(Update Sept 14th 2006) Microsoft Zune Player Announced.

REDMOND, Wash. — Sept. 14, 2006 — Marking the next big milestone for its Connected Entertainment vision, Microsoft Corp. today unveiled details of the first products to be released under its Zune™ brand. Designed around the principles of sharing, discovery and community, Zune will create new ways for consumers to connect and share entertainment experiences. The Zune experience centers around connection — connection to your library, connection to friends, connection to community and connection to other devices.

“The digital music entertainment revolution is just beginning,” said J Allard, vice president, design and development, at Microsoft, who is leading the charge for building the family of Zune products. “With Zune, we are not simply delivering a portable device, we are introducing a new platform that helps bring artists closer to their audiences and helps people find new music and develop new social connections.”

The Zune Experience

Available this holiday season in the United States, Zune includes a 30GB digital media player, the Zune Marketplace music service and a foundation for an online community that will enable music fans to discover new music. The Zune device features wireless technology, a built-in FM tuner and a bright, 3-inch screen that allows users to not only show off music, pictures and video, but also to customize the experience with personal pictures or themes to truly make the device their own. Zune comes in three colors: black, brown and white.

Every Zune device creates an opportunity for connection. Wireless Zune-to-Zune sharing lets consumers spontaneously share full-length sample tracks of select songs, homemade recordings, playlists or pictures with friends between Zune devices. Listen to the full track of any song you receive up to three times over three days. If you like a song you hear and want to buy it, you can flag it right on your device and easily purchase it from the Zune Marketplace.

Zune makes it easy to find music you love — whether it’s songs in your existing library or new music from the Zune Marketplace. Easily import your existing music, pictures and videos in many popular formats and browse millions of songs on Zune Marketplace, where you can choose to purchase tracks individually or to buy a Zune Pass subscription to download as many songs as you want for a flat fee.

To get started with great music and videos out of the box, every Zune device is preloaded with content from record labels such as DTS, EMI Music’s Astralwerks Records and Virgin Records, Ninja Tune, Playlouderecordings, Quango Music Group, Sub Pop Records, and V2/Artemis Records.

Zune Accessories

To enhance the Zune experience, three accessory packs help Zune users enjoy their music where they want to, at home or on the road. The packs and the individual accessories, all designed exclusively for Zune, will be available at launch:

• The Zune Car Pack includes everything needed to hit the road with a Zune device, such as the built-in FM tuner with AutoSeek and the Zune Car Charger.

• The Zune Home A/V Pack enhances your experience in the home through five products that integrate Zune with the TV and music speakers: Zune AV Output Cable, Zune Dock, Zune Sync Cable, Zune AC Adapter and the Zune Wireless Remote for Zune Dock.

• Zune Travel Pack is a set of five products designed to keep friends and family entertained on the road: Zune Premium Earphones, Zune Dual Connect Remote, Zune Gear Bag, Zune Sync Cable and the Zune AC Adapter.

Providing consumers with additional options to customize and personalize their Zune experience, Mircosoft zune is also working with leading accessory manufacturers Altec Lansing, Belkin Corp., Digital Lifestyle Outfitters (DLO), Dual Electronics, Griffin Technology, Harman Kardon and JBL, Integrated Mobile Electronics, Jamo International, Klipsch Audio Technologies, Logitech, Monster Cable Products Inc., Speck, Targus Group International Inc. and VAF Research

The Future is Bright

In addition to the features available at launch, built-in wireless technology and powerful software provide a strong foundation to continue to build new shared experiences around music and video. As Zune evolves, the device can be easily updated. The Mircosoft Zune software on your PC will let you know when these updates are available for download.

About Zune

Zune is Microsoft’s music and entertainment platform that provides an end-to-end solution for Connected Entertainment. The Zune experience includes a 30GB digital media player, the Zune Marketplace music service, and a foundation for an online community that will enable music fans to discover new music. Inspired by the vast and varied community of music fans, Zune focuses on helping emerging artists shape the digital canvas. Zune is part of Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices division and supports the company’s software-based services vision to help drive innovation in the digital entertainment space. More information can be found online at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/presskits/zune.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft® Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass on Microsoft’s corporate information pages. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may since have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/contactpr.mspx.

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(Update 21st July 2006)
It's not easy to compete with Apple iPod. Microsoft has taken a major step by putting up a new Entertainment & Devices Division just to create a blasting portable MP3 player, Microsoft Zune. The division is headed by Robbie Bach who is the Corporate Vice President, J Allard who is the Chief XNA Architect and Bryan Lee, the Corporate Vice President and CFO. Microsoft has just announced Zune via Billboard article which you have to pay for before you get to read the whole story. Im not sure when Billboard will open the article for public. In an exclusive first interview with Billboard, Chris Stephenson, Microsoft's new GM of marketing for MSN Entertainment Business, says the company will later this year launch Zune, an umbrella brand for what he says is "a family of hardware and software products" targeting various digital entertainment services. Because the product lines have not yet been finalized, Microsoft would not discuss specifications. However, Stephenson did confirm that the initial music device will contain a hard drive and the much-discussed Wi-Fi connection for wireless Internet access. The service and device will not be PlaysForSure compliant, meaning you will not be able to use your Zune player with Napster or any other service. According to Gizmodo, there's going to be an add-on game pad similar to the Sony Ericsson P800 Bluetooth game pad. Will this device turn out to be basing its social networking capabilities on Microsoft's Live Anywhere platform? Gizmodo reported that Microsoft will let you customize your own Zune when you buy it online. Microsoft didn't mention anything about adding a Bluetooth capability on its new Zune player, if they can overcome the battery's issue then we will see a Bluetooth headset on the new released. Details are very sparse right now, but Zune-branded devices will follow, including a portable video player and, potentially, a portable game device (interesting coz it might tie into Xbox). It seems like Microsoft is clearly going face to face with Apple here. Zune isn't a bad name but i think i like Argo better. It's going to be hard for them to create the same level of cachet that Apple has with the iPod. As a conclusion, when Microsoft decides to enter a market, you can't ignore the impact they will make. It's likely that by force of will and spending lots of money on marketing with a high cost of acquisition on new users, they will capture some market share.

The Link for Gizmodo is this one ---> http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/microsoft/zune-news-trifecta-189116.php

The Link for Engadget is here---> http://www.engadget.com/2006/07/21/zune-what-we-know-think-we-know-and-dont-yet-know/

The Link for Billboard is this one ---> http://www.billboard.biz/bb/biz/magazine/upfront/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002877378

Zune website ----> http://comingzune.com/

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(13th July 2006)

The hottest story on the block no doubt is the Microsoft iPod killer which is the last hope of mankind to dethrone the almighty iPod. You may remember our coverage from yesterday however now we have some new breaking news from Gizmodo and Engadget and boy is it interesting. The first point is that it will be called Zune not Argus.

According to the folks at Gizmodo the Microsoft Zune will have all those features which are lacking on the iPod like ad-hoc networking and in all probability buffered internet radio streaming. This means that you can groove to your favorite online radio stations when you are in a Wi-Fi hotspot and even when you stray from the hotspot. If that already wasn’t making you salivate then wait till you hear about the gaming capabilities of Zune. Relax its not going to be like the games found on iPod but something more powerful. Another cool feature rumored to be on the device is the PlaysForSure 2" which is capable of importing all your iTunes tracks automatically. The cherry on the cake? A potential iPod Nano killer called Pixas which will support Video however the name is still unconfirmed.

Now let’s see what Engadget has to say! They also talk about the Wi-Fi capabilities and think that MS will stick with the name Zune. According to them this device would be available in a whole riot of colors and will sport a brushed metal back with an engraved logo. Mmm looks like the battle lines are drawn folks, so whose side are you on?

It is looking like Xmas will be the time of release.