Next Generation Zune Coming for Holiday Season

thefickler writes "Microsoft has confirmed the existence and coming launch of the long rumored Zune 2.0 or 2nd generation Zune, and it appears that Microsoft will expand the Zune family with new styles, sizes, and price points. 'Future Zune products will feature podcasting support and expanded video support. The Zune will also move into other geographic markets when Microsoft feels it has an appealing product to offer those demographics. Perhaps most importantly of all, the representative mentioned that Microsoft will build on the wireless support. Maybe we'll finally have the freedom of synching our digital audio players via wi-fi. The rep didn't mention anything specific about Microsoft's rumored answer to the iPod Shuffle. But interesting rumors from sources considered "reliable" point to a very innovative product.'"

Comments

With faltering businesses...

[denttford]

When in doubt, spend.

(also applies to politics)

Superior, so what?

[ameyer17]

As long as the Zune's marketed by Microsoft and the iPod's marketed by Apple, the Zune is doomed because, let's face it, Apple's good at marketing, and Microsoft's good at forcing stuff down consumer's throats.

I never thought I'd feel bad for MS.

[DwarfGoanna]

But I suspect by the time Zune is worthy of the "iPod Killer" moniker, Apple will have already killed the iPod themselves. Sure, they'll still be selling dedicated DAPs for a while to come, but I wouldn't be shocked if a midrange "good enough" iPhone changes the playing field there. Exactly what they did before with the mini/nano. One thing I find admirable about the new Apple is that they don't seem to give a shit about cutting into their own installed base with a product that fits the market better than what they had before. By the time MS gets this right, *the market they're after is going to liken the standalone DAP to monochrome displays and 200 songs.

*no, slashdot is not this market. I know.

That will fire things up.

[twitter]

At least that's what Roughly Drafted told me.

Sometimes, spending is just throwing good money after bad. They can't make Zune a winner because rented and dissapearing music just aren't cool. Even less cool is the idea that billboards will be able to "squirt" adverts onto your player or what your player might tell them in return. Minority Report was supposed to be a horror story, not a business model.

Re:That will fire things up.

[Sparks23]

As much an Apple fan as I am, I also hate Apple software on Windows. Not only does it look out of place, it Just Does Not Work. We share that particular boat; I use Mac OS X for my personal stuff -- web-browsing, e-mail, music, writing and so on -- and Windows for work and gaming. I love Apple's work on OS X, but I find their Windows software nauseating. When it comes down to it, I think anyone who likes Apple for *sensible* reasons (as opposed to just being a blind fan) hates Apple's approach to Windows software.

Those ports violate everything Apple supposedly stands for, such as software that 'just works.' Software 'just working' requires it to work /in context/ with the operating system, and everything else on the system. Apple's cross-system ports do not by /any/ stretch of the imagination; they attempt to shoehorn bits of OS X into Windows, and they do so poorly. (Also, whatever framework they used to port iTunes to Windows is horrible, and I want to find whoever wrote iPodService, hunt them down, and garrote them with a Firewire cable. WTF, Apple?)

This is actually a pet peeve for me. This same stupid shortcut approach to cross-platform development is why things developed on Windows and ported directly to OS X look mildly schizophrenic and get complaints about 'not being well-designed for OS X' from Mac users. It's also why a lot of cross-platform software ported from Linux using GTK+ for Windows or running under X11.app on OS X doesn't 'fit in' either. Why would Apple think this braindead approach to cross-platform development would work any better for them?

If you're going to do something cross-platform, bloody well develop it cross-platform instead of designing it just for one platform and then taking shortcuts to port it without thinking whether or not your design works in the new context.

Re:zune vs IPOD

[quacking duck]

The problem is not the device itself, it's the company pushing it. You may get a better product (although, let's be honest, marginally better) but MSFT cripples the dang thing with DRM. It's the RIAA's dream device, so buried in DRM that it's capabilities count for nothing, since you cannot really take advantage of them.

I hadn't thought about this before, but considering how some people are boycotting any CD put out by RIAA members (with help from RIAA Radar), they should be boycotting the Zune as well, seeing as how Microsoft kicks back a small amount to Universal Music for every Zune sold.

Microsoft sold out all consumers in a failed bid to give RIAA members teeth to demand an unjustified cut for every iPod sold, just when Apple was renegotiating licensing with the music labels. Now, you may argue that Apple's on "our side" only because it's best for their bottom line... but at least they're not actively against us in this battle! The least we can do is return the favour.

But... what is it??

[wvmarle]

I just RTFA, and it sais NOTHING, and that is truly NOTHING, about what is really in the pipeline. Only lines like "it's going to be better", and "we're expanding it blah blah" with a lot of marketingspeak - but really nothing on the actual product. The only concrete product mentioned, the "Zune Shuffle" or whatever, also falls short of an actual description, let alone giving me the idea that it is reliable.

Sorry folks, nothing to see here, move along. Really, there is absolutely nothing.

The only thing about this article is that it keeps the buzz going, it keeps the people talking about this device. And guessing. Just guessing. Because there is nothing really said there, everything is just a guess.

Editors, please do your job, and don't put this kind of nonsense on the front page. It doesn't belong there. I'm really interested in tech news, and also what Microsoft is doing - even though I don't buy their products, they are one of the major forces in the computer world - but this is the least informative article ever.

Ah well, let the Microsoft bashing continue.

Re:Why sync wirelessly?

[Repton]

If your Nano did wireless synching, you'd be charging it more often than every two weeks...

Re:Don't believe the negativity

[UnknowingFool]

On paper the Zune looked okay. The problem for most people is that Microsoft was a little deceptive in advertising in what Microsoft failed to disclose. It had a bigger screen, but the resolution was the same as the iPod and the player was larger. It had wifi but it wasn't really wifi. You can buy music online only it's not compatible with anything you may have bought before, etc.