Zune 3 only in 2009 with a Wi-Fi Music Store: False Alarm!

A few gadget websites are reporting that Microsoft will launch a Wi-Fi music store in Europe before the end of 2009, and that the Zune 3 would be release only in Fall 2009.  But these websites are taking this out of context and badly translated the article (being a French speaking person helps me this time!).

This all started after “Les Echos”, the most trusted French financial newspaper, published quotes from François Ruault, Director-Consumer division of Microsoft-France.

François Ruault was talking about Microsoft plans to integrate Musiwave, bought by Microsoft last November. Ruault said « Nous lancerons notre plate-forme de téléchargement Zune sur plusieurs terminaux en 2009 ». The english translation of that would be that a "Zune music downloading platform will be launched on multiple devices in 2009". So what’s the news here? Where early 2008! This gives Microsoft 21 months to release Zune in Europe with a an online store??? This strategy was revealed by Steve Ballmer months ago. Nothing new here. Sorry folks, false alarm.

François Ruault did not mention that a Wi-Fi Zune marketplace would be released. It did not even talked about Wi-Fi. He also said that this agenda was not set for good, and was subject to change, if this was appropriate for Microsoft and its partners.