Microsoft has set a date with Zune for Tuesday, November 14. The eagerly anticipated DAP will be available for $249.99 at retailers nationwide.
If you’ve been living in a hole for the past several months, the Zune expands on currently available DAPs by offering music sharing through WiFi. Whether this feature is enough to dethrone King iPod remains to be seen.
Another possible advantage of the Zune is unlimited music pass offered through the Zune Music Store. Users can pay a flat $14.99 fee and download unlimited music. This is contrary to the iTunes plan where users must purchase each individual song or album.
Microsoft has also finalized the media that will come preloaded on the Zune. You can read that after the drop:
Audio Tracks
Band of Horses, “Wicked Gil” (Sub Pop Records)
Bitter:Sweet, “The Mating Game” (Quango Music Group)
CSS, “Alala (Microsoft edit)” (Sub Pop Records)
Darkel, “At The End of The Sky (edit)” (Astralwerks)
Every Move a Picture, “Signs of Life” (V2)
Small Sins, “Stay” (Astralwerks)
The Adored, “Tell Me Tell Me” (V2)
The Rakes, “Open Book” (V2)
The Thermals, “A Pillar of Salt” (Sub Pop Records)
Music Video
30 Seconds to Mars, “The Kill” (Virgin Records)
BT, “1.618” (DTS Entertainment)
Chad VanGaalen, “Red Hot Drops” (Sub Pop Records)
Coldcut featuring Roots Manuva, “True Skool” (Ninja Tune)
CSS, “Let’s Make Love and Listen to Death From Above” (Sub Pop Records)
Fruit Bats, “Live: The Wind That Blew My Heart Away” (Sub Pop Records)
Grandaddy, “Elevate Myself” (V2)
Hot Chip, “Over and Over” (Astralwerks Records)
Kraak & Smaak featuring Dez., “Keep Me Home” (Quango Music Group)
Kinski, “Live: The Snowy Parts of Scandinavia” (Sub Pop Records)
Paul Oakenfold, “Faster Kill Pussycat (Featuring Brittany Murphy)” (Maverick Records)
Serena-Maneesh, “Drain Cosmetics” (Playlouderecordings)
Film Shorts
5 Boro: “A New York Skateboarding Minute” (Skateboarding)
Radical Films: “Kranked — Progression” (Mountain Biking)
TGRTV The North Face (Skiing/Snowboarding
There is actually some pretty good stuff here.
Press Release
Jay L (Who am I?)
1 year ago
I remember Emusic.com started off with a flat, $9.95 for unlimited downlads rate, but then later had to switch to a tiered system with a certain number of downloads per month. $9.95 == 40 tracks. I wonder if anything in the Zune store EULA will give a clue if a similar bait-and-switch is possible.
webonics (Who am I?)
1 year ago
Well, I was hoping for that rumored number of $229 but I can deal with another $20 bucks! Amazon has pre-ordering now activated for all three colors.
I can’t wait!