Zune HD Hits Stores This Fall

Company has given up on device, will focus on software: source

(NEWSER) - The music has died for Microsoft's Zune music and video player, a well-placed source tells Bloomberg . The company is going to stop producing new models of the player because of tepid demand and will instead focus on providing Zune software for smartphones, according to the source. When Zune was launched in 2006, Microsoft said it could beat the iPod. But the Zune failed to grab market share from Apple: the iPod took 77% of the digital music player market last year while Zune didn't make it into the top 5. Microsoft hasn't officially confirmed Zune's demise. More»

Microsoft player is best yet, but purchasing media is a drag

(NEWSER) - Microsoft's Zune music player has long been the iPod's dowdy stepsister, but the new, fourth-generation Zune HD is finally "a portable media player that you can be proud to carry around," says Katherine Boehret of the Wall Street Journal. The new device features a "stunningly vivid" touchscreen, impressive graphics, a web browser, and a radio receiver. Unfortunately, Microsoft's Zune makeover didn't extend to its online store, which is far more confusing than Apple's. More»

(NEWSER) - Microsoft releases a new Zune every year, mostly to collective shrugs, but this year’s model “might be the Zune that you’ve been waiting for,” writes Mark McClusky of Wired. “You were waiting, right?” The slim, white-and-black Zune HD is “a lovely industrial design,” with a beautiful screen that can display a true 16:9 aspect ratio. It’s also the first touch-controlled Zune, so the “infamous ‘squircle’” of past Zunes is gone. More»

New price structure points to unveiling of new model today

(NEWSER) - Apple’s online store today briefly flashed new, lower prices for the company’s current slate of iPods, a likely indication that a new model will be unveiled at today’s invite-only event, the Wall Street Journal reports. The site was then down for a period for updating. The 16-gig Touch went from $299 to $249; an 8-gig Nano dropped from $149 to $129; and the 120-gig iPod classic was advertised for $229, down from $249. More»

Thanksgiving shoppers on the hunt for 'iPod killers'

(NEWSER) - Microsoft's new Zune digital music players have been flying off the shelves, reports PC World. But big retailers have been running out, frustrating hordes of Thanksgiving shoppers attracted by big discounts and plenty of hype. Microsoft, which seems to have seriously misjudged demand for the best-selling model, the Zune 80, said the shortages will be over in around a week. More»