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Microsoft Zune..

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WTH kind of name is MacBook Pro? I don't think Zune is a horrible name or a great name in paticular.

It's entirely possible that it might be better. I wouldn't rule that out. Although I feel Apple has an excellent advantage with its already successful music store.

Anyways, is it just me or does anyone else feel adding wireless capabilities to an MP3 player would vastly decrease battery life? Maybe there would be a switch to turn the wireless on or off, who knows. My PowerBook sure gets better battery life with the wireless off.
 
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I dunno, I look at it as "what more do you want?" The iPod as a music player is great - it's small & lightweight, it holds all your music (60gb is ridiculous!), the touchpad is easy & intuitive, and you can connect it to your computer, home stereo, car, and headphones. Every accessory you can think of is available for it - armbands, beltcases, sock sleeves, wireless headphones, microphones, card readers - plus the iTunes Music Store is really sweet. I'm more than happy to pay a dollar for the song I want rather than $20 at the store for the entire CD album. Ten bucks an album online isn't bad either!

I know there are people who hates iTunes and all things Apple, but I wonder how the market share will compare in a few years to the iPod. There are millions of people who have iPods. Whenever I take a trip to New York or Boston, all I see are little white cords going into people's ears. It's like the commercials lol.
 
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The whole "Family of products" will be it's downfall. All MS has to do is compete with the iPod one for one. Instead they are likely going to flood the market with a number of products that will do everything to lock you into an MS system while telling you they are saving you from Apple. All I see initially is another DAP....
 
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baggss said:
The whole "Family of products" will be it's downfall. All MS has to do is compete with the iPod one for one. Instead they are likely going to flood the market with a number of products that will do everything to lock you into an MS system while telling you they are saving you from Apple. All I see initially is another DAP....

Yeah, MS tends to do that. Did you know there are no less than FIVE versions of Vista? The market is already flooded with MP3 players. You either get an iPod, an expensive knockoff, or a cheapo. Now there will be MS knockoffs.

*hugs his shuffle*
 
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Maybe (keyword:maybe) it will works. Zune is supossed to integrate to the X-Box systems and that is something important. Also it is true that Apple holds more than 75% of the market against 0% for Microsoft, but indirectly they hold the rest of the market via Windows Media.
If you have a Mac your best option for music is the iPod and from there you start to grow. If you own an X-Box and a PC things are different, you have several options but none of them is as perfect as Mac+iPod, and if the Zune fills that spot, you can have a good start. I don't think MS is aiming to the iPod but to the other DAPs in the market.
Not much is still clear and there are too many rumors in the air. MS has enough money to "buy" the success of any of its projects, so maybe, maybe this one will work.

EDIT: or maybe i'm wrong and things turn out like this link -
http://www.applegeeks.com/lite/index.php?aglitecomic=2006-07-14
 
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I will not condem a product just because of who made it :). Its a meh kind of name, it might catch on and become popular (ala 360) or become a laughing stock (ala Betamax) either way if it has the sharing functionality I might be interesting. Thiers nothing worse than having to share headphones with someone.

The irony is that im hopefully getting a iMac soon and the MAC version of the software needed will probably suck :(.
 
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Also, Zune is supposed to be a tempory name. But honestly, I think it might inflict some damage because it aims at several iPod weaknesses: small video screen and no wireless connectivity. But I don't think it will take more than 10-15% market share. And that's assuming that Steve Jobs doesn't introduce several radical new iPods at WWDC.
 
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kaidomac said:
Yeah, MS tends to do that. Did you know there are no less than FIVE versions of Vista?

*cough* Umm ... there are SIX. Whopper.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Vista#Editions

Microsoft thinks it can help people by making "custom-tailored-programmed-for-your-needs" products in 7 versions so that you get flooded with it. then you have 1 ipod and 7 zanyZunes competing. But frankly speaking, it's going to fail. It'll fail like Origami.
 
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This product will likely not compete with the current iPod, so don't think in those terms. Comparing a yet to be released device with a device that is a year old is silly, like comparing the Gen 5 iPod with my old RIO 600 player. The Gen 6 iPod (Video iPod?) will be released around the same time and will be Apples direct competition for this device.
 
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It might be good for PC users, the sharing functionality, and more importantly for me at least the potential for it to work well with my Xbox 360. Still it will have to be a good price and have a music store as good as the iTunes Music Store.

Either way it could do great or fail. Its just a matter of wether they make a good design, do 3 versions maxium at one time (Basic, Advanced/Standard and a gaming like device).
 
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My iPod works great with my Xbox 360.. I plug it in, go to the Media blade, and under music it says "punkr0x0r's iPod" and it plays whatever I want it to, music wise.
 
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punkr0x0r said:
My iPod works great with my Xbox 360.. I plug it in, go to the Media blade, and under music it says "punkr0x0r's iPod" and it plays whatever I want it to, music wise.

True, but you cannot play iTunes music (obviously) and of course it does lack some of the intergration that a Live Anywhere device would give you.

If Microsoft make one I would imagine that you could buy songs from thier store on your PC/Mac, Xbox 360 and other devices. That would also mean bieng able to listen to all music, maybe even talk to your friends with your Zune (if the wifi is true).

Anyway this should be good for the iPod, hopefully they will make some neat new features for it :) Compotition is good, but all I can see hapening is some Windows users switching.
 
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I actually think the new product from MS will be good for the iPod. Realistically, while the iPod (we've owned 5 now) has been a wonder in terms of design and usability, it is not one of the most reliable devices on the market. I have had my current (4G) iPod in the shop twice now for HD issues. The Xbox took a huge share of the gaming market in a very short amount of time by focusing on design and usability and I have not heard one complaint of faulty hardware (unlike the iPod).

The iPod greatly improved Apples fortunes and I bet if there was a sense that MS could make a dent in that, Apple will push the design team and engineers to keep the iPod the definitive mobile music device on the market. Then again it could go the way of the Walkman ...
 
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Microsoft had copied Apple yet again. First with the added GUI features in Vista, now Zune. I hope it fails, iPod really has no flaws. It's fast, it holds a lot of songs, downloading and adding songs is really easy...what else?
 
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I for one am glad *cough* to see that M$ *cough* is finally stepping in and *cough* busting up this near-monopoly that *cough* Apple has *cough* enjoyed for *cough* nearly 5 years *cough* *cough*
 
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But seriously boys its only a matter of time until someone writes a virus for an MP3 player. I can just see those malicious hackers figuring out how to replace your entire song library with Barry Manilow and John Tesh. You mark my words!!
 
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mraya said:
Zune is supossed to integrate to the X-Box systems and that is something important.

Hmm... Microsofts definition of integrations is "If the two devices detect each other then thats good enough!" because thats most of the time when i try to link my dell and my 360 together to stream music.
 

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