Zune to Debut at $250 on November 14

Reportedly surprised by Apple's recent iPod price cuts, Microsoft this week announced that its upcoming Zune MP3 player will be priced at $249.99, the same price as the iPod model it most closely resembles. Microsoft also said it now plans to sell Zune in the United States on November 14.

"On November 14 we're delivering not only a device, but a shared, social experience that will be shaped by the collective imagination of consumers," said Chris Stephenson, general manager of global marketing for Zune. "We're infusing the spirit of discovery and sharing into everything we do--from the experience we crafted around the device and service to preloading music and videos on every device to expose people to something new."

Zune is an iPod-like device that features a 30GB hard disk, a 3-inch color screen that works in landscape and portrait modes, a built-in FM tuner, and unique sharing features. The first-generation Zune will include a selection of preloaded content, including songs, music videos, and short movies, and will be available in three colors: white, black, and brown.

Microsoft will be providing a new online service called Zune Marketplace that will let Zune users browse and purchase songs for about 99 cents each. Unlike Apple's iTunes service, however, Zune Marketplace will also offer a $14.99 monthly subscription called Zune Pass that will give subscribers access to all Zune Marketplace content.

A wide array of accessories will be available for Zune at launch. In addition to prepackaged sets of accessories (the Home A/V Pack, for integrating the device into a home theatre; the Zune Travel Pack; and the Zune Car Pack), numerous standalone accessories will be available, including an A/V Output Cable, AC Adapter, Sync Cable, Car Charger, Dock, Wireless Remote, Dual Connect Remote, FM Tuner with AutoSeek, and Premium Earphones.

This should all sound familiar to iPod users. The big differentiator is that Zune will include wireless capabilities that will let Zune users share music with each other. Microsoft has yet to describe this feature in detail but has said that Zune users will be able to actually transmit protected content to other users, at least for a temporary time period. "This is just the beginning," Stephenson said.

One problem that Microsoft is being open about is that the company will lose money on the first-generation Zune. Microsoft says the Zune is a "multiyear strategy," like the Xbox 360, and that the company is in this business for the long haul. Starting next year, we'll see several other portable devices that will be compatible with the Zune products.

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I wish Microsoft would stop trying to enter every single market on the planet, because it fails in so many of them. Even the XBox is a huge money-loser for them.

I don't think the "sharing experience" is going to make Zune stand out. When I want to share music with my friends, I just give them copies of the MP3s. People will just think it's lame when their given a song they can only listen to three times.

Also, that 3-inch Zune screen is still the same resolution of the iPod--320x240 QVGA. So you won't get increased detail in videos, only bigger pixels. And a fake clickwheel.

Oh, and the obligatory "Brown, WTF?!" remark: Brown, WTF?!

Preseton September 28, 2006 (Article Rating:

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Sweet!

I can't wait to do some side by side comparisons with other players in the stores.

"Starting next year, we'll see a number of other portable devices using the Zune brand."

Is this what's going to become of Orgami as well? Or was that just MS blowing smoke for some unknown reason?

sticknick September 28, 2006 (Article Rating:

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"I wish Microsoft would stop trying to enter every single market on the planet, because it fails in so many of them."

Really? I have yet to see them failing. Windows is still number 1 on the desktop and is way up there with server OS's. Their Office suite is second to none. Their hardware is spectacular (I'd say that they need to stop putting silly email and media buttons on their keyboards, but nearly every hardware company these days is guilty of that). Their PC games are top of the line and X-box is slowly but surely taking over in the console race.

So, again: where is the failure?

"Oh, and the obligatory "Brown, WTF?!" remark: Brown, WTF?!"

What's wrong with brown? Seriously? Reto is, and always will be, "in". You must hang around with people who shop exclusively at Ikea and drive Beetles - because everyone I know (even die hard iPod owners) think the brown Zune is pretty damn cool. I'd even be willing to bet good money that the brown Zune will be their biggest seller.

Sure, MS could have made silver, blue, green, and pink Zunes ... but then they'd get accused of ripping off Apple and blah blah blah.

sticknick September 28, 2006 (Article Rating:

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@sticknick:

"Really? I have yet to see them failing. Windows is still number 1 on the desktop and is way up there with server OS's. Their Office suite is second to none."

And those are the two markets they are strong in. I was talking about entering other markets in which they consistently fail. And in server OSes, UNIX is still #1.

"Their hardware is spectacular (I'd say that they need to stop putting silly email and media buttons on their keyboards, but nearly every hardware company these days is guilty of that). Their PC games are top of the line and X-box is slowly but surely taking over in the console race."

Microsoft is hardly #1 in keyboards, and they don't even manufacture those. They contract out to a third-party that brands them with the Microsoft name. XBox has been a money-loser from the start and has yet to generate net profits for the company. The hardcore gamers are waiting for the market leader, Sony, to release their Playstation 3, and everyone else is waiting for the ultra-affordable Wii which comes with a hard drive, built-in WiFi, an revolutionary input device, and a bundled game--unlike the more expensive XBox 360 Core version which doesn't come with any of those things. I've never understood XBox buyers, who don't seem to realize they're simply buying a monitor-less PC (especially the X-Box 1, which was literally a group of cheap PC parts arranged in a black box).

"So, again: where is the failure?"

Search engines, web services, cell phones, ultra-mobile PCs, ad serving, television, and much more over the span of 15 years. And now, portable music players.

"Sure, MS could have made silver, blue, green, and pink Zunes ... but then they'd get accused of ripping off Apple and blah blah blah."

Oh, come on, Microsoft is using a crappy color (literally) to avoid being accused of ripping off the idea of using colors? And yet they're not afraid to use an iPod form factor with a clickwheel-like button?

Preseton September 28, 2006 (Article Rating:

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"Oh, come on, Microsoft is using a crappy color (literally) to avoid being accused of ripping off the idea of using colors? And yet they're not afraid to use an iPod form factor with a clickwheel-like button?"

Okay, so you think it's crappy. Great!

"Oh, come on, Microsoft is using a crappy color (literally) to avoid being accused of ripping off the idea of using colors?

"And yet they're not afraid to use an iPod form factor with a clickwheel-like button?
They own the patent on that anyway. By the way, please tell me why moving the thumb on a touchpad like surface is easier than simply clicking a button? And please don't bring South Park into this!

shark47 September 28, 2006 (Article Rating:

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"Microsoft says the Zune is a "multiyear strategy,""

If anyone does buy one, this is comforting. MS is one of the few companies that can sell 0 of these things and still stay in the market for 5 or 6 years.

will84 September 28, 2006 (Article Rating:

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"Search engines,"

They've always had one. I know I used it until Goolge came along and redefined what a search engie was. We've been around the block with this regarding IE - it took some competition to wake MS up. Will Live Search topple Google? Probably not, but it's nice to see MS overhaul their search.

"web services,"

They've always had most of these too. Truth be told of the new stuff, Spaces is pretty damn awesome. And, seriously, what company isn't trying to get into Web services these days? They all can leave teh online office stuff out though. No on is going to use that crap.

"cell phones,"

They haven’t released on yet. They will. And people will whine. Then again, Apple will release one in a year or two and everyone will applaud their innovation... even though cell phones with music and pictures and video have been out for, oh, two years now? So what if MS want to release one as well.

"ultra-mobile PCs,"

C'mon, NOBODY has got this right yet.

"ad serving,"

They do it just as annoyingly as others.

"television,"

What? You have never used Media Center? Or are you implying that MS is going to make TV's? I don't even know what you're talking about here.

"Oh, come on, Microsoft is using a crappy color (literally) to avoid being accused of ripping off the idea of using colors? And yet they're not afraid to use an iPod form factor with a clickwheel-like button?"

I didn't say that, did I? That last sentence I wrote was a stab at Apple for accusing MS of ripping them off all the time.

What I said was:

"What's wrong with brown? Seriously? Reto is, and always will be, "in" ... everyone I know (even die hard iPod owners) think the brown Zune is pretty damn cool. I'd even be willing to bet good money that the brown Zune will be their biggest seller."

Whether I end up getting one or not, my ONLY wish is that Microsoft ships the Zune with headphones that are any other colour but white :-)

sticknick September 28, 2006 (Article Rating:

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@shark47:

"Okay, so you think it's crappy. Great!"

It was a brown joke. :)

"They own the patent on that anyway."

No, they don't.

"By the way, please tell me why moving the thumb on a touchpad like surface is easier than simply clicking a button?"

Um, because having to scroll through a 1,000+ artist list by clicking a holding a button SUCKS when you can use a scroll wheel that has movement acceleration, even for volume control. Stop being disingenuous. That's like asking why using a mouse is better than using a keyboard in Doom.

"And please don't bring South Park into this!""

It's hilarious that you guys have latched onto what was a comment on public perceptions of Bill Gates in pop culture. Oh, and please don't compare Bill Gates to Jesus Christ again!

Preseton September 28, 2006 (Article Rating:

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@sticknick:

"Search engines," "They've always had one. I know I used it until Goolge came along and redefined what a search engie was."

Actually, for years, MSN Search was drawing its results from Google.

"web services," They've always had most of these too. Truth be told of the new stuff, Spaces is pretty damn awesome. And, seriously, what company isn't trying to get into Web services these days?"

You asked me about markets Microsoft has failed in. Now you seem to be backing off from that.

"cell phones," They haven’t released on yet."

Uh, the Smartphone. And it failed.

"ultra-mobile PCs," C'mon, NOBODY has got this right yet."

Are you talking about buyers? You're right, nobody's buying an oversized tablet PC. By the way, tablet PCs have failed too.

"ad serving," They do it just as annoyingly as others."

No, Windows Live's ad service has been a failure compared to the very successful Google Adwords.

"television," What? You have never used Media Center?"

I was talking about IPTV, but you reminded me that Media Center PCs have been a bust as well.

"Seriously? Reto is, and always will be, "in" ... everyone I know (even die hard iPod owners) think the brown Zune is pretty damn cool. I'd even be willing to bet good money that the brown Zune will be their biggest seller."

I'd be willing to bet you $1,000 that brown will be the least sold Zune color. :) Nobody likes the brown.

Preseton September 28, 2006 (Article Rating:

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