There are several things we know for sure when it comes to the impending launch of Microsoft’s revised Zune:
- It has already been approved by the FCC.
- There will be a 16 GB and a 120 GB version.
- It will look exactly like the current Zune.
- People will make fun of it.
It’s ok Zune fans, stick to you guns and defend your underdog player. Not everyone has to go with the grain and rock an iPod of course. Besides, you can always shout Zune Pass as a defense and then act high and mighty when an iPod owner retorts with “BitTorrent”. But wait! It looks like there actually might be some new features to help the Zune get a leg up on Apple’s dominant player. From CNET’s Matt Rosoff:
I can’t say much, but I’ve seen what Microsoft’s planning, and befitting its status as a software plus services company, the real advances aren’t going to be in the Zune hardware, but in the Zune software and associated services.
Cryptic as that may be, CNET does have a historical closeness to Microsoft in many regards so Zuners might just be able to rejoice. After all, Microsoft has to get someone excited about its gear. When all is said and done however, hardware is hardware. Software can make or break a device and Apple’s iPod Classic line is hardly feature-rich in that department. So stay strong Zune fans – more info is undoubtedly coming soon.
UPDATE: It looks like we can put a price tag on the 120 GB model thanks to a slight miscue from B&H. $250 it is, maintaining the price point on the 80 GB model it will replace.
