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Microsoft Launches the Zune
Doug-W writes to mention an Engadget post about Microsoft's launch of the Zune. From the article: "Not a lot of surprises in the specs department, but they've confirmed the basics we've known for a while, like WiFi, 30GB of HDD, built-in FM, a 3-inch screen and the basic music, pictures and video playback. They also finally let slip the screen res -- an unsurprising QVGA -- and some better news on the codec front: the Zune supports h.264, MP3, AAC and WMA. As for ballyhoo, wireless Zune-to-Zune sharing is where the real action is at, and it works pretty much like we've been hearing: you can share a full-length track with a friend, and they've got three times to listen to it over a three day period, after which they can flag the song for purchase on the Zune Marketplace -- unless they're an unlimited 'Zune Pass' subscriber, of course."
the brown Zune look with the blue screen of death?
Here's a hint on all these ad-hoc wireless networks. We also have another ad-hoc wireless network. We call it air, and it can transmit vibrations from one person to another! Seriously, I've had my DS for awhile, and I've never suddenly found a person to play wireless with. Unless you have bells and whistles going off to indicate another person is around (and I'm not going to sit around at a "looking for" screen), it's a solitary thing.
And slapping on the usual DRM shackles won't change this. Most likely, make it much worse and harder to stick to the general public.
Brown? Seriously? It's meant to be a cutting-edge, fetishistic techno-gadget, and they offer it in fucking brown?
Steve Jobs: "Here's our new iPod Nano! It's available in black, white, silver and shiny green and pink!"
Steve Ballmer: "Oh yeah? Well, here's Zune! It's available in black, white and this stylish turd-brown!"
Steve Jobs: "Brown, huh? You got it in beige as well? Or tweed? How about a nice Argyle pattern?"
Steve Ballmer: "Fuck YOOOOOUUUU!" [throws chair]
Good ol' MS. Always as stylish and tasteful as ever.
You must think in Russian.
... and neither are mentioned, as far as I can see:
... as well...
Price & battery-life
Bit of a pity that:
"The Zune-to-Zune sharing feature may not be available for all songs on your device, and works only between Zune devices within wireless range of each other. This feature allows recipients to play full-length sample tracks up to three times in three days. Recipients cannot resend music that they have received via the sharing feature."
Simon.
Physicists get Hadrons!
Is this really a launch? Can they be purchased today?? No? Then this isn't really a launch then is it? I can order a new Nano and it will be here in a few days to a day. Zune's probably ain't going ot show up until November.....
Gorkman
Alright you simply have to explain this one.
You'd rather give money to Microsoft over Apple.
All of Slashdot is pulling up a chair, make it a good one!
Mac OS X and Windows XP working side by side to fight back the night.
If they only renamed it the "Wii" it could be on Slashdot three times a day.
It may not be earthshaking news, but there's a lot of people who care - every person who owns MS stock. Microsoft has to keep pursuing new markets and Zune, like it or not, is one of their plays to get into a new market and keep the money flowing. (Of course, if they insist on losing money like they are with Xbox, that story may change.)
Microsoft's markets are largely saturated and under increasing pressure from FOSS and other products. And that's not a good story to tell investors. Microsoft hasn't had a killer product for a while and it's a company that thrives on growth. They need new brands badly because the ones they have are aging, and old brands, while good in financial and insurance markets, are not so good in consumer and high tech markets.
"It's real and we can touch it, so least we know where we stand." - Jack Burton
If anyone is wondering what the box art will look like, here it is
Summation 2
...the white model. The happy couple are frollicking in ... the east river of New York City. That's the Manhattan bridge in the background, and they're esentially right below and slightly west of the Brooklyn Bridge.
I have walked/jogged/biked/fled from that area thousands of times and it is *not* anywhere you want to put your feet in the water...the water itself is unbelievably polluted, and unless the pic is doctored, or somebody spent a month cleaning up the area, the dude is walking on broken glass, rusted everything, and stuff that can't be identified, and maybe that's for the best.
I'm not sure what to message to take from the pic: "Take a life threatening chance: buy a Zune!" comes to mind.
Wireless. More space than a Nomad. Lame.
You must think in Russian.
Even if you find another Zune owner, what are the chances he also shares you musical interests?
That's simple. There's only 100 songs at any given time that you should have any interest in, and they're kept in a convenient list called the Billboard Top 100. If your music hasn't been on the Top 100, then you have no business listening to it.
After all, if people were interested in totally different types of music, the record companies would have to spend too much money marketing and producing all these different groups and artists. So it's better now that we all just listen to the same music.
I've got $20 that says only protected, purchased WMV's (or w/e they're called) will share. It's just a brazen way to drive people to purchase from the Zune store; they have no interest in sharing everything. Of course, they'll tell you that they only allow that kind of sharing to keep from "confusing" customers with shared files that can't be purchased. Thanks for the assistance, MS.
They've already hinted at it, saying that only "certain" files can be shared.
Repetition does not transform a lie into the truth. - FDR
Obviously you are no longer in high-school, or junior high, or even elementary school here in the US. The proliferation of iPods and portable music players among those who can't actually afford them themselves (but their parents bought them one) is staggering. So is the propensity to share music in these user groups -- something the iPod makes a tad more inconvenient than flaky wireless.
While I can't personally say I'd use this feature much (since I'm long since out of school), it seems to make perfect sense for these types of groups to desire such a feature. I also could see sharing a new song occasionally with a friend so they could purchase it themselves if they wished (since song use is limited). All in all -- this seems more like a "demo song" feature intended to increase music sales (much like listening to samples of songs on the iTunes store, but you get to take them with you).
You don't design a product assuming no one will buy it ("if I find another zune owner") -- you assume it will be a smashing success because of all the great features you've implemented.
And really -- wireless in an open-air area, ad-hoc, works great -- like cell phones!;) You're using it to share a song with someone right in front of you! Your comments (generously modded "insightful") show a distinct lack thereof.
That, and the iPod is grossly overpriced. MS doesn't have a history of overpricing their consumer products, although Apple does. As long as it's reasonably priced, I'm getting one.
The rumored price is $300 for the 30 GB version. The 30 GB iPod is $250. So, pretty much, same pricing strategy.
Well the *photos* do look nice. But nobody have seen the device in wild so they can be as well 3DStudio renders. :) Typical for MS they announce something like it is real - Zune is unreal as for now. Where can I get one? Where can I read independent review of one? Etc. Etc. Etc.
It does not even has branding on it. Just the look of it is not sufficient for branding - look of iPod is a brand itself, this looks like an iPod clone.
Actually I am used to MS strategies like announcing LongHorn with all WinFS and great stuff that just yet still is not here. So I take this announcement like usual. I will think that this is anything worth looking at when I actually can touch one.
Also I have some concerns, especially with:
1. The interface. Those *three* photos look nice but they do not tell anything about how the device works? Is it easy to use? I've used MS PDA (PocketPC) and it was horrible. I am with Palm now which is somewhat less horrible - so I don't se MS mobile products as quite easy to use or reliable.
2. Those ad-hoc wifi networks - how it is going to work? I've used MS PDA with wifi and it was pain. Actually wifi is quite painfull as for now (especially in MS arrangement). So how they are going to wifify those devices? IMHO wifi is not quite good for establishing such semi-PAN networks - BlueTooth is. But wifi - it is a hog on battery for sure.
So conluding - this is not something real. These are few photos even without branding (forget specs, pricing, performance and so on). So it is nothing actually - just to say "hey wait (like few months... or years) and we will have something like iPod is right now!", "don't buy iPod right now - wait (like months... years) for our mythic device" etc.
Quite unfair but at least in this market we know who rocks with launches that are real launches for real existing products and services...
Who told you that? There are plenty:
FLAC players
Vorbis players
FLAC - Free Lossless Audio Codec
Engadget recently interviewed an MS Corporate VP regarding the Zune and how Microsoft explains the lack of supporting "Plays For Sure". The resulting statements from this Microsoft Exec are truly worrisome:
Full Article Here"
E: "PlaysForSure was the thrust of Microsoft's strategy until the announcement of the Zune. How does PlaysForSure fit into Microsoft's strategy going forward?"
MS: "...There's another class of consumers that just want to get digital media, and they just want to be able to go to one store and have it all..."
E: "Wasn't that the point of PlaysForSure?"
MS: "...Zune says there is no choice; you get a Zune device, you hook it up to the Zune service, and it just works."
Yikes! I thought the iPod was evil because Apple didn't give me a choice...now it seems no choice is just what the doctor ordered! How stupid does Microsoft think we are?
I only came here to do two things; kick some ass, and drink some beer...looks like we're almost out of beer.
Makes sense, as Apple does have a patent on the clickwheel design, and I was wondering how MS was going to get around it when I saw this. Simple enough; the wheel is not a wheel.
You know what else Apple has? Something I haven't seen mentioned in the first 120 comments on this post?
The Dock connector.
Apple's trump card, the 30-pin dock connector and it's communications scheme is par of their defense against other players stealing marketshare.
Want to plug your iPod into your new car? Next model year (which starts, ah in a few weeks), you'll be be able to buy a car from any of roughly 3/4 of the world's automakers that has a built-in iPod dock. The offerings this year aren't bad, either.
I see the requisite oval connector shape on the Zune (since they just couldn't stop at copying Apple's buttons and wheel look), but it's unclear what kind of dock connector they're using. If Apple has an exclusive deal with AMP, you can pretty much write the Zune off (as well as for other reasons, like the "what were they thinking?" color choices of white, black...and brown).
So, to sum up:
Apple has convinced everyone and their brother to put a dock connector in cars, boomboxes, camera connectors, etc. ad infinitum.
Zune does not have a dock connector, and can't use any iPod accessories, including those that come with a "Steering" wheel.
Theese people knocked the snot out of Kleenax.
I only came here to do two things; kick some ass, and drink some beer...looks like we're almost out of beer.
Supporting more file types is irrelevant to me. I want it to support THE FILE TYPES I USE.
I don't have any WMA media. I do have iTunes Fairplay media. It doesn't support that.
Further, all these "Features" are typical MS lies - the file sharing won't work with all media, It may have a screen that is 0.5" larger but will it play movie content? Are you sure?
It doesn't even support MICROSOFT'S VERY OWN "PLAYS FOR SURE" DRM!!!!
I only came here to do two things; kick some ass, and drink some beer...looks like we're almost out of beer.
That's not the only color it's available but personally I applaud MS for releasing turd brown as an option. Now if they do a special "Ween Edition" turd brown - it'll be the perfect player to enjoy the brown sound on, especially if it has "Poop Ship Destroyer" engraved on it.
Sometimes my arms bend back.
FLAC playback is unnecessary when you can just convert to WAV or AIFF. Amusing that it's a requirement of yours, since nothing eats the battery more than constant HD access, which your giant FLAC files will do.
It doesn't mean much now, it's built for the future.
Funny, if MS had that you'd be screaming anti-competitive practice...
Give me a break. There is a huge difference between coming out with a proprietary technology that SOLVES A PROBLEM and being able to successfully promote it vs. calling OEMs on the phone and saying "Ship Netscape and Die".
Avoid Missing Ball for High Score