Zune Stuck In 2008?

After an unexpected "Zune Bug" reared its ugly head yesterday, the original Zune, not in the spotlight for some time, has been front and center.  While Microsoft reassured users that "All would be well, and to all a good night," it appears that statement may have been a vision of sugar plum fairies.  It would appear that at least some users are not back to normal, and the original Zune is in a state of SNAFU.

While there are some workarounds, they appear to be homesprung remedies with varying results so far.  For the time being, the safest route is to simply leave the Zune disconnected from the computer for the next few days while this all gets worked out.  I'm confident that the Zune team will be back on the job next week, and someone has gotta work on this, right?

In the meantime, here are Microsoft's official recommendations on the issue.

Zune Christmas Miracle?

With the Christmas sales still being tallied, it will be a time before we know how well this year's Zune sold.  While many of us are still rooting for the Zune, there are some factors working against it including less interest in pure players, Apple's continued dominance of this segment, and overall slowing of the economy.  On the flip side though, let's not forget that the Zune lineup, particularly it's flash offerings continue to offer good value, and overall the Zunes were the strongest players put out by Microsoft yet.

One hint that the Zune may have a had a strong showing comes from Google.  You see, all those Google searches get tabulated and analyzed.  It turns out that this past Christmas morn, search terms with the word Zune in them, including Zune.net and Zune.net/setup had an unusual spike, and even broke into the top 20 search terms, which apparently they are regularly not even in the top 100.

So, does this mean the Zune sold well, or just that lots of folks had trouble setting it up and sought assistance online?  Too early to say, but intriguing nonetheless!  I'm hoping the final sales numbers are as good as these search results might suggest...

Tis the Season For Zune Predictions

This time of year, as we wind down the holiday shopping, the tech predictions get ramped up.  It seems like every editor of every news outlet puts in their two cents of what will happen over the next year in the world of technology.

Over at PC Magazine, you know the place that decided to stop publishing their magazine (despite the name), is offering their soothsaying for 2009 from editor Lance Ulanoff.  Here's what he's thinking for the Zune:

Microsoft will discontinue the Zune in favor of Zune phones. The Internet is buzzing with rumors that Microsoft is planning to put Zunes into a whole new generation of smartphones. If this happens (and it will), the original Zune player will be collateral damage.

WTF?  I mean, huh?  Yeah, we've all been talking about the possiblity of a Zune Phone for many months now.  We also think that Microsoft is releasing some new smartphone stuff in the near future, probably at CES next month.  However, do we really think that the regular Zune will go by the wayside so easily?  I seriously think not.  After all, even with the success of the iPhone, I haven't seen the disapperance of the iPod Classic or the iPod Nano line.  I also think that Microsoft has too much invested into the Zune device to write it off, even if the zPhone's monthly fees might be more attractive in the short term.  How are you all seeing this?

Zune Sports the Red & the Blue

The Zune 120 has consistently been available in one color only, black.  True to Henry Ford's Model T, this one color option certainly simplifies the stocking of the store shelves.  However, maybe it is all this talk of Obama and his maybe it's a Zune, maybe it's not, but Microsoft has expanded the color palette by 200% for this holiday season, better expressed as adding two colors.

While the Zune 120 is still only in black in retail outlets, if you go through the Zune Originals site, you will have the option of customizing your Zune to a red or blue exterior.  It's about time there were some more color choices, don't you think?

New Zune Advertising Campaign

No sooner does Crispin get the go ahead to remake the Zune ads to try and ratchet up the cool factor (not to mention the Zune price cuts), but we're already seeing the theme of the new advertising.  Hey, around here we all knew that the Zune is the way to go, however, I have to say that the marketing was underselling the product IMHO.  This new ad campaign is showing off the Zune as a "Music Discovery Machine," and invite folks to download the new 3rd gen software (which I have installing as I type this, gotta love dual core processors)!  With the social aspect of the Zune one of the main selling point, I'm glad to see that they are finally doing a better job of getting the message out.

Canadian Zune Price Cut

Amidst the upcoming Black Friday sale news, I spotted a deal on the Zune 8 gb.  It appears to be limited to Canada, but with what they had to go through to get the Zune, they deserve a break.  While the 8 gig player is certainly current, and it got the same firmware update earlier this fall, I'm kind of surprised to see the player get a $100 price cut.  This is going on at Future Shop, the big box retailer.  Last year the holiday deals were all on the 30 gig player, but it was already going out of date at the time.  At this fire sale of a price, I wouldn't hesitate to pick one up as a spare.  After all, you don't want your hard drive freezing on your new 120 gig Zune, right?  Don't think about it too long as the sales ends on November 20th.

Zune 3.0 software now available

In short...the Zune 3.0 software update is now available. You can grab the new software by launching your current version and heading to Settings -> Software -> General -> Check for update. Also if you do not already have the Zune software installed you can download it directly by clicking here. Mine is downloading as I write this post, can't wait to begin playing.

Zune Gets Microsoft Dinged by Greenpeace

Greenpeace, that guardian of all things green, is bumping noses with Microsoft today via a new report out on green electronics. It finds the Zune maker down near the bottom of the list, in part because of selective practices involving the chemicals integrated into the player's body.

Greenpeace scored Microsoft 2.7 out of 10, which you probably guessed puts it in the bad category. The environmental organization, according to the Associated Press, was "judged on its Zune MP3 player and Xbox game console" and "lost points for its pledge to eliminate toxic chemicals only in 2011 and for having no voluntary takeback program."

Apple, by contrast, climbed the list from the last report issued earlier this year. Microsoft, apparently in response to the Greenpeace report, issued a statement saying "in our consumer electronics business, we comply with and exceed all environmental guidelines and regulations, while ensuring the durability, safety and performance of products."

One Hairy Bet: The SanDisk Challenge

The release of the new Zunes dubbed Zune 80, Zune 4, and Zune 8 has sent chills down the spines of other famous DAP makers, and one of those who will be trampled by the Zune, in its quest for supremacy is -- SanDisk.

SanDisk spokesperson, Carmella Lyman, has just promised to shave her head, should the Zune dislodge them as the #2 music player after the holidays. This is in response to David Berlind’s "open-challenge" in his ZDNet blog.  Microsoft's Robbie Bach has yet to accept the challenge with the deadline set on October 31. (Microsoft is currently ranked #4 with 3% of the market, Creative is 3rd with 4% , and SanDisk is in 2nd with 10% according to NPD group.)

The bet statistically seems unrealistic as most of SanDisk devices are considered "value" devices that fall under the $100 mark. Of course, cheaper devices have the tendency to sell more and thus gain more market share as compared to Zune's flagship product retailing for $149. I also think that it will take more than months for the Zune to even overtake Creative's lineup of very good and stable devices. Microsoft has to learn a few more things on the DAP industry and fix some kinks, hardware and software side, before thinking of fighting with the veterans in the industry.

Nevertheless, I believe Microsoft is learning. Every step of the way, the une is evolving to a device that people would want to use, just like Xbox.  Two months is unlikely but still possibly achievable if Santa's elves decide to give away billions of zunes to good kids this year. Nah…

Zune 30 Vs. Zune 80

I know everyone has already seen posts about the Zune vs the Ipod, but has anyone seen anything on the Zune 30 Vs the Zune 80? What are the benefits of upgrading to a Zune 80 from a Zune 30and do they really make it worth it? Here are the benefits of upgrading:

• A glass screen. This means less scratches. The 3.2 inch screen is bigger. The whole unit is also shinier because of the glass.
• The zune Pad (squircle) Touch-sensitivity is faster and may be easier for some people
  You get higher quality headphones. I know that most people, along with myself, have gotten new headphones instead of used the stock ones anyways, but this would be good for people who keep the stock headphones
• It's thinner and lighter, and has more storage. If you've filled your Zune 30 with music from your Zune pass (like I did), then a Zune 80 may help
• It has the buttons made a little differently. This is good for some people, because the old button size is good but not really when it's in certain cases

Now those are the benefits. Here are some of the downsides to upgrading:

Zune Podcasts are now Confirmed

Look at the leaked picture above! The main Zune interface menu shows “podcasts” as a menu item! That was expected but its great news anyway! Let the fun begin!

 

160GB Zune? Ooooh, I like it!

New pictures of the upcoming Zune players have been published on the web today. But now, Crunchgear revealed that the new Zune 2 would in fact be a 160GB Zune player. Good news? You bet! Since Apple just released a 160GB iPod Classic, a 160GB Zune is barely a minimum. But what would you do with 160GB Zune player without videos from the Zune marketplace? Let’s hope we can have those videos and movies we have been looking for since last year! No information on prices has leaked so far but rumors of October 15^th and early November are still in the air for the new Zune release date.

 

The new Zune announcement will apparently be done tomorrow at midnight. Stay tuned for more details!

Source

First Picture of the New Flash Zune?

Take this with a grain of salt, but this could be the first picture of the upcoming Flash Zune and 2G Zune player. Gizmodo published this and said that their source took that from marketing material (probably a retail channel).

It does not say much but let’s have fun and speculate on the device! What do you think? Are they real? Do you think Microsoft could have released fake images? No more brown. A good move?

Something just doesn't seem right with this picture...

Source

The New Flash Zune is the Toshiba T401?

Toshiba announced a new mid-size flash player called the Gigabeat T401. But what’s interesting about this new MP3 flash based player? Well, its 2.4-inch tall LCD might be interesting, the 802.11g Wi-Fi feature is certainly a plus, but what is even more interesting is that the new Flash player can connect to the internet and download podcasts directly from websites without first synchronizing with a PC. Sounds great!

A non-wireless version of the player will be available in Japan on September 7th and the wireless version will be available on October 5th. Prices will be $214 for the non-wireless version and $257 for the Wi-Fi model. No US releases were announced and Electronista suggest that the Zune Flash based model might in fact be based on the Toshiba T401. What do you think about that?

Toshiba also promised a higher audio quality though “H2C technology” that can restore some of the audio data lost in the compression process and Windows Media Lossless support that reproduces CD-Quality audio. Battery duration is estimated to be 16 hours of play time for MP3, WAV or WMA and 5 hours for movie clips.

Zune Rumor: Flash Zune Code Name is "Draco"

According to a tipster at 'scene, Draco is apparently the code name for the new Flash Zune. The new Zune would be available in 4Gb and 8Gb versions.

Draco does sound a lot like Argo, the code name for the 30Gb Zune player already on the market. That’s all for the rumor folks!

via (Thanks Mark)

Buy a Zune at $189.99 at Staples

They may not have a pink, a red or even a brown Zune, but Staples can surely sell you a black or white for a very attractive price.

The online store offers an instant rebate of $60 on the black and the white Zune. At $189.99 for brand new Zune, it’s a steal.

Does anyone know if the rebate is also available in the stores?

Staples via Zunethoughts

Zune Firmware Update 1.4 Released

A new Zune Firmware Update has been released today. The Firmware Update 1.4 brings an improved shuffle experience. The Zune software as not been updated.

Zune’s development team defines the improvement like this: "this firmware update makes successive shuffle actions produce more random lists."

I know what you’re thinking right now. No new features? Yes, this is a disappointment for all of us. But, being from the software industry, I can tell you that this does not mean that new features are very far just because a new update has been released today. A version 1.5 with a lot of new stuff could also be just around the corner. Who knows? Personally, I don’t mind waiting even longer for new features. Only my expectations and probably yours are reaching new highs each month that goes by.

Go Zuners! Connect your Zune, Upgrade the firmware now! Give us you thoughts!

Source

Zune Accessory Review: Fortte's Zune Cases

This week we have a spotlight on Fortte's Zune cases. The company has been around for awhile and besides offering cases for the Zune, they have cases for all sorts of PDA and MP3 players.

A few weeks ago, I received two Zune cases from the manufacturer. They sent me a black "Open Face" case and an orange "Carrier" case. Before publishing or writing the review, I used them in my everyday life to have a better understanding of what these products have to offer.

I was impressed with the quality of the product but also about the very unique design of Fortte's cases make this company a top class Zune case manufacturer.

9.0

Product Quality: 9.0
Ease of Use: 9.0
Player Protectiveness: 8.5

Manufacturer: Fortte
Model: Open face, Carrier
Price: $29.99 - $64.99
Website: www.fortte.com
Category: Cases
Made for: Zune 30Gb, First Generation

Pros:

Very functional cases. Good pricing. Excellent overall quality. Adds real protection to the Zune.

Cons:

The "Open Case" model is a bit too tight for the Zune.

New Pictures of the Red Zune on eBay

Earlier today, an auction for the first red Zune ever sold was removed by the seller because many people were sceptic about the veracity of the pictures presented on the listing.

The images looked real but the seller refused to open the box to show the content and the red Zune itself. When he saw that his red Zune was not going to reach even the regular retail price for the Zune,  a new auction was registered on eBay but now with photos of the red Zune.

The auction will certainly go higher this time. But how much would you be ready to pay for the red Zune, knowing that you will probably be able to buy it at the normal retail price within a couple of week?

Bonus picture after the break!

Red Zune Already on ebay !

You heard that right! The Red Zune has not been officially announced yet that someone is already selling it on ebay. Apparently, the seller received the red Zune in a party in Los Angeles where red Zunes were given away. Sponsored by the Zune Master program?

The auction ends on Sunday. Who’s going to be the lucky winner?

Another picture after the jump.

Pink Zune Outsell the Brown and White Zune

For a limited edition, the pink Zune takes a lot of space in Zune world. Since the release of Zune, back in November, the black Zune has been the best selling Zune player. But less than a month after being introduced on the market, the pink Zune does better than the brown and white Zune and is standing just behind the leading Zune color. 

The only problem is that the pink Zune is a 100 000 unit limited edition. Are they going to manufacture another run of the Pink lady?

Let’s see if the watermelon red Zune can beat the pink Zune in a few weeks!

Meanwhile, Microsoft says Zune market share overall was 9.2 percent in April, among hard-drive based music players, according to NPD data. That's essentially unchanged from the previous month.

Watermelon Red Zune in the Wild?

Is this the Red Zune we have been waiting for? Probably, and we should see more of them in the next couple of weeks as the Red Zune is supposed to be released.

Update: The Zuneinsider confirmed that this is the real Watermelon Red Zune we have been waiting for. We should have official information this week.

via IWAPZ

Pictures of the Watermelon Red Zune were discovered by IWAPZ on Flickr. The pictures are from Cobrasnake, a photographer that covers Zune events.

Flash Zune and Zune 2.0 to be Announced on June 1st!

Yes, you heard it right. According to Brian Lam, we are going to have something big on June 1^st. Brian wrote that his favorite Zune tipster told him that Microsoft was ready to announce or release two new Zunes on June 1^st. We've been waiting for so long! Please Microsoft, announce something great!

Gizmodo also received the same photos we published earlier. They say it came from the same person that sent them the first picture of the Zune last year. That gives a bit more credibility to the rumor!

Update: The "Real" Zune insider posted this on his website: "In other rumors news, again, I re-iterate: We don't comment on rumors and speculation - even on those rumors that come with a photoshopped image ;)". You can make the conclusion you want from that!

Are we having fun or not? We may be surfing on rumors these days, but at least, there is something going on in Zune world!!!

Source: Gizmodo

Portable Media Center's Death: A Good News for the Zune?

According to a post made by David Bono on the microsoft.public.windows. mediacenter.portable newsgroup:

Microsoft is no longer licensing the PMC software... As part of the ongoing review of our product investments, we have decided to take what we have learned from our investments in Portable Media Center and focus our product and marketing resources on building media experiences on connected Windows Mobile powered devices.

With the reinvestment of resources in media experiences on connected Windows Mobile powered devices, Portable Media Center 2.0 is the last version of our Portable Media Center software under the Windows Mobile brand. We do not plan any future Portable Media Center software upgrades or marketing activities.

The post does not mention anything about the Zune but Ballmer and Bach were perfectly clear recently. Zune will focus on music and video and mobile products will be developed around Windows Mobile. With sales of 20 million licenses of Windows Mobile forecasted for 2008, no wonder why Microsoft wants to develop more around the OS. Hopefully in the next few weeks we will learn a bit more about Zune or Zune-WM's roadmap.

Via arstechnica

Zune Announcement on Monday?

Ironically, iLounge is the one announcing a "rumor" about an event in Redmond on Monday for an announcement related to Zune. We know something is coming soon. We are just not sure how much we are going to have from this annoucement. We were not that lucky this week with the May 1st annoucement limited to exclusive content from South Africa.

A few things we have been waiting for:

• New features for the 30Gb Zune (Wi-Fi scenarios, podcasts, etc…)
• A Watermelon red Zune
• A new marketing campaign
• A flash based Zune
• A 60Gb or 80Gb Zune player
• A Windows Mobile Zune integration
• DRM modifications
• Car integration

What is your call? Post a comment!

If Monday is not D-Day, for sure an announcement will be made in the next few weeks anyways.

We're hearing that Microsoft's holding an event in Redmond on Monday to preview/announce a new Zune - most likely the flash-based one the company's been hinting at for a while. No other details yet; if there's something worth telling you about on Monday, we'll let you know. [iLounge via Zune-online]

100Gb Zune Player!

Your 30Gb Hard-drive is too small? Can't fit all the songs from you library with all those videos you want to carry on your Zune. What about a 100Gb Hard-drive upgrade for you Zune. We already had the 40Gb and 80Gb upgrade but now iPodMods was able to fit the 100Gb Hard-drive in the Zune. The price may have a deal breaker tough. At $300 for the hard-drive alone, a void warranty because you opened the Zune's case and an useable 30Gb hard-drive, this is very expensive.

[via Zune-online]

Rumor Mill: Details of Zune 2.0 and Flash Zune

Apparently, an unnamed Zunescene editor bumped into a Zune team employee during a business trip. Without even thinking about it, the Zune team member disclosed all the details of what we should expect from the flash and second generation Zunes to be released later this year. I thought they had very strict non-disclosure agreements?

Anyway, here's what the rumor says:

• Zune 2.0 and the Flash Zune will be out this year
• Zune 2.0 is like Generation 1.0 but thinner
• Larger hard-drive
• Flash Zune is 3" by 1" 1/4 by 1/4
• Flash Zune is video capable
• Flash Zune's Screen covers 75% of the front
• Flash Zune will have WiFi
• Flash Zune will have doubleshot
• Design phase is over, but some tweaks to hardware will occur.
• 2.4 million next gen Zunes will be made before 2007's holiday season, and that 2/3 of them are the Flash Zune players.

Take all this with a grain of salt. All those features are the ones the market expects from the flash and hard drive based Zunes. I wonder if Zunescene got this information the same day they photoshopped some Zune pictures to make people believe they had a baby-pink Zune?

 

Source [via ]

Pink Zune on May 1st! Confirmed!

You heard it! We just confirmed the news with ebgames.com. According to the customer support, the new version of the Zune player is going to be available on May 1st at $249.99.

The same player, same 30Gb capacity. Hopefully with firmware 1.3!

I would not want to be the one who paid $960 on ebay to get a pink Zune.

The pink seems lighter than the limited edition pink Zune.

Ebgames

Zune Heavily Discounted at OfficeMax

Not ready to pay $229 for a Zune player? What about a sweet $179.99$.

You better hurry up because the sale will only last two days (March 16 and 17).

You'll need to bring the ad into the store to take advantage of the offer and there's a one per customer limit. Enjoy you brand new Zune player!

The Zune seems to be available in black and white only. Sorry, no brown for this price!

Source

Zune hack: Sync DivX on Your Zune

You’ve got a pill of DivX videos and can’t sync them to your Zune? No problem! Just make a few changes to the Windows registry and here you go. Drag and drop the files to the Zune software and they will be transcoded to WMV and sync to your Zune. Simple? Yes, but you still have to be familiar with the Windows registry.

Surprisingly, for a Microsoft product the Zune does not generate a lot of hacks. Why? Don’t really know but it may be because of the limited market penetration it has so far.

Source

Zune Firmware Update 1.3 Coming in March

The ZuneInsider released information about the Zune firmware 1.3. The good news? Skipping problem finally solved! The bad news? Don’t expect new features from the Zune firmware update.

Features of the Zune firmware 1.3:

• Skipping problem with Zune Marketplace is solved
• Improved device and software reliability, when it comes to device detection, and improved sync'ing.
• Changes to the FM Tuner so it no longer drains the battery when in sleep mode.

The Zune firmware 1.3 should available on March 20, but the date still need to be confirmed by the Zune team.

UK Girls Like the Zune!

The Girls at GadgetCandy like the Zune pretty much. They did a review of the Zune and they like the style, the screen and the sharing capabilities the Zune is offering. This came as no surprise, but their main complaint is the 3 days/3 plays DRM scheme.  I see the Zune more as a man product for now but future versions like a Flash Zune could attract women even more.

Here’s what they had say about the Zune:

The Zune is a stylish little number with a round controller – a four-way job rather than a click wheel – mounted under a plush, three-inch screen. That’s only half an inch bigger than the iPod’s, but it shades it on video playback. You turn the player through 90 degrees and watch in widescreen, although that’s no boon if the footage is in 4:3 format.

It doesn’t disappoint musically. The bundled headphones are surprisingly non-rubbish, rustling up a reasonable amount of bass. With a bought-in pair of ’phones, sound quality is very good.

Read

New Zune Accessories from DLO

We already like DLO’s Zune cases but we might simply love their new Zune charger and FM transmitter. The company is expanding their Zune accessory line with a car charger and a Zune FM transmitter. The FM transmitter is based on the DLO TransPod.

DLO says their Zune FM transmitter is the most flexible, cost-effective car solution for the Zune you can buy. It comes with a removable USB charge and sync cable that can be used at home or on the road. That’s an added $20 value!

The TransDock comes in black with a white connector. Sorry brown fans!!! This Zune accessory is also a car charger.

One of the key features of the TransDock micro is the auxiliary input, allowing it to broadcast the audio from any MP3 player or audio device like a Sony PSP gaming system or a travel DVD player. The DLO TransDock micro also gives you the choice of connecting to your car stereo with a cassette adapter or mini plug cable with its auxiliary line output.

More details and pictures after the break.

Dream of a Zune Remote Control!

According to TV Compass, this remote control has Wi-Fi connectivity to the Internet for downloading an electronic program guide for TV listings, games, videos, messaging and web content. Content can be viewed on its high resolution color 2.2” LCD screen. The device can receive new equipment device codes over the air. Why not Zune codes?

Would it be so difficult to modify the Zune and this remote to communicate through Wi-fi? You could easily control your Zune with the 2.2” LCD screen without moving out of your couch. Zune Marketplace downloading as well? Why not!

Look at the diagram after the jump. It explains how this remote can really use Wi-fi to communicate with an external server.

Valentine’s Day Special From Zune!

There’s a special Valentine's day offer right now at Amazon that you may not want to miss. If you buy a Zune player before Valentine’s day, you will get free Zune premium earphones!

Premium earphones are a must have if you truly want to enjoy the sound quality of the Zune player. The earbuds that comes with the Zune player are not really good and the premium earphones will give you a much better Zune music experience.

Buy a Zune to your boyfriend or girlfriend or just buy one for you! Come back here after to tell us if you like the Zune and the earphones!

Simply add the two items to your cart but don’t forget to enter code ZUNEBUDS at checkout! Here you go!

You can buy your Zune through this affiliate link from Amazon.

Zune Poll Results: The Next Device Should be an 80Gb Zune Player

We asked Cliczune’s readers what they thought the next Zune player should be.  Results are clear; Zune fans are expecting a bigger hard-drive version of the Zune player. More than 47% of the voters said that a 60Gb Zune or 80Gb Zune would be the best product that Microsoft could bring to market at this point. 328 people answered the poll between January 23 and February 5, 2007.

9% of the voters went for the 60Gb Zune player and over 38% went for the 80Gb Zune player. Of course, offering the choice between 60Gb or 80Gb is a bit tricky because it’s human nature to choose the biggest option until they have to pay for it. When a price is associated with the bigger hard drive, the ratio between the 60Gb and 80Gb Zune may change a bit but the total of 47% should stay about the same.

Only 28% of voters said that a Flash based Zune would be the next logical release to be made by Microsoft. This is almost equal to the 25% attributed to the Zune phone. It’s interesting to see that, even if during that period Microsoft said they will release a Flash version of the Zune before the year’s end, the votes for this version were not boost by the announcement. The denied rumor of a Zune phone did not gave the Zune phone a boost either.

Belkin’s “TuneCast 3” FM Transmitter for Zune

Belkin introduced the TuneCast 3, a universal FM Transmitter for you FM stereo receiver.

TuneCast 3 is an enhanced version of its predecessor, the TuneCast II, easier to use; its status indicator tells you when your memory presets have been saved, when it’s processing a request, or when it’s powering off/on.

The device streams audio from any device with a 3.5mm headphone jack, such the Zune, iPod or any portable audio device.

TuneCast 3 is available now in North America and should be launch soon in Asia, Europe, and Australia. The FM transmitter (F8M010) as a retail price tag of $49.99. You can buy it through this affiliate link for a cheaper price.

Features:

Flash-Based Zune and Europe Release Date: Q4 2007

The first one to give us a bit of information on when the Zune would be released in Europe was Jason Reindorp when he said Microsoft was not yet ready to officially announce when it would launch the service in Europe but it could possibly be out before the end of the year.

Reindorp said, "The industry moves in this sort of Christmas to Christmas cycle. So you can expect that there will be more devices, more features in the market at that point". "Our next round of introductions will probably be in time for the holiday of this year."

He said Microsoft planned extensive research with focus groups in Europe to see how it could be modified for a European consumer. Later, Stephenson noted that a launch was scheduled for the fourth quarter, though specific territories were not discussed.  Other Zune players are also on the way, including a flash-based player, which was pegged for the fourth quarter as well.

A flash Zune player would be very good news, but at least 9 or 10 months before we have anything new seems to be a long way. That also means that we are certainly not going to see a Zune phone before Q4 of 2008! But could Microsoft release a 60Gb or 80Gb Zune player before the introduction of the flash Zune player in October or November?

Answer the poll in the right sidebar of the site to give you call on what will be the next version of the Zune Player.

What do you think of this Flash-Zune player from Engadget?

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Pink Zune number 1/100 on Ebay!

Interested in a collector’s item? This one may be for you. There is an auction right now on ebay for a pink Zune player. But not any pink Zune! It’s the number 1 of the 100 limited edition of the pink Zune. But out of all the Zunes available right now, this one is probably you best bet if you are serious about starting a Zune collection!

But be ready to sell you Christmas gifts to grab this one. The auction is already at 500$ and the last pink Zune number 83 was sold at 920$ on ebay a few weeks ago. There are serious buyers hunting for a pink Zune. Check iwantapinkzune.

Purple and Yellow Zunes for Easter?

Some Zune users have a lot of time these days! A zunefan, Viper, dogged the ddls of the Zune software. The hunt for future features of the Zune player and software gave fairly good results. Take these has indications of what could eventually be released. Don’t take this too seriously though because it’s not because you insert a field in a software that you are going to release a feature in the future.

• Podcast: Microsoft always said that they are going to provide some sort of podcast synchronization. This is just another confirmation.
• Lyrics Synchronization: The meta field is there but I don’t think this mean we are going to see that in the near future.
• A mini-mode for the Zune desktop software: This might be a toolbar mini-mode like Windows Media Player 11 has. For the moment, the compact mode work fine but that feature would be a nice add-on to the Zune software.
• Video Acceleration: Already part of the software…
• Purple and Yellow Icons: Easter special edition?
•