By the time Microsoft have released this without the features it says it will - because you know what Microsoft is like, hyping up people with features and dropping about 98% of them before release - Apple will have most probably introduced a complete flash-memory based iPod line of its own.

Actually, let's be realistic, by the time Microsoft have released this, we'll all be living off of Solar Power and have robots that do the house work on the cheap.

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I bet Apple's next iPod will have these features and will be announced at the upcoming confrence.
M$ is so far behind, they won't be able to keep up. Can they sell 8+ million Zune's in a quarter? Not to mention 1 Billion songs in 5 years?

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these are features that are long-overdue for the ipod. there are major changes that need to be made in order to stay on top. even the tuaw writers know this with the post about its aging UI. ipod is a dinosaur. a t-rex but a dinosaur, nonetheless.

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Yeah, with how long Apple has been taking to get the next iPod out, it's going to be killer.

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Wouldn't listening to others' playlists cause legal issues? I'm sure someone will think of a way to copy the music to their device.

Also, what's dangerous about Microsoft is that they are so desperate to topple Apple that they are prepared to operate at a loss, and due to their vast cash reserves, they can afford to do it for longer than any of their competitors.

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This is great, Apple needs some competition to force them to step up and make things better. Competition is great for us consumers.

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Jon is right on about Microsoft being willing to loose money. That is exactly what they did with the Xbox.

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Microsoft wants to create a copy of another product again, and they call it on every news website "iPod competitor". Can't they simply use their brains and create something unique with their money? It will be another mistake, and a huge waste of resource and time.

Microsoft MUST firstly ask users about their needs, by runing for example a design competition to let the young people draw their ideal product, since this huge organization does not have the creative brain to make something practical.

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I have been an iPod user for 4 years, including 3 different iPods, but I think this is a good thing.
Apple is getting a little stagnant in their design and ui innovations. I still love my nano but I think a little competition from a worthy adversary will only make the iPod better.
I may be giving MS too much credit by calling them "worthy" but they can't be much worse than what it out there now.

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shaaheen, the ipod is nothing more than a digital sony walkman. is that unique?

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Microsoft also runs the danger of releasing an inferior product to compete with a product that's been around long enough to shake most of the bugs out. Unless Zune is less expensive, offers more features, and is rock-solid, they'll always play second fiddle to iPod. They may grab a chunk of market share, but I doubt they'll be able to really consider themselves an "iPod killer", especially given their track record on product development. It seems like they always sacrifice adding features at the expense of making something actually work.

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Shaaheen (currently #7): Do you seriously believe that MS does no relevant research? "Users needs" is the most basic one of them all. And in what way is Zune a "copy", sure it's a DAP with video capability and so on (standard stuff), but I don't see many wifi enabled devices out on the market today, especially with that kind of functionality (sharing and buying music without a computer).

Jon (currently #4): That kind of functionaly is available in iTunes :D

Heres hoping this will speed up the iPod development (music to photo to crippled video took ages...).

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I really hope Apple is taking this more seriously than some of the posters here. It could turn out REALLY bad for them if Microsoft offers all these features for a comparable price. Microsoft is a household name with tons of cash for marketing. It doesn't have to be better than the iPod to take away a lot of its sales. The iPod needs a big refresher before this thing makes it to market.

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When confronted with the question when, after much delay in the introduction of their MP3 player, MicroSh#t replies: “ Zune” ! Ah ha ha ……. They just try to rhyme with iTune and call it Zune! How original is that? Again, typical M$, no taste, just copy!

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the zune isn't its official name, just its inhouse development name...

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You're right, Zune is much too catch a name for Microsoft to let it become official. I'm sure when it's released, it will be rebranded to something like "Microsoft Live Mobile Media Center 2007". I can't wait!

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It should be good for both products. Force them to make better products with cheaper prices. Maybe they will even speed up the release of new features.

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For 8 months the iPod has been stagnant, and competitors (Microsoft particularly) have been given an opening. My personal theory is that Apple was banking on the video iPod and having movie downloads, and when that was delayed (or fell through, or whatever) they had no fallback option.

In many ways this reminds me of Sony and the PS3. Sony decided the PS3 had to include a Blu-Ray drive, and as a result it is going to be late and cost a bundle. Likewise, Apple seems to have focused singularly on video and the appearance at least is that they had no fallback option.

I could be proven wrong if they produce an updated non-video iPod in the coming months (not just additional capacity, but new features), but I suspect not. Meanwhile, Microsoft is coming out with a unit that has features we've long been pining for: wifi, sharing playlists, etc.

Zune may or may not be a success, but just by its existance it makes the iPod suddenly look very "old" and that can't sit well with Jobs.

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"Zune may or may not be a success, but just by its existance it makes the iPod suddenly look very "old" and that can't sit well with Jobs."

It exists? Really? I must have missed it my last trip to Best Buy. It exists, just like Vista exists. Which means in the minds of Microsoft executives, but not out here in the real world.
I love the people who are burying the iPod right now. I think its hysterical. And perfect. People love to be proven wrong spouting nonsense just so that maybe one day they can be right and say to everyone "I told you so". Of course these same people seem to fade into the woodwork when their "predictions" and market assesments are shown to be complete and utter crap.

And what is really great is all the people who claim the iPod is getting long in the tooth because has been awhile since the last model was introduced. Are these the same people who complained when the 5th Gen iPod followed closely on the heels of the Nanos release? I remember hearing back then how Apple was releasing too many models. It's all great, really is. I am sure the Zune will very quickly erase all those white earbuds and decimate the industry that each year generates billions of dollars. Yup, WiFi (which only geeks clamor for on every god damn device from toasters to roller skates) is certainly the tipping point.

Great stuff.

- AH

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AH- I don't see how you can stretch an analysis about the iPod delay into "burying the iPod" but whatever. Go ahead and keep you head buried in the sand. The iPOD *is* getting long in the tooth. What innovation has it really had since the last release? Bluetooth? Wifi? Oh, a Nike tie-in. Whoopee-freakin-do.

Of course Zune does not "exist" in the fact that you can't buy it *today*. Can you buy the fabled touchscreen widescreen video iPod today either? Microsoft has confirmed Zuen is coming out, and if you haven't noticed it has gotten a ton more buzz than the Nike iPod deal. It's coming, it has features the iPod is (currently) lacking, get used to it.

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