Microsoft's iPod competitor...image leaked, will be Xbox branded

[Asher]

If Ming wishes to show everyone he is consistent with his rules enforcement, it's in his best interest. Aggie has admitted to being a repeat offender yet 9 times out of 10 he's never banned nor warned, even if the post is reported.

Just find it odd.

[Jaguar]

Originally posted by MRT144
Asher, youll get no swing if you command people to do their job like a bratty princess

Some bratty princesses are hot.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Agathon
And the music industry obviously wants to hand over control of digital media to Microsoft.

Creating competition = handing over control to Microsoft? You're that convinced that Microsoft would deliver such a massively superior product?

[Imran Siddiqui]

[Dinner]

One of the big reasons I went with a Creative Player instead of an Ipod is because of Apple's very restrictive use policy.

BTW I do agree with Aggie's take on convergence (if not the timeline) that eventually cell phones, digital cameras (or at least nonprofessional cameras), and MP3 players will merge. It's already happening though the offers so far have been lack luster.

[Asher]

Even the new RAZR with the iTunes feature sucks. I know several people who have it, no one uses the iTunes on it.

[Nostromo]

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=3371

$399 for a 30GB Zune

The Zune info just keeps pouring and this time we're getting additional details from Digital Music News. The publication has seen various presentation materials sent to Microsoft partners which shed some more light on the portable media player that everyone seems to be talking about these days.

According to the materials, Microsoft will initially be targeting Zune at young adults in the 18-24 age bracket. In targeting this segment of the market, Microsoft hopes to piggyback on the success of the XBOX, XBOX 360 and XBOX Live -- which have been made popular by young adults -- and use its console platform as a launching pad for Zune. Digital Music News reports:

The Xbox community itself will be an important starting point for the campaign. Upon launch, Microsoft will create an impact though a "7 cities in 7 nights" tour, which will involve big-name artists, key cities, and live performances that will be exclusively positioned as downloads "on the web and music store". Throughout, the messaging will be focused on the "device plus store". Big box retail outlets will offer a nice push. Sources note that the device will be “overwhelmingly sold at Target, Best Buy, and Walmart,� and nearly 30,000 retail outlets across the US. A Super Bowl spot is also reportedly in the works.

The Zune Live feature, which takes advantage of the device’s built-in WiFi, is also key to Microsoft's aim at capturing 20% of the market. Zune Live would be a community-based system that would allow Zune users and XBOX Live users to stay in touch and share content. Whether this will lead to some sort of MySpace-esque ecosystem for the portable media set remains to be seen. Digital Music News reports that WiFi sharing can take place between up to ten people within close proximity to each other. Users will be able to stream music from each other, but simply copying music and heading off into the sunset doesn't appear to be an option:

If a user wants to purchase shared material, tracks can be bookmarked and later purchased when the device is synched to the computer. Unclear is whether users can share unlicensed MP3 content, though they probably will not have that ability. Meanwhile, interesting community aspects will be embedded into the device, including features like friends lists.

And now we get to the rough part. Pricing looks to be on the high side with a 30GB model coming in at the price of a 60GB 5G iPod: $399. Apple's 30GB 5G iPod is $100 cheaper. Another more interesting downside is that the device will not feature wireless PC syncing. Wireless PC syncing would be a big boon for Zune, but Microsoft has perhaps implemented some proprietary WiFi protocol in the device which would make wireless syncing impossible. USB connectivity, however, will be available for both PCs and XBOX consoles. The device will also be incompatible with existing PlaysForSure music services as Microsoft looks to a one-brand music store strategy similar to iPod + iTunes. All signs point to the recently launched MTV/Microsoft URGE music store.

Microsoft is hoping to launch the new player in three colors this November in the States with a worldwide launch coming early next year.

I predicted two things:

(1) It will be expensive

(2) Jack of all trades, master of none

One seems true.

Btw, "Zune" sounds a lot like "zoune", which means "****" or "dick" here in Quebec. Is that a Zune you have in your pocket or you happy to see me?

[Asher]

30GB for the same price as Apple's 60GB seems reasonable given what it's to have (400MHz processor, Wifi, etc). Especially considering very very few people use more than 30GB, in fact most people are well under 10GB.

[Nostromo]

60 GB is over the top for a iPod, I agree. Frankly, I don't care at all about the beefier CPU or the Wifi. The way they describe the WiFi, it sounds lika a gimmick, IMO.

Now, if they offered me something actually useful, like a well designed cell phone/MP3 player, I would probably pay 100$ more than the 30 GB iPod. Even if it only had 4GB or 8GB! Come on Microsoft, give us what we want, not what you think we want!

[Asher]

I want one with a 400MHz processors and Wifi.

[Kuciwalker]

The device will also be incompatible with existing PlaysForSure music services as Microsoft looks to a one-brand music store strategy similar to iPod + iTunes.

Ouch. Unless they let you download that for free too.

[Asher]

Yeah, I'm questioning that actually. Sounds like nonsense to me.

In related news, iPod sales are down 5% from last quarter and the market appears to have plateaued: http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060719-7305.html

[Kuciwalker]

That's not good news for the Zune

[Nostromo]

Based on what was leaked, I'm not at all impressed by the Zune. Sorry, but I don't see how it could be a iPod killer. I mean, its not even a Creative Zen Vision: M killer.

In related news, iPod sales are down 5% from last quarter and the market appears to have plateaued:

5%, eh? That's because everyone already has one. It'll go up when the new iPods will come out.

[Asher]

More info from Engadget:

It's raining Zune rumors again, or more properly, "Project Argo" rumors, and far be it from us to keep these to ourselves. The latest word comes from BetaNews and their "sources close to the situation," and things just keep looking better coming from the Redmond camp. They're claiming that Microsoft will start showing off the device to the public in the last week of August, followed by more presentations mid-September, and an October release. The August announcement would come a few weeks after Apple is rumored to release new iPod nanos at WWDC, but would come a fair bit before the flagship iPod refresh is expected, giving Microsoft a great shot at the "you have to buy a new iPod at least once a year" crowd pining for a fix. BetaNews also has some more code names from Project Argo for us to kick around: Pyxis and Alexandria. The former is a rumored iPod nano competitor, with similar size and functions, but the addition of video support. The latter we've heard of before, back when Origami rumors were in their prime, and appears to be the music/video service that will complete Microsoft's utopian ideal of end-to-end content and device provider -- and which is sure to piss off a few PlaysForSure music services in the process.