Microsoft plays catch-up with new Zunes

Stephen Withers
Wednesday, 03 October 2007 09:56

Your IT - Entertainment

New model Zunes match iPod gigabyte for gigabyte, and dollar for dollar.

Microsoft has announced three new versions of its Zune music player, including a pair of smaller, flash-based models. The 4G and 8G models will sell for $US149 and $US199, exactly matching Apple's pricing for the iPod nano.

One apparent difference is that the Zune's screen is portrait-oriented, giving the device a more slender look than the iPod nano's squat look resulting from the landscape screen.

Microsoft is also offering a slightly different colour choice to Apple, with the flash Zunes coming in red, pink, black and green, compared with the nano's red silver, blue, black and green.

The new 80G hard drive Zune is smaller than its 30G predecessor, and will sell for the same $US249 as Apple's recently announced iPod classic.

The new Zunes also feature the Zune Pad, a touch-sensitive button that sounds similar to the iPod's scroll wheel.

They still feature Wi-Fi connectivity, something Apple only offers with the iPod touch. Zunes can automatically sync content with a PC across the wireless network while connected to a charger, or exchange files with each other.

The updated Zune software (which will be available for existing 30G Zunes) has the ability to automatically import TV shows recorded using Windows Media Center for Vista.

On page two: DRM relaxation (and to some extent removal), plus social networking for Zune owners.