Microsoft unveils second generation of ZunesMicrosoft has unveiled the second generation of Zune digital music players and will offer consumers 1 million unprotected songs on its online music store.
The 4GB and 8GB models represent Zune's first foray into flash-based players and they will be offered in a palette of red, pink, black and green. The 80GB features a 3.2-inch screen and will be smaller and thinner than the original Zune 30GB player. The software upgrades will also replace the software in the 30GB models. Zune devices will automatically sync when connected over home wireless networks. The feature is designed to ensure that owners always leave home with the latest content, such as podcasts. The move to provide unprotected MP3 music on the Zune music store is unprecedented for Microsoft but does not come as a surprise. Not only is the company one of the major providers of digital rights management software, but executives there slammed Apple and its CEO Steve Jobs last February when he called on the music industry to abandon DRM. Microsoft then reversed itself in April, saying it would eventually sell unprotected songs on Marketplace. While 1 million songs may sound like a lot, Microsoft isn't saying just how much of that music is coming from the four major music labels. Already, eMusic offers more than 2 million unprotected tracks from mostly independent labels. In May, Apple announced it had partnered with record company EMI to sell DRM-free music on iTunes. Apple hasn't said how many unprotected tracks on iTunes are available. Susan Kevorkian, an analyst with IDC, said that Microsoft is more interested in selling music players than it is with providing DRM software. She said that Microsoft began scaling back its DRM efforts last year in order to throw more resources at improving the Zune. But are the new products enough to reel in Apple? The newest Zunes are a step up, but Microsoft watchers don't think they offer anything better than the iPod. "I would say they are holding their own," Van Baker, a research vice president with Gartner, said of Microsoft's venture into the music category. "Within that group (vying for the approximate 30 percent market share that Apple doesn't own), I'd say they are a contender. Are they gaining on Apple or making up ground? I don't think so." |
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