gizmodo.com — The old Zune is getting all the new features. All. Microsoft's did something fantastic here and rewarded the believers who purchased Zunes in the first year by allowing them to get in on all the cool new stuff without having to pay more. Are you paying attention Apple? This is how you should treat your customers.
Oct 3, 2007 View in Crawl 4
Closed AccountOct 3, 2007
That's the way to do it. Microsoft just pulled an Apple. I still don't like how they gave a portion of the profits to the record companies though.
Closed AccountOct 4, 2007
i lolled at how many apple fanboys that are trying to defend their precious company
vwvanOct 4, 2007
When does M/S plan to add phone to the Zune? Then I'm buying the zPhone!
streakOct 5, 2007
Be sure to plug it in before bed or you won't be synched.
thehollywoodOct 8, 2007
Yeah, I convinced probably 3 different guys at my school to get one. After playing with it for some time, anyone is sold.
jferry2Oct 14, 2007
Don't mean to sound paranoid, but I'll believe it when I see it. Having said that, I like my Zune and I'm excited about getting a free upgrade. Still, I'll let a few other people try it first.
superbonbon11Oct 30, 2007
I research every purchase I make - extensively. So, I've been researching MP3 and MP3/Video players lately. I wasn't overly thrilled with the original Zune, or at least not thrilled enough that it would persuade me to buy one - there were a few "critical" (in my opinion) shortcomings with it.However, now that the Zune 2 will be available, it has almost everything I was looking for. The one shortcoming on the original that couldn't be fixed was it's size: it's just a little to big for me. With the current pricing on the original, and adding in the abilities of the new firmware, it looks like a much more attractive option - even if it was for a second player.It should be said here that I'm neither a fan of Microsoft or Apple, and I'm not against them either. I own products from both! I like Apple's designs - the look of their hardware is exceptional. I like Microsoft's software (for various reasons) - mostly because of compatibility and the fact most operating systems (both home and business) worldwide run Windows. If all the software in the world could/would run on a Mac, then I'd seriously consider making the switch. With the advent of Boot Camp and the ability to run both OS X and Windows on the same computer, I've now made the switch to Mac hardware and am loving it!I see a decent reflection in the Zune/iPod development as there is in Mac/PC development. The lines between the two are slowly becoming blurred, hopefully to the benefit of both companies (or their consumers) as they both now have to emulate the best features of the other product.I've read through all the comments on this board and several stuck out, which I'd like to address:"(the 80GB seems (and looks) pretty awesome. If the Zune software didn't suck (and worked on Mac OS), I'd buy it in a second)" - Evidently the Microsoft team KNEW it's software was bad, and have "redesigned it from the ground up". That sounds very promising, because I sure hate EVERY software tied to a music player (whether it's the Zune software, iTunes, or whatever). I don't know if the new software works on a Mac, but if it doesn't it almost makes sense at this point. The iPod originally could only sync to a Mac, and not until Apple made it PC-compatible did they really start to dominate. Apple had the superior hardware, but they needed the 95% market share (or whatever it was at that time) of Microsoft."Noticed, how it's controls look almost like a clickwheel now?" - It seems to me the Zune possible combines the best of both worlds: you can use the touch portion of the controls to navigate quickly and evenly through lists or menu's (like on the iPod Touch), and you can have tactile feedback because the "Squircle" is also click-able, which also means PRECISION (the one thing I hated about my iPod - the scroll wheel was fast but not overly precise)."In addition to full software compatibility, Microsoft said in their press release that all of the accessories released for the first generation will work with the second generation, AND all of the new accessories are backwards compatible with the Zune 30." - I bought an 80GB iPod Classic, but took it back when I discovered that my current accessories (chargers, video cables, docking speakers) did not work! I had already sold my 5.5 Gen iPod, too, so now I'm in the market for one...I'm not letting those accessories go to waste. It's good to know the current iPods still work with factory automobile inputs, though."iPod works on Mac and PC. Zune only works on PC. Exclusion is a great feature MS. Way to go!" - Microsoft SHOULD rectify this. I don't know if they will, but they should! Maybe they wouldn't win over any Apple users anyway - I would expect most Apple or Mac fans would stick with iPod regardless. I say "most" - there's always exceptions, so maybe if Microsoft finds that the Zune becomes popular enough that Apple users want it, they'll make the switch as well. I would guess that 3rd-Party developers will come up with something either way."I must say, this has always been a complaint of mine with Apple. When a device is perfectly capable of doing something, except for a software limitation, there is no reason not to provide upgraded functionality (ie, the ability to play videos on the 1 and 2g nanos... nevermind why video playback wasn't included in the 2g nano in the first place...)" - My point exactly!"'m going to play devil's advocate: So are you telling me (through this firmware update) that Zune 2's hardware is still the same as the original? yes, other than the controls. what else could you want? the only thing remotely wrong with the original was the lack of a larger storage player and software issues, this fixes both, and makes it all smaller." - My opinion as well. The controls of the new Zune, if they work as expected, are almost exactly what I was looking for (I like/need tactile feedback, otherwise I'd already own a Touch). The 160GB iPod is almost to the point where it's "too big" for me. The 80GB iPod or the new Zune are just about right, while the old Zune was also a bit too big for my liking. The new software/firmware of the Zune should do nothing but help!"Brand loyalty these days is ignorance, buy the product that offers the features you need and want. If the zune does everything you want then buy it!" - EXACTLY!! A product MUST work well for me to buy it - and I don't care who makes or what it looks like. I will not, ever, buy a product just because it's "sexy" if it doesn't work like I need it too. I'm sexy enough already.... ;)"Anyway, everyone's very excited about wireless syncing - it syncs when "it is connected to an AC adaptor, in a dock or speaker dock accessory." Now, that, is truly a MS innovation. Wireless syncing when it's attached to a wire.." - Microsoft have stated that the new Zune can only AUTOMATICALLY syncs when it's connected to the AC adaptor, dock, etc. - in order to protect the battery from running out. It can sync manually at any time. I'm very surprised the iPod doesn't function like this, and I'd bet that it will soon considering how Mac's designs go for that "minimalistic" look - meaning no wires. One less wire is a good thing to me...."Anyway the new Zune looks alright, but will anyone be buying it in the face of Apple's superior lineup? No. Next story." - The iPod Classic 160GB is superior in it's capacity and battery life. The iPod Touch's interface definitely LOOKS superior, but whether it IS superior is debatable. Leaving aside the web-browsing ability, I found that it was really not that much easier to navigate or use the new interface as compared to the old interface with the click-wheel - it was just new and different (very cool, though!). The iPhone is a fantastic product, and when it is available to us in Canada (especially when the next generation comes out....) I'll be all over it! Comparing strictly iPod to Zune, though, it looks like a choice between features and not a matter of superiority by either. If you like the Touch's new form, interface, and big screen, go for that. If you like the iPod's storage capabilities, interface, and battery life, go for that. If you like the Zune's big screen, tactile/touch controls, and interface, then go for that!"So basically, the Zune didn't receive any significant hardware update, allowing the old version to run the new software. So, microsoft are selling 2 year old hardware, labelled as brand new." - I've met some guys who work at electronic's shops and have gone through the Apple "seminar" in order to know and sell the iPods. The biggest change (and the only change of significance it seems) is the new battery and more efficient software, which allows both the longer battery life and the increase in processing ability. I don't know for sure what changes Apple has made to the hardware in the Classic, but it doesn't seem like much. The iPod Touch, of course, is completely new, and should set a new standard for all hardware manufacturers. The new Zune is much smaller (~30% from what I've read), now has 80GB, has an even larger screen, and the new tactile/touch controls. That seems to me a significant-enough upgrade to call the players "new", even if the processors are the same. The fact that the old processors CAN run the new software and that Microsoft is making that happen, to me, is a good thing. I think Apple, for the most part, has done the same thing - any previous hardware that was capable of running newer software or features eventually received that upgrade, and I hope that continues with the 5.5 to 6 Generation iPod Classic menu system and features."People seem to amazingly ignore the 'cool factor'." - To a lot of us, function is more important than form. A certain level of form is required, but no amount of form takes the place of proper function. With the 5.5 Generation iPod, their function was (to me) the best available in the form factor I wanted - so I bought one. The iPod always LOOKED amazing, and so did the Mac lineup. When the newest Macs were able to run Windows and had Intel processors, their function caught up and surpassed everything else on the market - so I bought one. I had Macs (with a G4 processor) previously for one thing and one thing only - to render video, which they were far better at than anything else on the market. However, the old G4's usability and compatibility paled in comparison to PCs at the time. I use/used Macs and PCs side by side on a daily basis, at school, at home, and at work - and nobody (Mac fans or PC fans) alike would use a Mac if a PC was available, unless it was time to render a video.... Besides, if you need or want an MP3 player because "it's cool", then you've got bigger issues that "what MP3 player should I buy?".All in all, the new Zune 2 looks like a winner to me, and the new firmware on the old Zune is a great bonus for those that already have them (or those who might want to buy one cheap). We, as consumers, are doing nothing but benefiting from the competition between Apple and Microsoft.
valentinmoNov 9, 2008
Zune-zum-zum-zumm. :)<a class="user" href="http://astore.amazon.com/zune-player-0f-20">http://astore.amazon.com/zune-player-0f-20</a>