Microsoft intros new Zune devices, software, redesigned online store
Wednesday, October 03, 2007 - 09:35 AM EST
In a move sure to excite tens, Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates and Corporate V.P./Steve Jobs-wannabe J Allard yesterday unveiled the next generation of the poorly-received Zune portable media players, software and online store. Gates and Allard also introduced Zune Social, a beta online music "community" Web site.
The two new models of Zune portable media players feature the new "Zune Pad," a squarish circle, or "squircle" button for navigating the device, as well as wireless sync, which 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.
MacDailyNews Take: Microsoft "innovation" at work: Zunes offer "wireless" sync when connected to something with a wire.
The few Zune owners that do exist will receive new software features, the redesigned PC and device software and access to the new Zune Marketplace when the whole mess 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 in the press release. “Today we’re making big bets on games, music, video and connecting these entertainment experiences to help change the way people play.”
MacDailyNews Take: Bill bets so much, he oughta look into Gamblers Anonymous. So, Mr. High Roller, why don't you bet the company on something meaningful for once, like quality? Then you can lose that bet, too, and the world can finally be done with the Dark Ages of Personal Computing, multibillion dollar Xbox hardware failures, mediocre music efforts, and whatever other crap you've half-baked and served up to the ignorant anyway.
“By tapping into customers’ passion for music with Zune Social, we’re starting to change the game,” Allard said in the press release. “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.”
MacDailyNews Take: Corporate mumbo-jumbo doesn't sell derivative devices based on old ideas, Mr. Clean. One would have thought you'd have learned that the last time around, but you probably missed it while listening to one of your 9 iPods and using your Mac. We don't blame you; using a Mac and a bunch of iPods is certainly better than facing the truth that you're not Steve Jobs, will never be Steve Jobs, and you work for a company that makes your father's OS, your father's office suite, an unprofitable lemon game console, a bunch of other failures, and - again - derivative devices based on old ideas.
“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, in the press release. “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.”
MacDailyNews Take: We've seen smaller loads being shoveled off pig farms by back-hoe.
• A black Zune 80GB hard-drive model, which has a 3.2-inch screen and comes with headphones for US$249.99
• Zune 4GB ($149.99) and 8GB ($199.99) flash models, both available in pink, green, black and red. The new Zune devices feature the "squircle" navigation button.
Together with the original Zune 30GB, now sans brown, that's about it.
Microsoft's promised new mid-November Zune features include the following:
• Wireless sync. Zune devices will automatically sync with their WIndows PC via a home wireless network and will start on its own when the device is placed in its dock or plugged in to charge. Alternatively, the sync can be started manually.
• Extended wireless sharing. Share select full-length songs, albums, playlists, pictures and even audio podcasts from device to device. Consumers can now listen to any song received up to three times with no time restrictions, and they can now also pass along songs to other Zunes, if you can find one. Try the Costco discount bin.
Launching first in beta, "Zune Social," a beta online community Web site, gives people a place to share their music tastes, knowledge and experiences with others. Anyone can create a free, customizable Zune Card that automatically updates to reflect the music they are listening to on their Zune or with Zune software on their computer. The Zune Card shows most recently played tracks and highlights that person’s all-time music favorites. Other members of Zune Social can play samples of the songs a user has been playing directly from a friend’s Zune Card or link to Zune Marketplace, where they can buy or download the music. In a nod to the inherently social nature of music, Zune Social will eventually enable its members to place the Zune Card on today’s most popular social networking sites, where it will continue to update automatically and show off what its owners are listening to.
In addition to creating a friends list, members of Zune Social can send song links and messages to each other, post comments on a friend’s profile page or on their favorite artist pages. They can discover new music by seeing what their friends are listening to, receiving recommendations from others in the community or by seeing what the top fans of artists they’re interested in are listening to. Each artist page will list the Zune Cards of the people who listen to that artist the most, making it easy for other Zune Social members to browse their recent playlists and discover new content they can sample, purchase or download with a Zune Pass.
MacDailyNews Take: Good Jobs, they're grasping at straws. Microsoft faces an infinite row to hoe.
The Zune Marketplace online store will offer a selection of more than 1 million digital rights management (DRM)-free MP3s, which can be played with Zune or any other digital media player. Wonder where they got that idea? Same place as all the rest they've ever had: 1 Infinite Loop. The Zune Marketplace online store offers more than 3 million songs or half that of Apple's over 6 million songs offered in the iTunes Store.
Zune Marketplace continues to offer Zune Pass, which lets consumers download as much music as they want for a flat monthly rate of $14.99. To inspire Zune Pass subscribers, Zune Marketplace genre editors offer a range of playlists and promote new albums each week. Consumers can also choose to purchase music and music videos individually using Microsoft Points, so that Microsoft could make extra money from leftovers - if they only had customers.
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