Zunelicious

2006-10-26T04:33:00.000-07:00

I managed to find a few Zune videos that were floating around the internet.

The first video is a short interview with everybody's favorite Steve Ballmer, where he talks a little Zune. The second video is a very in-depth look at the Zune (40:00 minutes, bring popcorn), and is a great watch if you have enough time and can stomach a lot of marketing speech.

You can read the full article, and watch the videos here!

As always, make sure to make the jump over to www.Zunecorps.com, the new home of Zunelicious!

Thanks,

-Charlie

2006-10-24T04:39:00.000-07:00

Zune Swag Contest!!!

Hey Everyone, I’m really happy to annouce that we will be having a contest to give away some Zune swag to our readers!!! All you have to do to enter the conest is head over to the forums, and post your favorite song in the contest thread, as simple as that!

The contest will end November 10, so you’ll be able to show off your Zune swag when you go to pick up your Zune!

Good luck!

-Charlie

2006-10-24T04:37:00.000-07:00

Today we received semi-official battery life numbers from Cesar Menendez over at the Zune team.

“Zune has a battery life of up to 13 hours, when listening to music. Oh. . . and that’s with the wireless turned on. When you turn the wireless off, Zune has up to 14 hours of battery life when listening to music, and up to approximately 4 hours for video or pictures.”

Battery life has long been a major concern of mine when considering the purchase of a Zune. While these numbers are much higher than the incredibly low estimates that were previously floating around the Internet, they do not come anywhere close to the battery life afforded by the 5.5 Generation 80 gig iPod. The latest 30 gig and 80 gig ipods clock in at 14 hours of audio and 20 hours of audio, respectively.

(read the full article at www.zunecorps.com)

2006-10-24T04:34:00.000-07:00

Well…I’ve been saying this for a while now, but I think we have to look at this scenario again, as Gizmodo has just gotten even more tips about the new iPod’s December launch. What if Apple was to release a new iPod before Christmas? There have been rumors floating around for a very long time that Apple has a touch-screen video iPod in the works…what impact would this have on the Zune launch if these rumors were true?

(read the whole article at www.zunecorps.com)

2006-10-18T20:59:00.000-07:00

HEY EVERYONE, WE HAVE A NEW SITE!!!

Hey, Charlie here...

And I'm proud to announce the offical unveiling of our new site, ZuneCorps!!! You are going to want to check it out, as it has a ton of new features, and some bitchin forums!

Suprised? Scared? Don't care? Well...let's talk about why we're moving...

I always had the intention of switching the blog over to paid hosting if things went well...and they have, so I though "it was time". But I wanted to make sure that I had a name for the site that was original and inspired a sense of community...thus "the corps." was born.

I've added some REALLY COOL forum software to the website, so I hope that everyone registers (it's super easy!).

If this wasn't incentive enough for you to check out the site, we have an interview with Cesar Mendez from Zuneinsider up!

Unfortunately I don't plan to regularly update this blog now, instead...it's all Zunecorps, so hopefully everyone will make the jump with me and Join The Corps.

See everyone overthere!

-Charlie

2006-10-17T04:42:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

Sorry for the lack of postings this weekend, but Woody and myself have been working on a few surprises/additions for the site that will be launching Saturday morning (if all goes according to plan). So stay tuned, and check back Saturday for a few goodies!

-Charlie

2006-10-15T14:29:00.000-07:00

Steve Jobs recently sat down for a Q and A session with Newsweek to talk about how far the iPod has come, and about how he feels about the Microsoft Zune.

Microsoft has announced its new iPod competitor, Zune. It says that this device is all about building communities. Are you worried?

In a word, no. I've seen the demonstrations on the Internet about how you can find another person using a Zune and give them a song they can play three times. It takes forever. By the time you've gone through all that, the girl's got up and left! You're much better off to take one of your earbuds out and put it in her ear. Then you're connected with about two feet of headphone cable.
-Steve Jobs

Just goes to show that not only is Steve a Master Pimp when it comes to seducing women with his tunes, he also has no idea about what Microsoft is trying to do in creating a social aspect with their player. He only sees it as the ability to swap tunes, and he's right, you can just share headphones if that is your sole motivation...but this is not the case with the Zune.

Then again, he may just be dismissing the features his product dosn't have until they're incorporated into the iPod. He's the master when it comes to reality-distortion.

-Charlie

2006-10-14T19:25:00.000-07:00

Zune Player's Comprehensive Video Roundup

Zune Player has beaten me to the punch and posted an excellent collection of zune videos.

Click the link for 7 videos showcasing Zune's GUI, available colors, sharing features, and "unique" look.

-Woody

2006-10-14T18:46:00.000-07:00

The Zune will NOT loose money as many have speculated it would.

In a recent Q and A session with Newsweek, Ballmer has come out saying that it won't loose money...but it won't make much money either.

"Apple (AAPL) put the hammer down there, dropped the price down to $249. If they had been $299, it would have been nicer. They have the advantage of scale. So we're at $249, too. We don't make a lot of money, not to start out."

He then went on to talk about the Zune, and how it was monotizing software through hardware sales by saying,

"Because the value of Zune, if we're successful, is all in the software. It's in community [the ability to share music and pictures with other Zune users]. I want to squirt you a picture of my kids. You want to squirt me back a video of your vacation. That's a software experience. The truth is, though, if it makes money, it will be built into the gross margin on the hardware. We'll figure out how to make money on the community perhaps later though advertising or other means."

I didn't know "squirting" was what Zune to Zune sharing was being called...;)

-Charlie

2006-10-13T22:59:00.000-07:00

Tired of those glossy, high-quality product shots? Want to see what the Zune is really like? Well don't worry, you don't have to live in Seattle to see the Zune in action. Check out these shots of Zunes out in the wild, being used by real people, and admire those beautiful colors. ( seriously, the colors look amazing, and even brown is starting to grow on me, after seeing these shots )

Even children enjoy the Zune's stylish look.

here we have a nice picture of the black Zune's box and instruction manual ( as if we would need one of those :-) )

Here we have the Black Zune with its blue double-shot finish ( and custom background )

And here is the most debated Zune, the brown with green trim.( showing off some impressive album art )

Another of the Brown Zune, this time in better lighting and with a much cooler background image.

Zune playing video.

Here some marketing guy is freeing the Zune from its wrapper.

Two Zunes playing nice and sharing some songs.

nice shot of the zune standing up. ( bet you an ipod can't do that ;-) )

the money shot... ( don't you think they should send me and charlie two
of those? )

and ofcourse everyone's favorite background, courtesy of Bungie.net.

Hope you enjoyed the pictures, stay tuned next week as we round up all the different Zune videos floating around.

-Woody

2006-10-13T22:57:00.000-07:00

Everyone,

I'd like to announce that Woody (you might know him from Cesar's blog, or from the Zune community), will be joining Zunelicious as a collaberator!!! I think this is going to make for some very interesting articles, and be a lot of fun, so stay tuned and good luck Woody,

-Charlie

2006-10-13T20:16:00.000-07:00

On10.net has just posted a really great video covering even more of the Zune's UI and features. This video is A LOT more indepth then the last few, and the quality is great. Definately Check this one out, as I learned a lot from the video.

Things I learned from the video:

- Headphones act as the antenna for the FM reciver built into the Zune

- The indent on the back of the Zune acts as a finger rest when the Zune is in the horizontal mode

- Range of the wi-fi has been tested succesfully at 20-40 meters

- Songs transfer in 5-10 seconds (kinda knew this...)

-Charlie

2006-10-13T19:22:00.000-07:00

Zune Wish list

Hey everyone...I set about making a wish list of features that I would love to see integrated into the Zune either via firmware updates or in future versions of the Zune. Tell me what you think of these ideas, their feasibility, and ideas you have been playing around with yourselves.

- Sending Video Via Wi-Fi

This may not sound like a compelling feature, but think about integration with Soapbox and how cool this feature might be capable of becoming. I am an ametuer filmmaker, and love to make movies with my buddies. The capability of sending my content (short movies under 10 minutes compressed at under 100mb for Soapbox)would not only be feasible, but would also encourage the growth of Soapbox and how videos are traded and interacted with.

The only downside I see to this feature would be the amount of time that it takes to send a video. But knowing that the average song takes about 5 seconds on the Zune, then a 100mb movie which is about 30x that size would only take about 2 minutes. Totally do-able. I hope Microsoft can make this happen!

- Live Anywhere Integration

This is going to happen, mark my words. Microsoft likes to build platforms, they built Live Anywhere to tie together all of their online gaming and game profiles across all of your devices (PC, Xbox 360, Smartphones)...so why wouldn't this make it's way to the Zune? It is understandable that Microsoft wants to get music right, but come on...this would be an AMAZING feature! Allowing you to have your Gamercard with you at all times, enabling you to review stats, download games, keep track of friends online, so basically total integration with your gaming. This one is bound to happen, and when it does...Shazam!

- Recording Radio Broadcasts

In all likely hood this probably won't happen, but wouldn't it be nice to be able to record the songs you listen to on the radio? This might not be feasible, but man would it be cool.

- Wi-Max capabilities

Okay...I might be dreaming with this one, but imagine in the future when Wi-Max is adopted, what the Zune will be capable of. You would be in constant integration with all of your digital life and enabling many cool features such as web surfing, streaming of content anywhere, constant updates and feeds, access to e-mail...basically anything you can imagine.

- Streaming Content from your PC

With Media Center you could be able to stream your content to your Zune when you have access to a wireless network, similar to the Slingbox's features. I really want this feature, and think it is completely feasible. Hopefully Microsoft is listening!

Don't forget everyone, I want to hear from you!!!

-Charlie

2006-10-11T20:35:00.000-07:00

Eb games launches the Zune section of their site. We finally get to see what the accessory boxes will look like.

I don't mean to be picky...but come on, does that box not remind you of bad wallpaper? What happened to the cool design of the actual Zune's box? Couldn't that carry over?

-Charlie

2006-10-11T19:22:00.000-07:00

Coming Zune has been updated...makes a little more sense, but not much.
There's a small flash intro on the site...where it tells us that Music wants to be set free or some jazz...and there's a few new pictures...I think Microsoft is trying to be a little too cool here. Simplicity is great, Apple has showed us that. But behind that is functionality and substance, which unfortunately this site is currently lacking.

-Charlie

2006-10-11T04:41:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone...you'll never guess what I found this morning.Bill Wittress (a.k.a. ZuneGuy) was nice enough to post an image of the Altec Lancing Zune speakers. HOTNESS! (although I don't know how it will look with the brown Zune docked)

Enjoy,

-Charlie

2006-10-08T22:28:00.000-07:00

Interview with Bill Wittress

Hey everyone, I have a special treat for you guys today. That's right, we scored an interview with the amazing Bill Wittress of the Zune team. Enjoy the interview!

1.) What is it like working on the Zune initiative?

BW: I love working on Zune. It is incredibly entrepreneurial. You literally have 10 different things going on at any given time. On any given day you may meet with senior management, have an interview with an analyst, crunch numbers for finance and meet with a partner for dinner. The next day it will be completely different.

2.) How did you end up at your current job?

BW: I've been back at Microsoft for over 4 years. In that time, I worked on IPTV (you can search the web for some of my whitepapers that are still in circulation). I started PMC. I owned BizDev for PlaysForSure and I was eventually asked to come work on accessories for Zune. It has been quite a wild ride.

3.) What is it exactly that you do...I understand that you work with 3rd parties to coordinate Zune accessories...but what exactly does this entail?

BW: I own the third party accessories program. That means literally setting up the fundamentals of the program (who is in the program, what devices we select, and how the program is structured, etc.) I also look at the future partners and products and decide who are the up-and-comers, what are the technologies we may want to acquire, and what's going to be the next hot product.

4.) If you could have only one accessory to go with your Zune what would it be?

BW: For me personally, it would be my Schure 5Cs. I'm not an audiophile, but those are great headphones. There is a set of new headphones that are much less expensive coming out for launch that are really good as is the VAF speakerdock.

5.) In your opinion, how will the Zune stack up with the iPod accessory-wise when it comes out?

BW: We worked really hard to make sure there are lots of accessories available at launch. I think at last count there are going to be about 35 SKUs at launch with many more to follow. It's obviously not as many as iPod, but we think we picked the right partners to cover both depth of product as well as quality. I don't think anyone is going to look at our offering and think that they are missing any key accessories.

6.) How do you think the Zune will be represented in retail (space allocated to it) vs. the iPod?

BW: This is one of our strengths. As Cesar posted last week, we've got a great line-up of retailers ready to assort the product. The magnitude of the number of stores is what really impresses me. It is on the order of the Xbox launch. Also, we've got a lot of alternative retail outlets that will be selling Zune. So, if you want to buy Zune at Wal-Mart or at your local skate shop, you'll be able to do it.

7.) J Allard...Love him? Hate him? Did he make all of you guys read Snowcrash yet?

BW: Are you kidding me? J is one of the main reasons I decided to come over and work on the project. J is a great leader and a great guy to hang out with. I'd walk over broken glass for the guy! And, no I haven't read Snowcrash.

8.) What is the integration with Xbox 360 like? What about Live and the Live anywhere initiative? Any fun stuff happening there?

BW: As most people who read my blog know, I'm a pretty big fan of the 360. We've been working on integrating devices with the 360 since the launch last year. We support PlaysFromDevice with the 360 today. In addition, many of the elements from the 360 appear in Zune. For example, the concept of GamerTags is reflected in the MediaTags in Zune. While not exactly the same, they provide a commonality between the platforms. As I like to say, they are part of the same family - maybe not brother and sister, but close cousins.

I would like to thank Bill for taking the time to do this interview with us. Bill, you rock!!! Good luck with the launch,

-Charlie

2006-10-08T10:17:00.000-07:00

Where the F is the Zune???

I don't know if anyone else has realized this but the Zune is MIA as far as reviews go. Yes Cesar is organizing Flash-Mob meetings for people that live in Seatle, but what about the rest of us? How is it that Microsoft has not sent any of the Zune community sites Zunes to review? How come they haven't sent Engadget or PC World a Zune? How come they sent Ellen Degenerous a Zune??!!!

Usually Microsoft is on top of things, but come on...Sony can get Playstation Magazine a Playstation 3 and you guys can't get anyone a Zune? What's goin on? I think that those 250 Zunes being given out on Ellen could have gone to a lot better use...

I'm not writing this article in an attempt to get myself a Zune, but instead as a wakeup call to everyone out there. Should it be neccasary for Gearlive to have to stalk Microsoft employees at Podcasting conventions in the hopes of getting a Zune review? I personally don't think so, and I hope the Zune marketing team gets their act together quickly.

-Charlie

2006-10-08T08:53:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, I had an idea for an article dealing with the Corporate Culture at Microsoft and Apple and how it effects their products and the battle for the DAP marketplace. But instead of giving you one incredibly long article I've decided to chop it up into small installments to make it easier to read. Hope you enjoy it.

Community

Apple

While there is a thriving Community formed around Apple's products and an almost cult like following, Apple's actual interaction with the community is very sparse. Apple's corporate culture is basically dictated by Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs IS Apple, he is the front man and his opinion is Apple's opinion.

Think to yourself...can you name any members of the Apple product teams? Do you know any of their opinions? This is due to the all encompassing secrecy which Steve brought back with him when he returned to the company. Apple will not even brief their own employees on future technologies, asking their Field Employees to leave meeting rooms...do you think they would let us know anything?

Microsoft

Microsoft takes a different aproach to communicating with customers. Across its many initiatives and product groups, Microsoft has bloggers coming out of the woodwork. Xbox has Major Nelson and GamerScore, the Zune has Cesar Mendez, David Caulton, Bill Witt, and that British guy that only talks about concerts he might go to. These are just a few examples, but believe, there are many more.

The effect is that these loved employees now have a way of communicating valuable information and news to their reader, they humanize Microsoft (which isn't an easy task), and they interact with their product's users and communities.

Is this important? To some people it may not be, but to the communities that these bloggers serve the answer is a resounding yes. At relatively no cost and with such rewarding results it is obvious to myself that interaction with the communities is very important, and I am still at a loss for why many companies don't mimic Microsoft in this respect.

-Charlie

2006-10-07T16:14:00.000-07:00

The Zune and Bitter Sweet

Hey everyone, we all know that Microsoft has been talking about supporting smaller acts with the Zune initative and helping consumers to find new music...but after my interview attempt with The Adored ( who despite being a great band didn't really know much about the Zune or Microsoft helping smaller acts), I was a little put off. However, it looks like I may have been proven wrong. Microsoft very well might be living up to their promises from what I hear from the band Bitter Sweet. In an interview I recently had with them they not only knew what the Zune was, they were able to tell me about Microsoft's commitment to the band and it sounds like Microsoft is really trying to help. So with out further ado...here is the interview with Bitter Sweet.

Okay...what is the story behind Bitter Sweet?

Hmmm..... the story is we met on Craigs list
believe it or not! That's a funny story for another
time but the bottom line is Bitter:Sweet is about
passion. We came together because we both felt an
urgency to write music that we really loved and cared
about. We made this record for ourselves and it's been
an overwhelming and beautiful feeling watching so many
people and opportunities find their way to our sound.

What was it like to be told you were being Pre-Loaded on the Zune?

Were they just "Oh, by the way, 6 million people are going to be

hearing your music on the Zune this holiday"?

6 million?? Wow! I think we're still in shock.
Being on indie label our expectations of reaching a
potential audience of this magnitude seemed impossible
and we certainly couldn't be more excited.

As a smaller band, what is it like to receive this kind of exposure?

It's an amazing opportunity for a band like us!
This is the kind of thing we thought only a major
label could put together so it's quite inspiring to
see a company as big as Microsoft embracing emerging
artists in this way. If we gain even the smallest
percentage of new fans through this kind of exposure
than it was all worth it!

What do you think of the Zune, and how does it compare to the iPod?

Well as soon as they send us one, we will let you
know!! ;-)

It's about time something like this came out for all
of the pc users out there! We think it will do really
well.

I've been hearing a lot about how Microsoft is trying to reach out and help a lot of

smaller acts out there, have they been working with you at all? If so, to what extent?

Do you think this is good for the industry?

They have been very supportive to us! They featured
us in "The Ones to Watch" section at Microsoft Music
when our record first came out, and Kyle Hopkins, at
the indie label division there even helped to get us
into the Bumbershoot festival in Seattle, which
enabled us to play for our biggest audience to date.
He then moved over to The Zune and championed us to
get onto the device. Real people with a passion for
music are working at Microsoft which seems quite
refreshing.
The industry needs more avenues like this to reach
people since radio is so controlled, so we think it's
very important.

And finally no interview would be complete without this question...

When are you coming to Chicago and can you get me some tickets?!?!?!

(sorry...I have to try...it's like a rule when you interview bands)

We have plans to get to the east coast
very soon, we're hoping for early next year.
Touring is really expensive for a band like us so
without sponsorship or tour support we have to take
baby steps to get
ourselves out there. Just as soon as we do however,
you will be the first to know and we will definately
hook you up!

Cheers,
Shana and Kiran

Thanks for the interview! You guys Rock!!!

(If you don't know who Bitter Sweet is you should definately check them out!)

-Charlie

2006-10-06T17:59:00.000-07:00

Microsoft carpets the internet with new Zune ads...

So I was on Digg once again (I'm a Digg addict...), and I look up to see the date 11.14.06, and I think to myself "Zune?" and there she is.

-Charlie

2006-10-05T21:05:00.000-07:00

Other than our tipster earlier, it has been a preatty slow news day for the Zune. But when things seemed bleak Gearlive goes and releases a very indepth Zune video that not only diggs into the navigation...but also shows us the magnetic headphones in action! Check it out...

VIDEO!!!

2006-10-05T14:26:00.000-07:00

I got a scoop today from an Announymous Tipster close to the Zune Project.

He told me that the internal codename for the dot that tracks a song's progress during play is called Tinker Bell. Supposedly the small dot that shows the current progress pulsates as the song plays...hence the name. I'm not sure if this name is official at this time, but either way it's a fun tip.

-Charlie

2006-10-04T20:03:00.000-07:00

Looking to the Zune Initiative's Future...

The next battleground for the dominant Digital Audio Player will be fought by Microsoft and Apple, but it won't be fought with the Zune 1.0 and the 5.5G iPod. Instead it will be fought by the long rumored iPhone and the recently rumored Zune Phone. The current DAP market has become incredibly saturated, and the iPod is the undisputed king. It is obvious that the next step is integration with Cellular Phones.

Microsoft has taken a stand against Apple with the Zune, but instead of planning to win, they are using the Zune as a test much like how they used the original Xbox to get their feet wet before the Xbox 360 came out. Remember, it is J Allard after all, and he likes to win...so planning on being number two to Apple is not his style. There's something brewing.

In a recent survey it was found that 75 % of teens wanted their DAP integrated with their Cellular Phones, and were also willing to pay good money for this device.

The market for such a device is extremely large, as many await a truly consumer-friendly Cellphone/Media Player. Unfortunately the current generation of these devices leaves much to be desired. Many offerings by cellphone providers charge $1.99 per a song, and then do not allow customers to transfer to songs to their computer or burn them to a CD, as well as having a reputation for being difficult to use.

This is where Apple and Microsoft both come in. Apple has one of the strongest brands around with the iPod. If Apple were to release a phone it would undoubtedly have main stream appeal and be adopted by the masses. However, Microsoft does not have this mainstream appeal, leaving consumers distrustful of any foray into the cellphone market. This is one of the main reasons Microsoft is launching the Zune now, as an attempt to build up the brand and eventually have a loyal fan base, as well as get their feet wet when it comes to producing consumer electronics.

If we look at how the current Zune is being promoted and its Social Aspect, we can see that many of these features would transfer over to a phone very well. The cell phone would be an extension of the Zune, creating a truly connected device, that would sync with your connected entertainment experience. Microsoft already has the advantage in having a mobile platform that has been adopted in many Smart phones. Combining what they have learned from their foray into Windows Mobile with their experiences with the Zune and Xbox, Microsoft might have a product capable of winning over the masses.

It is because of this that Apple must be careful, they have already won the current Digital Audio Player market, but their future success is not guaranteed. Especially if Microsoft intends to attack them in the cellular phone arena. If Microsoft is capable of beating the iPhone to the market with a Zune phone, and granted that Microsoft is capable of putting together a solid device, I think Microsoft's chances of success are fairly high.

This is all hypothetical of course...but it is also based on common sense. Apple will eventually unleash an iPhone on the world...everyone knows this...everyone is waiting for it. Microsoft doesn't play to loose, while they loose money on the Xbox 360, they plan to make it back. They wouldn't take a loss on the Zune without a strategy to make it back eventually. So this leaves us with the question, How will they make money. They know they can't beat the iPod in the current market, so they obviously are looking to they next innovation that will change the industry and the Cell/DAP is the answer.

-Charlie

2006-10-04T04:04:00.000-07:00

What will it like to be an early adopter of the Zune?

Most likely, it will be tough...everyone will want to see your Zune at first and marvel at the fact that you don't have an iPod, but most likely you will find few fellow Zunesters to share music with early on. This is one of my fears about picking a Zune up day one...Wired happens to have a preatty neat article up that talks about why the Zune won't kill the iPod, that touches on many of my fears about the social aspects of the Zune.

3. Wi-Fi song sharing will not catch on in public.

"The Zune's only original feature is Wi-Fi song sharing, which will allow Zune owners to search for others nearby and temporarily trade songs over the air. Traded tunes will be playable up to three times over three days, and can be flagged on the player for later purchase online. Otherwise they disappear.

But while it's obvious that sharing songs will be fun with friends at school or college, it's not an activity that will take off in public. It'll largely be confined to peer groups.

How do I know this? Because that's what's happening with iTunes music sharing, which does more or less the same thing with a computer over a network, instead of peer-to-peer.

Think of the typical experience with iTunes at the office or conferences. Instead of finding all kinds of cool new bands, you marvel at the dreadful taste of your co-workers.

Granted, offices and conferences aren't the best feeding grounds, but where is? There are no hip cafes or bars that I know forging reputations for being good places to hang out and browse other peoples' music libraries.

Will this happen wirelessly with the Zune? Will teenagers gather at the mall or the park to share tunes, sitting around quietly with their headphones on?

I don't see it. It will happen at concerts and clubs where like-minded music lovers will share music they already know they like -- and it'll be kinda awkward and nerdy. Remember swapping business cards with your Palm Pilot via infrared?

And while it might be interesting to take a sneak peek at what the thug at the back of the bus is listening to, it won't be a great strategy for discovering new music. There just won't be enough Zune users around.

The only place I can think of in the United States where the Zune might be good for browsing others' music is on an airplane. But will the airlines allow wireless song sharing mid-flight?

Plus, iTunes shows that many people are so self-conscious of their music collections, they will turn off sharing altogether or carefully prune their library to present themselves in the best possible light.

Wi-Fi song sharing will be more about managing your image in public than sharing music.

But of course, for a lot of people, that's the point: Music-clerk types will show off their bona fides by loading their Zune with obscure indie bands, while the rest of us will be frantically deleting treasured show tunes for fear of looking ridiculous."

Take a look at the full article, it's a good read.

http://www.wired.com/news/columns/0,71896-0.html?tw=rss.index

-Charlie

2006-10-03T14:17:00.000-07:00

Uh-Oh Microsoft...Steve Jobs has a few more tricks up his sleeves.

Coming as little surprise to veteran Apple watchers, IDG World Expo announced on Tuesday that Apple CEO Steve Jobs would deliver the opening keynote address at Macworld Expo San Francisco. The expo will be held at San Francisco's Moscone Convention Center from January 8-12, 2007, with the keynote on Tuesday January 9th at 9 am Pacific at Moscone West.
(appleinsider.com)

Could this be the Video iPod that everyone has been dieing for??? It would actually make a lot of sense, think about it. Their last keynote included a price drop of the iPod, and only upgrades. Could they be toying with Microsoft, getting them to lower the price of their Zune, then countering with a new-and-improved Video iPod with wireless features similar to the Zune? This might be Apple's counter attack to the Zune as we havn't heard much iPod news over the last few days.

If this is the case then I think that this holiday season will be very hard for the Zune. The Zune seemed very evenly matched with the current generation iPod, but if a new iPod were to be announced then the holiday's gotta-have gadget would definately NOT be the Zune.

Only time will tell, but needless to say, Microsoft should be very scared about a new iPod hitting the streets before the holidays.

-Charlie

2006-10-02T21:01:00.000-07:00

Sweet video of Chris Stephenson from the Zune team unboxing the Zune!!! He gives a great demo of the product, diggs into how to customize the device and put a new backround on the player. A must see! (Thanks to Elliot1237 at the Zune Scene forums for finding the video)

Unboxing Video!

The box looks very kick ass, looks like Microsoft learned from their prior mistakes...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pXL5_RvGrs

-Charlie

2006-10-02T20:18:00.000-07:00

...And the pics keep rolling in...(if only I didn't love them so much ;))

David Caulton over at Zunester has just posted some great pics that might be able to really show all of us what the Double-shots (inclusion of secondary colors on the device) really look like.

Okay, I'm not sure how much I like the Brown anymore...the Press Release photos made it look like a much deeper shade that reminds me of vintage stereo equiptment (runs and hugs my 70's Advent Speakers)...but these photos in the light give it a turd-kinda finish. What do you guys think? Here's the press pics.

Okay, tomarrow I should have some new opinion pieces up that I have been working on, so stay tuned and don't forget to subscribe to the RSS feed.

-Charlie

2006-10-02T16:17:00.000-07:00

Image overload...

There seems to be a flood of Zune pics in the last few days. I hope you guys have been enjoying them because here is another helping that just popped up on the interweb over at Gearlive.

Well...I thought you guys might like to see what the top and bottom of the Zune looks like, I know I did.

-Charlie

2006-10-02T15:04:00.000-07:00

Daily Zune Buzz...

Microsoft finally has milked us hardcore-Zuners for all we're worth and has started advertising their player to the masses. While I was hoping for a little more from the Zune's marketing (dosn't give someone a very good idea about what the hell the Zune is)...it's a start.

Also, there is are some really good ipod/zune size comparisons for all those people that are still worried about the Zune being a bloated brick over at Jake Ludington's site.

Okay...that's all the Zune news for now...check back later for more Zune-goodness.

-Charlie

2006-10-01T17:05:00.000-07:00

The back of the Zune (dum...dum...dum)

I'm so glad that Msoft listend to all the crying iPod users (myself included) who scratched the back of their players to shit. Nicely done...

(Thanks to Bill for the Pic!!!)

-Charlie

2006-10-01T16:43:00.000-07:00

Halo + Zune = Crazy Delicious

This makes me curious...what backgrounds are you guys planning on rocking on your Zune?

(Thanks to Bungie for the pics!!!)

-Charlie

2006-10-01T12:26:00.000-07:00

Reality Check

Well everyone, I think many of us drank a little too much of the Microsoft Kool-Aid on the Zune. We have to honestly step back and think about what it means...while many of us are very excited by the possibility of the iPod's demise (I actually love my iPod...but most of the Zune community doesn't seem to), we have to stop to think about what the Zune really is capable of accomplishing and what Microsoft has promised us.

The Zune, win or loose will be a god-send for customers because Apple has gotten complacent with their market-leading iPod. Their innovation with the device has slowed to a trickle, they no longer even need to come out with new models, instead they just release a brighter screen and people get all giddy inside. The Zune will change this, Apple now has a competitor with the muscle and determination to take them on..

But despite the benefits of competition in the market...the Zune, is JUST another electronics device. In the end it will serve many of the same purposes that our current devices do(play music). Many of us have fallen victim to Microsoft's very talented and highly paid PR/Marketing team, who have done their job very well. They have gotten people very riled up over their player, but we have to remember that the Zune will NOT do our laundry, mow the lawn, or take us out for a nice sea-food dinner...it will play music.

The really exciting features like the social aspects and wireless communication among Zunes will really not be very much fun until the device is adopted by the Masses. This means that early adopters will not have as much fun as the guy who waits a year and buys bug-free version 2.0 with a larger hard drive and more features. He will have access to far more people to communicate Zune to Zune with and a much larger social scene than the many early adopters.

Next, Microsoft has talked about how they want to help expose many smaller artists and change how we interact and discover music. At first this sounded great, bands get help, I get cool new music...win-win. But thinking realistically, how do they plan to implement this? Will this change the music industry?

The answer is unfortunately no...only a handful of bands even know what the Zune is at this point. I recently was talking with one of the bands that is being Pre-Loaded on the Zune, The Adored (check them out!), and they knew hardly anything about the Zune or Microsoft trying to help expose smaller acts. They said...

“None of us really know anything about the Zune yet haha. We're psyched we're included as one of the preloaded bands but not sure what else we can say about it right now. “

This either means one of two things, the first (which I would hope is true) is that Microsoft has done such a good job of helping these bands get exposure that it is seamless to the bands and they don't even need to be bothered by knowing much about the Zune, or the more realistic scenario which is that the bands don't really care, and when they got offered a chance to be on the Zune they said “sure...why not”.

Basically, what I'm trying to say is yes, the Zune will be cool, and yes it will help encourage innovation and a better overall experience for Zune and iPod users alike, but if we think this is the PMP of the Gods we will be severally bummed out when we finally get one. Hopefully this post helped to change what you expect from the Zune so come November 14^th, you don't end up in the corner crying...

-Charlie

P.S.

Attention all readers!!! If you can spare a moment, please go to the top corner and vote for us on the Zune ranking sites. It would be much appreciated. Thanx!

2006-09-29T20:35:00.000-07:00

I would like to thank our buddies over at Amazon...Score.

Zune Premium Headphones - $39.99

Zune Travel Pack -

Zune Home A/V Pack - $99.99

Zune FM Tuner with Autoseek - $69.99

Zune Gear Bag - $29.99
Zune Sync Cable - $19.99

Zune Wireless Remote - $29.99

Zune A/V Output Cable - $19.99

Zune Car Charger - $24.99

Zune Car Pack - $79.99

Zune Dock - $39.99

Zune Dual Connect Remote - $29.99

Zune AC Adaptor - $29.99

2006-09-29T17:14:00.000-07:00

I just found an awesome video of two guys, who managed to get their hands on a few pre-production Zunes, and they really digg into the Zune UI (User Interface) and its sharing features...trust me, if your interested in how the Zune will look and feel you will want to check out this video. (thanks to Curlyq frome the Zunescene forums for finding the video!)

VIDEO!!!

From the looks of the video, the Zune has a very sleek and intuative user interface that most "iPod Killers" just don't have. Also, I couldn't help but thinking that it felt much more updated and modern than the rather simplistic iPod UI which honestly hasn't taken any drastic changes since its inception.

Well done Microsoft...I think it's about time you gave your UI guys a huge raise. First the 360's UI hits one out of the park, and from the looks so will the Zune's.

-Charlie

P.S.

Don't forget to subscribe to our feed!

2006-09-29T03:33:00.000-07:00

Well...here's a response to the Subscription pricing from David Caulton over at www.Zunester.com

"Well, that's just under $15/month, which is not coincidently about the same as Napster, Rhapsody, etc... for portable subscriptions.

To be clear, Zune is mighty fine without subscription, so you can still buy songs ala carte like itunes or just bring your existing music collection into Zune. "

-Charlie

2006-09-29T03:20:00.000-07:00

I would like to clarify some things about the last post. I would love to see the Zune kicking ass and giving the iPod a run for its money. However I think that the subscription service which could have aided in drawing many iPod users, has been drastically overpriced.

Thus I am not wishing the Zune an early demise, instead, I'm trying to raise my opinion in the hopes that it gets heard by someone in charge and perhaps something can be fixed to make the Zune even better.

-Charlie

2006-09-28T13:34:00.000-07:00

Okay everyone, BIG news day today for the Zune...Microsoft officially announces price and release date, as well as a slew of other tantalizing info.

First - the two big two anouncements...the price of the Zune has been set at 249.99, not to be undercut by the iPod...and the release date is set for November 14th.

Now I'm not sure how I feel about the price, as a consumer I would have much rather preferred a price tag of the rumored $229.99 that has been floating around. I think it would have been in their best interest as well, releasing the Zune at a lower price then the iPod, but one problem with this is that as the Zune becomes more popular they would always have to leave the price at $229.99, lest an army of angry shoppers storm Redmond over the price hike.

But wait...there's more. Microsoft revealed the pricing of the Zune Marketplace today as well. Downloading individual songs will cost users the standard .99 cents, while the subscription service will cost $14.99 a month.

The price of my the subscription had me floored...$15!!! ($179.88 a year!!!). You've got to be kidding, it's no wonder now why they are abandoning the Playsforsure initiative and excluding support from the Zune, because if they allowed it the Marketplace would have no customers. Instead, customers would flock to other subscription based music download sites like Yahoo's Y Music Unlimited which offers unlimited downloads for $9.99 a month.

I think Microsoft dropped the ball in this respect, they had a chance to really bring Subscription Services to the mainstream, more so then they are now, but instead of coming up with a competitive pricing system they decided on their own price and locked everyone else out. Not cool...

This news leaves a bad taste in my mouth...while the Zune device's pricing is understandable and most likely 50 dollars less then they originally planned to offer it for, the price of the Zune Marketplace subscription is way too high and needs to come down. I say this because I have always thought that the Zune had an advantage over the iPod in that it would have a subscription based system, but priced like that, iPod users might not see the benefits outweighing the $179.88 yearly pricetag the service will cost. I mean honestly...Microsoft has talked about how the average iTune user only has about 25 purchased songs...how do they expect the users to spend 7 x more on their music?

It doesn't make sense to me...but I'll let you decide either the pricing is justified.

-Charlie

2006-09-27T19:29:00.001-07:00

The Zune has to accomplish many feats if it is to achive main-stream adoption, and yes these include many technical and marketing feats, but one of the most important aspects of the Zune's success is how it is displayed in retail stores around the world.

This may sound silly at first, but think about it, the iPods and mp3 players on display at Bestbuy are normally locked, scuffed and scratched, broken, or not plugged in. This does not make the products jump off of shelves (below is a picture of the iPod on display at my local Bestbuy, this is one of the better displays I've seen in a while also...).

Apple has the benefit of having their chain of Apple Stores scattered across the country. Here, visitors are ushered in by helpful Apple employees, Sparkling new products presented in top notch fashion to play with, and an amazing atmosphere that just screams "BUY ME!". The key here is that visitors can really experience the device in an environment controlled by Apple, thus, they experience whatever it is Apple wants them to take away from the product.

It is here that Microsoft is at a serious disadvantage, because they are not creating another run of the mill MP3 player...they are adding many new features and aspects to the Zune that really must be featured by the average customer to be fully comprehended. But, as I stated above, Microsoft is forced to rely on the knowledge of your average Bestbuy employee to archive this.

This makes it imperative for Microsoft to work on ways to showcase and highlight their product in new ways, or nobody will be itching to buy one. At this time I am not sure about how this could be accomplished, but I know that it must. I doubt the Zune displays will be able to replicate the atmosphere or delight that the Apple stores are capable of creating, but then again, I would love to be surprised.

When I brought this up on David Caulton's blog, he could only say...

"trust me we've thought this through very carefully but we're into some areas where there will be some nice surprises this holiday and we need to keep them under wraps for a while."

I think this qoute is good news of things to come as we wait for the Zune to launch,

-Charlie

P. S.

Don't forget to subscribe to our feed at the top right corner!

2006-09-26T21:02:00.000-07:00

Microsoft is about to take over the world...of media that is.

Imagine a world where the Games you play, the Movies and Television you watch, and the music you listen too are all tracked, all integrated, and all connected. Everything playing together nicely, media streaming from one device to another, your Social Circles carried across all your devices.

It sounds pretty cool in a Big Brother-ish way right? Well...this is the future, or, Microsoft's “Connected Entertainment” future. They've had their sights on it for a long time, and while everybody was saying that the iPod was god's gift to man, or something along those lines, the folks up in Redmond have been chugging along on their dream.

Their “Connected Entertainment” has come in the form of Media Center, Xbox 360, Xbox Live, Live Anywhere, and now Zune. Right now all of these products are not used in a “connected” manner, yes the Media Center can stream your junk over to the Xbox 360, but this is just the beginning. No, what I'm talking about is the integration that is constantly growing stronger...

Soon we will have our Gamertags and Zunetags tied together, our friends lists inter-mingled, and our gaming and music profiles combined...it isn't too hard to imagine our Television and Movie tastes incorporated into these profile is it?

From here I see Live Anywhere being expanded into not only a platform for integrating mobile devices into the Xbox Live experience, but using it as a way to connect all Mobile Devices running Windows Mobile and Zune Players into our new “connected entertainment” eco-system.

Okay...so far, we have our Music, Games, and Television/Movie profiles combined with us across all our devices (Vista PC, Xbox 360, Zune, and PDA/Smart Phone). It is at this point that Microsoft has won, if they can get us here...Apple and other Media Distribution methods won't be able to compete. Microsoft will have you locked in, they will control how you view and interact with your media in new ways. You won't change MP3 players if it means that your Movies and TV shows won't play on it, your Tags won't transfer onto it, your friends lists are void, your games are rendered useless, and most importantly your Social Circle is cut off. The same goes for any of the devices...but we really can see how the effects will impact the Zune the most.

This future has been creeping up on us slowly, and will continue to do so. The Zune won't trump the iPod in one foul swoop, but instead will slowly draw away customers and win market share. And in doing so lock in the users in ways that make Apple's iPod+iTunes double whammy seem like nothing. This is why Microsoft is stressing the social aspects of all of their new products, and this is why their competitors should be very scared.

-Charlie

2006-09-26T04:34:00.000-07:00

We all know that Microsoft plans to create a social aspect to their Zune player, but just how exactly do they intend to do that? While Wi-Fi is nice, this alone will not connect people in new ways, but only give people new ways to share music. What will really connect people are Zunetags, stolen from Microsoft's popular Xbox Live service, Zunetags are your profile on the Zune. It tracks everything about your musical tastes and gives other people a summary of what your tastes are like, while also allowing you to track other people's tags and keep up with what your buddies are listening and reccomending.

Don't worry...the above picture is only a terrible attempt at a mock-up, Microsoft has paid designer to make it look preatty...

Anyways, so the reason I'm writing this is because I want to know what your Zunetags are/will be? I'm thinking of a few for myself, but none seem very good...It is going to be a little different from my Gamertag because for some reason I don't think Black Death13 will go over well with the Smooth Jazz crowd at school...so let's hear 'em!

2006-09-25T20:19:00.000-07:00

I tried my hand at creating a logo for the blog...tell me what you guys think.

2006-09-25T17:25:00.000-07:00

I sat down this morning to read the Chicago Tribune over a cup of coffee and find on the front cover a blurb for an article in the Technology section about the iPod...but for once, and this is a rare occurance it would seem, that they were not head over heals in love with the iPod.

Below are a few excerpts that I feel are great insights into Apple's recent offerings...

“But I had nagging problems with the iTunes store. A service I once delighted in using to find new music has become an online bazaar of digital content, with TV shows, podcasts, audio books and games and movies, that is increasingly frustrating to wade through.”

In the article the author discuses how he believes that Apple has over-extended themselves which has taken away from the core experience of music, which is the iPod's main purpose.

“Hence, Apple keeps giving us a little less with each iPod, save for increased storage, but keeps adding more content to sell.

It's worth noting because as Apple focuses less on music, it opens the door a bit more for a competitor to make some noise.”

I think this is a sign of whats to come. As Apple has hit critical mass, the iPod has gone from being the tell-tall sign of a hip trend setter, to being the standard...and in doing so lost its cool.

Here's the link if you want to take a look at the article,

-Charlie

2006-09-25T14:51:00.000-07:00

Today we have learned that VAF research, makers of high end audio equiptment, will be releaseing a Ipod Speaker-esuqe sound dock...named Octavio

It looks preatty sweat, but as of this time there is very little that we know about the product. We'll keep you posted if any new happenings occur.

-Charlie

2006-09-24T17:30:00.000-07:00

Okay, so while most of you have heard about the Zune and know that it's Microsoft's stab at an iPod-killer, there are a lot of things that until recently I didn't know about the device myself.

Here's all the specs that we know of so far...

WMA, MP3, AAC, JPEG,WMV, MPEG-4, H.264 media playback
Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g) connectivity
30 GB Hard Drive
3 inch video LCD 320x240
White, Black, and Brown Colors
FM Radio
TV output connectivity 640x480
Dedicated song download site (Zune Marketplace)
DJ Mode (broadcast what you are listening to)
Podcast playback
Updateable Firmware
12 hr battery life for audio, 3.5 hr video
3 day playback of Wi-Fi transfered songs from friends
XBOX streaming
XBOX (Microsoft) points compatability
Preloaded music videos
Over a dozen accessories at launch
5.6 ounces in weight, 4.4 x 2.4 x 0.58 inches size
Metric: 158 g, 112 x 61 x 14.7 mm size
Custom background images
WiFi transfer of photographs
Tag based storage system (Will not appear as drive)
PC Compatability (no Mac client at launch)
Zune tag enabled
Horizontal and vertical video orientation

If your wondering a little more about how this whole thing got started, here's a Little History...

The Zune initially started out as a strategy project over at microsoft, under several code names. They pulled in 12 topic experts in the beginning from around the company to map out their product strategy.

(above are pictures from Zune HQ very early on...as in 24 hours into the project. We "barrowed" the pics from David Caulton's great blog www.zunester.com. David was one of the original 12 topic experts on the project)

Microsoft's J Allard was brought in to lead the project. He is legendary around Microsoft for his ability to get things done. With J came Microsoft's "connected entertainment" vision. As J and his crew did with the Xbox and Xbox 360, they set about creating a social aspect to the Zune and brought over the concept of Gamertags from Xbox Live to the Zune, changing the name slightly to Zunetags.

The goal of all this is to allow the users of the Zune a new experiance with music, giving them new ways to discover and share music. This also allows microsoft to differentiate between the Zune and the iPod. We can thus expect some cool integration with Xbox 360, and hopefully Microsoft's Live Anywhere initiative.

That basicly raps up our history lesson for today...now we move onto the more recent news as it breaks.

-Charlie

2006-09-24T17:26:00.000-07:00

Hi there,

The name is Charlie, and I'm launching this blog because frankly, I find the Zune vs. Ipod battle to be very interesting...and I think that it'll be a fun ride to blog about. Now that the introductions are out of the way we can really dive into things.

Hope you enjoy the blog,

-Charlie