This month's "iPod Killer" brought to you by MS

Blind_Io

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Microsoft has unveiled the new "Zune" media player.

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?contentid=6657

microsoftzune.jpg


Microsoft Corp. has unveiled details of the first products to be released under its Zune brand. These products are designed around sharing, discovery and community. The companys says the Zune experience centers around connection, connection to personal library, connection to friends, connection to community and connection to other devices.

Available this holiday season in the United States, Zune includes a 30GB digital media player, the Zune Marketplace music service and a foundation for an online community that will enable music fans to discover new music.

The Zune device features wireless technology, a built-in FM tuner and a bright, 3-inch screen that allows users to not only play music, pictures and video, but also to customize the experience with personal pictures or themes.

Initially Zune will come in three colors: black, brown and white.

Wireless Zune-to-Zune sharing lets consumers spontaneously share full-length sample tracks of select songs, homemade recordings, playlists or pictures with friends between Zune devices. Users will be able to listen to the full track of any received song up to three times over three days. If the user then wants to buy a song, it can be done right from the device and purchased from the Zune Marketplace.

The platform provides means to users to import existing music, pictures and videos in many popular formats and browse songs on Zune Marketplace, where tracks can be purchased individually or through a Zune Pass subscription that allows the download of as many songs as wanted for a flat fee.

To get started with music and videos out of the box, every Zune device is preloaded with content from record labels such as DTS, EMI Music?s Astralwerks Records and Virgin Records, Ninja Tune, Playlouderecordings, Quango Music Group, Sub Pop Records, and V2/Artemis Records.

Three accessory packs help Zune users enjoy their music where they want to, at home or on the road. The packs and the individual accessories, all designed exclusively for Zune, will be available at launch:

# The Zune Car Pack includes everything needed to hit the road with a Zune device, such as the built-in FM tuner with AutoSeek and the Zune Car Charger.

# The Zune Home A/V Pack integrates Zune with the TV and music speakers: Zune AV Output Cable, Zune Dock, Zune Sync Cable, Zune AC Adapter and the Zune Wireless Remote for Zune Dock.

# Zune Travel Pack is a set of five products designed to keep friends and family entertained on the road: Zune Premium Earphones, Zune Dual Connect Remote, Zune Gear Bag, Zune Sync Cable and the Zune AC Adapter.

Microsoft is also working with accessory manufacturers Altec Lansing, Belkin Corp., Digital Lifestyle Outfitters (DLO), Dual Electronics, Griffin Technology, Harman Kardon and JBL, Integrated Mobile Electronics, Jamo International, Klipsch Audio Technologies, Logitech, Monster Cable Products Inc., Speck, Targus Group International Inc. and VAF Research

With Apple dominating the market can the WiFi features of the Zune make a difference? I look at these and think, "hey that's pretty cool, but what if I never see another Zune? It's worthless unless everyone else has the same player." Also I question Microsoft's DRM stance and their music management ability. I never liked WMP which, and that is another knock against it.

What do you guys think? Do we finally have a player that can take on the mighty iPod? And I have to admit, the iPod Scroll Wheel is a really nice feature.
 
hmm.. wifi in a device like iPod, only one word is coming to me... Battery life :D

plus as Blind mentioned, WMP isn't that attractive, if it syncs with iTunes, it would be a diff. story
 
andyhui01 said:
hmm.. wifi in a device like iPod, only one word is coming to me... Battery life :D

The PSP has wifi, and it does drain the battery faster, but not too bad. However, the wifi capabilities of the Zune sound pretty lame. I certainly wouldn't buy one just for that, and unless you knew someone else who had one, it would be a pointless feature.

I do like to see more options other than the iPod, which I think is a bit overrated. The screen on the Zune does look nice. Hopefully it would be more scratch resistant than the iPod.

But yeah, it would be a drag to have to use WMP all the time, although iTunes can be a pain in the nuts as well :p
 
Re: This month's "iPod Killer" brought to you by M

Re: This month's "iPod Killer" brought to you by M

Blind_Io said:
Also I question Microsoft's DRM stance

Apple is worse than Microsoft when it comes to DRM. Have you noticed that songs purchased from iTunes only play on iPods? That's a complete monopoly. At least DRM'd WMA files from Rhapsody/Napster/Yahoo Music can be used on multiple devices.
 
Re: This month's "iPod Killer" brought to you by M

Re: This month's "iPod Killer" brought to you by M

cvg said:
Blind_Io said:
Also I question Microsoft's DRM stance

Apple is worse than Microsoft when it comes to DRM. Have you noticed that songs purchased from iTunes only play on iPods? That's a complete monopoly. At least DRM'd WMA files from Rhapsody/Napster/Yahoo Music can be used on multiple devices.

I have never bought music on iTunes, so it does not bother me. Apple does have the DRM on music purchased from them but MS tries to get into everything including CDs you rip and MP3s you download from other sources. I don't like either, but with Apple it's more isolated and I know how to get around most of it. I never looked at defeating DRM for MP3s bought online because I hate that whole idea.

My stance on DRM is this: It's my computer, my portable player, my stereo, and I paid for the use of the content - so I should be able to use that content however I choose as long as I'm not making money off it. I should not have to licence it for my two desktops, two laptops, and my portable player. Unfortunately some organizations want exactly that. So I fight DRM at every turn and use the MP3 format instead of Apple's AAC and I don't buy in to the iTunes music store.

I'm still one of those people who will go buy a CD if I like it and rip it to my computer. I will download and sample an artist's work before I purchase it, and I have no moral qualms about doing so. If the music is good then I buy it, if I don't like it then it gets deleted.

It's not a real monopoly because iPods will play MP3 format as well as AAC. I know my copy of iTunes has an option to convert AAC to MP3 format, you just right-click and select it on the drop down menu.
 
Looks pretty good, but those color schemes are hideous! Who's gonna think a poop brick is going to be cool and trendy? I'd rather see red and white, like my beloved iRiver H10 (finally back from warranty repair after I spilled orange juice on it on a 13-hour flight from Shanghai, grr).

Oh well, good luck Billy.
bill-gates.jpg

:lol:
 
Actually this project is being headed by the biggest asshole in all of Microsoft. I forget his name at the moment but a while ago he said that iPod users were the largest group of music pirates and most music on iPods was pirated. Of course he had no data to back this up and a week later a study was released that showed exactly the opposite to be true.

I wish I could remmber his name. Gates is actually an ok guy.
 
Yeah, Gates is a good guy because of all the humanitarian aid he offers.

But iTunes on an iPod is bad enough (according to the experiences of everybody around me who has one, which is to say everybody), so Microsoft and DRM sounds like a nightmare in hell...
 
nothing will kill the ipod, and now they have just launched a new range, the 80gb one, the new nano and new shuffle
 
Re: This month's "iPod Killer" brought to you by M

Re: This month's "iPod Killer" brought to you by M

Blind_Io said:
It's not a real monopoly because iPods will play MP3 format as well as AAC. I know my copy of iTunes has an option to convert AAC to MP3 format, you just right-click and select it on the drop down menu.

I'm talking about iTunes Store purchases...they can only be transferred to iPods, nothing else. My point was that you could buy music from the other online stores and transfer the purchases to a Zune, Vision, Zen, iRiver, Rio, Sansa, etc.
 
the wifi will rock!

it will allow me to send a song to any other person nearby with another Zune.

then? well, then they can listen to the song 3 times.

then? it becomes a link to the Zune store and they can buy it.


:?


i have a feeling this function of sharing/advertising will automagically put DRM into any non-DRM'ed song prior to transfer....
 
the biggest asshole he is talking about is J Allard...he had a chance to get Xbox to have GTA as an exclusive...and didnt.
 
sandor_ said:
the wifi will rock!

it will allow me to send a song to any other person nearby with another Zune.

then? well, then they can listen to the song 3 times.

then? it becomes a link to the Zune store and they can buy it.


:?


i have a feeling this function of sharing/advertising will automagically put DRM into any non-DRM'ed song prior to transfer....

because technically, if people send songs everywhere to everyone, then it will become illegal P2P... its just like iTunes sharing, I listen to about 20 other peoples iTunes when I'm on the uni wireless, but I can't download their songs, I can just listen.
 
Can't believe it doesn't play Microsoft Protected songs. Doesn't even play Microsoft supported PlaysForSure.

Although the screen _does_ look like ultimate secks.
 
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