Flash Zunes that disappeared from the Zune site reappear -- is someone toying with us?
By Laura June 
posted Aug 13th 2009 10:22AM
posted Aug 13th 2009 10:22AM
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Man...screw these bitches...its the Zune HD we're talkin about here.
You can bank on a price drop on these when the HD hits.
Im thinking they might be getting ready to discontinue the flash Zunes in favor of the Zune 80 and 120 for a future firmware update. The 80 and 120 are capable of a lot more and getting rid of the older Zunes would reduce the limitation on what can be added to non-HD zunes.
Someone over there at Microsoft might accidentally removed the *predecessor* product, because I think Microsoft cannot afford to loose the lower-end of the market as well.
Maybe something is still under Microsoft's sleeve, worth imagining... ;)
"The 80 and 120 are capable of a lot more..."
No, they're actually capable of almost nothing more.
PS: Probably best not to push your Zune website in the same comment in which you make false claims about the Zune hardware.
ZuneSpring is my website actually and I back him on this one. I think the flash Zunes are going to have to go... just my opinion though.
Your opinion? I was, as I said, talking about this:
"The 80 and 120 are capable of a lot more..."
Your opinion on what has to go wasn't the issue. Tell your comment advertisers to check their shitz before they make your site look stupid. Then again, pushing it on Engadget already did that.
Loving this news, but I don't think we really care about the old zunes, let the other non educated individuals buy those up.
Back to uncovering more HD Zune goodness.
it's called free advertising, congrats your being used
DING! DING! DING!
Give that man a Kewpie doll.
Kinda like an electronics store advertising a 52" HDTV for $9.99 and then going "oops, that's not right but here's a coupon and since your in the store ANYWAY why not look at some of our other WONDERFUL merchandise"
The Flash models have been removed from the Zune Store and Zune Originals, but not from the main Zune site.
Zune Store: https://zunestore.net/us/catalog/Devices.aspx
Zune Originals: https://zunestore.net/us/catalog/customize.aspx
Zune Site: http://www.zune.net/en-US/mp3players/default.htm
So I guess they're still available from retail outlets but not from Microsoft itself. Except for the Zune 8, which is indeed available from Microsoft, but via store.microsoft.com rather than zunestore.net.
Some interesting things I noticed at http://www.zune.net/en-US/mp3players/default.htm
If you click the "Shop online" link for each model, you're given a choice of online retailers. I noticed that some K-Mart and Amazon are totally ripping people off.
MSRP for Zune 4 is $100, but K-Mart sells it for $150.
MSRP for Zune 16 is $180, but Amazon sells it for $330.
MSRP for Zune 80 is $230, but Amazon sells it for $368.
MSRP for Zune 120 is $250, but Amazon sells it for $350.
If you click the "Buy Now" link for each model, then for Zune 4 and Zune 16, you're given the same list of onine retailers that the "Shop online" links give you, but for the rest of the models, you jump to a page where you can buy it from Microsoft directly.
Clicking "Buy now" for Zune 8 takes you to store.microsoft.com for your purchase.
Clicking "Buy now" for Zune 80 takes you to zunestore.net for your purchase.
Clicking "Buy now" for Zune 120 is broken. It goes to zunestore.net, but you get a "This model no longer available" message. But you can buy a Zune 120 from zunestore.net if you go to zunestore.net directly (rather than through the "Buy now" link at zune.net).
Good catch. They haven't reappeared then, this person was just looking at the wrong site. O.o
Yup. They were never gone to begin with!
I just hope we get the Zune sometime soon.
Then I can re-assign my iPod permanantly to my car.
Hah, I'm going to be using the Zune HD in the car a lot for the HD radio.
pink zune!
this is project pink fellas... bow down!
Maybe this is Project Pink ? : http://www.mobiletechworld.com/2009/08/11/microsoft-project-pink-to-be-unvieled-on-september-9/
Um.... I don't see them on the Zune Store... Are the gone again?
OOOOHHH. There's the pink! This is much better than other new Zune.
They aren't there on the Zune Store, but they've always been available via online retailers like Amazon, and stores like Wal-Mart and Kmart.
I wonder how much $$ Microsoft is paying Engadget for their latest entry into vaporware MP3 products. You'd have to be quite the M$ Zealot to buy one of these pieces of crap
Not as much as you would have to be a zealot for calling a product that exists vaporware. and seriously you still use M$ as an abbreviation? I mean really that doesn't make your comment seem biased at all. Then again my comment is biased i happen to own a Zune site and like anything that Microsoft puts out that is of good quality.
I think, if Microsoft were smart, they'd keep the Flash Zune's
You could get rid of the 16gb one - replace that with the Zune HD. Drop prices on the 4 and 8 and 80 and 120. They need something to compete on the lower end of the spectrum and I think getting a 4 or 8gb Zune would eat up sales for similarly priced iPod Shuffle. I realize the 'needs' for the shuffle might be different - but still, people who look at price and capacity might still go Zune looking at the fact that you would get more with a Zune 4gb than a Shuffle (screen, tactile controls, built in wifi, etc)
So, you'd have the following sizes:
4gb Flash
8gb Flash
16gb Flash - Zune HD
32gb Flash - Zune HD
80gb HDD - Zune 80
120gb HDD - Zune 120
That would make sense to me - but, I don't work for Microsof - so, who knows, right?! LOL
As of now, I see it as this
Zune 4, 8, 16 - Competition to the iPod Nano. Similarly priced, small end market for people who want a screened player with songs, and maybe occasional movie playback.
Zune 80, 120. Competition to the iPod Classic. HDD player for those who want to carry their entire discography with them.
Zune HD 16, 32, Competition to the iPod Touch. A touchscreen player that has broad functionality with access to the internet and other applications.
There's no real competition to the Shuffle from the Zune end. Maybe the Zune 4, but really, the Shuffle is designed for screenless in-pocket play. I'd say the best competition for a Shuffle would be the Zen Stone or even the Sansa Clip. (Both of which are better simply due to the price. That shuffle is just outrageously priced for it's competition, and I have never seen anybody using the new voice-activated shuffles. Either due to the voice interface, or the price. Or, the fact that for a little more, you can get a screened player with way more functions.)
I really hope Microsoft keeps the non-touch Zunes in the market, because I still think there's a good demand for them, and it fills in the space for the 'low' end of the market.
People will still want PMPs that can hold a lot of storage, which is the 80 and 120, and there will also be people that still need a PMP for their small library, and there's where the 4 and 8 come. Also, not everyone is into touch functionality, and would prefer tactile controls that they can depend on more. Not to mention the cheaper cost, compared to the touchscreen Zunes.
However, according to my buddy, I think Microsoft might actually phase the non-touch Zunes out...
I tried one out in a Best Buy, and that screen is TINY.