engadget.com — Engadget has "received word from a trusted insider that the shape everyone's been expecting the Zune to take may not be the approach most people assumed." Check out what they were able to uncover from their 'insider contact.'
Jul 21, 2006 View in Crawl 4
sfacetsJul 22, 2006
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radiofrequencyJul 22, 2006
iTunes is far less proprietary than Windows Media Player. I can rip 128Kbs industry-standard MP3 files (which play on any media player made in the last 7 years) in iTunes. I can't in WMP. You can thank Microsoft for being too cheap to license the MP3 encoder from Fraunhofer for that.Granted, music purchased through iTunes is DRM'd, although it is inaccurate that Apple's DRM is more restrictive than that provided via WMP by third-party content distributors. Apple does not require monthly payment to keep your music, it lets you rip your music/playlist to CD multiple times, it gives you the right to share the music you purchase via iTunes on up to three computers.
radiofrequencyJul 22, 2006
Competition usually means somebody releases a better product.A product from Microsoft usually means an inferior copy of somebody else's hard work and ideas with little to nothing added.If Microsoft makes a better product, I'll use it (I used Mac IE5 for years before Mac OS X). But I'm not holding my breath for a better product from Microsoft. So far, it is disappointing that Microsoft is selling their entry into this market via a chest-thumping and self-worshipping tone of "competition is good" while spreading inaccurate information about the nature of iTunes DRM.New, gentler Microsoft that competes on merits instead of misinformation? I don't think so.
dolomiteJul 22, 2006
Worst product name for one of the worst products in history. This thing is overpriced and overhyped. If they can keep it from Bluescreening and overheating every ten minutes, maybe they will sell one or two to Dvorak, but i doubt anyone else will waste their money on this trash.
cyberdorkJul 22, 2006
?This time they could be going up against Xbox, and if it really is the ecosystem that's helping to drive iPod sales, Apple could just have a fight on its hands this time.?So what he is saying is that the major customer base for the Zune are the 5million Xbox360 owners?Why would that be a concern for Apple?
lardquakeJul 22, 2006
The Zune looks like an iPod redesigned by hydrocephalics... They must have pulled people from Vista for this project.
flag564Jul 22, 2006
"The biggest problem is this: Why pre-announce? Just ship and stfu... it's the ultimate sign of desperation. "Another keyboard commando who is a pure business genius apparently. Gee, I wonder how much pre announcements we are treated to by the Apple world. the 100s of rumor stories that we get everyday, and the "insiders" "leaking" news to the blog world. Is that a hype machine or desperation?Nah! Not to the Apple fanboys! Its only when MS does it.
embracewareJul 22, 2006
Domain Name: COMINGZUNE.COMRegistrar: GO DADDY SOFTWARE, INC.Whois Server: whois.godaddy.comReferral URL: <a class="user" href="http://registrar.godaddy.com">http://registrar.godaddy.com</a>Name Server: PARK27.SECURESERVER.NETName Server: PARK28.SECURESERVER.NETStatus: REGISTRAR-LOCKUpdated Date: 13-jul-2006Creation Date: 13-jul-2006Expiration Date: 13-jul-2007
lordsandwichJul 24, 2006
"MSFT wants to be seen as relevant to new and upcoming markets."And their overzealousness in tackling every new market at once is why they fail.
glafiraJul 24, 2006
How will Apple respond to this? is what I am wondering.
kaiseraceJul 25, 2006
addicted44...they've been saying that MP3 players will be replaced by the cell phone for years. But the problem with cell phones has always been the fact that battery life is very poor when you try to play songs...most cell phones barely survive the day without a recharge...let alone playing maybe a few handfuls of songs.If the cell-phone plans to take over, two things would need to happen:Battery life would need to be addressed.Ultra-portable harddrives would need to be created to fit into RAZR sized phones...most people like to carry along their whole music collect...not just a handful of songs.That...or if Apple releases a phone-iPod...which I'm assuming the consumers would love.
randommSep 26, 2006
@radiofrequencyThat article is from 2001. Inaccurate.