Zune 2 on Tuesday?

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com)

BetaNews claims (http://www.betanews.com/article/Microsoft_to_Debut_Zune_2_on_Tuesday/1191256215) that Microsoft will be introducing the Zune 2 on Tuesday.

The second major revision to the Zune music player will introduce flash-based players.
Entering the flash-based device market is very important for Microsoft, as the category is by far the most popular. While the Zune has managed to grab a 10 percent share of the HDD player segment, overall that has amounted to about a 3 percent share of the market in general.
The main design of the hard drive based Zunes are expected to be similar to current designs (but thinner). The flash-based players, however, will measure 3" x 1.25" and look similar to the iPod nano. The flash Zunes are also said to support Wi-Fi and higher storage than competing products.

The new Zunes are expected to be available in November.

Article Link (http://www.macrumors.com/2007/10/01/zune-2-on-tuesday/)

[rdowns]

Just what we all need, more choices.

classic
nano
touch
shuffle
Zune :rolleyes:

[Muzzway]

Nah, it'll be the Powerbook G5. :)

Anyway, I wonder when Microsoft will add mac support, if ever (not that I particularly want a Zune :rolleyes:).

[flopticalcube]

Competition is always welcome. Let's hope they do a better job this time.

[iToaster]

I can never figure out quite why, but Zune just never seemed so attractive. All in all, I have seen one in person, and it was nasty lookin'. One last thing I can't work out, Zune just isn't as catchy as iPod...

[pascalpp]

hooray, i could use a good laugh.

[Luis]

The flash Zunes are also said to support Wi-Fi and higher storage than competing products.


Is it realistic that they can top 8gb and remain competitive with the Nanos? Or top 16gb and compete with the touch? hmm

[twoodcc]

hooray, i could use a good laugh.

yeah for real.

what, now they are copying apple and releasing their products on Tuesdays?

[BiikeMike]

Is it realistic that they can top 8gb and remain competitive with the Nanos? Or top 16gb and compete with the touch? hmm

How much does M$ want to overtake Apple? why not a 32gb open source touch Zune. Sure, they may lose a few hundred million in the deal, but who cares right?

[balamw]

Engadget says Wednesday

http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/01/zune-1-running-firmware-2-1-zune-2-coming-wednesday/

B

[Luis]

How much does M$ want to overtake Apple? why not a 32gb open source touch Zune. Sure, they may lose a few hundred million in the deal, but who cares right?

So this gets me wondering on how much Microsoft wants to risk... But the thing is that if they wanted to risk much wouldn't they have done it with the first Zune? Or did they want to sense the market first?

[yetanotherdave]

But will it still be brown?

[Luis]

But will it still be brown?

Of course!:D That's the signature color don't you see?

[n-abounds]

Brown is the new white.

[monke]

If they look anything like the 'leaked' pictures, they're going to end up looking like a long turd. Never mind the wide ones.

http://www.engadgetmobile.com/media/2007/10/zune-v2.jpg

Have they not noticed that most of the market is going wide?
Geez, long was soo two months ago. :rolleyes:

[manram24]

wow
the zune is a complete copy of any ipod and with never be as good or better than the ipod
the ipod is the top seller and will stay on top of the charts for as long as we live

[Porco]

I can picture Microsoft taking a really Apple-like approach to this announcement.

-Steve Ballmer, in tight-fitting turtle-neck.

-Polished powerpoint presentation telling us how much of the market (*for plays beginning with the letter 'Z') Microsoft has captured since the first Zune launch.

-"Today we have some new Zunes for you. but you know what, it's all about ADS. ADS, ADS, ADS! Come on, let me her you all! ADS! ADS! ADS!" *takes a few minutes to recover from energetic whooping and general playing to the crowd*

-"Um, so yeah, here's our new Zune ad!"

-Lights dim. The new Zunes appear in a classy sillouette on screen. A gentle hush reverberates around the room as the anticipation of a new, sleek, classy, elegant product becomes, for a moment, a prospect that could actually happen. But then the music starts playing as brightness ramps up on screen:

#Zune - just one squirt and then my heart went boom
Suddenly and we were on the moon
Flyin' high in a brownish sky-y, oh-oh-oh-oh
Bang - just one touch and my media files rang
Heaven called and all the artists sang
Sunrise shine in a midnight sky-y-y, oh-oh-oh-oh

Zune - you chased HDs away-ay-ay-ay-ay
High-igh-igh-igh noo-oo-oon
The flash memory came out to play-ay
The-e-en - my whole wide world went zune
WiFi dancin' in the afternoon
Shadows flowin' as the roses bloom
Lookin' down on a wo-onderla-a-and, oh-oh-oh-oh

Smack - one iPod and I was outta wack
All at once, there was no turnin' back
Oh so far above the brownest star-ar-ar, oh-oh-oh-oh

Zune - you chased the day away-ay-ay-ay-ay
High-igh-igh-igh noo-oo-oon
The flash memory came out to play
Zune -you chased HDs away-ay-ay-ay-ay
High-igh-igh-igh noo-oo-oon
The flash memory came out to play
And the-e-en - my whole wide world went zune

Not just an Apple as we went flyin' by
Faster and faster, we were higher than high
For once in my lifetime, I was finally free-ee
But DRM came back to me!

Oh-oh-oh-oh, zoo-oo-une
You chased Nanos away-ay-ay-ay-ay
High-igh-igh-igh noo-oo-oon
The flash memory came out to play
Oh-oh-oh-oh, zoo-oo-une
You chased Shuffles away-ay-ay-ay-ay
High-igh-igh-igh noo-oo-oon
The flash memory came out to play
Oh-oh-oh-oh, zoo-oo-une
You chased iPods away-ay-ay-ay-ay
High-igh-igh-igh noo-oo-oon
The flash memory came out to play... #

[La Porta]

Well there's two sides to this: if it is flash-based and small, going up against the nano, maybe there (might) be some competition. If it is with a large screen and flash based, but with no touch screen interface, it is a waste of anyone's time now that the iPod touch is out.

[Victor ch]

HAHA

Damm those are fugly, what next a Zune-phone lol :D.


-Victor

[Luis]

HAHA

Damm those are fugly, what next a Zune-phone lol :D.


-Victor

Tell that to these guys (www.zunescene.com) :D

[Wayfarer]

Nah, it'll be the Powerbook G5. :)


AHAHAHAAHAAHAHAHAA!!!! Thanks for that. :D

Zune 2 = major yawn.

[AlBDamned]

Prepare to be underwhelmed!

[Mac OS X Ocelot]

Brown is the new white.

Aluminum is the new white.

[Football1maniac]

Personally, I think the new Service Pack for Vista would be more exciting...Oh well, I guess good 'ol Bill just wants to throw his money somewhere else:rolleyes:

Long Live The One (And Only) Apple iPod!:apple:

[pinksatin]

I just wish the iPod could squirt like the zune... I have always wanted an mp3 player that squirts songs... squirting sounds fun... squirt squirt squirt... Microsoft will never be hip... or trendy... or cool...

[Rocketman]

I for one can't wait.

I am wondering how long it will take Microsoft (one of the largest corporations in the world) to learn it is about hardware/software interface and network features, not hardware literal specifications.

I am betting on over 3 years.

Rocketman

[Darkroom]

Zune 2 = major yawn.

zune 2 = extreme yawn

[Football1maniac]

zune 2 = extreme yawn

Zune 2 = obese yawn to the power of 2:eek:

[Dagless]

I don't understand why MS can't make a good looking MP3 player. Even their software is ugly, Media Player 11? Urgh. I'll take WMP9 if I have to.

And when are they going to launch them outside of the US? I've never seen such a product vehemently held back.

[Clipse79]

Is the zune real? I have never seen one...Figment of my imagination? If it does exist I would love for it to gain some ground on the iPod and go from there...

[pit29]

"zune" ... hmmm ... I think I have heard that word before ... what was that again??

[PuppyLuv]

It's kind of sad to come here and see this.. I love both Microsoft and Apple, and I don't understand whats with all this hate.

Anyway, competition will happen and you never know the Zune 2 *might* be better than the iPod, who knows, but if it is then Apple will have to step up its game and create a better iPod, competition is good.

[amacisbetter]

I am curious to see what Microsoft can bring to the table. I thought the first Zune was a real downer compared to the iPod. Now, with the iPod Touch out and 80BG and 160GB iPod Classics out, I wonder how much more innovative Microsoft is capable of being over Apple. :confused:

[solvs]

I love both Microsoft and Apple, and I don't understand whats with all this hate.

Go read up on MS's history and you'll see. Regarding the Zune, they hyped it so much, as yet another iPod killer, and how much Apple and the iPod and iTunes all sucked. It failed miserably and continues to do so. This is just schadenfreude.

[Stella]

Was Zune 1 ever on sale?

I only saw Zune once in Best Buy. Ugly things.

Brown definitely isn't the new black.

I'll keep my iPod, thanks :)

[Luis]

Prepared to be "Welcomed to the Social!" again!

[Curtis72]

Come on apple.
Give us a FM turner right in the iPod and not some remote thingee.
Also gives us 32GB iPhone and iPod touch.

Now what do except for the Zune 2?

M$ will make it cheaper than the iPods and still lose money on them. Next thing would be more elaborabe games.

Wifi Store? Apple launched there's first.
Larger storage capacity? Apple could quicky got 16GB iPod nanos out in time for Christmas.

[Eidorian]

Dear Microsoft,

If you made it compatible with OS X, you might have my monies.

Seriously...I just need to be able to put my music on it.

~Eidorian

[space1nvaders]

who cares

[Dublo7]

I used to have a Zune, and I really did love it, until it broke when I dropped it.
However, I must say, these new Zunes look hideous.

[synth3tik]

I'm selling my iPod right now....:eek:

[robbyx]

Seriously...does anyone really care?

[Buschmaster]

Has anyone seen a Zune in the wild? I never have....

Now think about how many iPods you've seen in the wild.:eek:

[Luis]

Has anyone seen a Zune in the wild? I never have....

Now think about how many iPods you've seen in the wild.:eek:

Now that you mention that I don't think I have ever seen one, I know one person who has it but I haven't actually seen it. Way to go Zune!

EDIT: and I should add that often she gets laughed at for her Zune.

[Eidorian]

Now that you mention that I don't think I have ever seen one, I know one person who has it but I haven't actually seen it. Way to go Zune!

EDIT: and I should add that often she gets laughed at for her Zune.I've seen two of them. A pink and brown one.

At only took almost a year.

[bloodycape]

Is it realistic that they can top 8gb and remain competitive with the Nanos? Or top 16gb and compete with the touch? hmm

I say MS will go with 16gig considering, Cowon, Creative, Samsung(depending on where you read), Sandisk, and Sony all have 16gig devices that that compete with the Nano.

I have seen 10 zunes, and I am not counting the ones I have seen at BB, CC, or Frys. My roomate got two once his ipod was stolen because he liked the bigger screen.

Personally I would rather take the Zune over the ipod because of the larger screen and what I think is a nicer interface. Then again both are just average players.

[mrkramer]

Has anyone seen a Zune in the wild? I never have....

Now think about how many iPods you've seen in the wild.:eek:

I have seen one and the person who had it was having problems with it at the time.

[elppa]

It has a squircle, which is a new button like a square or polygon with rounded edges, but not a perfect circle. This has a dome underneath so you can push it from any side.

The Flash version comes in a green looks like an old army jeep green.

I think they don't look too bad, especially the flash ones.

Competition is always good. Apple have their strategies and MS have theirs. What I don't like is:

[1] People who will deride the Zune just because it is from Microsoft, regardless of features.
[2] People who buy a Zune just because it's not iPod, regardless of features.

[FiveEcco]

I have never seen a zune in germany. But do we see this stupid microsoft guy again jumping around like crazy?

[Chundles]

OK, get this:

- The Zune and the iPhone are not available for sale in Australia.
- The Zune is US$199, the iPhone is US$399.

I have seen 4 iPhones in Australia, all of them owned locally but I have seen 1 Zune. It's a massive fugly thing.

[deejemon]

*

[Chundles]

Zune 2 should be made of wood, or at least wood laminate, like one of those ancient station wagons nuns seem to drive in the movies. That'd place it into its market.

Nah, Bakelite - like the old rotary dial phones. They'd be an inch and a half thick and weigh half a kilo or more.

Phono out, you'll need a pre-amp to hook it up to your stereo and it puts the pops and scratches into the mp3 files you put on it.

Knowing MS they'd put an accelerometer into it to compete with Apple but it will make the player skip if it's thrown off kilter.


Are you sure? (http://www.mwave.com.au/newAU/mwaveAU/productdetail.asp?SKU=29030086)

Says it's not available and even then, why would you pay $349 for a 30GB player the size of the Zune when you can get an 80GB iPod for the same price.

[deejemon]

*

[Schtumple]

Microsoft really is the biggest monopoly I've ever seen, is there any market they won't leave alone/rip off apple?

[twoodcc]

I can picture Microsoft taking a really Apple-like approach to this announcement.

-Steve Ballmer, in tight-fitting turtle-neck.

-Polished powerpoint presentation telling us how much of the market (*for plays beginning with the letter 'Z') Microsoft has captured since the first Zune launch.

-"Today we have some new Zunes for you. but you know what, it's all about ADS. ADS, ADS, ADS! Come on, let me her you all! ADS! ADS! ADS!" *takes a few minutes to recover from energetic whooping and general playing to the crowd*

-"Um, so yeah, here's our new Zune ad!"

-Lights dim. The new Zunes appear in a classy sillouette on screen. A gentle hush reverberates around the room as the anticipation of a new, sleek, classy, elegant product becomes, for a moment, a prospect that could actually happen. But then the music starts playing as brightness ramps up on screen:

#Zune - just one squirt and then my heart went boom
Suddenly and we were on the moon
Flyin' high in a brownish sky-y, oh-oh-oh-oh
Bang - just one touch and my media files rang
Heaven called and all the artists sang
Sunrise shine in a midnight sky-y-y, oh-oh-oh-oh

Zune - you chased HDs away-ay-ay-ay-ay
High-igh-igh-igh noo-oo-oon
The flash memory came out to play-ay
The-e-en - my whole wide world went zune
WiFi dancin' in the afternoon
Shadows flowin' as the roses bloom
Lookin' down on a wo-onderla-a-and, oh-oh-oh-oh

Smack - one iPod and I was outta wack
All at once, there was no turnin' back
Oh so far above the brownest star-ar-ar, oh-oh-oh-oh

Zune - you chased the day away-ay-ay-ay-ay
High-igh-igh-igh noo-oo-oon
The flash memory came out to play
Zune -you chased HDs away-ay-ay-ay-ay
High-igh-igh-igh noo-oo-oon
The flash memory came out to play
And the-e-en - my whole wide world went zune

Not just an Apple as we went flyin' by
Faster and faster, we were higher than high
For once in my lifetime, I was finally free-ee
But DRM came back to me!

Oh-oh-oh-oh, zoo-oo-une
You chased Nanos away-ay-ay-ay-ay
High-igh-igh-igh noo-oo-oon
The flash memory came out to play
Oh-oh-oh-oh, zoo-oo-une
You chased Shuffles away-ay-ay-ay-ay
High-igh-igh-igh noo-oo-oon
The flash memory came out to play
Oh-oh-oh-oh, zoo-oo-une
You chased iPods away-ay-ay-ay-ay
High-igh-igh-igh noo-oo-oon
The flash memory came out to play... #

man, you've got waaaayy to much time on your hands.

funny though :)

[jonnylink]

Microsoft really is the biggest monopoly I've ever seen, is there any market they won't leave alone/rip off apple?

there are bigger monopolies, and it is questionable if MS still is one anyway.

At anyrate I am glad MS is competing... or at least *trying* to. I hope they do a little better this time, real competition for Apple can only mean good things for us, whether it is cheaper iPod or iPods with more features. I think after seeing the iPod Touch get features removed we can all agree that a little pressure on Apple might be a godsend.

[DaBrain]

Prepared to be "Welcomed to the Social!" again!

I wonder how many zune points admission will cost? --))))

A very stupid purchasing system. They need to switch song purchases to real money and trash the zune points! Not that that will help much--))))

The new buzz word that will replace squirt is leak.

You will now have the ability to leak your music in any zune bathroom of your choice for only 15 zune points per leak!

:D

[The Stig]

Microsoft is releasing things on Tuesday now? They are going over board with coping Apple here...

I also can't believe they are releasing another Zune already. They don't even have them in Canada yet!

The Stig

[Jarcrew]

I wasn't aware there was a Zune "scene", much less enough of one to warrant an entire website being erected in its honour as a gigantic brown monolith.

[GavinTing]

Microsoft is releasing things on Tuesday now? They are going over board with coping Apple here...

I also can't believe they are releasing another Zune already. They don't even have them in Canada yet!

The Stig

I haven't seen a Zune in singapore either :rolleyes:

[elppa]

They need to switch song purchases to real money and trash the zune points!

Completely agree. The value of "Points" could change at any time for all we know, so if you buy a decent amount in advance, they may be worth less than they were when brought them when it comes time to spend them.

I also can't believe they are releasing another Zune already. They don't even have them in Canada yet!

Maybe all the new Zunes will be "internationalised" (i.e. non US).

[thejadedmonkey]

Zune 2 should be made of wood, or at least wood laminate, like one of those ancient station wagons nuns seem to drive in the movies. That'd place it into its market.
That actually sounds kinda cool:confused:

[shadowfax]

Has anyone seen a Zune in the wild? I never have....

Now think about how many iPods you've seen in the wild.:eek:

I knew a girl with a Zune. She asked for an iPod for Christmas and her dad bought her a Zune. He said he'd heard it was "all the rage" or something. That sounds about right... She still doesn't seem to have figured out how to get videos on it.

[Orng]

I knew a girl with a Zune. She asked for an iPod for Christmas and her dad bought her a Zune. He said he'd heard it was "all the rage" or something. That sounds about right... She still doesn't seem to have figured out how to get videos on it.

Now that's just sad.

My dad has this story that when he was about twelve, he wanted to learn how to play the trumpet. So he asked his parents for a trumpet for christmas, and they got him a cheap toy trumpet; the kind designed for like a four or five year old, that won't produce anything like a trumpet sound. :(

Your Zune story reminds me of that story. Give that girl a hug.

Funny thing about this "Killer" terminology. MS Silverlight is being touted as a "Flash-Killer" but I just don't see it. I tinkered with it, but it just wasn't there.

It's as if MS' new business model is to let other companies innovate, then come along with a half-baked variation and call it the "xxx-killer" and then hope past successes will make people believe them. But the market, the whole software and doo-dad market, has been slipping away from them for so long, that they haven't figured out that they can't just call something an "iPod killer" or a "Flash Killer" and it becomes so. It has to actually BE an "iPod killer"

Anyhoo, I briefly considered a Zune when they first came out, but then I found out that they are not compatible with either Macs or Canada, so since I'm doubly excluded from their target market, I simply don't care whether its good or bad, since they don't care to sell to me.

[Macnoviz]

That actually sounds kinda cool:confused:

you're right, wood is the new plastic.

no, seriously, products made in wood have a special feeling to them, and are not that bad at all

[notjustjay]

No Zunes here in Canada yet. First time I saw one was when I made a road trip to the States recently, and browsed an American Wal-Mart. The price had just been dropped like $50, and all of the Zune accessories were on the clearance rack.

The OP claims Microsoft has a 10% share in the HDD-based mp3 player market. Can it really be that high? Are they maybe referring only to the American market? For the Zune to have captured 10% of the worldwide market when it's only available in the US would be very impressive indeed. (Or is Microsoft playing sneaky again, using "10% of the market for 30 gig hard drive players in the USA that are available in brown"?)

As for copying Apple and releasing on Tuesdays, that seems sensible from a marketing point of view, not simply copying Apple because "well, Apple does it, and they're cool, so if we do it too..." If they're trying to steal some of the Apple thunder, releasing their products on the same cycle makes sense.

As for why the MS hate, they have a proven history of saying, "No! Wait! Don't buy our competitor's products! We've got something even better, that's cheaper, and just a few days away... just wait, you'll see!" and then releasing a late, underwhelming product -- but not before the damage is done to the rival company. It's fun to watch them flailing after decades of causing harm to other companies in the same fashion. Schadenfreude, just deserts, whatever you want to call it.

[sabr]

i love my iphone and 3rd gen nano, but i think it'd be great if the zune could challenge the ipod. we'd all benefit in the long run.

short of some amazing breakthroughs, it certainly doesn't look likely. the zune was hardly supported beyond its initial release, and it's pretty telling that MS never launched it worldwide.

MS needs to innovate here rather than just play catch up with apple and creative. personally, i think MS's best shot at improving the zune would be to somehow link it with the xbox 360, but i doubt it'll happen.

[BlakTornado]

Nice Apple related article!

Anyway, Microsoft should get the first one right before releasing a new one :P Ever heard of countries outside of the US? lol

[Maccus Aurelius]

Seriously though, the device is not bad, even if it doesn't appeal to everyone aesthetically. Hopefully Microsoft steps up the game a bit, since, as already mentioned, it will stimulate further improvements on the iPod line, which is great for everyone. Apple is no slouch, but even they need someone nipping at their heels to keep them moving. If everyone slacks off, so do they.

I believe that the reason the Zune is only sold in the US is because it hasn't passed certification yet for sale overseas.

[bousozoku]

I can never figure out quite why, but Zune just never seemed so attractive. All in all, I have seen one in person, and it was nasty lookin'. One last thing I can't work out, Zune just isn't as catchy as iPod...

They make the plastic look even cheaper than usual and the texture of the main plastic looks like old contact paper, for those of you who know what that is.

The small control doesn't help much either but at least, the display is nice enough.

[Orng]

The OP claims Microsoft has a 10% share in the HDD-based mp3 player market. Can it really be that high? Are they maybe referring only to the American market? For the Zune to have captured 10% of the worldwide market when it's only available in the US would be very impressive indeed. (Or is Microsoft playing sneaky again, using "10% of the market for 30 gig hard drive players in the USA that are available in brown"?)


Sorta sneaky... HDD based iPods themselves have a much smaller market than NAND iPods. So yeah, I don't know if 10% is true, but they can claim a bigger share of the music player market if they ignore the Nanos and the Shuffles. I know I see a lot more NAND iPods than HDD ipods on a regular basis.

[Snowy_River]

you're right, wood is the new plastic.

no, seriously, products made in wood have a special feeling to them, and are not that bad at all

I've seen some seriously beautiful iPod mods with wood. This one (http://www.bit-tech.net/modding/2005/07/05/wood_ipod_zapwizard/1) is one of the most extreme, and the best. I'd love to see more in this direction, personally.

[guzhogi]

Microsoft will never be hip... or trendy... or cool...

What u talking 'bout Willis?

[MacQuest]

How much does M$ want to overtake Apple? why not a 32gb open source touch Zune. Sure, they may lose a few hundred million in the deal, but who cares right?

microsoft's worst enemy is anything open source.

Did you ever hear of the SCO vs. Linux lawsuit? - (SCO got it's a$$ handed to it in the end BTW)

Guess who heavily financed SCO to fight Linux's open source options.

[ImNoSuperMan]

who cares

Gimme a sleek, full touch screen(preferably multi touch), 50+ GB HDD based Zune, with wifi, bluetooth, Windows mobile 6, OPEN to all third party developers and I m ready to ditch Apple.

Apple has done the worst things possible lately and I no longer find myself favoring Apple over its competitors. First Giving you the iPhone with no other option but ATT in US. Europeans wait for four months. Asians Wait till 2008. India??? sometime in 2009? or 2010? Then dropping iPhone prices pissing off all the Apple loyalists. And once it is finally unlocked, they Brick your iPhone with the latest update.

I could understand to a degree that they had to relock the unlocked iPhone, Or even stop 3rd party apps but bricking it completely and not supporting hacked iPhones et al is something unacceptable. Not giving an option to even downgrade to 1.0.2 is again absolutely rubbish. Apple has got some of the best software engineers in the industry. The new update could have simply resetted the unlocked/hacked iPhones to latest firmware and still usable with your 2 year ATT contract. But no, Apple decides to completely kill the unlocked iPhones.


Say whatever you want. Yes Apple did warn of the consequences in advance and the iPhone still works as it is supposed to if you dont hack/unlock it. Still this "bricking the iPhone" thing has almost made me start disliking Apple products. My Macbook has suddenly started to look like just another notebook. I was willing to pay 50% extra for something with an Apple logo even if there are similar or even slightly better options available for lesser price(Cuz I knew it`ll be worth it). But no more. Apple is EVIL. Steve Jobs aint Lord Stevee anymore. Apple is one big greedy bad bad bad evil company.

/End rant. Sorry couldnt stop myself. BTW my iPhone is coming this weekend in India with 1.0.1 firmware. Hope I`ll be able to unlock it. But I m seriously considering selling the unlocked iPhone and boycotting Apple products as much as possible. Not for that it`ll matter to Apple but if there are more and more people starting to dislike Apple they`ll someday get the message and try to avoid such stupid mistakes in future. I m now realising why I like my Apple Macbook. It`s not really coz it`s the best notebook. It`s coz the competition(Windows/linux) is really bad. Gimme another OS as good as OSX and my next computer wont be a Mac. Ok that might be a never happen:o. Anyways I advised 100`s of people I know to get a MAC. But no more. Apple is no longer the best option. The almost seem like the worst one.


/OK. Seriously END RANT

[MacsAttack]

From my point of view the big thing (well one of the big things) that is a majo strike against the Zune has been that MicroSoft chose not to go for an international launch. So even if the Zune were a "real neat thing" the market in other areas of the world has been left wide open to the competition.

Or to put it another way - the iPod has had yeat another year to total own the market here.

Now perhaps the Zune would have had a chance to make some inroads had Apple stood still. However I've just visited the new Apple store in Glasgow this very day. The new Nano look very good. The only reason I did not buy one to replace my 1st gen Nano was because I also got to play around with the iPod Touch. The only reason I did not buy a Touch was because they didn't have any left in stock...

It comes down to personal preference, but I though the Touch looked good from all the info I'd seen. In the flesh (well, metal, glass and plastic) it was even better than I was expecting. Sure there is so much more that could b added to it, but you just know Apple are saving it for new revisons and new devices down the line. What Apple have served up is in fact a very impressive product that is going to give the competition nightmares.

Unless Microsoft are going to serve up a device that costs less than a Nano, has more capacity than a Touch, and (possibly) has a good web browser, then it is kind of hard to see this second coming of the Zune as any more successful than the first outing.

[InLikeALion]

Gimme a sleek, full touch screen(preferably multi touch), 50+ GB HDD based Zune, with wifi, bluetooth, Windows mobile 6, OPEN to all third party developers and I m ready to ditch Apple.

Apple has done the worst things possible lately and I no longer find myself favoring Apple over its competitors. First Giving you the iPhone with no other option but ATT in US. Europeans wait for four months. Asians Wait till 2008. India??? sometime in 2009? or 2010? Then dropping iPhone prices pissing off all the Apple loyalists. And once it is finally unlocked, they Brick your iPhone with the latest update.

I could understand to a degree that they had to relock the unlocked iPhone, Or even stop 3rd party apps but bricking it completely and not supporting hacked iPhones et al is something unacceptable. Not giving an option to even downgrade to 1.0.2 is again absolutely rubbish. Apple has got some of the best software engineers in the industry. The new update could have simply resetted the unlocked/hacked iPhones to latest firmware and still usable with your 2 year ATT contract. But no, Apple decides to completely kill the unlocked iPhones.


Say whatever you want. Yes Apple did warn of the consequences in advance and the iPhone still works as it is supposed to if you dont hack/unlock it. Still this "bricking the iPhone" thing has almost made me start disliking Apple products. My Macbook has suddenly started to look like just another notebook. I was willing to pay 50% extra for something with an Apple logo even if there are similar or even slightly better options available for lesser price(Cuz I knew it`ll be worth it). But no more. Apple is EVIL. Steve Jobs aint Lord Stevee anymore. Apple is one big greedy bad bad bad evil company.

/End rant. Sorry couldnt stop myself. BTW my iPhone is coming this weekend in India with 1.0.1 firmware. Hope I`ll be able to unlock it. But I m seriously considering selling the unlocked iPhone and boycotting Apple products as much as possible. Not for that it`ll matter to Apple but if there are more and more people starting to dislike Apple they`ll someday get the message and try to avoid such stupid mistakes in future. I m now realising why I like my Apple Macbook. It`s not really coz it`s the best notebook. It`s coz the competition(Windows/linux) is really bad. Gimme another OS as good as OSX and my next computer wont be a Mac. Ok that might be a never happen:o. Anyways I advised 100`s of people I know to get a MAC. But no more. Apple is no longer the best option. The almost seem like the worst one.


/OK. Seriously END RANT

I just don't know where I could start with this. Your reasoning and arguments are so full of holes - its trollish and laughable. If you weren't a high-post member, I'd have assumed you just wandered in here to do some flaming.

Seriously? "I m now realising why I like my Apple Macbook. It`s not really coz it`s the best notebook. It`s coz the competition(Windows/linux) is really bad. Gimme another OS as good as OSX and my next computer wont be a Mac."

Wow. "Give me another Apple that's just as good as this Apple, and then this Apple won't seem great anymore and I'll go with the other Apple"? Really?

[Snowy_River]

Gimme a sleek, full touch screen(preferably multi touch), 50+ GB HDD based Zune, with wifi, bluetooth, Windows mobile 6, OPEN to all third party developers and I m ready to ditch Apple.

Apple has done the worst things possible lately and I no longer find myself favoring Apple over its competitors. First Giving you the iPhone with no other option but ATT in US. Europeans wait for four months. Asians Wait till 2008. India??? sometime in 2009? or 2010? Then dropping iPhone prices pissing off all the Apple loyalists. And once it is finally unlocked, they Brick your iPhone with the latest update.

I could understand to a degree that they had to relock the unlocked iPhone, Or even stop 3rd party apps but bricking it completely and not supporting hacked iPhones et al is something unacceptable. Not giving an option to even downgrade to 1.0.2 is again absolutely rubbish. Apple has got some of the best software engineers in the industry. The new update could have simply resetted the unlocked/hacked iPhones to latest firmware and still usable with your 2 year ATT contract. But no, Apple decides to completely kill the unlocked iPhones.


Say whatever you want. Yes Apple did warn of the consequences in advance and the iPhone still works as it is supposed to if you dont hack/unlock it. Still this "bricking the iPhone" thing has almost made me start disliking Apple products. My Macbook has suddenly started to look like just another notebook. I was willing to pay 50% extra for something with an Apple logo even if there are similar or even slightly better options available for lesser price(Cuz I knew it`ll be worth it). But no more. Apple is EVIL. Steve Jobs aint Lord Stevee anymore. Apple is one big greedy bad bad bad evil company.

/End rant. Sorry couldnt stop myself. BTW my iPhone is coming this weekend in India with 1.0.1 firmware. Hope I`ll be able to unlock it. But I m seriously considering selling the unlocked iPhone and boycotting Apple products as much as possible. Not for that it`ll matter to Apple but if there are more and more people starting to dislike Apple they`ll someday get the message and try to avoid such stupid mistakes in future. I m now realising why I like my Apple Macbook. It`s not really coz it`s the best notebook. It`s coz the competition(Windows/linux) is really bad. Gimme another OS as good as OSX and my next computer wont be a Mac. Ok that might be a never happen:o. Anyways I advised 100`s of people I know to get a MAC. But no more. Apple is no longer the best option. The almost seem like the worst one.


/OK. Seriously END RANT

A little bitter?

Seriously, the decisions that Apple has made have been strategic. You may not like them (for that matter, I don't like all of them), but they had their reasons for making them. And I don't think it's fair to say that any of those reasons stemmed from being evil. Taking it a step further, it has been noted that Apple has long been a company that has not met with the approval of people who like to really tinker with things. The Mac OS has been designed not to allow much of that. Now the iPhone and the iPT are both inheriting that trait. Over time, we may well see an SDK released, and iPhones and iPTs that are open to (some) 3rd party developers. When the iPod started out, there was only one game that came with it, and many cried foul about that. Look where that ended up...

[balamw]

I say MS will go with 16gig considering, Cowon, Creative, Samsung(depending on where you read), Sandisk, and Sony all have 16gig devices that that compete with the Nano.

Apparently ... not. http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/02/microsofts-4gb-8gb-flash-based-zunes-revealed-by-fcc/

B

[xUKHCx]

Apparently ... not. http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/02/microsofts-4gb-8gb-flash-based-zunes-revealed-by-fcc/

B

Yeah was just reading that, when they say in the update that it has Wifi is that referring to the FM add on or the actual Zune flash. That is a nice addition if it is in the actual zune.

[guzhogi]

I just don't know where I could start with this. Your reasoning and arguments are so full of holes - its trollish and laughable. If you weren't a high-post member, I'd have assumed you just wandered in here to do some flaming.

Seriously? "I m now realising why I like my Apple Macbook. It`s not really coz it`s the best notebook. It`s coz the competition(Windows/linux) is really bad. Gimme another OS as good as OSX and my next computer wont be a Mac."

Wow. "Give me another Apple that's just as good as this Apple, and then this Apple won't seem great anymore and I'll go with the other Apple"? Really?

I don't think he means the computer & software, I think it's the fact that SJ & APple are absolute control freaks now and doesn't let any outside source customize Apple products.

[storage]

YES! Finally I can get rid of my 1 day old 3G nano!

[bloodycape]

there are bigger monopolies, and it is questionable if MS still is one anyway.

At anyrate I am glad MS is competing... or at least *trying* to. I hope they do a little better this time, real competition for Apple can only mean good things for us, whether it is cheaper iPod or iPods with more features. I think after seeing the iPod Touch get features removed we can all agree that a little pressure on Apple might be a godsend.

Sorry, but there has been real competition for years(that is way better than the Zune and even ipod in many aspects) it just MS is the only one that has the cash to do mass marketing campaigns.

[bloodycape]

Apparently ... not. http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/02/microsofts-4gb-8gb-flash-based-zunes-revealed-by-fcc/

B

That is a shame. 16gig would have maybe made me look at it with all the glowing reviews I heard about the sound quality and fairly nice interface it has. I guess I have to wait untill Samsung brings out the P2 in a 16gig or 32gig which ever comes first.

[LizKat]

How is Zune pronounced, anyway?

Just one syllable, like Zoo? or two, like Zoo, Knee ?

[Orng]

YES! Finally I can get rid of my 1 day old 3G nano!

That old thing? I'll give ya 50 bucks for it. Canadian.

[xUKHCx]

How is Zune pronounced, anyway?

Just one syllable, like Zoo? or two, like Zoo, Knee ?

I pronounce it more like Zoon.

[MacsAttack]

How is Zune pronounced, anyway?


Luzer?

[hayesk]

That old thing? I'll give ya 50 bucks for it. Canadian.

The Canadian dollar is almost exactly equal to a US Dollar these days. Today $1 CDN = $1.001US

[ImNoSuperMan]

I just don't know where I could start with this. Your reasoning and arguments are so full of holes - its trollish and laughable. If you weren't a high-post member, I'd have assumed you just wandered in here to do some flaming.

Seriously? "I m now realising why I like my Apple Macbook. It`s not really coz it`s the best notebook. It`s coz the competition(Windows/linux) is really bad. Gimme another OS as good as OSX and my next computer wont be a Mac."

Wow. "Give me another Apple that's just as good as this Apple, and then this Apple won't seem great anymore and I'll go with the other Apple"? Really?

Alright. Alright. I know it might be laughable and stupid sounding. But I made my point clear. I cud have just said I wont buy a Mac et al but that wud be lie. The only reason my next computer too will be a Mac is OSX. Not coz it`s Apple. BTW I got this MB coz coz my iBook G4 was way ahead of anything else in the market and made a real Apple Fan. But with the way things are going, Apple is starting to look worse by the day.

BTW If you read carefully I meant Gimme me another fruit as good as this Apple and I wont buy this Apple anymore:o. Ok thats still stupid. But watever. I m really pissed off with Apple this time. I used to wonder why there are so many Apple haters on the web, they make some of the best products. But not any more.

[thejadedmonkey]

The only reason my next computer too will be a Mac is OSX. Not coz it`s Apple. BTW I got this MB coz coz my iBook G4 was way ahead of anything else in the market and made a real Apple Fan. But with the way things are going, Apple is starting to look worse by the day.

I used to think that way.. I'm wondering about just getting a nice Dell and dual booting- XP for games, and a different flavor of *nix for everyday use, just like I do now, only on hardware that has a 2 button mouse and costs way less.

**and don't give me the whole ? is cheeper crap, it's only cheeper if you get what ? wants.

[Aperture]

Here are the official specs. (http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/02/microsofts-new-zunes-officially-in-80-8-and-4gb-sizes/)

I have to say, it doesn't look that bad. It is definitely going to provide competition for iPods.

(btw, not sure if that link was posted. If not, I apologize)

[ian-frs]

I personally Love my Zune Gen 1 and plan on getting a gen 2. I don't get what all the hate over the Zune is. I don't think they look half bad its just a different look then the normal iPod. And who's copying who with the whole wifi thing here. If I remember correctly when the Zune was announce to have wifi Apples response was it would never work and they would never place it in the ipod line. Yes MS could take better care of the Zune with some more updates but the product in general is not any better or worse then an iPod. I know I am going to get flamed for this but I have to just throw in my 2 cents.

Edit: Here's something new that wasn't copied from apple. "WiFi sync to host computer!" Direct from link in Apertures post.

[suneohair]

They don't work with OS X, so I don't care.

[slick316]

Vote me in with the "I think its cool that MS is trying to give Apple some competition" group.

I have no use for a Zune. I use my two iPods for in car use only (no real need for a personal music/video player). My 1st gen Nano is used in my parents Van when I need to use it, and my 30GB 5g iPod Video is used in my car (though my music collection is growing, I might need a bigger one soon).

But I have to admit, I think the Zune didn't do half bad when it launched. I think it didn't do that great because the iPod was pretty much dominating the market.

But this new Zune 80 and the Zune 4 and 8 look interesting. I like that the new Zunes have a new interface and that the first generation Zune will also be upgradeable to this new OS, I can't believe that MS doesn't want to use that as a reason for existing Zune users to upgrade to a Zune 80. Wifi syncing, enough said. Can sync video from a Media Center PC (if this means that you can sync recorded TV shows so you can watch them on the go, I see that as a really nice touch).

Seriously, I think MS is really trying here and they are not half assing it. If the Zune would work as easily as the iPod does in my car, I would have to give it a second look over the iPod.

[bousozoku]

They look better except for the diarrhea green. I'm not sure whether it's better than the **** brown.

[flopticalcube]

Looks like they did a better job of it this time. DRM-free store as well. Lack of OSX support is a non-starter for me as well but it will give a kick up the iPods backside.

[G5Unit]

Ugh NO OS X SUPPORT? Why don't they add it? These new Zunes actually look ok!

[SDAVE]

wow
the ipod is the top seller and will stay on top of the charts for as long as we live

Well that's a bold statement now isn't it...?

[MacsAttack]

Here's something new that wasn't copied from apple. "WiFi sync to host computer!"

Its a curious feature. Most of the time when I want to sync a device, I also want to recharge it - so I have to plug it in anyway.

One of the cool new features added to the eyeTV software is the ability to stream the recordings over a local network to an iPod Touch or iPhone. Can't wait to try it out. Wonder if there is some way to make it work remote.

Now that is the kind of feature that MicroSoft should have added if they wanted to inovate (TM).

[SactoGuy18]

Actually, most people have said the Zune hardware-wise is actually a pretty nice device. The big problem was the interface software, which was cumbersome and difficult to use. It appears the new Zune interface software addressed a lot of these issues, and that could make the Zune much more attractive against the iPod models.

[vascott]

Gotta tell you, I have a MBP and I love it. I also have an ipod.

I bought a Zune months ago before I thought about buying the Mac officially.

I love my Zune WAY more than my ipod. In fact my ipod is under my desk collecting dust.

The best thing about the Zune is the interface, and the hardware device itself! It rocks. Feels good, looks sexy and runs well.

Where does it fail? Having to convert videos and working with the Mac. That is about it.

However they fixed the formats it uses with the new version and some other things. I like the old style better than the new one. Problem is, I WONT install XP on my Mac which means I can't use my Zune.

The guy on the phone I spoke to on the phone today at Zune.net said something about Mac compatability, then he kinda shut up about that lol. So who knows whats going to happen with that.

If it is compatible. I will buy the new Zune.

Nothing pisses me off more than a bunch of fanbois that talk **** JUST because it is a M$ item. Knock that crap off. That is what makes Mac users look bad. If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything.

Peace.

[seashellz]

as a reviewer in ZDNet said about the Zune-
Fantastic player! -if this were 2005

[bousozoku]

...
The best thing about the Zune is the interface, and the hardware device itself! It rocks. Feels good, looks sexy and runs well.
...
The guy on the phone I spoke to on the phone today at Zune.net said something about Mac compatability, then he kinda shut up about that lol. So who knows whats going to happen with that.

If it is compatible. I will buy the new Zune.

Nothing pisses me off more than a bunch of fanbois that talk **** JUST because it is a M$ item. Knock that crap off. That is what makes Mac users look bad. If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything.

Peace.

I'm no fanboi. I just happen to think that the Zune is toward the bottom of the list of desirable devices, even in its original Toshiba Gigabeat form.

Where you see sexy, I see cheap and tacky. It seems to work okay, but when I used it, it wasn't intuitive or smooth, though it played video better than the iPod of the time.

If I were to buy another brand because Apple wasn't involved, if would be Creative or SanDisk.

[Consultant]

It has a squircle, which is a new button like a square or polygon with rounded edges, but not a perfect circle. This has a dome underneath so you can push it from any side.

The Flash version comes in a green looks like an old army jeep green.

I think they don't look too bad, especially the flash ones.

Competition is always good. Apple have their strategies and MS have theirs. What I don't like is:

[1] People who will deride the Zune just because it is from Microsoft, regardless of features.
[2] People who buy a Zune just because it's not iPod, regardless of features.


That green is no way near jeep green, it's baby poop green, instead of poop brown.

Zune's features are buggy. Since most MS software doesn't work as expected, zzzzune is no different. In addition, Zune does not work with MS's own DRM!

[Consultant]

Its a curious feature. Most of the time when I want to sync a device, I also want to recharge it - so I have to plug it in anyway.

One of the cool new features added to the eyeTV software is the ability to stream the recordings over a local network to an iPod Touch or iPhone. Can't wait to try it out. Wonder if there is some way to make it work remote.

Now that is the kind of feature that MicroSoft should have added if they wanted to inovate (TM).

As long as you export your movies with "Allow Streaming" settings, you can stream the files to iPod Touch or iPhone.

[Consultant]

Gotta tell you, I have a MBP and I love it. I also have an ipod.

I bought a Zune months ago before I thought about buying the Mac officially.

I love my Zune WAY more than my ipod. In fact my ipod is under my desk collecting dust.

The best thing about the Zune is the interface, and the hardware device itself! It rocks. Feels good, looks sexy and runs well.

Where does it fail? Having to convert videos and working with the Mac. That is about it.

However they fixed the formats it uses with the new version and some other things. I like the old style better than the new one. Problem is, I WONT install XP on my Mac which means I can't use my Zune.

The guy on the phone I spoke to on the phone today at Zune.net said something about Mac compatability, then he kinda shut up about that lol. So who knows whats going to happen with that.

If it is compatible. I will buy the new Zune.

Nothing pisses me off more than a bunch of fanbois that talk **** JUST because it is a M$ item. Knock that crap off. That is what makes Mac users look bad. If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything.

Peace.

Actually, an example review:
"The expectations were for Microsoft to deliver a "Microsoft" player and system; maybe not too shabby looking, but not very usable, and definitely bug-ridden."

Also, on the software which crashes
http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/13/installing-the-zune-sucked/

Someone said "Let's pretend that nothing crashed and it worked as advertised; there's still what, fifteen to twenty steps just to set up the player? Registrations all over the place, picking names, connecting with your Passport account?"

In addition, the ones who can install the software without running into too many bugs, said it takes 20 minutes or more to install the zzzzune software.

[Lesser Evets]

I dropped my Zune in a cow pasture once...

Never found it again.
Looked like everything else left on the ground.

[Dublo7]

Actually, most people have said the Zune hardware-wise is actually a pretty nice device. The big problem was the interface software, which was cumbersome and difficult to use.
That's completely and utterly false. The Zune user interface is just as smooth as any other good interface. It's very easy to use.
If somebody had problems using the Zune interface, they mustn't be all that bright. My 10 year old brother who has used an iPod most of the time, first picked up my Zune, and could navigate it straight away.

I dropped my Zune in a cow pasture once...

Never found it again.
Looked like everything else left on the ground.
Oh, Apple fanboys are still making poo jokes. Hilarious.

Also, I didn't encounter one problem when installing the Zune software. The software, while it isn't great, is relatively stable and capable. The newer versions have eliminated most of the kinks.
Besides, I'm sure the new Zune software will be great.

[Garrett]

That's completely and utterly false. The Zune user interface is just as smooth as any other good interface. It's very easy to use.
If somebody had problems using the Zune interface, they mustn't be all that bright. My 10 year old brother who has used an iPod most of the time, first picked up my Zune, and could navigate it straight away.


Oh, Apple fanboys are still making poo jokes. Hilarious.

Also, I didn't encounter one problem when installing the Zune software. The software, while it isn't great, is relatively stable and capable. The newer versions have eliminated most of the kinks.
Besides, I'm sure the new Zune software will be great.
Only works on Windows, nuff said.

[Dublo7]

Only works on Windows, nuff said.
Many things only work on Windows. You ever heard of Video Games?

[Padraig]

Oh, Apple fanboys are still making poo jokes. Hilarious.



Not only that, but Consultant spelt Zune as zzzune. It's almost as brilliant as M$. It's the type of razor sharp wit I come here for.

The Zune interface is nice. Would buy one instead of the classic, but the 605 is what i'm after.

[deejemon]

*

[deejemon]

*

[megfilmworks]

I just wish the iPod could squirt like the zune... I have always wanted an mp3 player that squirts songs... squirting sounds fun... squirt squirt squirt... Microsoft will never be hip... or trendy... or cool...Oh come on, be serious. What a kewl feature. I could squirt songs to all the 5 or 6 Zune users in the known world.