Zune Articles on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog

Rumor: iPod networking in "The Circle"

by Mike Schramm (Sep 4th, 2007)

Of all the rumors coming out around tomorrow's big Apple event, this one is the strangest: The Circle. Engadget has it on good authority (a.k.a. a French blog called "generation mp3") that Apple, in an ironic turn, will steal an idea from the Zune and start their own "social" concept, called The ...

Song Sender sends iPhone tunes to email and ringtones

by Erica Sadun (Aug 21st, 2007)

Song Sender allows you to pick a song from your iPhone's song library and send it to a friend via email. If you'd like to use a song from your library as a ringtone, you can do that too. Install the package into your iPhone using your favorite installer application. When run, the software reads ...

70% of Zune users plan to switch to iPhone

by Mike Schramm (Jul 23rd, 2007)

I'm a little skeptical about this one (who is the Eagle Research Group, and why are they polling people about iPhones and Zunes?) but a new study from the ERG says that a whopping 70% of Zune users are actually planning a switch to the iPhone. And perhaps even more revealing, 36% of Zune users say ...

Flickr Find: Microsoft Amnesty Bin for iPods

by Erica Sadun (May 24th, 2007)

From the entry way at Zune headquarters, we bring you today's Flickr Find: the iPod Amnesty Bin. Yeah sure, it's probably "art" more than it's a real "amnesty bin"--but it says something that upon seeing this picture my heart skipped a beat. It's like seeing adorable puppies in a pound. I ...

Rumor: Wireless downloads on the way - for the Zune

by David Chartier (May 10th, 2007)

Engadget is reporting that a rumored firmware update to Microsoft's Zune DAP (Digital Audio Player) could usher in wireless downloads from their Zune Marketplace digital media store. No word yet on whether these would be all-you-can-eat subscription downloads or purchases made via the Zune ...

Could a "free" Zune compete against iPod?

by Erica Sadun (Apr 5th, 2007)

Think about this. What if Microsoft gave Zunes away, the same way phone companies give away cell phones, and collected their money from the Zune Pass all-you-can-eat subscription program instead? You'd sign up for a one- or two-year contract for the service and get the hardware thrown in. That's the ...

Do you want to rent your music?

by Erica Sadun (Apr 3rd, 2007)

For $15/month you can load up a Zune with a wide (although not exhaustive) catalog of rental music. Your music plays back for the length of your subscription and your credit card is automatically charged each month until you cancel. Of course, for the same $180/year you can purchase quite a few ...

Will iTunes truly support interoperability?

by David Chartier (Apr 3rd, 2007)

Earlier this week, Apple and EMI broke some serious ground in the digital music industry by announcing DRM-free music across the entirety of EMI's catalog, beginning with the iTunes Store. In the conference call, Steve Jobs cited interoperability as a key reason for the move; songs downloaded from ...

Wireless iPod music sharing

by Erica Sadun (Mar 15th, 2007)

Have you ever held an iPod, looked at it, and thought to yourself, "Dang. It's just not Zune enough"? Are you looking for ways to Zune up your iPod? If the lack of wireless music transfer has held you back from truly enjoying your iPod to its fullest, is it possible that you can now rejoice? Our ...

How to sell a Zune: Give away an iPod gift card

by Erica Sadun (Feb 8th, 2007)

Here's a chuckle from the forums over at MacRumors. Poster GFLPraxis, who works at the Spokane CompUSA, scanned this advertisement tag for the new Zune special. For only $249.99, you'll not only get a spankin' new Zune but also a $15 iTunes Gift Card. Now that's an inducement to buy the Zune! If ...

Zune spokesman: Jobs "irresponsible, or at the very least na�ve"

by Erica Sadun (Feb 7th, 2007)

An article at today's New York Times allowed Jason Reindorp, Zune marketing director for Microsoft, to rebut Steve Job's open letter on DRM with some fairly harsh quotes. He calls Jobs' suggestion that the music industry might license their offerings without DRM, "irresponsible, or at the very least ...

Zune Exec leaves Microsoft

by Erica Sadun (Feb 1st, 2007)

Microsoft's Entertainment Devices division posted a $289,000,000 loss this year, as revealed earlier this week. Australian PC World reports that Bryan Lee, corporate vice president of Microsoft's Entertainment Devices division has "retired" from Microsoft to pursue personal interests. And to spend ...

ZunePhone!

by Erica Sadun (Jan 10th, 2007)

Never say that Microsoft is not one to respond quickly to public demand. Hot off the presses TUAW brings you the new ZunePhone! Check out its sleek form factor and intuitive interface, WiFi and megabytes. Unlike the iPhone with its missing-in-action clickwheel, the ZunePhone brings its ...

Costco uses Zune stand to hold iPods

by Michael Rose (Dec 31st, 2006)

If you could sum up 2006's Zune/iPod meme in one picture, it might be something like this one; MacDailyNews reader Larry Fransson snapped it on 12/29 at a Costco warehouse near Seattle, Washington. If you can't use the Zune display base for actually, y'know, selling Zunes, might as well hold up the ...

Zune/iPod spoof video from...Microsoft?

by Erica Sadun (Dec 18th, 2006)

The other day, I posted about a Zune video riff on "I'm a Mac", fully convinced that it was a fanboy production. After all, you can't "squirt" video from one Zune to another (at least without resorting to the "rename-it-as-a-jpeg" hack) and it takes more than a single button hit to send data, and so ...