When I saw this my whole office heard "OMG"

[JacksBleedingEyes]

Just saw this in the morning. I wonder if it will get anywhere, but I know I am buying one.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/digital-music/coming-zune-/2006/09/15/1157827122085.html

 

[nintenho]

sharing...

 

[JacksBleedingEyes]

Woaw woaw woaw, I never said I was viral market, unless that is your signature. I said OMG, because I thought that as far as ripoffs are concerned this is about the biggest one I have ever seen. That is if that is a click wheel that I am seeing there. I mean it looks almost exactly the same. I just like the wirless connectivity. Thats the only selling point for me.

 

[Skrying]

I like the design, not the color combinations shown though.

I must say, the features they are touting are impressive. If the interface is simple but effective and offers all the features they claim then I could see myself getting one. I like the large screen and the fact that for video it seems it goes widescreen and the unit looks pefect both horizontal or vertical.

 

[nintenho]

that's my signature. very subtle.

 

[Graham]

It's not a clickwheel. At least thats what I can gather. The opinion I've read of those who have used it are it's 'not what you'd expect' but still at least usable.

As for colour combinations, engadget is reporting they look quite a lot better in the flesh.

There is a video of the UI here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMmD6a8N8Q4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpHzQYKDlWU&NR

It's all quite fancy. The brown unit actually looks quite good in that video too.

Microsoft seem to be going for something of a gritty look, something of a contrast to the starkness of the ipod, and (for example) their techno ultramoderny look of the 360 (which is a bit... well... muddled). I think is actually working fairly well to be honest. The teaser on www.comingzune.com with the burning birds was cool

Ohh and there will be a cellphone zune too.

 

[winterbird@nerdshack.com]

It's not a clickwheel. At least thats what I can gather. The opinion I've read of those who have used it are it's 'not what you'd expect' but still at least usable.

I'm a big fan of the ipod, and the zune will have no click wheel. Just a four way hat switch.

From a consumer perspective, it looks a great deal chunkier than the ipod... and while it may be a different market, I can see it getting trounced ala PS2 v xbox 1.

 

[nintenho]

Apparantly you can only listen to shared songs 3 times or over a 3 day period, whichever comes first then when you go online again it asks you to buy it if it's on there song marketplace I guess?

 

[JacksBleedingEyes]

Just when I was getting all excited, MicroSoft has to come along and capitalize on my basic freedom of listening to other peoples music. PFFT. Not a happy chappy.

Then again how does the iPod handle it with iTunes, can you actually copy the music over? I know you can listen to some and copy others but....

iTunes is the plague, I much prefer media monkey instead. Lost my library twice thanks to that POS, and it didnt help that I backed up all my programs at the time either.

 

[Guden Oden]

I wonder if it will get anywhere, but I know I am buying one.

Frankly, I think that unit looks like crap. If it lost the stupid frame around the screen and buttons (the layout which is an unashamed ipod ripoff might be added), it'd be better. Was it an intern that designed this thing or what, and whose bright idea was it to make it available in brown?

Kinda poetic, I guess. A brown POS.

I'd like to tell microsoft that just because someone else is making money from a certain piece of the technology sector pie doesn't mean that is a reason for them also to get into that business.

I doubt they'll listen though. MS is getting more predatory for each year that passes...

 

[_xxx_]

What's this about? Someone crapped his pants after seeing that POS? Don't get it

 

[JacksBleedingEyes]

What's this about? Someone crapped his pants after seeing that POS? Don't get it

No and if you bother reading the posts you wouldnt spew shit like that.

I said, OMG, because I was surprised to A) MicroSoft is actuall bringing out their music player and B) That it looked like almost identical to an iPod if that was a scroll wheel.

 

[Sxotty]

Well I hate itunes but there are already superior products out imo so I don't really see why anyone cares.

 

[_xxx_]

No and if you bother reading the posts you wouldnt spew shit like that.

I said, OMG, because I was surprised to A) MicroSoft is actuall bringing out their music player and B) That it looked like almost identical to an iPod if that was a scroll wheel.

First, keep your tone down. Second, nothing special about that and discussed in countless threads here already.

 

[AlNom]

Was it an intern that designed this thing or what, and whose bright idea was it to make it available in brown?

I was hoping that they'd use the wood texture ala the Xbox 360 faceplate.

The plastic looks kinda cheap...

 

[Rolf N]

Just saw this in the morning. I wonder if it will get anywhere, but I know I am buying one.

Oh you really shouldn't.
Knowing Microsoft, their track records in their numerous business avenues, it will be a horribly, stupidly broken POS and you should keep your hands off until the fifth version comes out, which is going to be kind of okay, except for the areas where compromises will have to be made to be compatible with previous (horribly, stupidly broken) behaviour.

Now, your responsibility as a consumer, in the overall circulation of karma in the world, is not only rewarding the good products when given a choice, but also to not encourage inept pretenders to do things they aren't supposed to be doing.

Or in fact scratch all that and let me ask a question instead: what has Microsoft done to deserve your optimism and good will?

 

[Ty]

Well I'm not a MS fany boy or anything but as the player is actually made by Toshiba, who also makes the fairly well received Gigabeat, I would expect this player to actually be quite decent.

http://reviews.cnet.com/Toshiba_Gigabeat_S_MES30VW_30GB_white/4505-6499_7-31660763.html

 

[Angelcurio]

If it werent for the poster having a decent amount of posts, i would have thought that this was some kind of viral marketing.

 

[Skrying]

I love people.

1.) One group says it looks just like an iPod, the other says it looks like crap compared to an iPod. Which one is it? Is it the same or is it a utter mess? Also, what the hell does it having a scroll wheel or not change the look? A nifty looking wheel is a wheel is a wheel no matter if it scrolls or not.

2.) Someone complains that you can only share a song up to 3x through the wireless portion of the player, yet they hold their iPod dear and near which can not do such a function at all.

3.) The biggest knock is either the looks or the fact that its from Microsoft. Dont you love it, people judging something before they've even used it for a split second.

Apple knows the market, they know that people do not care at all about the fuctionality of a player, as long as it looks good it sales.

 

[SugarCoat]

I'll tell you what it looks like to me, it looks like a friggan mp3 player. Just like a watch looks like a watch no matter who made it or where its from you know what they are, they all have a generic appearance for the most part since its a common shape for a pocket or palm. Hence the shape of handheld computers/organizers, pocket calculators, cell phones, even wallets, and of course previous MP3 players. By the way brand loyalty is for morons.