Next Generation Zune Coming for Holiday Season

thefickler writes "Microsoft has confirmed the existence and coming launch of the long rumored Zune 2.0 or 2nd generation Zune, and it appears that Microsoft will expand the Zune family with new styles, sizes, and price points. 'Future Zune products will feature podcasting support and expanded video support. The Zune will also move into other geographic markets when Microsoft feels it has an appealing product to offer those demographics. Perhaps most importantly of all, the representative mentioned that Microsoft will build on the wireless support. Maybe we'll finally have the freedom of synching our digital audio players via wi-fi. The rep didn't mention anything specific about Microsoft's rumored answer to the iPod Shuffle. But interesting rumors from sources considered "reliable" point to a very innovative product.'"

zune vs IPOD

[Riverman5]

I did my own comparison of the Zune with the Ipod last Christmas, when those two items were pretty much what everyone was buying, and I decided the Zune was better. Bigger screen, less cost.... that about sums it up for me, although I have the Ipod video, I never use it. Seems the only advantage it has is styling, although that's a light point IMO.

It still won't...

[Ice.Saoshyant]

...support any of Vorbis, FLAC, or Speex. Is nobody else worried about that?

how about offering something new??

[jgarra23]

I'm no fanboi. I'll give the Zune a chance when MS offers something that is better than the iPod. I'm not looking for something as good as the iPod or an iPod with BIGGER features. How about some real innovations like: -more HD space is always nice, how about beating Apple with a 100GB or 120GB Zune? :) -intelligent shuffle that actually uses play counts, last-played, ratings & play-selection-order (and who knows what else) to intuitively determine what songs would fit together? Sort of a moodlogic for people instead of idiots & jerks? -non-platform specific compatibility -better firmware customization (that iPod linux thing is a worthy try but come on) -something that doesn't look like a blatant ripoff of the iPod -custom codec installation -API for application construction & integration I could go on & on...

I have one...

[InlawBiker]

Believe it or not I won it at a charity auction. I was pretty excited to get it, my 2gb mobile player wasn't cutting it for long trips. Here's the truth - they did a good job with it. It's well made. The interface is solid, easy to use and intuitive. I didn't have to read the instructions to use it. The software works pretty well, but is a little confusing. When the Zune came out it'd have been pretty hard to F*** up. With all the money in the world and dozens of business cases to study it'd be pretty difficult to come out with an MP3 player that didn't do a passable job. The Zune did just that, and now true to Microsoft form 2.0 will come out, and then 3.0 and 4.0, and it'll continue to improve. If I were voting with my own money I'd have probably bought Creative's 30gb model, but in truth the Zune is pretty good at what it does. If you can live with people poking fun at you for owning it, go ahead and buy one. It only syncs with Windows, by the way.

Re:That will fire things up.

[Osty]

They can't make Zune a winner because rented and dissapearing music just aren't cool.

On the other hand, "rented" music allows you to sample a much wider variety of music than if you had to pay for it all. $15 will buy you 15 songs on iTunes forever, or it will buy you an "infinite" (limited by what's available on the Zune Marketplace) amount of music for one month. If you like the music, you can always buy it. Personally, the music subscription is what swayed me toward Zune rather than iPod. Well, that and I can't stand Apple's software on Windows. If you're going to make a Windows app, make a damn Windows app. Don't port an OS X app over to Windows, because not only is the look and feel all wrong but the functionality of "standard" controls is different as well. I don't expecto to have to ctrl-click or shift-click on a button in Windows to make some action happen, but that's exactly how the iTunes software works. Microsoft got it right with Office on OS X, building an interface and behaviors specific to OS X. Why can't Apple reciprocate and make proper Windows apps?

Even less cool is the idea that billboards will be able to "squirt" adverts onto your player or what your player might tell them in return.

So turn off the wireless when you're not actively looking for or sharing with other Zune players. As a bonus, you'll get a longer battery life with wireless off.

Give em a break...

[zelik]

Poor microsoft, they succeeded in their xbox ventures with xbox and then xbox 360. Their plan was to get their foot in the door with the original Xbox and then really grow with the xbox360. Now I won't say they succeeded 100% but they're doing pretty well at least compared to Sony. Can they repeat this with the Zune? Maybe.....Zune 1 was a complete flop but I think maybe Microsoft might be able to adapt and change it to be more competitive. I hope. I dislike Apple's monopoly on the mp3 player market as much as I disliked the stranglehold Microsoft has on the PC market. For MSFT to even have a chance, however, they really must eliminate the strong DRM of the Zune and make it more like the iPod. Remember the days before the iPod? Sony could have ruled the MP3 market but they created their lame lame magicGate DRM that made putting songs into the player more painful and slow than just burning an audio CD.