Microsoft Zune MP3 Player Interface Revealed

bain writes to tell us that iLounge has put up details on the Zune, Microsoft's MP3 player. According to the article, "Zune is a bit bigger than a standard 30GB iPod, and apparently made entirely of plastic." Interestingly, Microsoft forgoes a touch-sensitive scrollwheel in favor of wheel-shaped buttons. Included are WiFi capabilities, an FM tuner, and (in stark contrast to the iPod) a white-on-black color scheme. The 30GB model is expected to sell for $300. This story selected and edited by LinuxWorld editor for the day Saied Pinto.

Good to go

[SuperKendall]

* Wireless
* More space than a Nomad

Raging success I'd say!

Cheap bastards....

[1053r]

First, they rip off OS X and create Vista, now they rip off the iPod and create "zune".

Steve: Well, Bill, what successful thing is there left in the market that we *HAVENT* ripped off?
Bill: Umm... There's the PSP, and the DS...
Steve: The team is way ahead of you bill, they've already got a Xbox360M in the works!

(Just my speculation, of course)

Microsoft PR

[Anonymous Coward]

Just announced, Zune will only be available for corporate customers in November. Consumers can get it early in 2007.

Re:No Marketing versus Established Product Line

[ackthpt]

There's no buzz about Zune. Microsoft will need a significant and unique advertising campaign to make this thing sell.

So .. Rolling Stones again?

you make a grown man cryyyy...

Re:The one thing missing

[arodland]

There's nothing hip or cool aboug having some music device from a giant corporation.

Some day we'll teach the Apple folks this lesson.

Microsoft has come up with one original feature

[Hepneck]

for the Zune; It has a color screen that only displays a single color, their patented shade of 'Blue Screen of Death' blue.

But...

[settrans]

...does it run Windows?

Re:Good to go

[roman_mir]

last sentence in the story [slashdot.org] (I mean you are not the only smart-ass around here.)

Let's see...

[whitespiral]

No FLAC? No, thanks.

Re:high

[Lord Prox]

I believe he may be snorting lines of PHP. I dunno, but it kinda looks like it. Look at how big this "first post" was, sumthin's up with that.
Just ain't normal for a FP




Bless Linus [i-bless.com]

Re:Cheap bastards....

[fbjon]

I'm sure Microsoft has received a lot of sudden inspiration [microsoft.com] over the years..

The next step...

[davmoo]

If Microsoft really wants to be like Apple, now they need to file a suit against iLounge for leaking the pictures.

I'm all for a Windows based iPod Killer (tm)

[Anonymous Coward]

But does it run Linux?

This comment selected and edited by LinuxWorld editor for the day Saied Pinto [berkeley.edu].

Re:Cheap bastards....

[MalusCaelestis]

Shows what you know. Microsoft started Vista development WAY before OS X...

Re:Love this comment

[cyber-vandal]

It's probably the same guy who told me that he wouldn't want a hydrogen powered car because hydrogen's explosive.

Re:They'll get 100% of the market, all right.

[bahwi]

Yes, the wifi features for MP3 players, small little devices with a bloated, wasteful wireless protocol, making USB/Firewire completely unnecessary. Just what I want, a device to wireless sync to my computer before I leave the house so that I'll have my newest music and when I finally get where I want to be and turn it on, I realize(BATTERY DEPLETED. SHUTTING DOWN.)

Re:They'll get 100% of the market, all right.

[Nutria]

Just what I want, a device to wireless sync to my computer

Dime to a dollar that 48 hours after the Zune in released that someone will have figured out how to use a Zune as a Yet Another Vector for infecting wi-fi enabled Windows machines with malware.

White-on-black?

[TwilightSentry]

Wow; an mp3-player that runs Dos!

Microsoft and the big entrance

[skingers6894]

Microsoft are about to make their big entrance to the digital music party.... ....again.

Ta dah! ......... guys, I said "TA DAH!" .....over here with the scroll wheel thing that isn't.....

Re:I don't get it

[Headcase88]

"I think Apple should develop a random product, say an iToaster Oven, just to see if MS will follow suit"

An MS Toaster Oven is the last thing the world needs. God knows how convoluted the process would be to toast a simple piece of bread.

1. Welcome to the Microsoft (TM) Toasting Wizard. What are you toasting today?

• Bread
  
• Bagel
  
• English Muffin
  
• Other
  

2. What type of bread?

• Microsoft (TM) White Bread
  
• Microsoft (TM) Whole Wheat HealthyChoice (TM) bread
  
• Other [text field]
  

3. Microsoft (TM) Toasting Wizard is searching for "Dempster's white bread"...

(little animated magnifying glass on globe icon)

4. Toasting Wizard could not find your bread. Please make sure you've typed the type of bread correctly and try again.

5. Wizard Completed!

Toasting Wizard was quit by user before toasting was complete.

Cylinder? I think you're on to something

[dsandler]

See, a scroll-wheel doesn't have to be a flat, round rubber disc, it can be a cylinder!

Holy crap, you're right. But---get this----what if we mounted it upright on (i.e., normal to) the music player's surface? Then you could reach out, maybe with your thumb and forefinger, and ... I don't know, rotate the thing? Twist it? "Turn" it?

I could totally imagine this on the front of music players everywhere for volume control and maybe to select between different wireless "channels" (TODO: figure out how to modulate multiple streams of music in a band of EM radiation).

Actually, this could be even bigger! We could use these kinds of controls in any situation where fine-tuning and coarse-grained adjustment are necessary (say, on microscopes), or really on any kind of mechanism where the act of turning the control can be made to do useful mechanical work (TODO: maybe this can be used on water faucets? doors? something like that).

I'm stuck on a name for this physical, continuously-variable, cylindrical widget. Any ideas?

Re:Cylinder? I think you're on to something

[Anonymous Coward]

Why don't we name it after you? We could call it a "knob."