Zune to Add to Apple’s Growing Headache
Apple’s dominating iPod devices have quickly grown into the face of portable music, but with recent news about Microsoft’s impending line of Zune gadgets and with the recent unveiling of SanDisk’s 8GB Sansa e280 music player, it would appear that iPods could be in danger of losing their supremacy.
Recent revelations about a specific facet of Microsoft’s Zune music player may send additional shivers down the back of Apple.
Toshiba, which will produce the Zune devices that will run on Microsoft’s software, filed some revealing documents with the Federal Communications Commission, which were made public last week.
The documents discussed a Wi-Fi functionality that would allow Zune users to toggle a “DJ” feature, which would automatically share whatever music the listener is playing on their Zune device with either up to four Zune users within their proximity, or with just friends on their list.
“Once your wireless setting is set to on, you will be able to send and receive photos and promotional copies of songs, albums, and playlists with other [Zune] users,” the FCC filing indicated.
“Argo” and “Pyxis” were two codenames used in the filing to refer to Zune and the Wi-Fi functionality.
Zune users will also be able to locate fellow Zune users within their area and can choose to stream their DJ-enabled music on their own music player.
“If someone tunes in, you will get an on-screen notification that you have a listener,” said the filing.
The Zune music devices will support both 802.11b and 802.11g wireless standards, and will include 30GB hard drives, 3-inch screens, an FM tuner, and a USB 2.0 connection. Photos of the devices have shown them to be relatively simple and plain.
This will certainly add an engaging and interesting social dimension to the portable music player realm, which is something that Apple’s iPods have lacked so far, and lends further credibility to the potentially disruptive aura that the Zune seemed to exude when initial reports were made public.
The notions of music-based social networks and the use of Wi-Fi connections for downloading music are not necessarily brand new. Last.fm has been offering an online music social network that looks at what a user listens to and makes artist, track, and friend recommendations based on that user’s listening history since 2005 when it merged with Audioscrobbler.
More recently, companies like Music Gremlin and Zing have already begun utilizing Wi-Fi connections to allow its users to purchase and download music easily.
Zune seems to be on the verge of meshing these two concepts well.
It seems that the next step for Zune devices will be to enrich user experiences with features such as recent listening history and other charts. Compatibility and user favorability or quality ratings also seem to be features that would add to the music player experience in the future.
Music lovers could be on the brink of a whole new range and depth of experience if Zune delivers on the potential it is conveying to the public.
Microsoft has said that it will make one model of its Zune devices available by this holiday season.
Sources:
http://news.com.com/Microsofts+Zune+aims+to+be+social
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http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=18190&hed=
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