Microsoft: 'June 2009 will be an important month for Zune lovers... hold off from buying an iPhone/Pre' Update: It's a hoax
By Thomas Ricker 
posted May 12th 2009 4:27AM
posted May 12th 2009 4:27AM
June 2009 will be an important month for Zune lovers.Then as a followup to the barrage of questions received, @officethemovie adds,
New product launch, that's all I'm allowed to say. Hold off from buying an iPhone/Pre.Naturally, we're expecting the launch of the Zune HD and/or the unveiling of project Pink. Whatever happens, the month of June is going to be historic with Apple's WWDC scheduled to kick off on June 8th and the Palm Pre rumored for release on June 5th or June 7th.
Update: It's worth mentioning that the big E3 gaming expo kicks off on June 2nd (press events on the 1st) -- could be important if there's any truth to the new Zune HD supporting some form of Xbox game integration.
Update 2: Sadly, it's all a hoax -- but it was fun while it lasted.
[Via Neowin, thanks Anthony S.]
iPhone v3, Palm Pre, Nokia N97, Samsung i8910 HD and potentially project Pink all released within a 2 month window. 5 companies, 5 big hitters.
The winner will be.... no-one. The video games industry has already seen what happens when releases all come at the same time (i.e. Christmas). Everyone eats into each others' limited marketshare and end up spending many times more on advertising than would normally be neccessary.
The N97 stands out.
The N97 might stand out to you, but you're reading Engadget. It has no mass appeal, unlike the iphone. I'm not being a fanboy here, but the mass public will choose the iPhone because at this stage in time, the brand has so much traction. Thats why when I step out at sloane square tube station, i'm surrounded by a sea of iPhone-checkers.
@bdav
You're saying that Nokia, which sells over a million phones a day, has no mass appeal? You might want to visit continental Europe or Asia before saying something like that.
Aaron - Dumbphones don't count, and don't forget that the iPhone is a single device. Nokia is a company that makes many devices. There is no single Nokia smartphone that stands up to the iPhone right now in terms of popularity or market share.
@Zak
Aside from the N95 that is.
LOL! You're a bickering little girl looking for an internet forum fight. Have fun.
Well I guess you got me eh ;D
Unless this turns out to be a hard disk based PMP/phone I have no interest. This is exactly what has kept me away from the iPod touch and any other touch screen PMP - the capacity just isn't up to scratch (well, maybe the 32GB one is, but the pricing is ludicrous).
last word. Last word! LAST WORD!!
I tried an American colleague's Zune80 and was pretty impressed. Agreed a more international launch would be nice.
I still have interesting memories from opening my first Windows Mobile device, the Orange SPV. Brings back a tear to my eye when i think i had to snap on a camera attachment for picture taking. I loved the fact I had IE, Media Player and Outlook, in a phone. Those were the days.
Would Microsoft be better served by making just software available, or should it enter into actually having a branded device, like a Zune phone for example?
It's really gonna take a lot to put me off buying a Pre (assuming O2 get hold of it in the UK) later this year- I've currently got a Zune80 which I love and my last 2 phones have been WinMo, but the Pre looks head and shoulders above them.
Heres to hoping its WinMo based - Give it a couple of weeks after release and everyone over at xda-developers will be rocking zune-enhanced TyTNs - Thats assuming MS don't sell it to current winMo users anyway.
...and then I randomly butt in...
One thing that the zune has that APPLE is stupid (yes STUPID) not to include is the little known thing called FM radio, why the hell does apple not give us fm radio Mmmmmm, it is because they are all controlling & love being in control.
I'm sorry but isn't the iPod the best selling MP3 player? Given this the likely answer to your question is that Apple does not includes this because it is not a demanded product feature. You may have to simply accept that you want something that few other people do.
I completely disagree people buy a ipod because of the user interface ease of use & itunes ease of use, people can live without a fm radio but would prefer the CHOICE, thats the problem it the word CHOICE it would only cost a few pence & not much room to add.
I had a mate at the BBC Radio1 big weekend UK & the majority had mobile phones/ipods they all used then to take photos & listen to the radio of the acts they could not see apart from the Iphone/Ipod users.
People who REALLY want FM radio on their ipod will buy the FM radio tuner attachment that has been available for years.
This ought to be really special in order to take some of Pre`s momentum...
Dear Microsoft,
The clock is ticking. If Apple does indeed produce the expected iPhone enhancements that I am looking for in June then I will buy one if you have not produced anything better. If you fail to do this then don't complain. Certainly I am not going to wait on some vaporware.
Please note that I don't live in the US and therefore your product had better be available internationally, just like everyone else's.
Yours sincerely,
Kelmon
PS. Tick-tock...
Oh yeah, vaporware.....wtf is with you people around here? How is there vaporware involved? Please, tell me the examples of MS vaporware.
Windows Vista. Yes, it eventually arrived but many years late.
Look, what we have here is a vague "tweet" about absolutely nothing. Given this, give me one good reason why I should base a buying decision on this article? You'd have to be mad to wait just because some anonymous person at Microsoft says that something is coming (which might as well be the Microsoft Vacuum Cleaner since there are no details). Wake me when they at least announce a product...
@Kelmon
Is this the same 'waiting for vapourware' that adherents of the iPhone have been practicing since 2006?
Just askin'.
I am sorry. It's been a long day and I don't understand your question. You are comparing this "tweet" to what, precisely?
@Kelmon
Well you're not going to wait on some 'vapourware' from MS whilst in the past being perfectly willing to wait for the next round of 'maybe/maybe not' from Apple.
Sauce for the goose, no?
Well, no, I don't think so. We pretty much know exactly what is coming from Apple and Palm next month based on both press releases and "leaked" details. Palm has been trotting out details of what they are releasing for the past few months whilst Apple had a full press event for their iPhone OS 3.0. What we've had from Microsoft is the sound of crickets. As I said, for all we know this mysterious product is going to be the Microsoft Vacuum Cleaner. A cynical person may interpret this "tweet" as a panicked response to try and dissuade people from buying a new iPhone or Pre...
Besides, I am quite sure that Microsoft will only release whatever it is to the US market since they don't seem to know that the rest of the world exists and require people to buy stuff from their store in silly MS Points.
why the hell did i buy an iphone 3g in January?
Who would like to buy a red iphone 3g?
anyone?
I'll give you $200
$220 from me ;)
Red? Meizu M8, anyone?
I see Microsoft is really innovative as usual.
I've had that a number of times recently with Engadget. Usually I'm sufficiently dismayed that I don't retry the reply. The first time this happened (recently), however, I attempted three times (at least) to reply, all failing the same way.
I completely disagree people buy a ipod because of the user interface ease of use & itunes ease of use, people can live without a fm radio but would prefer the CHOICE, that’s the problem it the word CHOICE it would only cost a few pence & not much room to add.
I had a mate at the BBC Radio1 big weekend UK & the majority had mobile phones/ipods they all used then to take photos & listen to the radio of the acts they could not see apart from the Iphone/Ipod users.
Here, we go....
I predict a tegra powered HTC Star/Firestone running Windows Mobile 7/Zune software as the 'Zune Phone'
Probably miles out, but its fun to guess....
Gahh..that should be HTC SuperStar, it even looks kinda like that Zune HD....
http://www.mobilehornet.com/wp-content/imagescaler/5dccadf35147e729b6ccfb6c590d01da.jpg
Yeah, if it's a phone then I'd expect HTC as the ODM as well.
I would love if it was made by HTC because Ii find their phones to be well build, but why would Microsoft use an "off-the-shelf" HTC design when they just bought Danger a few years ago? I mean I know danger does not do the actual build, but they did design most of the sidekick phones.
I'll never go back to using Windows mobile again. It freezes all the time and sends constant worthless notifications. I would kill to have my old palm phone back again.
IT'S the TEGRA PHONE. If it ran DOS or even Norton Commander, you would be a total idiot not to go back.
http://www.nvidia.com/object/mobile_games_demos.html
Fuck yeah Norton Commander
I dont think either the pre or a new zune phone would put a dent in the iphones sales, i mean the iphone has been out ages and i have yet to see anything out or coming out that would make me want anything other than an iphone... i mean, jesus how hard is it to come out with a better product...
Ok so you will just assume that no one will buy anything over an iProduct because YOU don't want to?
What is better for you?
They got the nerve to tell us to hold off on iphones and pre purchase for their product....when we don't even know what the thing is. How about you bring it out before apple and palm if you want our attention. Else crawl back into the hole MS.
Yeah, those worthless fuckers, having the nerve to tell you something like that.
I hope they die!!!!! All of them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GAWD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dont they know who we are? We are messageboard posters! And we say NUTS! to them!
fucking bastards! I'm so offended.
Now do you feel better?
butt secks!
Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeessssssssssss!
Give me a Zune with A2DP support! My brownie is really showing it's age.
I would pay $300 for a Zune with mini-HDMI (at least 720p out) and A2DP.
One hundred times +1. My brownie is old and need a replacement too!
I don't know about anyone else's luck, but my iPhone has gone into restore mode twice (crashed). My Zune on the other hand has been going strong since day one, and this is an original 30G Zune so its old by todays standards. I might add my 3 PC's running Vista (2 of them 24/7 since Vista has been out) have never had a single crash. So I just don't see where peoples anger at MS's products come from.
I love to hear Zune my have improved even more. This is good for the market.
So, what is the reason Apple fans HAVE to hate MS products, is it in an EULA when you buy a Mac or something? I prefer just buying whatever product I want. I love my iPhone, but I love my Zune as well (I do however wish it was brown).
Regardless of what your preference is... Microsoft, Apple, or some other dev... this had better be good. Real good.