In an interview that covered Windows Mobile phones, HD DVD and Xbox 360, Microsoft Entertainment Devices & Division President Robbie Bach also dropped a hint about a Zune competitor for iPod Touch. That’s right, a touchscreen Zune. Of course, a touchscreen Zune raises many possibilities, among which is a possible Windows Mobile OS developed strictly for entertainment devices. If this is in Microsoft’s future plans for the Zune, it might have a chance at a prolonged war against the iPod. This spells major benefits in pricing and functionality for consumers.
One way Microsoft could make Zune a success in Canada is by having a different Zune distributed there compared with the one being sold below the border. Tough luck, but maybe Canadians can put a different eye into things. OxCafe did another review of the flash Zune as they received it in Canada, despite all the reviews of the Zune in the past. The Zune will be released in Canada June 13. The review includes the XNA game support and gapless music. Zune Marketplace is unavailable in Canada, which is a bummer. Lots of features missing, which I’m sure users of Chinese MP4s will miss but OxCafe’s conclusion puts Zune 80 ahead of iPod Classic.
And between a Zune 80GB and 80GB iPod Classic, and in this case, it is sure that I would take a Zune! The screen is larger and the price will be smaller (after me)!
Microsoft’s announcement couldn’t have come at a better time. After being out of mainstream news for quite some time, Zune is finally back in the front pages of technology news. Released in November 2006, Zunes have been selling modestly and have finally reached the 2 million-unit mark. Since Q1 2007, Zune has actually moved up the MP3/PMP market list to gain one point from 3% to 4%. At the same time period, iPod market share dropped from 72% to 71%. It’s bad news for both Apple and Microsoft after releasing fresh new lines of their portable media player brands. If you care to look at the table above, you’d notice after Sandisk’s 1% gain and subtracting Creative’s 2% loss, there’s 1% missing. Could this be Chinese MP4 players finally making headway in the U.S. MP3 market?
Move over SNES emulators, XNA will be coming soon to a Zune near you. Zune gameplay will support ad hoc WiFi network gaming with up to eight players, and it’s just too cool watching Zauri being played on the Zune 2 using the Zune Pad.
For Canadians, the Zune will be dropping June 13. The Zune 4GB to will retail for 139.99 Canadian dollars , the Zune 8GB for 189.99 and 80GB Zune for 249.99 Canadian. The nice video above is not an official Microsoft ad, but to me it was made in the same spirit as the ads done by 72andSunny.
Microsoft has made the Zune a lot better in the new 2.5 firmware update. The Zune, virtually officially, is going a different direction from the Apple iPod. I will not hesitate to pronounce the Zune a non-competition of the iPod after the 2.5 firmware. The Zune Video download spotted a couple of days ago turned out to be a little better than we expected. Instead of movie downloads, which is already available in some high-end PMPs like Archos, Microsoft opted for TV shows. It may also come as a pie in the face of Steve Jobs that “The Office” will be one of the first offerings of Zune Marketplace. “The Office” was specially featured during Jobs’ keynote and now Zune users can watch it legally on their Zunes.
The Zune Card is adds more sharing to The Social. As previously announced, it will allow Zune users to sample other Zune users content. Sharing one another’s music preferences and recently played music should add to the spirit of “The Social.”
Also in the new update are gapless music, better syncing, auto paylists, meta data edit, and more. Watch the video after the break.
I couldn’t get the Flash display to work on my browser, but a poster at Zunerama took screen shots of what appears to be an update of the Zune Marketplace. Marketplace have just added video downloads but it’s not exactly a major upheaval to offer music videos on Zune. The roaring face of King Kong, though, hints at greater things and greater video lengths to come. Marketplace have also added a genre category for browsing, which should be get a few Marketplace users excited and downloading music.
Microsoft will go nutters over this piece of news. The Zune 8 (8GB) has been cloned and the fake has been sold on eBay. For the year that we have been covering PMP news, this is the first time we’ve come across an real Zune knockoff. In fact, though we searched high and low, this is the closest thing we’ve come to an imitation Zune. Even looking at the fake could fool you since they used very high-quality material. The only way of knowing for sure your Zune 8 is authentic is by opening up the GUI… but, then again, what if the firmware has been perfectly copied as well?
So who was the unlucky guy who bought this imitation Black Zune 8? Here is what he has to say:
just received my 8GB Zune from Ebay.
When I saw the box first I was kind of shocked. Text and Printing not aligned to the center of the packaging, no sticker with serial number and Barcode. As well there were no manuals and the earphones and synch cable were not in separate boxes.
Then I thought “wonderful you’ve bought a fake Zune” but the Device looks fine (ok it looks like second quality, dented screw cover (or whatever the chrome cover covers Smiley and some errors in the laser engraving at the back) When I plugged it into my PC it started charging and a few minutes later it started up and shows correct firmware as well.
So how can this be? Has someone embezzled second quality devices and made a new Packaging for them?
Has anyone else the same experience?
Update: Guy (bastix0815) who bought it found some slight defects in the laser engraving (the lines aren’t perfectly straight) and the 200 pre-installed Chinese songs. He had paid 135 $US for it. Apparently, the box tipped him off though the software works.
I wish to God Zune-Arts never calls it quits, whatever happens to the product its selling. Again, this one is from ad agency 72andSunny and directed by “Three Legged Legs.” Music is titled Fancy Footwork by Chromeo. Watch the video. Somehow, it reminds me of the Eighties and Macaulay Culkin’s special friend. Read the rest »
Microsoft plans to launch a new “platform for downloading Zune [at] several terminals in 2009″. This will include the PC, Zune devices and Windows Mobile 7 devices. The suggestion that Zune 3.0 will be able to sync with Windows Mobile 7 handsets is very enticing. On a different note, it’s taking Zune Marketplace a while to go worldwide.
Since we’ve heard that XNA Studio games will soon be coming to a Zune near you, we’ve wondered how exactly is the game play going to look like on a Zune. If you’ve seen the old 30GB Zune and the new flash and HD Zunes, you’ll quickly realize that the hardware does not actually support the kind of gaming you are used to. You might have something like this in mind or something like this. Heck, even something like this. Read the rest »
