In what could only be described as a case of tech-envy, Microsoft has tried to preempt Apple’s iPod announcement with a launch of their own.
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The new range of Zune music player was officially announced with some interesting new features and nowhere near the hype we are all used to from Apple, according to computerworld.com.
The 8GB Zune player has plenty of room for music, pictures and video and it also comes with an FM tuner, wireless sync, Zune to Zune wireless sharing and video playback. It can hold up to 2,000 songs, 25,000 pictures, or about 25 hours of video.
Zune owners can currently buy tunes one at a time, or pay $US15 per month for a Zune Pass subscription, which gives access to every song in the catalog – something that Apple is yet to allow, according to the report.
However, with the new wireless features, Zune Pass holders will also be able to stream songs to their devices.
The second big feature, says the report, “is the ability to buy tracks directly from FM radio stations”.
However, Microsoft has some work to do. Since its initial launch two years ago, Microsoft says it has sold 2.5 million Zune units, whilst rival portable music device maker Apple has sold 11 million iPods in the third quarter, along with many more music players built into the ever-ubiquitous iPhone.
