Thanks to the boys at PodTech.net they have done a video interview with Matt Jubelirer, who is the product manager for the Zune at Microsoft. The video covers a variety of Zune subjects and runs for around 40 mins.
Click here to watch
Here to download
I came across a great review from the 2old2play.com site, who managed to get some 1 on 1 time with the Zune, but they also managed to do a very extensive review on the Zune. One of the good parts in the review is where they talk about the skin of the Zune. Its not something that has been talked about that much, but this is what 2old2play had to say.
The ‘skin’ of the Zune was a ‘rubberized’ material that had a smooth seductive feel to it. I found myself unable to stop stroking the device, so much that the demo assistant asked me to put it down.
They also go into details on the Zune Marketplace which is another aspect that has not been overly talked about. So make the jump over there to read the full review on the Zune.
We had a pretty good idea of the battery life of the Zune, but now it has all been confirmed, so here are the batter life details:
- Up to 13 hours of music play with wireless turned on and 14 and wireless is turned off.
- Aprox 4 hours of video play back.
The batter test was taken under the following conditions:
A single length average album of 128 kbps ripped WMA songs, played on repeat; with the EQ (equalizer) setting set to “none�; the default volume setting (i.e. not turning volume up or down); the back light timer set to 1 second; and with no other activity (like viewing pictures, navigating, etc.) going on.
Now if put that up against the iPod, the iPod 30 gig has 2 hours according to Apple, and 3 hours according to some review sites of video play back and 14 hours of battery life while listening to music.
So the Zune and Ipod music playback batter life are pretty smiler, while Zune comes off slightly better in video play back. Although to be fair to Apple, they have improved on the batter life in their 80 gig model, with up to 6 hours of video play back batter life.
Ok guys what you been waiting for. The hard core info!
The multi media play from Microsoft, the Zune will be out on November the 14th and retail for $249 US. There is also info on the Zune Marketplace, which will offer A ZunePass (giving you access to millions of songs) will cost you $14.99 per month. If you want to buy a song individually it’ll cost you 79 Microsoft Points (or 99 cents).
As for the pre-loaded content to come on your shiny new Zune, well here is the list:
Audio Tracks
- Band of Horses, “Wicked Gil� (Sub Pop Records)
- Bitter:Sweet, “The Mating Game� (Quango Music Group)
- CSS, “Alala (Microsoft edit)� (Sub Pop Records)
- Darkel, “At The End of The Sky (edit)� (Astralwerks)
- Every Move a Picture, “Signs of Life� (V2)
- Small Sins, “Stay� (Astralwerks)
- The Adored, “Tell Me Tell Me� (V2)
- The Rakes, “Open Book� (V2)
- The Thermals, “A Pillar of Salt� (Sub Pop Records)
Music Video
- 30 Seconds to Mars, “The Kill� (Virgin Records)
- BT, “1.618� (DTS Entertainment)
- Chad VanGaalen, “Red Hot Drops� (Sub Pop Records)
- Coldcut featuring Roots Manuva, “True Skool� (Ninja Tune)
- CSS, “Let’s Make Love and Listen to Death From Above� (Sub Pop Records)
- Fruit Bats, “Live: The Wind That Blew My Heart Away� (Sub Pop Records)
- Grandaddy, “Elevate Myself� (V2)
- Hot Chip, “Over and Over� (Astralwerks Records)
- Kraak & Smaak featuring Dez., “Keep Me Home� (Quango Music Group)
- Kinski, “Live: The Snowy Parts of Scandinavia� (Sub Pop Records)
- Paul Oakenfold, “Faster Kill Pussycat (Featuring Brittany Murphy)� (Maverick Records)
- Serena-Maneesh, “Drain Cosmetics� (Playlouderecordings)
Film Shorts
- 5 Boro: “A New York Skateboarding Minute� (Skateboarding)
- Radical Films: “Kranked — Progression� (Mountain Biking)
- TGRTV The North Face (Skiing/Snowboarding)
As you know there is also the also the slury of accessories to acompany your Zune, and here are the confirmed ones so far:
Zune Accessories
- Zune Home A/V Pack. The Home A/V Pack includes everything you need to amplify your Zune experience. This set of five products integrates Zune with your big-screen TV and the best speakers in your house. The wireless remote puts you in control from virtually anywhere in the room. When you buy the Zune Home AV Pack, you’ll get the AV Output Cable, Zune Dock, Zune Wireless Remote with Lithium Battery, Zune Sync Cable and Zune AC Adapter for $99.99.
- Zune Travel Pack. The Travel Pack includes everything you need to travel with your Zune device in style. This set of five products is designed to keep you and your friends and family entertained while you travel. When you buy the Zune Travel Pack, you’ll get the Zune Dual Connect Remote, Zune Premium Earphones, Zune Gear Bag, Zune Sync Cable and Zune AC Adapter for $99.99.
- Zune Car Pack. The Car Pack includes everything you need to hit the road with your Zune device. With AutoSeek, setup is easy, and you can enjoy your music on the go and charge at the same time. When you buy the Zune Car Pack, you’ll get the FM tuner with AutoSeek and the Zune Car Charger for $79.99.
- Zune AV Output Cable. The A/V Output Cable lets you connect your Zune device to a TV and home stereo. Ideal for listening to music and showing pictures and video, the A/V Output Cable is simple to set up and use, and will retail for $19.99.
- Zune AC Adapter. The AC Adapter lets you charge your Zune device without a PC. For convenience, the AC Adapter will charge your Zune device in about three hours and will retail for $29.99.
- Zune Sync Cable. The Sync Cable lets you connect your Zune device to your PC or the Zune AC Adapter (sold separately). It works as a replacement for your original sync cable or as a spare for travel and charging, and will retail for $19.99.
- Zune Car Charger. The Car Charger lets you charge your device in the car while listening to your favorite music and even while using the FM tuner with AutoSeek (sold separately). The Car Charger will retail for $24.99.
- Zune Dock. The Dock elegantly displays your Zune device anywhere in your home or office. Featuring a connector port and an audio/video output, the Dock is ideal for syncing, charging and connecting with home A/V equipment. (A/V connectivity requires the Zune A/V Output Cable, sold separately.) The Dock will retail for $39.99.
- Zune Wireless Remote for Zune Dock. Designed for use with Zune Dock (sold separately), the Wireless Remote lets you control your device from across the room. The Wireless Remote gives you quick access to your current playlist as well as full control over menu navigation and volume. The Wireless Remote will retail for $29.99.
- Zune Dual Connect Remote. The Dual Connect Remote offers convenient playlist control and two headphone jacks with independent amplifiers and volume controls so you can listen with a friend or family member. The Dual Connect Remote will retail for $29.99.
- Zune FM tuner With AutoSeek. The FM tuner with AutoSeek lets you wirelessly listen to music through your car’s stereo through the FM radio. AutoSeek automatically finds the optimal station so it’s easy to set up, and will retail for $69.99.
- Zune Gear Bag. The Gear Bag lets you bring Zune and related accessories with you wherever you go. The Gear Bag comes with a rugged exterior and fitted compartments to protect your device while you travel. The Gear Bag will retail for $29.99.
- Zune Premium Earphones. Designed exclusively for use with Zune, the Premium Earphones produce superior sound and feature a noise-isolating, in-ear design. With a convenient storage case and three earpiece sizes to choose from, you can listen to your music with added comfort and quality. The Premium earphones will retail for $39.99.
Wow did you get all that? Thats a quick round up and we will post more info and go more in depth with a follow up post shortly. Alos an interview is expected from the Bitter Sweet band we talked about earlier.
Check back soon!
We have all seen this picture of the sleek black Zune haven’t we? Well have you ever thought about the band thats displayed on the Zune screen? Thanks to an email I received today from Phil, who told me about how he dug around and found the bands MySpace page.
The band, Bitter Sweet is a Los Angeles-based Pop/Electronic act who released their debut album, The Mating Game on April 4th, 2006 through Quango Music Group. The band have been talking about how excited they are to be part of the included pre-loaded content on the Zune when its released this holiday season. Also joining Bitter Sweet from the Quango Music Group are the Kraak and Smaak video.
Bitter Sweet Album art - THE MATING GAME
Microsoft’s 30GB digital media player with a twist may have just stolen the thunder from Apple’s iPod with its unique social networking feature. Dubbed the “iPod killer” by blogwatchers and industry watchers alike since the time of its announcement, the two features that could indeed establish Zune as the “iPod killer” is its social networking capability and the ability to connect across a network of devices.
Zune’s social networking capability will be based in Zune Marketplace, the equivalent of iTunes. Zune will, in the near future, be able to connect across to the Microsoft PC, Xbox, television, and so on, thus taking a lead over Apple’s inter-connection plans with iTV (announced earlier this week). “We feel that music is inherently social. The ability to share music from device to device allows people to discover new options/new experiences, and that is very important. That is how we are going to change the current digital media space.”, says Chris Stephenson, GM Global Marketing Zune On the social abilities of zune.
