04-10-2007, 05:08 AM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Back in the Saddle: Here's a Zune News Round-up
Ever since going to CTIA to cover the show for Microsoft, I've been trying to get caught up on email - and building a new computer and reviewing it all in a few days only served to slow me down. At any rate, I'm back in the saddle again (to quote a great Aerosmith song), and here's some of the latest news on the Zune front from the past week:
- The Pink Zune is Official: we knew this was coming, but Microsoft has confirmed that the light pink Zune is official and they're only going to make 100,000 of them. Here's what it looks like.
- The "Watermelon Red" Zune is Unofficial: There have been rumours of a "vibrant" coloured Zune coming out, and it seems that colour is a vibrant red. People were convinced it was going to be an orange Zune, but I had a hunch that wasn't it. There are also rumours about the red Zune coming pre-loaded with sports content - an interesting twist.
- EMI Music on Zune Marketplace Will Be DRM-Free: Once EMI announced they'd start selling music via iTunes without DRM, it was a short leap of logic to realize that this would be coming to other music stores. That means that, likely within the next month or two, we'll see the Zune Marketplace start to offer DRM-free music from EMI. It would be useful if the Zune Marketplace could sort by record label so we could see all the EMI tracks in one location, but that might be too much to ask. Will they be 256 kbps AAC files just like iTunes? Quite possibly. How much will they be? Regular songs are 79 points right now - so will they be 99 points? If you don't want to wait you can go to iTunes today and buy the non-DRM music in AAC format and put it on your Zune. Has anyone tried this yet?
- Microsoft is Pondering Free Zune with Subscription Program: This is one of those small comments that has been blown out of proportion. Jason Reindorp, Microsoft's Zune marketing director, was "thinking aloud" and saying that the Zune team is exploring all options. Through the "magic" of the Internet, that turned into a flurry of "Microsoft to Give Away Zunes for Free" stories. This isn't a new idea - Napster started doing this last year, and when you consider the way prices on Flash memory have completely fallen into the toilet, the timing is certainly right for Microsoft to take this step. But are they ready for it? The first generation Zune still has so many problems, and is lacking so many features, that one has to wonder if it makes sense to launch new distribution business models before getting the basics down.
Comments? Which of these news items are you most excited about as a Zune owner?
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04-10-2007, 05:17 AM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,053
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jason Dunn
- Microsoft is Pondering Free Zune with Subscription Program: This is one of those small comments that has been blown out of proportion. Jason Reindorp, Microsoft's Zune marketing director, was "thinking aloud" and saying that the Zune team is exploring all options. Through the "magic" of the Internet, that turned into a flurry of "Microsoft to Give Away Zunes for Free" stories. This isn't a new idea - Napster started doing this last year, and when you consider the way prices on Flash memory have completely fallen into the toilet, the timing is certainly right for Microsoft to take this step. But are they ready for it? The first generation Zune still has so many problems, and is lacking so many features, that one has to wonder if it makes sense to launch new distribution business models before getting the basics down.
Comments? Which of these news items are you most excited about as a Zune owner? |
This is what I honestly thought we needed to see from day one. I think the music subscription is the killer feature of the Zune and will eventually force Apple into offering a similar service. How could anyone pass up a player with unlimited music access already, I really don't know. If the player was FREE? I think that's, to beat a dead horse, an iPod killer.
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04-10-2007, 04:48 PM
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Theorist
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 270
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jason Dunn
If you don't want to wait you can go to iTunes today and buy the non-DRM music in AAC format and put it on your Zune. Has anyone tried this yet?
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I don't think they are going to start until May. I was considering this, although it would mean loading iTunes. I think Zune Marketplace needs to play a little catch up now. If iTunes goes completely DRM free, I could see myself buying songs (right now only full albums come DRM free) from iTunes instead. The sheer volume of tracks they offer dwarf Zune Marketplace. I really thought that Microsoft was going to innovate at a faster pace than they have so far. Right now Apple seems to be doing all the innovating: single song purchases now give you credit towards full album purchases, higher bitrates and DRM free music. The only thing Microsoft brought to the table was subscription tracks...and that was hardly new.
I'm sure Microsoft forced this innovation from apple, but so far apple seems to be doing everything right.
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04-10-2007, 04:55 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,053
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I rarely buy music so DRM free has little interest for me. Its a good thing but my money is invested into the subscription model. I think its better!
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