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

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

This thing sounds pretty good. I might have to check it out if the price is reasonable.


There has to be some catch to this. As many songs for a flat fee.

What the fuck is up with the name?

how much is this supposed to be?

I'd be willing to bet that it will be comparable to the ipod.

This actually sounds like a kickass product. I like the fact that it is DESIGNED around sharing...pretty much the exact opposite of the ipod. It would depend on whether it was a quality product, but i could see myself upgrading to one of these when my ipod bites the bullet.

bingo.

Not so much.

"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. "

Clever marketing verbiage, that's all this is. It's more like lending than sharing. There's no way the record companies would have went along with it if someone could outright give anyone and everyone the songs they have.

i don't understand why they made it brown. black, check; white, check; then no blue, no grey, no green whatever, but brown? who's going to buy a brown one?
this honestly is my main point of contention

i'd buy brown.

brown is always the way to go

-Sunny

why?

to match my corduroy

oh of course. in that case i might have to do likewise, because i've been seen about town sporting a brown corduroy jacket myself lately... which one could label as a 'blazer' if one were inclined to do so

Video of the Zune in action.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QI3B9XX3lf0

It sounds/looks pretty cool, but it'll need alot more than 30GB to satisfy me.

As a matter of fact, I'm about to collect the warranty on my 60 GB iPod video (the battery is pretty much crapped out, anyway) and get me one them new-fangled 80GB ones, providing there are no major bugs.

I don't even use the video,either, so I wish you could just get one without it. In theory, without the video component, they could make the drive even bigger and allow for even more capacity.

That's pretty cool. I really doubt the price will be comparable to the IPOD though.

God I hope not. The iPods are way overpriced
It's basically just a hard drive with some integrated software and a small screen. A 60gb hard drive, is what...$35? Add a little screen for maybe $40 and $20 for the software part. That's under $100, and yet, for a 60gb iPod, they're charging you over $400.
It's just like all the other apple stuff. OVERPRICED.
I'm betting Micro$oft undercuts the iPod prices by quite a bit. Certainly, if nothing else, to snag any consumers who are on the fence about which one they'd like to buy.

30GB is not nearly enough. Not to mention that I don't care about anything but music.

i bought a 30 thinking it'd last me forever. my boss told me 'get the 60, you won't regret it.'

i'm about halfway done with the 30 and could see myself needing the 60 or 80 soon.

I thought the same thing about not caring about video when I got my video ipod(I got it because of the capacity), but I found myself using it more than I thought. Train rides, airplane, etc. I have every episode of The Office, along with some other stuff. A movie zaps the battery.