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Zune Ready to Take On iPod Again... In November

Wednesday, October 3rd, 2007 at 9:35 AM - by

Microsoft hoped its original Zune media player would knock Apple's iPod for a loop, and now is ready to try again in November. The Redmond-based company announced on Tuesday that it plans to roll out a new Zune product line up next month.


The New Zune Review

The new Zune will be available in an 80GB hard drive-based model, and smaller 4GB and 8GB Flash-based models. All will continue to include Wi-Fi support, and now will also support wireless syncing with Windows-based computers.

Microsoft will also launch an updated version of its Zune Marketplace designed to compete with the iTunes Store. The new online media store will sport a redesigned interface that Microsoft called "fun and easy," but most notably will offer about a million DRM-free tracks in MP3 format.

The new Zune services will include Zune Social, which Microsoft describes as an online community where users can share their musical tastes and knowledge.

The 80GB Zune will be priced at US$249.99, coming in at $0.99 more than Apple's 80GB iPod classic. The 4GB and 8GB Flash-based models price match their iPod nano counterparts within 99 cents as well at $149.99 and $199.99 respectively.

Microsoft's original Zune model took about a year to ship a million units. In comparison, Apple sold a million iPhones in about three months.

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Tiger said:

member since 17 Jun 2003 with 1018 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Wed Oct 03, 2007 10:52 am

To borrow a phrase, you can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig.

No one will soon forget Zune brown.

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A guest said: (hide)

Wed Oct 03, 2007 11:22 am

Even as Apple [AAPL] hits new record highs in today's early morning trading.

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Sir Harry Flashman said:

member since 08 Feb 2007 with 792 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Wed Oct 03, 2007 12:24 pm

Remember, remember the 2007 November and the MicroSoft Zune and flop.

I know of a number of reasons why the Zune flop should be forgot.

Seriously will they take this rollout as serious as the last? It seemed to me that MicroSoft's enthusiasm the for the first ones was not all that great. There was a press conference and the boys squirted each other, but no real hoopla as there would be had Apple been releasing a new product. I was fair, I went and took a look at one the day it was released. Took a look as best I could with the unit lashed down on that pedestal, not charged up, and a patch cord connecting it to an iPod across the display island.

Pretty much the same price as iPods? How are they going to entice people to give the iPod, or make a Zune their first purchase without some incentives.

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srs007 said:

member since 03 Oct 2007 with 3 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Wed Oct 03, 2007 1:53 pm

Remember, Apple also sold it's first million when there really wasn't much of a market for MP3 players AND would only work with Macs.

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jpfreeman said:

member since 12 Jan 2005 with 48 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Wed Oct 03, 2007 4:45 pm

The red looks ok, but the rest of the colors are horrible.

Will people be able to share those DRM free files freely with the wirless sharing feature? Or will they still expire?

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yakirz said:

member since 22 Nov 2002 with 457 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Wed Oct 03, 2007 5:18 pm

Ugly. As. Hell.

As for the colors, the green reminds me of sinus infections, and the resulting bodily fluids...

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brett_x said:

member since 24 Jan 2006 with 322 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Thu Oct 04, 2007 8:42 am

yakirz wrote:
As for the colors, the green reminds me of sinus infections, and the resulting bodily fluids...

You know, you're right, but if they were actually going for that, they might have left the Brown in there.

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A guest said: (hide)

Thu Oct 04, 2007 9:59 am

Rawmeat Red, Mucous Green, and Putrid Pink. Honestly, I've only seen that particular shade of pink in some vanilla yogurt that was too long in the Fridge.

Lipstick on a pig? And even the lipstick is UGLY!!!

Yeah, these are gonna sell like hotcakes...

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Sir Harry Flashman said:

member since 08 Feb 2007 with 792 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Thu Oct 04, 2007 10:56 am

I wonder if the case colors are so bright because they contain lead

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