Zune - Microsoft's Ipod Killer

lpxxfaintxx · 07-31-2006, 03:46 PM

Courtesy of ZuneBoards.com

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This forum was delayed a bit, so this site was not here when exciting news were slowing creeping out. Let me get you up-to-date on the latest Zune news.

Zune is Confirmed!

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ZUNE GETS IN THE RING
Microsoft Preps Music Player, Service To Rival Apple’s Wares
BY ANTONY BRUNO

Microsoft officials for the first time have confirmed that the Redmond, Wash.-based company is readying a portable music player and integrated service, shedding new light on a topic that has fueled rampant speculation in news reports and blog postings for weeks.

In an exclusive first interview with Billboard, Chris Stephenson, Microsoft’s new GM of marketing for MSN Entertainment Business, says the company will later this year launch Zune, an umbrella brand for what he says is “a family of hardware and software products” targeting various digital entertainment services.

The first implementation of this will be the portable music player and digital music service, in what is the company’s strongest effort yet to rein in Apple Computer’s iTunes/iPod juggernaut, currently responsible for about 70% of the digital music market and 75% of the portable digital music player market.

Additional Zune-branded devices will follow, including a portable video player and, potentially, a portable game device, although Stephenson would not comment on the videogame element of the initiative.

Because the product lines have not yet been finalized, Microsoft would not discuss specifications. However, Stephenson did confirm that the initial music device will contain a hard drive and the much-discussed Wi-Fi connection for wireless Internet access.

Exactly how Microsoft intends to utilize this wireless Internet capability remains unclear. Stephenson says the company is examining “seven or eight” different wireless scenarios. They range from allowing users to view and sample music from other Zune devices in the same hot spot, to accessing content stored in an online digital locker, to buying and downloading music directly to the device.

Stephenson says that wireless Internet access is necessary for the portable devices to fit into Microsoft’s grander plan. That scenario is to provide ubiquitous access to digital media from a wide range of Windows-powered devices in what ultimately aspires to be one part MySpace, one part iTunes and one part Xbox Live.

Zune users will be able to view each other’s playlists, recommend music and sample tracks in what Stephenson describes as a multifaceted music discovery experience. This capability will extend to the Xbox 360 game console, PCs running Windows Media Center and mobile phones using the Windows Mobile operating system.

“The ability to connect the different devices is a key part of the strategy,” Stephenson says. “Whether it’s a portable media device, or a phone, or the Xbox or Media Center PC, the idea is you can access your entertainment from anywhere.”

Music will be the primary content at first, but will eventually expand to include video and other types of media. Microsoft and music industry sources say there currently are not any licensing deals in place.

Record label executives briefed on the device and service give high marks to this community strategy.

“We’re incredibly excited by it,” Warner Music Group senior VP of strategy and product development George White says. “It’s something that we hoped peer-to-peer services would bring to the digital retail space.”

But unlike the early P2P space, this sharing will have limitations. Early speculation is that this community-sharing feature would be limited to 10 users in the same hot spot at a time. Virgin Records executive VP Jeff Kempler, while not confirming any specific details of the pending service, says a degree of “controlled sharing” is necessary, as is a willingness to experiment with new business models.

“We’re going to have to think about evolving licensing schemes that have some flexibility in them,” he says. “There’s going to be a balancing of the benefits of discovery and remuneration of paid content acquisition.”

What may have the music industry most enthused is that Microsoft is finally putting its deep pockets and industry clout behind a new digital music experience that competes with Apple.

While publicly praising Apple’s success in building the digital music space, music industry executives have expressed frustration at the company’s my-way-or-the-highway tactics. Competition means more opportunities to sell digital music in ways Apple won’t allow. For instance, Microsoft is more open to variable pricing, whereas Apple is not.

“We definitely see the need for really strong competition in the marketplace,” White says. “We’d love to see more players getting in and offering more types of digital content. We think that having more, stronger competition is more likely to yield that outcome.”

Microsoft will support the Zune launch with a massive advertising and marketing campaign expected to be heavily artist-centric, including several live performances nationwide. Stephenson says the total effort will be on par with that of the Xbox 360 launch, which cost a reported $500 million.

Left hanging in all this is the fate of the existing MSN Music service. According to Stephenson, Zune is not a relaunch of the MSN service, but rather a new branded service altogether. While he says Microsoft will continue to support the service, it won’t be included in the Zune advertising efforts.

With all the company’s resources focused on Zune, it appears likely MSN Music will be left to die on the vine.

What we know, What we think we know, and What we don't know.

Courtesy of Engadget.com

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What we know (for sure)

Zune is the name of the project, the brand, and the device.
The first Zune device will be launched this year, with more devices to come in 2007.
The Zune brand encompasses not only the device, but the software that will drive it, as well as a music, movie, and media service the Zune device family will use for acquiring, sharing, and discovery of said media. Music will be the first angle of service that is launched, "connected entertainment" being the ultimate goal.
The Zune media service will heavily leverage community aspects and recommendation; emphasis is being placed on using Zune to discover new artists, media, etc.
The Zune media device will be drive-based, and have WiFi.
The Zune brand is intended to be an entirely vertically integrated end-to-end solution, not unlike the iPod / iTunes / iTunes Music Store triumvirate.
The service and device will not be PlaysForSure compliant, meaning you will not be able to use your Zune player with Napster or Vongo, for example. This will be an entirely new system. Microsoft will continue to support and develop for their PlaysForSure initiative, but all things PlaysForSure are handled by two entirely separate division that will not have any crossover.
Zune is under Microsoft's new Entertainment & Devices Division, and is headed by, among others, Robbie Bach, J Allard (Corporate Vice President and Chief XNA Architect), and Bryan Lee (Corporate Vice President and CFO, Entertainment and Devices Division), which accounts for the division of this project from the rest of Microsoft, similar to how the Xbox project was also strictly separated.
The logo we had is, of course, real.
Microsoft's launched the Zune viral marketing site, ComingZune.com. [Thanks, bv]

What we think we know (and are pretty sure of)

They'll be showing off the device by the end of next month, and will aim for a November release.
Microsoft will buy your way out of iTunes in order to convert you to a Zune user.
The Zune will come in multiple colors.
Pyxis is the codename for their nano competitor which would also include video capabilities; Alexandria is the codename for the software that powers the Zune experience.
A Microsoft portable gaming system is in the works, and will be a part of the Zune family. This device should have Xbox Live Anywhere integration. This may or may not be an Xbox co-branded portable, but is probably going to be the portable gaming / media device we've been hearing about for years.
Microsoft's ad campaign will include a Super Bowl commercial.
The Zune will have a bevy of accessories at launch; it'll probably be cheaper for accessory makers to develop for the Zune port than pay the Made For iPod tax.

What we don't yet know

Whether the Zune media service will offer the same kind of all-you-can-eat subscription media services as PlaysForSure media services like Napster and Vongo. Supposedly subscription will be offered, but downplayed in favor of song purchase (which is the opposite of most PlaysForSure services).
Whether you'll actually only be limited to sharing with up to 10 people nearby, as rumored, and that they won't get the protected files, but will "bookmark" them for later purchase.
Exact device specifications for the first Zune device, as well as its price (though we hear it could be as much as $399).
Whether it'll include XM and/or Sirius service as rumored (we doubt it).

Microsoft Retail Vision Summit

Courtesy of Zuneinfo.com

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First of all, the Microsoft Retail Vision Summit took place recently with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer taking center stage to chat to the audience about the Zune. We are trying to hunt down some audio or video footage from the summit but until we do that, here is a quote from what Steve had to say about the Zune:

“The point of view we’re taking, is quite unique. Over time, what this is all about, just like my example with Tiger Woods, it’s all about how do multiple groups of people, friends, interact together in various entertainment experiences, whether it’s watching the British Open, whether it’s enjoying movies, and music, and other video entertainment, whether it is involved in an interactive gaming session, a lot of the IQ we’re putting into is how you view community and entertainment together. That’s where our fundamental differentiation comes from.”

Unfortunately that, and this picture is about all we have for you at the moment on the summit, we will update when we can get our hands on some video or audio footage from the day.

What do you think? The next iPod?

07-31-2006, 04:15 PM

I do not think zune will be successful. Microsoft's vision is to introduce new networking devices. We don't really want to connect to others all the time, especially when listening to mp3 is a personal habit and there is a custom taste.

duckduckgoose · 07-31-2006, 04:29 PM

It scans nearby zunes for music that fit's your tastes. It then downloads those song's and stores them for later for your listening pleasure. You arn't constantly connected, and there as supposidly ways to disable the connecting feature. I read about this when they first started making it a year or so ago.

Is this the next ipod? No, it's the next limewire.

K? Pŕo?ćtiόnŹ · 07-31-2006, 04:51 PM

I'd buy it.

howardmeis · 07-31-2006, 04:56 PM

I just skimmed it.

MS will most likely put in a larger hdd and have a windows shell running on it, and eventualy will put wifi capabilities in it. That'd be 1337. :P

duckduckgoose · 07-31-2006, 05:04 PM

It's a drived based system, with WiFi. It most likely has it's own OS and wouldn't use a window's shell.

DA( · 07-31-2006, 05:46 PM

I think the real question is: what will Mac do in response? I can't wait to see the new iPOD generation.

howardmeis · 07-31-2006, 05:48 PM

I really should start reading everything.

And Apple will do what they always do, release more adds putting down MS, make ipods that can hold more, and make some smaller iPods.

guy476 · 07-31-2006, 06:36 PM

couldnt they think of a better name?

howardmeis · 07-31-2006, 06:40 PM

Yea, Zune isn't so great a name. Vista==Nice to the ears. Zune==Reminds me of Dune/Zuma.

SC_Modder · 07-31-2006, 07:41 PM

At least apple will have some real competition. 300 dollars for an iPod is nothing doing for me.

lpxxfaintxx · 07-31-2006, 07:46 PM

Zune is better than Wii at least.

To be completely honest with you guys, I think Zune will be a great success. Microsoft will be investing millions and millions of dollars, and will not start making a profit until almost half a decade. That's some serious investing... but then again, Microsoft almost has an unlimited supply of money :D

howardmeis · 07-31-2006, 08:28 PM

I'm first to post on ZB other than LPX :P

07-31-2006, 04:29 PM	#3 (permalink)
duckduckgoose Infraction magnet Senior Member Gold Member Inquisitor Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: In a van down by the river. Posts: 4,024	It scans nearby zunes for music that fit's your tastes. It then downloads those song's and stores them for later for your listening pleasure. You arn't constantly connected, and there as supposidly ways to disable the connecting feature. I read about this when they first started making it a year or so ago. Is this the next ipod? No, it's the next limewire.
$duckduckgoose 15 0FF11\|\\|3$

07-31-2006, 04:51 PM	#4 (permalink)
K? Pŕo?ćtiόnŹ =) Senior Member Retired Staff Member Messiah Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Okinawa Posts: 9,362	I'd buy it. __________________
$K? Pŕo?ćtiόnŹ 15 0FF11\|\\|3$

07-31-2006, 04:56 PM	#5 (permalink)
howardmeis Weiße Kraft Senior Member Messiah Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Chicago. ^.^ Posts: 8,112	I just skimmed it. MS will most likely put in a larger hdd and have a windows shell running on it, and eventualy will put wifi capabilities in it. That'd be 1337. :P __________________ I AM HOWARD. I MAKE YOUTUBE VIDEOS. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
$howardmeis 15 0FF11\|\\|3$

07-31-2006, 05:04 PM	#6 (permalink)
duckduckgoose Infraction magnet Senior Member Gold Member Inquisitor Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: In a van down by the river. Posts: 4,024	It's a drived based system, with WiFi. It most likely has it's own OS and wouldn't use a window's shell.
$duckduckgoose 15 0FF11\|\\|3$

07-31-2006, 05:46 PM	#7 (permalink)
DA( xie xie ning Senior Member Inquisitor Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: BWH Posts: 4,955	I think the real question is: what will Mac do in response? I can't wait to see the new iPOD generation.
$DA( 15 0FF11\|\\|3$

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07-31-2006, 04:15 PM	#2 (permalink)
Akazukin Guest Posts: n/a	I do not think zune will be successful. Microsoft's vision is to introduce new networking devices. We don't really want to connect to others all the time, especially when listening to mp3 is a personal habit and there is a custom taste.

07-31-2006, 05:48 PM	#8 (permalink)
howardmeis Weiße Kraft Senior Member Messiah Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Chicago. ^.^ Posts: 8,112	I really should start reading everything. And Apple will do what they always do, release more adds putting down MS, make ipods that can hold more, and make some smaller iPods. __________________ I AM HOWARD. I MAKE YOUTUBE VIDEOS. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
$howardmeis 15 0FF11\|\\|3$

07-31-2006, 06:36 PM	#9 (permalink)
guy476 Crusader Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: in the western hemisphere Posts: 3,348	couldnt they think of a better name? __________________
$guy476 15 0FF11\|\\|3$

07-31-2006, 06:40 PM	#10 (permalink)
howardmeis Weiße Kraft Senior Member Messiah Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Chicago. ^.^ Posts: 8,112	Yea, Zune isn't so great a name. Vista==Nice to the ears. Zune==Reminds me of Dune/Zuma. __________________ I AM HOWARD. I MAKE YOUTUBE VIDEOS. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
$howardmeis 15 0FF11\|\\|3$

07-31-2006, 07:41 PM	#11 (permalink)
SC_Modder Loading javascript... Senior Member Moderator Inquisitor Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 4,523	At least apple will have some real competition. 300 dollars for an iPod is nothing doing for me. __________________ AaronOpfer.com - My music
$SC_Modder 15 0FF11\|\\|3$

07-31-2006, 07:46 PM	#12 (permalink)
lpxxfaintxx I hate Steve Jobs. Senior Member Gold Member Enlightened Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Fullerton, CA Posts: 3,132	Zune is better than Wii at least. To be completely honest with you guys, I think Zune will be a great success. Microsoft will be investing millions and millions of dollars, and will not start making a profit until almost half a decade. That's some serious investing... but then again, Microsoft almost has an unlimited supply of money :D __________________
$lpxxfaintxx 15 0\|\\|11\|\\|3 \|\\|0\/\/$

07-31-2006, 08:28 PM	#13 (permalink)
howardmeis Weiße Kraft Senior Member Messiah Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Chicago. ^.^ Posts: 8,112	I'm first to post on ZB other than LPX :P __________________ I AM HOWARD. I MAKE YOUTUBE VIDEOS. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
$howardmeis 15 0FF11\|\\|3$