Red Zune 80, no Valentine required

Want a red Zune 80 without all the lovey-dovey sentiment? They're now on sale at Zune Originals.

(Credit: Microsoft)

After appearing briefly as the Valentine edition of the Zune 80, today Microsoft has brought back the red version of the Zune 80 through their Zune Originals online store. Unlike the fumbled Valentine's edition, however, these red Zunes won't come cheap. In fact, Zune Originals is now charging an extra $15 for the artwork engraving service that they initially offered free of charge.

Still, for those of you who really want to fly your Zune freak flag high, the red Zune 80 definitely looks like it will get some attention.

[quikboy2]

Awesome! Nice to hear this.

I'll be sure to get one. Thanks for posting.

[Composer_1777]

Spit in the face to Product RED

I think this is totaly disrespectful to the Product RED idea, i mean c'mon. Is microsoft so cheap that they can't donate Red zune sales to Product RED fund...

good thing the zune sucks,

[make_or_break]

Fanbaby crying

I suppose you REALLY get torqued at Ferrari for not donating a percentage of [i]their[/i] millions in profits to the (Product) Red program, despite the fact that they've been building cars in their virtual trademark red for decades. And woe to all of those stupid fire extinguisher makers for not chipping into the program as well. What nerve, selling something in crimson and not forking over a bit of that as well, eh? And all those candy makers...how DARE they make all those red licorice ropes and red gumballs and Red Hots and cinnamon sticks and red jelly beans without tossing some coin in the charity's coffers. And HOW DARE THOSE FARMERS for having the gall to grow apples in RED.

Yeah, right.

MSFT makes NO pretense about the Zune being associated to (Product) Red promotion, so get off yer high horse. The color existed LONG before anyone considered latching THEIR wagon to it for donation purposes. Thanks to the blitz of (Product) Red, now we inundated with all sorts of rainbow-linked charitable promotions: pink (breast cancer), blue (autism, diabetes, among others), green (cancer, environment, also among others), yellow (Livestrong), etc., etc....bandwagoneering at its shining marketing best (or worst, depending on viewpoint).

There's NO exclusive use of ANY color for any charitable cause, and no manufacturer should feel guilt for using that color. MSFT, or Ferrari for that matter, need not feel compelled to pangs of guilt.

Considering that Apple ONLY sells their (Product) Red devices in their OWN stores, where they DON'T have any of that relatively measly 5% cut into to their already phat margins they normally get on any other color options from other retail outlets...yeah, who's scamming who now?