Looks very cool, especially the OLED screen -- that tech's obviously improving now. I still don't think it's quite for me, though, since I'm still not sold on touch screens (I like buttons damnit!), and it's probably still tied to Windows (though I do have a 360, and the 360 integration sounds interesting). Either way, MS probably won't still it in Australia anyway.

I don't see it replacing my 120.

And "a real play to the MP3 market"? You sure it's not the "likes fancy new things" market?

Not mentioned in that article is the new aspect of Xbox 360 integration.

I can't understand why Microsoft (or Apple with their iPod too, for that matter) can't engineer a decent wireless remote interface. This would make touchscreen interface so much more useable in outdoors/fitness scenarios. Apple and Nike actually came close to that when Nike released Fit+ wristband -- only to discontinue it a short while later.

I wasn't talking about 360/PS3. MS had already won by that point. The XBox/PS2 was the real battle. They were already a major player in the market. This gen is just drawing the treaty lines.
I'm not saying the Zune is at the 360 point. Yet. It's still in the XBox stage, fighting the battle, but it is a real play already. It's just a matter of time now.

And I already addressed your more-than-good-hardware point in the quote you (didn't really) respond to.

I don't see how Ulairi's comment can be taken as some "anti-MS" remark. Regardless of its popularity on GWJ, the Zune's numbers compared to the iPod speak for themselves. I'm not bringing this up to get into a "this is better than this" debate, just to mention the fact that MS has not made much of a dent at all into Apple's marketshare or the "hearts and minds" of the average consumer.

I react to this new Zune as I did to the others, though-- it looks nice, and I'm sure it will be a wonderful player, but it doesn't do anything much different than what the Touch has been doing for the last two years.

The funny thing is, I am actually waiting for a 64GB Touch to launch before buying one. If MS can give me a similar Zune HD in that capacity for a similar or BETTER price, I definitely might consider it. The biggest problem I think the Zune faces right now is the fact that the Apple App Store is so completely dominant-- thousands and thousands of free/paid apps of any and all description. To me, that right there is probably enough to swing me into the Touch camp. Will MS have a similar service? They BETTER if they hope to win customers. Will it be as robust as Apple's? No telling right now, which is also kind of a problem. Curious to see what the 360 integration is going to look like, although again I don't think that will be a major factor for most people in the general public.

What if the 360 integration is the MS "app-store"? If they could get XBLA on it, Apple would be in quite the predicament.

If not, putting it out at the same price would idiotic.

I hope those screws mean a user replaceable battery.

I think XBLA would be a great starting point, but I still don't think that would put Apple in any predicament... there are just simply too many apps available, including GAMES (free, almost free, and premium), for even the XBLA content to be a huge advantage. With a touch only interface, the new Zune will also lose any kind of advantage as a gaming device with a dedicated gamepad/button layout that is the Touch/iPhone's weak link.

There is no way the control schemes in the absolute majority of XBLA games can be ported to an all-touch-based user interface.

If they put Dominion on it I will buy it. There, the gauntlet has been thrown.

What's the sound quality like on Zunes? It's pretty miserable on iPods these days. They used to be marvelous, but they've gone way, way downhill.

Those are T4 screws... Not an easy screwdriver to get (I have one, but then again, I replaced my Zune 80 battery, so I needed one).

Looks nice on paper.

But I don't see an iPod killer yet.

HD playback seems redundant to a 360 owner which is the universe the Zune seems to be tying itself into. Focus on radio and dock will surely net some users that want that stuff, but it seems like the market at large doesn't care much about those features.

I agree iPod's killer app is the App Store (and iTunes as well.) Otherwise there is not alot stopping the competition from gradually eroding Apple's market share as they catch up to Apple on the hardware/software fronts.

I have more than one. I'm pretty sure I have just about every ridiculous tiny screwdriver type I'll ever need for the rest of my life, barring them inventing new ones.