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November 3rd, 2007 Mike Hornet Posted in APPLE, MICROSOFT, Zune No Comments »
The Microsoft Zune is still behind the Apple iPod in sales. Lets hope that these 2 videos below will help attract more buyers to the Zune.
Click onto image below and transport yourself to the colorful world of the Zune. Move your mouse on the Zune screen to experience the various functions and enjoy the music:
and get yourself blown with this TV commercial on the Zune:
October 6th, 2007 Mike Hornet Posted in APPLE, GADGETS, MICROSOFT, Zune, iPod 5 Comments »
| Feature | Zune 4 / Zune 8 |
iPod nano |
|---|---|---|
| Image |  |
 |
| Storage | 4GB or 8GB | 4GB or 8GB |
| Capacity (songs) | 1,000 songs (4GB) 2,000 songs (8GB) |
1,000 songs (4GB) 2,000 songs (8GB) |
| Capacity (pictures) | 3,500 pictures (4GB) 7,000 pictures (8GB) |
3,500 pictures (4GB) 7,000 pictures (8GB) |
| Capacity (video) | 12.5 hours of video (4GB) 25 hours of video (8GB) |
4 hours of video (4GB) 8 hours of video (8GB) |
| Controls | Zune Pad touch-sensitive control | Clickwheel touch-sensitive control |
| Screen size/type | 1.8″ LCD | 2″ LCD |
| Screen resolution | 320×240 | 320×240 |
| Screen aspect ratio | 4:3 | 4:3 |
| Landscape display mode | Yes | Yes |
| Portrait display mode | No | No |
| Personalized wallpaper | Yes | Yes |
| Audio player | Yes | Yes |
| Video player | Yes | Yes |
| Picture viewer | Yes | Yes |
| Games player | No | Yes |
| Audio formats | WMA, WMA LossLess, MP3, AAC | AAC, MP3, Audible, Apple Lossless, AIFF, WAV |
| Video formats | WMV, H.264, MPEG-4 | H.264, m4v, mp4, mov, MPEG-4 |
| FM tuner | Yes | No |
| Height/Width | 3.6 x 1.6 inches | 2.75 x 2.06 inches |
| Depth | .33 inch | .26 inch |
| Weight | 1.7 ounces | 1.74 ounces |
| Wireless | 802.11b/g (”Wi-Fi”) | No |
| Wireless/social features (audio) | Wireless Zune-to-Zune sharing of audio files, for up to 3 plays | None |
| Wireless/social features (pictures) | TBD - Wireless Zune-to-Zune sharing of pictures | None |
| Wireless/social features (video) | None | None |
| Wireless sync | Yes | No |
| Connectivity | USB 2.0 Wireless |
USB 2.0 |
| Battery | Li-Ion rechargeable, built-in | Li-Ion rechargeable, built-in |
| Battery life | TBD | Music: 24 hours. Video: 5 hours. |
| Battery charge time | TBD | 1.5 hours to 80% 3 hours to full charge |
| Colors | Pink, red, green, black | Silver (4GB) White, teal, green, black, red (8GB) |
| PC / Mac | PC only | Mac and PC |
| Online download service | Marketplace | iTunes Store |
| Downloads available | Audio, music videos, podcasts | Audio, music videos, podcasts, TV/movies, games |
| Price per song / album | 79 Microsoft Points ($.99) per song | $.99 per song; $9.99 per album |
| Subscription service | Zune Pass | None |
| Subscription cost | $14.99 per month; unlimited downloads | Not available |
| Client software | Zune Software | iTunes |
| System requirements - OS | Windows Vista, XP Home or Pro with SP2 or later, Windows XP Tablet PC SP2, or Windows XP Media Center 2005 with Rollup Update 2 and Oct. 2006 Rollup Update. | Mac OS X v10.3.9 or later; Windows 2000 SP4; Windows XP SP2 or later |
| System requirements - Processor | 1.5 GHz or better | Not specified |
| System requirements - Other | Broadband Internet connection; 64MB of Video RAM | Broadband Internet connection; video RAM not specified |
| Price | $149 (4GB) $199 (8GB) |
$149 (4GB) $199 (8GB) |
| What you get in the box | TBD (Zune, earphones, USB 2.0 cable, other?) | iPod, earphones, USB 2.0 cable, Dock adapter, Quick Start guide. |
(from Zunerama)
October 6th, 2007 Mike Hornet Posted in MICROSOFT, Zune No Comments »
Harvey Chute of Zunerama reported:
“An interesting phenomenon is taking place… as a result of the Zune team’s announcement this week, sales of the Zune 30GB player are rising sharply, according to Amazon’s list of best-selling hard drive players
The white Zune is currently the #1 hard drive player on Amazon, the black Zune 30 is #3, and brown Zune 30 is #5. I don’t recall Zune ever dominating that list to that degree.
Evidently the lowered prices
*Note: the Amazon list is, for mysterious reasons, not including Apple’s newer hard drive models. “
THE ZUNE CHIT CHAT :
Harvey Chute: “I just got off the phone with the Microsoft Zune team, including James Boldman (Zune release manager), Terry Ferrell (senior product manager for the Zune marketing team), Tyler Welch (Zune MVP coordinator), Cesar (ZuneInsider), and Hillary (a rep from Edelman).
Joining me on the call were fellow bloggers and Zune MVPs Stefan (IWAPZ), Drea (GenerationZune.net), Paul (ZuneLuv), Jason (ZuneThoughts), and Grahm (AnythingButIPod).”
October 3rd, 2007 Mike Hornet Posted in GADGETS, MICROSOFT, Zune 1 Comment »
Zune Drives Next Generation of Digital Music Experience With Community Web Site Built Around Music
Microsoft unveils Zune Social, new Zune devices, innovative Zune software and redesigned Zune Marketplace - all geared toward discovering and sharing new music.
SEATTLE - Oct. 2, 2007 - Underscoring the company’s vision for helping to advance the digital entertainment industry and deliver great music experiences to its customers, Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates and Corporate Vice President J Allard yesterday unveiled the next generation of Zune portable media players, software and online store. Gates and Allard also introduced Zune Social, a beta online community Web site built around and powered by people’s passion for music.
Microsoft Corporate Vice President, J Allard, and Chairman, Bill Gates, unveil the newest Zune media players. From Redmond, Wash., today, Microsoft Corp. announces updated devices and a new community music site.
The two new models of Zune portable media players feature the new Zune Pad, an innovative touch-sensitive button for navigating on the device, as well as wireless sync, a feature that allows Zune devices to automatically sync over the device owner’s home wireless network when it is connected to an AC adaptor, in a dock or speaker dock accessory. Existing Zune owners will automatically receive new software features, the redesigned PC and device software and access to the new Zune Marketplace when everything is released to the public in mid-November.
“Twenty years ago we bet the company on an integrated productivity suite of word processing, spreadsheets and presentations, and we changed the way people work,” Gates said. “Today we’re making big bets on games, music, video and connecting these entertainment experiences to help change the way people play.”
“By tapping into customers’ passion for music with Zune Social, we’re starting to change the game,” Allard said. “This lets us start building a new, more valuable kind of relationship with consumers that, combined with other Zune innovations, will start to drive the entire music industry forward.”
“The time is right to let go of the older business models and recognize that consumers want something different when it comes to music today,” said Terry McBride, CEO of Nettwerk Music Group. “People are looking for simple ways to find great music and easily take it with them wherever they want to go, and Microsoft is not afraid of doing things differently to deliver on this vision.”
Two New Zune Devices Fill Out the Family
Microsoft announced three new models of Zune portable digital media players: a sleek, black Zune 80GB hard-drive model, which has a bright 3.2-inch screen and comes with premium headphones (ERP $249.99; all prices are U.S.); the ultraportable Zune 4GB (ERP $149.99); and Zune 8GB (ERP $199.99) flash models, both available in pink, green, black and glossy red. The new Zune devices feature the Zune Pad navigation button, with its touch-sensitive surface. Consumers can flick their thumbs over the pad to fly through lists of songs or albums or to fast-forward through picture slide shows or videos. For those who need to pause, advance or adjust the volume on the device without looking, they can also navigate the Zune Pad using physical cues by pressing on the four sides or the center of the button to adjust the volume or choose the next track.
Together with the original Zune 30GB, the new devices round out the player family and lets users choose the size, color or price that suits them best. Every Zune device includes built-in wireless features and an FM tuner, and they all have a bright color display that is perfect for showing off album art, pictures, videos and podcasts. All devices have been given distinctive new menus, and it is easy to customize the background screen with a personal picture. Ensuring that existing Zune owners benefit from the advances in this release, all Zune 30GB devices will be automatically updated with all the new features as well as the new device software design this fall.
