Flash Zunes mysteriously disappear from Zune site
By Nilay Patel 
posted August 11th 2009 2:36PM
posted August 11th 2009 2:36PM
[Thanks, Nathan]
posted August 11th 2009 2:36PM
A look back on popular stories from today in a specific year.
Now that we've thrown 'em off the trail, use the form below to get in touch with the people at Engadget. Please fill in all of the required fields because they're required.
Why not just go all flash?
Too expensive for large storage versions.
Why bother? Apple hasn't gotten rid of the classic just yet. And eventually both companies will stop selling them as the stocks die out.
Flash costs a lot more than HDDs when you get to the much larger sizes.
They can't go all flash because it hasn't been 3 years since the high capacity inexpensive 32GB ipod touch came out. Microsoft can only do things Apple did at least 3 years ago, so prepare for the 2010 Zune Touch and the Zune Phone 3G in 2011. It will be epic, maybe they can raise their market share from 3 to 5%!
Ya, and maybe Apple can do the same for their Mac OS share one day...
The Flash Zunes are in limbo...
Holy crap.
Wait, what? I just went to zune.net and they're still there for purchase...
396 and 418?
They are still avilable at the Microsoft Store:
http://store.microsoft.com/microsoft/Zune-8GB-Blue/product/E062F607
Throw in a quick pointless comment just cause you think you're first.. Fail, Mark. Fail.
Anyway, I definitely won't be missing that ugly shade of green.
... When I went to this article and posted this, the first comment was already there, and I had already read it. My point behind it was that this was totally unexpected(at least that it would happen so soon).
RioRyan, what is your job again?
@Saad Rabia
Occasionally I get easily annoyed by little things. I apologize. Carry on!
Abra-cadabra!
Hmm.
I wonder when we're hear about WinMo integration?
I installed the Zune software for the first time yesterday and I was impressed. I'm looking forward to it syncing to my phone.
Nice icon!
Noo! Not the Zunes that could've been great had their screens extended all the way to the device's edges!!
still on the main page:
http://www.zune.net/en-US/mp3players/default.htm
Yup, I still see them in there as well.
The BUY link goes to retailers. No flash Zune are available through the Zune Store.
Correct, also it looks like clicking the "add" link takes to the microsoft store now (http://store.microsoft.com/microsoft/Entertainment-Zune-8GB/category/30503). So it looks like this is nothing more than that zunestore.net is closing and microsoft store will take over.
can wait for the zune hd.
zune hd? or touch pro 2?
does it matter?
A quick zen question for you all.
If an MP3 player noone buys dies, does it make a sound?
Pssh, no biggie here. I'm getting the 120 soon, because I want a lot of storage space!
Same here! I had a Zune 8 for a while and ran out of storage for my music so I switched back to my 80 GB iPod. I realized how much I liked the Zune after the switch, but I'm waiting/hoping a price cut will come for the 120 pretty soon. It probably won't happen, but I can always hope.
they're on the main page but gone from the official store. So you can't buy them anymore from microsoft but they're on the regular site because amazon and retailers still have them.
Actually you can buy them from microsoft from their regular site too. You just can't get them from Zune Originals.
They took them off Zune Originals as well!
http://www.zuneoriginals.net/
I hope they still have plenty for Warranty purposes. I got my Wife a Zune16 Pink and the screen blanked in a couple of months and I had to send it in. Since it was an Original they sent a BRAND NEW Pink 16GB back with the same inscription....figure it was new because they essentially sent the same packaging as when I bought it brand new including the USB cable, earphones, manual, etc....not like when my Zune 30 was replace they just sent a refurb in a sleeve....
Expected. Question is, MS still needs a model for $199 or under (based on the previous ZuneHD pricing rumor).
Expect the 120 for $179 or $149
My 30 is still going strong, but I can't wait for my 32gb HD next month!
Wait! If you click on the "Zune Players" thing on the home page it shows all of them. But when you click on the Zune store and look for them they are gone. Also there is now a blue and red Zune 120. But the red one is hidden with the flash Zunes and the red one is without to flash Zunes. This is really confusing.
I messed that all up. Just go here and see for yourself:
https://zunestore.net/us/catalog/Devices.aspx
http://www.zune.net/en-US/mp3players/default.htm
Please continue the HDD version and I hate touch screen.. flash mabe in 2 or 3 years (120gb).
The amount of money Microsoft has lost on their Zune effort so far must be just staggering.
It'd probably be negative since, despite not selling as well as iPods, Microsoft has still sold several million of them.
MS lost a lot of money on the Xbox as well. But now it's paying off.
I hope this form factor doesn't go away. As great as I think the HD will be, the nano and flash based zune form factor are so much more ideal for working out(at least for me). It always looks funny when I see someone jogging with a touch or classic strapped to the arm.
still not officially available in europe so don't care ... i hope zune hd will make it over the ocean on legal ways
Can you please change that avatar?
Well, I guess I'll wait.
The latest look at the zune HD UI, video should have been longer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_WPdg6zUeE&eurl=http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/08/11/hands-on-with-the-zune-hd/&feature=player_embedded
Ya, I sent them a tip with that a bit ago.
I think the avatar perfectly describes him ;)
I could use a close out sale for some flash Zunes.. Need to replace my craptasitc 1GB nano that I have attached to my bicycle.
Seems totally bizarre that they would eliminate their low-cost option completely. With the Zune HD costing less than we expected, maybe they should drop the Zune 8 to $99 and keep it around as an entry level, even if they decide not to keep the Zune 16 anymore. I have a Zune 8 and it's a pretty great MP3 player, it would be the best low-cost option on the market at $99.
I have a 8GB also, and I love the thing. I'll have a tough time convincing the wife I need to upgrade to a Zune HD, but I'll give it a shot.