Microsoft’s GM of marketing, Chris Stephenson:
“Today we confirmed a new music and entertainment project called Zune. Under the Zune brand, we will deliver a family of hardware and software products, the first of which will be available this year. We see a great opportunity to bring together technology and community to allow consumers to explore and discover music together.”
As if we didn’t know this was coming already, especially with just about every blog in history covering all the rumored features and we to expect. Apparently though this is only the first step, with the Zune brand set to release other Media Devices as well as a possible handheld gaming device.
Is this a shift to expand Microsofts hardware line on the longterm? Maybe i was right in previous expectations that Xbox360/Ultimate Keyboard/22″ Vista LCD/Zune were only the beginning and we might get an entire Computer experience from Microsoft, maybe this way we’ll end up actually getting something Sexy… Microsoft hardware mockups have always been cutting edge and beautiful but Dell and HP and the rest can never seem to follow through on Microsofts visions… with microsoft in the hardware field now fully it’ll be interesting to see where this is going in the next 4-5 years. For now Zune is where the news and excitement is at (except for that 22″ LCD i can’t stop thinking about hehe)
Engadget: Billboard confirms that “additional Zune-branded devices will follow, including a portable video player and, potentially, a portable game device,” as well as an initial device offering WiFi and drive-based storage. The WiFi won’t just be for moving around music files, as in the MusicGremlin, however. Apparently other “seven or eight” wireless usage scenarios are envisioned, as suspected, and aims at providing “ubiquitous access to digital media from a wide range of Windows-powered devices in what ultimately aspires to be one part MySpace, one part iTunes and one part Xbox Live.” Yikes. Zune will definitely be a general media player, though at launch music will be the “primary content,” later also including video and “other types of media.”
