Microsoft announces that Zune users will be able to access the Zune music store for free from 9,800 U.S. McDonalds, care of Wifi provider Wayport. Users can wirelessly stream and download music, tag and purchase songs directly from the built-in FM radio and access personalized music recommendations and programming.
That’s a nice feature for the 2 million or so Zune users out there. Most of the 163+ million iPods that have been sold can’t download music from the Internet. If this thing worked on a Mac, I’d start using it as a large-drive player backup to my iPhone. iPhones have saturated the market to the point where consumers looking to differentiate themselves may just be looking for something else to play their music. I don’t think this McDonalds deal is going to be the reason Zune starts to see market share gains, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Zune, or the new Dell Zing, became popular anti-Apple favorites.
I don’t think Microsoft’s research has fully discovered what it “is” that makes someone buy a portable music/ entertainment device; certainly free wifi I would doubt is one of the reasons.
When will Microsoft release the PhoZune? You know… it’s a Phone… and a Zune…
I don’t think it is actually about the Wi-Fi itself – it’s more about the entertainment features accessible and these are multiple in the newly released software.
Why oh why doesn’t it have VOIP though msn messenger? That could be a killer app…
WiFi on iPod Touch allows access to iTunes store.
compare te price of ipod touch and the zune…
Compare the features of an iPod Touch (iPhone without the phone or camera) to the Zune.
Zune has some features that I wish ipod/iphone had {seesmic_video:{”url_thumbnail”:{”value”:”http://t.seesmic.com/thumbnail/OuHzjMv9UO_th1.jpg”}”title”:{”value”:”Zune has some features that I wish ipod/iphone had ”}”videoUri”:{”value”:”http://www.seesmic.com/video/mDIh01dSFt”}}}
Well, just updated my first gen zune to the new firmware, I’ve gotta say it’s a pretty sweet device now! The ability to grab unlimited music from wifi hotspots (that don’t require a browser login at least) with my Zune Pass, is really great.
I was driving to work today, and heard a song in my local coffee shop that I hadn’t heard in years. Since they have free open wifi, i pulled out my zune, checked out the marketplace, and downloaded the song on the spot. Awesome
Kudos to Microsoft for giving the old first gen Zunes the new features too.
“…2 million or so Zune users out there. Most of the 163+ million iPods…” i think that says all we need to know. Plus what % of the 2 mill are McDonald fans?
Will the ‘Zune Store’ do a better job of getting your order right than McDonalds?
C’mon, Arrington: the iPod touch and iPhone have been able to download directly from the iTunes Store over Wi-Fi (not 2G/3G) since this time last year!
If anything, the only real advantage is that a sub-$200 device can buy songs directly from an online store. Apple’s gadgets also give you more control in that you can search far more quickly with that onscreen keyboard.
Typical stupid Microsoft. They can’t create a decent product that can take over the market (i.e. the IPod), so they have to try to build market share via gimmicky partnerships. Microsoft’s me-to, incremental improvements and market buildup may have helped them temporarily get market share for Office, SQL Server, Windows Server, Xbox, .Net, etc., but those days are over. Now people want cool, slick products that look good and feel good right from version 1.0. We aren’t willing to wait around for two years while Microsoft gets their act together. I don’t care if MS Live search is at this point practically identical in functionality to Google search. I will use Google because it is a cooler company. I would rather be drawn and quartered by rabid elephants than touch a Zune.
The new Zune release kicks apples butt. Why? because all the features are available to everyone who has ever bought a Zune… even the v1 zunes. Apple make you buy a new one each time most of the time. They also only give you the good features (wifi) on the high end devices … a little snobby dont you think?
I would rather have a sub $200 DAP with the same features as the touch (minus the web of course … but i use my phone for that anyway).
are you insane? why do you compare live search here with other search engines. The topic is about mp3 players. you know the portable players that plays music/video?
I think iPod users are more health conscious so they can tie up with all the SALAD BARS across US
Your post and commenters have such lack of objectivity that is it astonishing.
MS being a laggard in the market, strikes a good partnership with the largest fast food chain in the country.
Take off your hate-MS goggles and see the news for it is worth. you valley retards…
Uh, @jason S obviously you’ve never owned a 1.0 Apple product. First gen iPod? Sucked, crappy screen, crappier battery life. First gen iPhone, no 3G, no simultaneous data and voice, lousy battery life. Apple is no different in that the first gen devices are never as good as they could be. Also, if it had been Microsoft who had created the iPod and iTunes, I doubt very much that Apple could have come into the market a few years later and take it over in a year like you think Microsoft should be doing with the Zune. Going from zero market share to having over 150 million devices doesn’t happen over night no matter who you are.
Poor $51 billion company can’t be expected to compete with a company with half its revenue and a quarter its profits. Those mean posters are sure being cruel to monkeyboy and his gang of merry monopolists.
>build market share via gimmicky partnerships
Huh? You make NO sense. How is this anymore “gimmicky” than the starbucks/apple deal? There are more McD’s than there are starbucks and the buyers there match the demographic they are trying to capture. Why does MS hatred make people so stupid?
>Now people want cool, slick products that look good and feel good right from version 1.0.
Really? Tell that to Apple 3G owners who (with the latest firmware) are just now getting the product that they thought they were buying.
I’ll give it to Microsoft – they are supporting all the people that bought the first gen Zune with device updates that alter the functionality of their device. My 60gb iPod certainly is not supported by Apple any longer and for example, my old iPod 60gb cannot do Coverflow for whatever reason.
And if you try out the Zune desktop software, you’ll find that navigating it is so much faster than poking around iTunes, with it’s incredibly high lag as you attempt to move from area to area, though it’s not like any of this matters as the iPod is slaughtering all competition in terms of market and mindshare.
ETCHSTAR.com
My whole business is selling custom iPods, but I personally use a Zune.
1)They have better screens.
2)You can use the interface WAY better while driving (I live in LA).
3)The interface is simpler, the photo galleries and video galleries much better.
4)umm, radio? apple put a stupid altimeter in the nano but didnt add FM? how stupid.
5)it doesn’t shuffle when you shake it (for real? this is the worst feature i’ve ever heard outside detroit)
6)MOST IMPORTANT: you can find kindrid music spirits. basically, once you log in (and yes, you do need to be on a PC but they allow firefox) to the zune.net community you can find profiles of people who like the same bands that you do. then you can see what else they listen to. and since there’s a voting community around it, it’s like twitter where there’s these like “master music programmers” who are being followed by everyone and you can download all their cool music for a monthly fee (optional).
7)the headphones are not so crappy like apples and they are woven so they dont tangle.
8)battery life? buy a zune.
ONE HORRIBLE: I hate that it wont work on my MacBook Pro 15″
We love that microsoft lets you engrave something more than text. Apple only lets you engrave text so you cant return the product and so you cant sell it on ebay. microsoft lets you chose art.
Ben from Etchstar.com
Could not agree more. Zune is quietly sneaking up on Apple. They are releasing much more frequently now and starting to add stuff that Apple does not have.
You missed the killer feature that i like: SUBSCRIPTION MUSIC.
Many people moan that you dont get to own the music … but for $15 a month i can get as much as i want for no additional cost … and if i stop liking Zune i can go to another music provider and subscribe there… and i have not lost the ability to play my music … like with Apples DRM.
But if I went to Napster, their music will not play on the Zune, only PlayForSure devices which the Zune is not.
Features, etc. are always nice for check lists and bragging rights, but that is not what necessarily translates into sales for any given product. It’s executing on the right featureset for the masses that increases chances of creating customers.
Not having an FM radio certainly has not harmed the sales of the iPod and in fact, it’s the devices with the FM radio that have suffered in sales. If you believe that selling high volumes of devices equates to stupidity, then your logic works, but you’d likely be in the minority with that perspective.
zune beats ipod in everything except market share….
The iPod also “wins” in codec support and ecosystem/integration.
It must be frustrating for M$ having to pay millions of dollars in marketing ploys and not make a dent even in sandisk sansa sales.
Sony players are way better than the zune and I have never seen TC post something decent (or undecent) at all.
You are mistaken. The Zune is far superior to most MP3 players available. You just hate MS so anything they make you hate.
Good to read the positive comments on the Zune. I may just get a Zune as my next player.
I like having a separate music player so I don’t kill the battery on my phone quickly.
Michael, you know it’s a whole new firmware update for every Zune ever made, and that you can download music from any wifi hotspot, not just McDonalds? Why so biased?
I have a pile of old mp3 gadgets collecting dust. The zune is far and away a better product. The construction is better, the quality of the software is better, the UI is easier to use and the Zune Pass service can even fill my obscure music needs.
My fiance has an ipod but she likes the zune better too. Too bad that 163MM people bought less than stellar products because Apple is cool now.
Vista is really a great OS, Really…
Zune is catching up with iPod, Really…
Im only a teen but still listen.
kids everywhere want the cool thing right?
many kids have ipods now…who dosnt?
iv showed my zune to many people.
ya know what?
they either are buying one or allready did
theres not many zunes yet but there will be.
M$ will get it right
just a few more tweaks and they will be a big part of mp3s