Comments on: Microsoft: We Have a New MP3 Player Also

By: I’m a Big Mac and I’m a Vente Soy Latte | John Paczkowski | Digital Daily | AllThingsD

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 16:20:32 +0000

[...] its also-ran digital media player and Apple’s iPod. As promised, Microsoft today uncrated its next generation Zune. Along with it, the company rolled out a Zune 3.0 firmware update that enables the device to [...]

By: Mac Beach

Mac Beach — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 17:31:12 +0000

@Chis Locke:

I’m quite sure that a lot of people that buy any of these devices load them with music they already own, ripped from CDs they have had for years. For those people (including myself) variations on subscription models make no difference.

I’m not the target market for these things, but I have no desire to be locked into a specific music service or DRM technology be it Apple’s or Microsoft’s.

$15 a month for “renting” music isn’t unique to Zune, I think Real has something similar as do othrs. Miss a payment and lose it all seems insane to me. You would be much better off (based on your 1 album a month) just downloading from Amazon.com (or even iTunes) and transfering unencrypted MP3s to your Zune (I assume that’s possible).

By: Apple’s “Let’s Rock” all about iPod, iTunes and new iPhone/iPod Touch firmware — Meandering Passage

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 04:06:34 +0000

[...] a side note, Microsoft also released new versions of the Zune that actually have some credible features. Will anyone [...]

By: Chris Locke

Chris Locke — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 20:48:53 +0000

I’m one of the 4%. I bought the Zune for the one feature that has existed for over a year, that differentiates it from an iPod and that no one ever seems to talk about. The Zune Pass. For $14.95 a month, I have unlimited download access to just about every artist, album or song you could want.

Hardware and feature wise, its fine. Its definitely not as slick as the ipod touch, but it works just fine. The PC software is very usable. Feature for feature itunes is more robust, but I don’t particularly miss anything.

Which leaves the music. Apple has a great model: spend hundreds on a piece of hardware that is simply an entry point for you spending multiple amounts of money on downloads from their store. My spend on music is the price of one album download a month. I probably download 10-15 albums a month. Sure if I ever stop my subscription I lose all my music, but I don’t mind that risk.

I’m not sure why its not more popular – and if Apple goes the subscription route, the Zune will die, but Apple has too much revenue on the line right with download revenue now so it will be a while.

By: Microsoft’s Zune: 24 Hours of Glory | Technologizer

Microsoft’s Zune: 24 Hours of Glory | Technologizer — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 20:21:47 +0000

[...] Microsoft has been unable to add to the Zune is iPod-like cachet. ore at: Silicon Alley Insider, Digital Daily, [...]

By: Ken Okel

Ken Okel — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 16:46:55 +0000

Some of the new features are intriguing but I have to admit that I don’t know anyone who has a Zune or had a conversation about it.

By: NiNjASLiCE » Blog Archive » Microsoft: We Have a New MP3 Player, Also

NiNjASLiCE » Blog Archive » Microsoft: We Have a New MP3 Player, Also — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 15:23:13 +0000

[...] more: Microsoft: We Have a New MP3 Player, Also Share and [...]

By: John Mullinax

John Mullinax — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 13:49:26 +0000

Wireless connection to zune marketplace is exactly the feature that really make wifi make sense. And buy from FM is actually quite cool. Assuming these new features are well executed, I will definitely get one!