like baby blue, and hot pink, and puke green, and some other "stunning" colors, right Jubei?
Poor Zune God. As I've stated before your narrow field of vision extends to your brain. Apples use of chromatic colors is entirely different from your "me too" Zune use of crayola quality paint jobs. No matter, it's best you don't understand. Stick to basic rudamentary things suites you best.
Hey Jubei, if you're going to try to speak eloquently, you could at least learn to spell properly.
Er... So what you're saying is that you have Stools that are bright blue, and bright red in colour?
Man, you should see a doctor, I'm concerned about your health.
please m-soft, give us more color options and colors on both the back and front, and new technology, and I'm a zune user until apple pays me to use their products....
holding onto my red zune 30 until something really, really, good comes out.
How would u compare this one to the Archos 5 series? The price tag is different but just to watch movies and listen to music, does the Archos have a lot more stuff?
Is it me or does the Anti-Anything-Apple types sound like a cult? Waiting for their daily baits by iEye
I just got a black ZUNE 120, coming from my 3rd broken IPOD 5.5 30GB ( 2 broken HD's, 1 broken headphone jack) and I must say I love it- I almost got a 80 so I could get the blue and premium headphones, but I really wanted 120. Guess I'm taking it back and exchanging it! I wish the white 120 came out also.
and to all the Isheep on this site:
1. The Zune is way better the then the classic 120- better screen, waaay easier to navigate and the UI is amazing with the twist interface. You guys should actually use it before talking so much shit, you just make yourself look lame and stupid in your attempt to come off as the "cool apple guy". Also In two weeks I have had it I have had so many people in my classes and at work ask me about it.
2. The Zune software owns Itunes. I only really liked itunes because of cover flow, but that got lame and it really slows your system down at 70gb of music. I started using the zune software before I got the zune and that is really what did it for me, it just works better, looks better and is easier to use. I don't have the zune pass yet but I will be getting it since I have read so many great reviews on it.
3. All these people talking about bad customer service havent been to a damn apple store with a problem- my first ipod had a broken hd, I drove 30 mins to the apple store since they said the would swap it out over the phone. I get there and they act all douchey and ignore me, then I wait in the 10+ person line of other people with broken icrap, get to the front and the dude tells me he cant help me because I have to make an appointment with a "genius". Even though Im there already, even though he admits he doesnt have another appointment for 5 mins. tells me to go to apple.com. I make an appointment, drive back the next day, it cost me money I didnt expect to pay, the new one breaks 3 months later, I have to pay for a new drive, then the headphone jack goes out a couple of months later- the ipod goes out a car window.
lastly, stop comparing this to your beloved ipod touch- oranges vs. overpriced apples. the 32gig cost $400 dollars- a 120 would cost a grand. thats a good media player, a horrible music player. it still uses itunes, and who wants a $400 dollar mp3 player they use daily that can break if someone looks at it funny.
While most of the stuff you say is valid, there is one thing about the screen - the iPod's screen is the same res. as the Zune's, but since the Zune's is bigger, the res. gets stretched out a bit. Still, the larger screen on the Zune (to me) is preferable, as it's a bit easier to see what's going on in videos.
I just bought a 120 three days ago. I would have liked the red but it really doesn't matter. I love my ZUNE i have had a 30GB for well over a year and use it in my car, I have a a high-end stereo in my car that sounds great with my ZUNE and a few of my friends have i-pods that we have used in my car too, all three of the different series i-pods we used had a very high pitched squelch and when bass hit at high volume it distorted with the i-pods and that has never happened with either ZUNE. Just to test we put the same song at the same bitrate on both devices.
The ZUNE pass is great to say the least but recently there have been a few DRM issues and two of my favorite albums have been changed to buy album only, but it is only petty compared to how much music that is available.
I am not a fanboy in any way both devices are nice but if you are going to use your device in your vehicle on high-end aftermarket hardware the ZUNE seems to be the way to go. Plus ZUNE pass and software kicks ass. I have not liked iTunes since day one.