Monday, August 28, 2006

Zune Music Player



Zune Music player, the sole competitor of iPod is to be launched in october 2006. Toshiba will be doing the dirty work behind Microsoft's upcoming Zune portable player. The supposed iPod killer will allow users to share digital content via a wireless connection. Executive sources to Digital Music News have also pointed to those capabilities, which will enable "close range, face-to-face sharing." But there are limitations to the experience according to the latest information. Sharing can only happen between a maximum of ten different people within a WiFi range, and the experience centers around streaming content. If a user wants to purchase shared material, tracks can be bookmarked and later purchased when the device is synched to the computer. Unclear is whether users can share unlicensed MP3 content, though they probably will not have that ability. Meanwhile, interesting community aspects will be embedded into the device, including features like friends lists.

The wireless capabilities are designed to woo a younger crowd, though price points could scare them away. According to the sources, the device will offer 30GB of storage, though it will deliver the "same pricing, look and feel as the 60GB iPod". That would suggest a retail price of $399, the price point for the high-end iPod. Immediately, the sticker is likely to draw comparisons to the comparable 30GB iPod, which is available for $299. In terms of outward look, recent information points to three different colors, and a duotone approach on each. A scroll wheel will sit beneath an oversize screen, and menu options will include "Music," "Video," "Pictures," "Community," "Extras," and "Settings". Wireless synchronization with the PC will not be available in the upcoming launch, scheduled for November in the United States. A global launch will begin next year, starting with Great Britain and Canada, according to the sources and materials.

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