Comments on: Microsoft confirms Zune details

Amid a host of leaks, company spills the beans on its new music players, which are due out next week.

[aradic]

Audible support - finally!
Now it makes sense to actually get one.

[johnwest72]

Um, sources??? Can you provide a link to where Microsoft confirmed this? Otherwise, it's just a rehash of what I've already read.

[cpopken]

I'm assuming we will be able to download songs anywhere with a wifi hotspot. Finally a useful feature for wifi. I am very excited about this. I really don't care about internet browser capabilities.

[rapier1]

Supposedly you'll be able to get new music from the Zune Marketplace. It does also say something about updating your collection but I don't know if this means you'll be able to sync to your home system remotely. This would be especially cool for podcasts but I can see it opening up a slew of problems. Still, this is a pretty big announcement and I'm really looking forward to how this will work with my Zune 80.

[bj1126]

johnwest72,

Did you just ask Ina and CNET for a source? Really?

[johnwest72]

Sorry. My mistake. Between lack of sourcing and biased writers like Mike "I hate Microsoft because they compete with the product I'm vice president of" Asay, the journalistic quality is more and more lacking by the day.

[ace10134]

omg you actually will be able to download songs from the Zune?? thats amazing, but how are you going 2 navigate the store? will it be like the zune interface but with every single artist? and this is sick cuz i know the password to my schools internet!!!! ****** awesome! yes microsoft!

[wetworker]

Can you say all smiles, right now i have 20 gigs free on my zune 80 red, do they have red in the new zunes, i like blue and black but my fav colour is red.

[toosday]

Channels is like a "portable Pandora"? Seriously? That's freaking awesome!

When you get a hands-on can you find out if that feature is for Zune Pass users only? Also, can you find out if it's coming to a Mac anytime soon? Thanks

[jk3yboi]

I totally agree, they really need to come to a Mac! Share the love, y'know :)

[Qwerty Cake]

This is a firmware update, so anybody who already has a Zune gets these new features (storage space aside) for free!

[EcuadorHomesOnline]

I bought one of the first generation Zune players, and I've been absolutely 100% satisfied with it. If it ever breaks down, I'll definitely be in the market for one of the new ones!

[NYCgoalie]

Honestly, the easy way Microsoft can make Zune into a true competator to the iPod is to drasitcally differentiate itself. They really need to do this by making the Zune into the "Audiophile's digital player". Here's how you do it:

1) HD Radio: Every MP3 player (less iPods) now has a radio. How many have built in HD radio's though? Exactly !!! An onboard HD radio would be an amazing addition that many audiophiles would love.

2) Sell music in the Zune store in WMA Lossless format: You MP3's come compressed. iTunes does not sell anything in a lossless format. WMA Lossless would be a boon to audiophiles.

3) Support FLAC as well as WMA Lossless codecs

4) And just for s***ts and giggles, allow the ability to listen to Wi-Fi radio stations from Zune Marketplace. If they are creating Zune "channels", why shouldn't you be able listen to them from any Wi-Fi hot-spot!! Just makes sense.


If Microsoft can implement these into the Zune, you'll start to really see people consider the Zune a worthy alternative to the other MP3 players in the marketplace

[troyrig]

Okay Apple huggers, insert your desperate attempt to hide the fact that the Zune whips the Ipod's ass here: _______________. Good luck.

[smilin:)]

"Okay Apple huggers, insert your desperate attempt to hide the fact that the Zune whips the Ipod's ass here: _______________. Good luck. "

iPods are white and Steve Jobs told me it has Jesus inside.

[AverageBob]

The HD Zune does beat the iPod Classic in certain features but it now only catches up to the iPod Touch which has allowed wireless downloading from iTunes for about a year. This new feature means that the HD Zune combines the larger capacity of a iPod Classic with most of the features of the iPod Touch.

I didn't see any details on the any other updates to the Flash Zunes other than the larger capacity. It will be interesting to see what Apple does tomorrow.

[pairof9s--2008]

Well, you're certainly not hiding your ankle grab for Microsoft...how does one possibly compare, much less endorse, a product not yet released and tested?!!

[Earl Benzar]

And that sound you hear is the collective yawn from the music consuming public.

[fdunn3]

These actually look like very good players. Your just Jobs fanboy.

[jssshashi]

Since the 2.5 update, I stopped complaining,
Zune was well rounded by may, both in HW and software.


With this update, I hope they put in the clock as most ppl need

[dennisl59]

And Dell is going to launch a new product set into the Microsoft Zune and Apple iPod market?

Good Luck

[caseymadaline]

Yeah, very tough competition!

Casey

[dev41]

As others above have said:::::::::::

When is this going to be Mac supported? I have a gen 2 zune that I can't use with my mac because my dell broke and I dumped PCs due to Vista. Get the Zune supported on the Macs!

[eltoro2827]

why would you dump vista...and for a mac?

never had any problems with vista ..crossing my fingers that i never will.

[fdunn3]

Yeah, I have been one of the holdout but running a vista system at work (only one of fifty) but I am building a new system and because I am in HI-ED and we have a SELECT agreement with MS I can get Vista Ultimate 32 & 64 disks together for $25 so I am going to have a High Perf Vista system soon.

[aka_tripleB]

Sure! Audible support AFTER I made the 16-hour trip to Albany to visit RPI. My PDA only supports format 2, so it was rather difficult to understand between the audio quality and trying to find a station to use my FM transmiter along the way.

[Mr_Fishy]

Awesome I can do this at school to cuz i just need a few mins in Regedit32 (they block reg edit) and I hae the WPA2 code it does support WPA2 plz i need my zune at school hope my IT guy guy aint reading

[pairof9s--2008]

Seems to be a bit disingenuous to hear Apple-bashing for the iPod/iTunes when Microsoft continues to pursue a policy of not creating Mac versions for any of its media products and software.

[gustown]

Are you talking about the same company that is suing PsyStar because they try to sell machines with Apple software?
Apple can do a lot bad deeds and they can get away with it; it sounds like the democrats....

[frankwick]

Gotta admit, the Zune is a better player than the ipod now and a better value. Did you notice the new ipod nanos look like the Zune Flash? Zune leapfrogged ipod in the last round and Apple merely caught up this week. When are the 3rd Gen Zunes due? That will be a make/break moment for MS.