The geeks over at Whiz Byte have the scoop on the G2 Zune and when we might see it. According to a MS rep, we can expect to see it just in time for the holiday rush. It’s a bit strange that MS wants to move the Zune towards ‘parity with iPod’, but then again, MS has been playing second fiddle to Apple for quite some time. What a waste of time. Hot Scoops, Whiz Byte, Hot Scoops!
If thou art super interested to know what the MS rep said then here you go:
We have seen the rumors floating around, but we haven’t announced specific dates or details for the next generation of the Zune devices or service. That said, Zune follows the cycle of the consumer electronics cycle so you can expect an update later this year prior to the holiday season.
There are three predictable paths along which we’ll expand Zune:
Device family – adding in new sizes, styles and price points
Features – we’ll move towards parity with iPod building in support for video, podcasting, etc and at the same time build on key differentiators such as the wireless feature, the FM tuner, etc
Geographic Markets – we’ll start to expand the international footprint of Zune over time but only when we can ensure an offering which is tailored to that market
And one thing about Zune that’s really great for consumers is that the device is future-proofed. Consumers can buy without fear of their device becoming obsolete. Zune’s software (firmware) can be updated so their device gets automatically updated with new features when the new software is launched.
Zune 2nd Gen Confirmed [Whiz Byte]
I want to see good things happen in gen 2. Here’s hoping.
III9
Podcasts on a zune? LOL! That means that all the five people who bought a zune will have to go to Apple’s iTunes store to find podcasts….and that means downloading a free copy of iTunes…….and that means that the zune will have to work with Apple’s iTunes……..!
I wish Micro$oft would just quit and sell off the company, give the money to the shareholders and go home. They contribute NOTHING to the computer world at all.
FM tuner? What for? No-one listens to crappy FM stations playing hits from 1970.
Wireless? What for? Its another USELESS ‘feature’.
‘Future proofing’? Is this guy NUTS? EVERY single device in existence has the ability to download new software. Always has.
This is a ‘feature’?
What UTTER rubbish from Microsoft, as usual.
You are obviousley the most ignorant son of a bitch ive been able to ever come in contact with. First of all, yes the Zune does have the wireless feature, but last time I check so does the new Ipod Touch. Another thing…Microsoft Zune is very capible of creating there own store for podcasts, and a music store, which they have very well done. Are you dissing Microsoft, or Mac? I dont get it. Hey guy blow, Microsoft is one of the biggest companies in the world.
Everyone is now dumber for reading what you just said. I award you no points, and May god have mercy on your soul!
oh my god! you are almost, just almost as ignorant as that walter guy. reading your post REALLY made me want to come down to where you live and stuff your ipod down your throat. no offence.
i’m not chewing your ass or anything like that. but do you EVER read the crap you post on the internet? im not saying ipods are bad, theyre great. you cant judge a product if youre brainwashed by another. tell me how much features your ipod has the the Zune doesnt. whether its Wi-Fi, Wireless Sync, Fm, sound quality, audio-visual playback, games or social network… if you can list one maybe ill shove your diepod up your ass instead.
oh whoops, you are walter. OK, its going down your throat.
you’re a jerk, walter, a complete knee-biter.
Walter… podcasting has nothing to do with Apple or the iTunes store. It’s just an RSS container for feeds of audio files.
Walter… You seem to have the Tunnel Visioned, short sighted Apple glasses on. In typical Apple fan fashion you have no idea what you are talking about.
Microsoft has more products than you can imagine. And make more products than any other software company. You only see the Windows product. You should see their line of server related technologies and research into emerging technologies.
You Type Microsoft with dollar signs. But Microsoft has given more to charity and other worthwhile groups than any other computer company. Microsoft also sponsors lots of sport and other events. Microsoft frequently gives their expensive research products away to the IT community for the sake of standards. They always allow other companies to contribute and licence their products. Microsoft products work on a variety of different hardware confugurations. Unlike Apple products that just run on Apple hardware.
Apple on the other hand has a 50% average profit on all products. That is a 100% mark-up. The people who sell Apple products are given an average 1%-6% margin (That’s why storewide sales exclude iPods.. they cant afford it). You would think Apple would give their loyal followers a break and cut the price of their feature lacking products. But Apple share holders just think they are all suckers. When was the last time Apple sponsored something???? All Apple products are Trojan horses designed to lure more suckers. Microsoft has continued to make Office for Mac.. but you will never see Final Cut pro for Windows. The only time Apple makes a product for Windows is when they can see a big $$ in it. Do you think Microsoft would feel 1 percent of pain if they discontinued Office for Mac?? of course not. It is a charity case. Microsoft are an ethical company unlike Apple.
Microsoft had a chance to squish Apple in the past but to keep the competition watchdogs of their back they actually assisted them.
I’m sorry but the truth hurts some. I am not a Microsoft fan but the Apple suckers really annoy me when they get all opinionated about topics they know nothing about. Windows has more features than OS X. Yes OS X looks good but that is all Apple really has in their products. Microsoft puts features into their OS that matter to the customers.
The day Apple gets bigger than Microsoft will be a very sad day indeed. We would then be really paying a lot for our computers. And Apple will tell us what we need.. not the other way round.
Well thats my say…
hahhaahaha walter just got bitched
I agree with pokey man, walter ur a nut job just like all the other mac loveing hippies who love macs…seriously if u accually look at the quality of a mac compared to a pc 4 the excact same price then u realize that macs r 4 pounds of outdated windows componets scrambled together and called a computor
walter sux, pokey ur a hero
Actually, M$ is evil. Drug lords contribute to their community, we don’t applaud them. M$ contributes crappy software, or buys really good software to market as an M$ product as far as PCs go. The only thing I applaud them on is that when they actually do write a game, Age of Empires, vs buying a game, Halo, they do a really great job. But, I digress. M$ is evil, period. But I must kinda disagree about Apple becoming larger than M$; Apple would be far more evil with a nicer shell around them.
You want to know wut i think about apple. I think the only thing they have ever done good is marking a crappy product to the right people at the right time. You know wut ms has done, made products that actually help you! They do more than the average product! Apple is a bunch of stupid prepies who have no clue about technology getting together and calling something cool.
I relly hope this zune comes out. it seems to be a good feture to the zune familly but this time relese the news about it quickly
APPLE SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
so why does everyone think the ipod is better. are you like everyone else who says the ipod is better just cuz people like it. are you basing this on cuz the ipod has fan support, or are you looking at the feartures of each to figure it out. technology critics like wired magazine say that the zune is better then the ipod after 2 generations where they were comparing it to the 5th generation ipods which are the video ones. it to microsoft one genertation to use wifi to connect wirelessly to the computer where as it took ipod 6 generations. the zune is flashier and way more interesting display wise on the screen then the plain white ipod screen. 3rd generation zunes will definently go with somthing like the ipod touch.
what the hell are you people complaining about the wireless technology in it. the touch has that feature now and you people are probably sitting there going oh neato what a neat feature. microsoft pulled apple out of banckrupcy giving them a shit load of money and gates owning part of apple is not good. if it wernt for microsoft apple would have been history years ago when they made those dumb machines. apple the creator of the computer but microsoft perfected it and kicked apples ass.
i hate apple idiots the only reason they go for apple is the flashy bubblyness of it. thats all apple can do. sure microsoft is going that way to but atleast they offer more to the public with what the computer can do other then just editing videos.
its the dumb commercials out for apple never talks about there product, why cuz there is nothing amazing about them to brag about. why wont microsoft do anything about these commercials, its cuz it isnt effecting them those commercials tell more about microsoft then their own products.
apple pays 150 million a year to get mirosoft office. without that apple would be nothing.
also you can get podcasts anywhere they are called that cuz of the video and has nothing to do with the ipod except it goes on ipods. look at the basic screen of each the one above has a picture on the background while the ipod is a plane white screen.
apple sets their own prices on their products giving very little to the store to display them. the stores spend more displaying them and givong them power then what they receive from apple. it costs a dollar a song to. im pretty sure all they are doing is trying to get money for somthing that gets reinovated every couple of months for those idiots to go out and buy.
apple only has a strong hold in ipod until that is the crater on themselves trying to keep up.
Will the Zune take over the iPod right now? Would Windows Mobile based phones squash the iPhone now? No way, the opportunity will come when Apple slips up and their user base becomes fed up with all the crippling and disabling of basic features and add-ons.
already the 2nd generation zune is better then the 5th generation ipod which are both under the same catagory. wait till 3rd generation which will be way better then the touch.
Damn thats freakin tight. i gotta get one of those.
Umm… so basically I Hate Zune… im sorry but i do i love ipods because well i have one and am Extrememly happy with it i have the new classic and my cuisin has the new zune and i must say its nice but it just does not cut it. the zune is for like the people who buy marked down in my opion i relize im probably gonna get my ass chewed by a bunch of zune fans but hey i think aplle is great and should be applauded as should microsoft also be applauded i just think apple is a superior company in media players thats all…..
I have owned both an iPod and a Zune i and i love my Zune so much more. It looks better and has a much longer battery life as well as a bigger screen. i dont use the radio much but i do every once in a while. i dont see how adding features can be bad even if they aren’t used that often as long as they dont make the device spontaneously combust. Also dont blast wireless people i do use that so i can get music from my friend now and remember to download it later. my friends and i al agree that both the audio and visual are higher quality on the larger widescreen Zune.
wow you don’t have to be the brightest person to work a pc vista is the best to use hands down.. but give a mac to a monky and thay go bannanas lol if people took the time to learn how to know there pc thay would not have a problem. lol if you want a mac your probly one of thoughs people that expect a computer to be perfict and thay are not if your a pc well you know how to work it to your avantige..if your a mac you don’t you send it off.