“Microsoft is in the process of unveiling to select retailers the first of its line of Zune wearable digital audio players and informed retailers it will offer a single unit [30GB] this fall, available in three colors at a suggested retail price of $299,” Amy Gilroy reports for This Week In Consumer Electronics (TWICE).
Gilroy reports, “Retailers who have been briefed by Microsoft told TWICE the player will offer Wi-Fi capability, but will require that the portable be connected to a PC for the actual purchase of songs. Retailers, who claimed Microsoft remained ‘fuzzy’ on the Zune’s wireless capability, said only that Zune will allow users to bookmark songs that may be shared via Wi-Fi, but that users cannot purchase songs on the go from the Microsoft Zune Web site.”
According to the report, Microsoft plans to continue PlaysForSure licensing despite the launch of the Zune portable audio player and online music service which will be effectively competing with the PlaysForSure licensees.
Full article here.
Unsurprisingly, Zune’s abilities diminish with each passing day; just like those of the derivative company that’s trying to make the thing.
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Nice Frank Herbert quote, Ampar. I knew I liked you for some reason.
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The reputed Zune colors will be:
BSOD Blue
Envy Green
iPod White
maczealot: You forgot one thing. The Zune covered iPod is then sold at a loss. MS Econ 101.
I feel sorry for Ballmer’s kids; all they get this Christmas is a Zune.
Poor kids.
Thanks, blucaso! Let’s make that our secret. Now bring on the Geonemotodium arraknis!
So what the hell is the wireless part of Zune for if you can’t download and purchase songs?
Why does this sound like Sony all over again…?
“Let’s create a device that has its own format and its own store, and because we’re Sony/Microsoft, everyone will come crawling to us! Woo-hoo!”
It didn’t work for Sony, and it ain’t gonna work for Microsoft…
And for a company run by a sales guy, it fails to understand or head off one of the most basic tenets:
Under-promise and over-deliver
If everyone thinks the Zune will have Wi-Fi and video capabilities, and it doesn’t, you’ve just shot yourself in the foot…
And a choice of three colors isn’t going to make up for a lack of features people were hyped about, esp. w/o any price advantage…
Zeke, good one…
“Does the Zunes spread like an STD?”
i just hope zune looks incredibly ugly… and i hope the iPhone will look something like this
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3168733759916419298&q=italk&pl=true
zune = 3 years too late and offers nothing that the ipod and itunes service has done before it years ago.
microsoft = a dead corporation who cannot come up with an original idea unless Apple and Google go it 1st.
If microsoft wer actually thinking about this they would have created a product that ‘could be the next stage for the ipod’.
Microsoft being what they are, all they can see is their bank balance and not what customers want.
BASIC BUSINESS ADVICE FOR BALLMER:
1. LISTEN to your customers
2. Create products that CUSTOMERS want
3. Give up competing with Apple – BECAUSE YOU AINT APPLE! get over it!
This is one of the biggest differences between Microsoft and Apple. Apple doesn’t boast in public about their unreleased products. MS, of course, makes promises they can’t keep, releasing a piece of crap which 1) is not released in time, and 2) doesn’t deliver what promised.
Apple’s secretive strategy is much better. You can’t rise the expectations too high if you simply don’t tell anything. Advance hype CAN be good for your product, but it definitely isn’t if you can’t deliver what you promised (MS).
Also, while Apple only releases new products when they’re good enough, MS releases some half-arsed, delayed turd that isn’t ready even after a couple of service packs.
Good to see MS fsck up again.
Ok, all the lemmings, get ready to buy the thing, regardless how crappy it may be…
I think Ampar has nailed it. The reverse clock of Microsoft strikes again. That sounds so like a limerick, someone should go write it. (UGH).
MDN word: Didnt. As in “Oh no you didn’t!”
Headlines:
Microsoft crowned king of the also rans
Correction:
Microsoft crowned king of the coulda, shoulda, would of’s
Correction:
Pending final release dates of their products… Microsoft crowned king of the coulda, shoulda, would of’s
Correction:
Microsoft crowned king of the coulda, shoulda, would of’s for release dates of products.
I think I finally got it…..
Next announcement from Microsoft… The Zune will have wireless capability, but the initial release will not use it for anything that is actually useful.
how many zune device can my device detect on my social?
ow its unlimited……