Follow the link and compare it with an 80gig iPod - the Zune is much bigger and slightly heavier as well for 50 gig less storage!

Plus, Microsoft are apparently taking a $50 loss on every unit sold - I would not be surprised if Apple dropped its prices again for some sort of promotional Christmas thing making the Zune either more exspensive or a huge loss leader. What will Micor$oft share holders make of that?

Fat Zune

not much when you consider how much of a loss leader the xbox was to build up credibility for the xbox 360.

better pics

http://www.jakeludington.com/zune/20...omparison.html

this is how microsoft works
Step 1 release the 1G Zune and let it test the waters
step 2 get feedback
step 3 redesign the entire thing
note how 1-3 follow exactly what they did with the xbox line.
step 4 sell it via microsoft hardware and not have toshiba build it again

STILL I am soooooooooooo hacked off with the size i still might buy it its gonna be better then iPOd

I really don't know why they're including wi-fi, the technology has not matured enough to be included in such a device, the usage of it is gonna be minimal at best. Of course they've included it because the iPod hasn't got it (it's not alone in that though) and they need something to be able to market. Of course, if it does begin to take off, there is nothing to stop Apple from including it and regaining any lost ground, if they do Microsoft will no doubt have to cut prices further and make an even bigger loss.
Last edited by moisie : 03-10-2006 at 12:05

Microsoft likes to push new technology even if it hasn't matured fully.
Though thats probably down to Bill Gates speculation about where the future of technology is going. I like the look of the Zune, it might be bigger and have smaller capicity than the Ipod's. But Apple have a development lead over Microsoft in the mp3 player market of several years.
Microsoft will most likely use the Xbox 360 development model, where they own the intellectual property on the hardware and then tender contracts to electronics companies to build the devices for them.

Also some info at http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/index....D=3&subID=1024 including some oddities:

The Zune will come with... built-in Wi-Fi, allowing users to share tracks, but not so often that it will annoy the record companies.
You'll have three plays or three days, whichever comes first, before the track's automatically wiped. Furthermore, you'll only be able to share music you've bought from the forthcoming Microsoft music store called Zune Marketplace (not CDs you've ripped yourself).
Absurdly, with such a promising feature as Wi-Fi, you won't be able to download music straight to your Zune - it will still need to come via your PC.

I am still importing one. I am sick of the ipod crazy people.

thers no uk relese? ipod lovers accept ipod flea lovers diekthnxbai!

It will be after christmas. Thats no fun for me. I want to open it christmas day and kiss it. lol
I could wait but it will not be as exciting and I am using my little creative microphoto now and I want a bigger one.

One thing I don't like about Ipod is that everyone has it, that's not its fault but I like ot be different, I've only ever seen one other person I know of with an Archos so that's working for me except my archos won't work in WMP11 and vista.

I think Microsoft are being clever in terms of thinking about social, viral networking even if the implementation isn't there. What they really need is airtight integration across all their products. They need it so you can download songs via Xbox Live marketplace and transfer via WiFi to your Vista Home Premium PC and your Zune player. They need it so someone will find a funny video on Soapbox, download and put it on their Zune, share it with someone else and direct streaming from Zune to Xbox 360 and Vista of the video clip. The potential is there. What they really need to is make the content universally available from your pocket to living room to study. I only wish I could go tell J Allard or Robbie Bach all the great ideas I have for it. The potential is there and they have made Zune firmware upgradeable like 360s so it can be updated for things like streaming, ironing out software niggles and playing more media formats etc.

Whilst I do despise the iPod. The Zune is far worse... it has viral DRM, something which couldn't be bending selected laws more even if it tried.

THEBIGM i love you point yesh microsoft are being clever as alway
removed common man its better then iPod and eveything has DRM it dont bother me ive never had a prob with it as none of my music is DRM its all DRM FREE

lol i agree im sick of them now i hate them so much now when you get it if u get it as it might be sold out can u write a review with pics etc etc?

np might have to wait a while though.lol (well a month and a bit.)

You're just as bad as an ipod crazee..you're zune crazee, you've not even seen or played with one and you're gonna import it! Wait until they do an update, there's always bugs with 1st revision hardware and if you got it from a guy in the states off ebay there's fook all you can do when it goes wrong!

Atleast get one when they're officialy released over here so you've got back up.


Bet ya don't listen to me tho you zune crazee
Last edited by rob1973 : 04-10-2006 at 10:02

his fed up with ipod crazy people his making a point ipod is the worst thing out apart from iPod Flea

this is all moot. the zune wont come to the UK this year if ever... by next year the next line in zune will be launched... created and produced by microsoft. as such i am sure itll be thinner, sleeker, cooler.

I'd put money on there being a major iPod revision by that time too - more than likely the long rumoured full screen video model!

Too little too late with the Zune IMO!

No I'm not. lol
It is not like I am just getting the zune because I have just read a bit about it and thought "I want one!!". It looks a decent player.

I have looked at loads others, the zen I don't like the controls, the gigabeat I don't like the look of and the sony is just weird. I just want a new big player so I'm getting the zune that looks cool, the ui looks easy and the price is alright.

I don't see how the zune controls are any better than other players, it's just a 4 way pad. Which is not to say it won't work well, it's just no better than other systems - exept that it's trying to look like a scroll wheel.

The scroll wheel is good generally, unfortunately it is hard to put it on other devices because of copyright/design type legal issues. I know Sonos have put it on their controller but that is a different device completely.

4-way D-pads can work well in the sense if you hold them down the scrolling can speed up over time etc and it is just as intuitive as scroll, if not more, in that it is an obvious system. Apparently zune interface is quite nice. I noticed on screenshots you could see your photos whilst playing music for example. Ipod have made a very good device and in Itunes they have a powerhouse. Competitors to Ipod have tried, and generally failed, to out-device Apple as well as Ipod having much larger marketing.

Zune seems to be good in not caring too much about the gadgetry itself but focusing on the content and the music and its enjoyment. By not trying to create a better Ipod than Apple in the traditional sense is where they have taken a step right.

I agree, the Zune is worse, this is microsofts rival to ipod, right down to having to use their own shop to buy the music, the zune does not support microsofts own 'plays for sure', this means you can't play WMA tracks downloaded legally from any of the online music shops, forcing you to use only the Zune shop.

Another problem is very restrictive DRM, more so than apple, you will not be able to back up tracks downloaded for the Zune, MS will not allow it, the Zune will not be as free to use as the Ipod. Like to rip music from your own CD's? As soon as those tracks are put on the Zune, they too will then carry the Zune DRM, meaning you don't share with anyone else, not even a podcast (netcast?) or your own music..

I see it's bigger than the Ipod, it's screen is bigger, it also comes in Brown...

I don't own either, I don't like DRM but if I had to choose I'd choose an apple ipod.

What do you mean you don't share with someone else, they've been announcing the whole share tunes over wifi for three days thing. We know the restriction applies to restricted music from marketplace but we don't know about unprotected mp3/wma.

Also it doesn't need to support playsforsure, they are alternative choices, pfs people can get a toshiba gigabeat s and use it with MTV's urge or napster or something, they have that choice of zune or marketplace. Apple's Ipod is iTunes plus ripped CDs all in AAC format. I would argue the Ipod is more closed than Zune particularly as Zune music works across several devices including xbox 360.

As far as I am aware, even unprotected files will have to carry Zune DRM for it to be able to play on the Zune, and sharing via wi-fi will be subject for the three plays for three days no matter what the content, apart from image files like JPG, which won't be subject to DRM for some reason. Again playing music across many M$ platforms is great if you have lots of M$ products in your home, I'd be very reluctant to buy anything for the Zune incase the thing breaks, no backups at all...
Last edited by mikeydb : 04-10-2006 at 18:34

I did not say anything about the controls?