Zune

from wsj.com

Last year, when Microsoft Corp. introduced its Zune music player to take on Apple's iPod juggernaut, the software giant struck out. While the Zune had a good user interface and a larger screen than the iPod, it was bigger and boxier, with clumsier controls, weaker battery life and more complex software. Its companion online music store had a much smaller catalog, a more complicated purchase process and no videos for sale.

from engadget.com

Whereas before all we had to go on was Amazon's purported release date for the new Zunes, Microsoft's gone ahead and confirmed it .

from ipodhacks.com

A Microsoft employee was apparently fired for making a rather great spoof of the iPod "shadow dancer" ads - for the Microsoft Zune.

from ipodhacks.com

Ok. This guy is on-board with the Zune. Some folks dig the iPod, some dig other players, like the Zune. There's less of those types of folks, of course. But hey, it wouldn't be an "iPod killer" if nobody bought it, right? We just admired this guy's hardcore dedication.

from ilounge.com

Flickr user fimoculous snapped a picture recently of an “iPod Amnesty Bin,” supposedly placed in the entryway to Microsoft’s Zune headquarters. The bin, which (according to a Macworld UK report) was meant to encourage employees to ditch their iPods in favor of the software giant’s beleaguered media player, was nearly empty. It was labeled “iPod Amnesty Bin,” with a picture of a twice-bitten apple in the center, above the motto “bite me.”

from engadget.com

In case you're interested in yet another unsubstantiated image (e.g. ZOMG PHOTOSHOPPED / faaaake / etc.) of future Zune firmware builds, here's a couple more shots.

from engadget.com

It sounds as if Microsoft is planning to announce something Zune related on Monday, with iLounge reporting that the company is planning an event which will be centered around the announcement of an entirely new Zune.

from engadget.com

When will the madness end? While Microsoft ponders the future of its Zune line (free Zunes? We vote yes!), the whole "what mysterious color might we release the Zune in next?" song and dance is keeping us occupied surprisingly well. Apparently the next flavor to hit the shelves, after that fashionista-fave pink version hits on May 1st, is "watermelon red."

from playlistmag.com

Yes, Microsoft’s digital media player, the Zune, has finally made its way into my hot little hands. My Playlist colleagues and I have had our say on the idea of the Zune, now I turn my attention to the reality of the device—how it performs as well as how it compares to the iPod and iTunes. During the next few days I’ll issue reports as I progress. Today we start with the out-of-box experience.

from engadget.com

When it comes to the hardware, we're pretty much set; we all now know the Zune inside and out. But how it interacts with the software, the marketplace, etc. -- that's where the magic happens. Or doesn't. We really wanted to give the Zune the benefit of the doubt. We hoped installing the Zune software and getting our player running would be as seamless and painless as getting iTunes and an iPod running on your machine, since that is, after all, what it's up against.

from engadget.com

We don't know exactly how many stores are now accessory to the heinous crime of pre-launch gadget sales, but it looks like Microsoft is one customer closer to overthrowing the nation of iPod courtesy of the Zune-gun-jumping Best Buy at Union City Landing shopping centre. Best part: already the crashing has begun. It's going to be an interesting week.

from engadget.com

We're not exactly sure how they finagled it, but Universal Music announced it plans to collect a share of the thin margin Microsoft's going to make with each Zune, receiving an unspecified amount for each player sold. In typical RIAA boot camp style, Doug Morris, CEO of Universal said, "We felt that any business that's built on the bedrock of music we should share in." So, if we have this straight, according to Universal, any music-playing device sold should provide some profit to them -- even if that device will never play a song recorded by Universal.

from engadget.com

And here we have the brown Zune stacked agains the Zen Vision:M, iPods 5G and nano, and the Sansa E200 series. Just because it's taller than the rest doesn't mean it's larger than the rest though; we actually found the Zune to be deceptively small, and still quite pocketable. But hey, that's just us, we're the peeps prepped and ready to rock a Universal in tight jeans.

from wired.com

Behold the power of brown! Turns out that even iPod owners may not be able to resist the magnetic pull of Microsoft’s chocolatey new media player, according to a new survey. The poll of American adults and teens, conducted by ABI Research, found that 58 percent of iPod owners were either “somewhat likely” or “extremely likely” to choose Microsoft’s Zune as their next MP3 player, compared with 59 percent for those who own another brand of audio gadget.

from applematters.com

Steve Ballmer recently said that the iPod and the Zune were pieces of software wherein the profit was realized by selling hardware. Which explains why Microsoft is so determined to take the iPod on. In the world of Microsoft there are two software categories: Software categories that Microsoft dominates and software Microsoft chooses not to make. So, if you’re Microsoft crushing the iPod isn’t so much a question of if, it just a question of when.