|
In the world of hardware, Microsoft is -- gasp! -- an underdog. It took a full generation for the company's Xbox project to sweep up a respectable segment of the video gaming population, a goal it has now achieved with its successor, the Xbox 360. In the world of digital music, the Redmond-based company still has a ways to go, but a major facelift is starting to turn heads. When it first launched over a year ago, many techies were underwhelmed by Microsoft's Zune music player. A drab rendition of Apple's iPod, its brown, black, and white visage paled in comparison to the much sleeker and more vibrant offerings from Microsoft's Cupertino competitor. Aside from WiFi support -- which Apple has since integrated -- there really wasn't much to catch the attention of a country, heck a planet, obsessed with the iPod.
It's been a few months now since the second generation Zune first appeared on retailer shelves. The device is also finally available north of the border, giving those crazy Canucks a chance to blare their Rush, Our Lady Peace, and Anne Murray. However, the most marked improvements have been to the device itself. Microsoft has concentrated its attention on winning a 13 to 24-year-old crowd that might just be tiring of the ubiquitous iPod, and in doing so has again tried new things not found on the iPod. The best of the new Zune features include the following: - Built-in FM tuner
- Wireless synchronization
- Improved touchpad (that some critics believe is better than the iPod's famous touchwheel)
- Subscription service ($15/month for access to any song desired on Zune Marketplace)
- Zune Social (a Facebook-like social network based on, you guessed it, music)
(Source: theglobeandmail.com) Unfortunately for Microsoft, changing allegiances will take time. Until the company can release a drastically improved alternative to the iPod well ahead of Apple (like it did with the Xbox 360 in its war against Sony), marginal improvements will in turn lead to only marginal consumer interest. On a side note, the Zune 80 is set to arrive in red just in time for Valentine's Day, with 20 unique engravings offered for a semi-semi-personal touch. (Source: betanews.com)
-- Related newsletter articles:
2007/11/27 Taking on the Big Boys in Software (microsoft)
2007/11/26 Music Retailers Say DRM Hurting Sales (music)
2007/11/16 Microsoft's Live Celebrated, Sued (microsoft)
2007/12/13 Microsoft Testing XP on $100 Laptops (microsoft)
2007/12/14 Microsoft Taps into Multi-Map (microsoft)
2007/11/15 Speculation Mounts on Windows 7 Feature List (microsoft)
2007/12/19 Microsoft Updates Hinder More than Help (microsoft)
2008/01/11 Microsoft Mulls Future of HD (microsoft)
2007/12/06 Microsoft & Mozilla Row Over Browser Security (microsoft)
2007/11/26 New Timex Watch iControls iPod (ipod)
2007/12/18 Microsoft Soaks Up CNBC.com (microsoft)
2007/12/24 Google Calls Microsoft Outside (microsoft)
-- Recent articles (from all channels): 2008/05/12 Today in History: for Monday, May 12, 2008
2008/05/12 [ShellX 20080512]: 'Remote Manager', and 'Cyber Bandwidth ...
2008/05/12 Video Gaming Trade Group Struggling
2008/05/12 T-Mobile Finally Joins 3G Phone Race
2008/05/12 Apple Slammed by Environment Watchdog
2008/05/09 [ShellX 20080509]: 'Advanced Run', and 'Diver Windows Manager'
2008/05/09 Texas Refuses Facebook Friend Request
2008/05/09 Photo-Enforcement Technology Replaces Officers On Patrol
2008/05/09 Cuban Government Says 'Ok Computer'
2008/05/09 Excel Can E-Mail Your Weekly Reports For You!
2008/05/08 [ShellX 20080508]: 'Shell Enhancer', and 'Lansweeper'
2008/05/08 Xobni: MS Outlook Social Networking Technology for your Inbox
2008/05/08 Music Companies Jump on GTA IV Bandwagon
2008/05/08 Fascinating: Memristor to replace Binary
2008/05/08 Adobe Hopes To Make Flash Master Of The (Mobile) Universe
2008/05/08 Spiffy Envelopes and Labels in MS Word
2008/05/07 [ShellX 20080507]: 'Winbin2iso', and 'Loop Typer'
2008/05/07 Yahoo Adds Security Warnings To Search Results
2008/05/07 Apple to Lose Money on iTunes Movie Releases
2008/05/07 Amazon.com takes New York Tax to Court
2008/05/07 Need Glasses for the Slide Sorter View in MS PowerPoint?
2008/05/07 After Winning The DVD Format War, Blu-Ray Sales Tank
2008/05/06 [ShellX 20080506]: 'Visual Basic 6.0 Portable', and 'Double-...
2008/05/06 Yahoo Outsources to Jajah
2008/05/06 New HP Circuit Could Change Technology Forever
2008/05/06 Movie Downloads To Match DVD Release Dates
2008/05/06 Microsoft Ends Yahoo Bid
2008/05/05 [ShellX 20080505]: 'Ie7 Pro', and 'Desktop Ok'
2008/05/05 The WB Network Hops Online
2008/05/05 Microsoft Slashes Price of Xbox 360 Overseas
2008/05/05 Google CEO Wants YouTube to Take More of Your Money
|
