Zune to use Microsoft Points

I hope people enjoy it, I'll probably buy one if my iPod breaks again.

Well the zune is best for the sole purpose of the bigger screen. all the other specs are basically the same... except for screen size

I prefer an ipod

pff. paying for mp3's.

t_walk 1 The Achievement Points you are referring to for Xbox 360 games are not able to be converted for currency. They are merely for bragging rights. I sure wish we could use them to purchase things though.

oh, the milkage of it all. sucks to be a m$ fan. they're like the Borg only more evil, and not cool at all. also, is it an illegal move to create ones own worldwide currency?

Personally, and I think I am not alone when I say this, haveing only 1 major player in the market (apple) sucks. It creates a stagnation to the consumer and forces us to move in a single direction. Yes there have been other MP3 player before and during the I-pod's reign but in all seriousness they are the only "major" player in town. The fact that MS is comeing our with something new, something that will force Apple to keep on it's toes and maybe come up with new, better products/services, it can only help us the consumer. And correct me if I am wrong but aren't the MS points earnable by reaching achievements in games? I thought that if you were able to say reach lvl 12 in "X" game you were given say 20 pts (I could be really off on this so if someone could let me know I would appreciate it). Bottom line, try it before you bash it and realize that this can only help the industry. Maybe even, dare I say it, create a price war so that 30 gigs of storage doesn't cost you 250 bucks.

microsoft now has its own currency

microsoft points are the dumbest thing. it's a mask to get you to pay more for stuff..... 79 points for a song..... still $1......

@neoand12, Lets call the PSP a DS ripoff, Lets call Sonys online a Xbox Live Ripoff. Lets call Live a Sega online rip off.. Lets call the Ipod a MP3 player rip off. Will that make you happy?^___^ @funkybar88, I just have to say wow, and if the PS3 lose this around (NOTE, i said if, I didnt say it would.. ). Sony may just be the next Sega and just be making games.. So no MS wont buy them out or take them over. But they can beat them and out sell them. As for Apple, the only reason there still around is the Ipod, saved there ____ form going to H3ll. XD unlike some people I will try before I say its sucks or its the ipod killer.. I love how people say, ''MS sucks because there MS'' or ''there copying''.. But when Sony copys its okay.. Because there Sony.. Just a note to everyone saying it sucks, or its rip off, TRY it then say that..XD Like I said I will try it, before I SAY its good or bad.. MS is doing a great Job

Hmm....A good iPod contender there. And the functionaliity with the Marketplace seems pretty cool too. I will look into it and if I like I will pick it up. But I will do some HEAVY research first. :D

funkybar, wow, that was a really ignorant comment...in case youre wondering, right now the 360 is threatening to overtake the ps3, so youre wrong, and youre also gonna have to shell out 500 bucks at least just to help prove me wrong...have fun :)

This is the Steve Jobs killer right here. Will you guys quit hating something you don't even know about yet? For all we know, this could be either a waste of resources or the iPod killer!

Considering the fact my iPod has already gone dead - not even a year old, poor thing - I'm actually looking forward to the Zune. The point system might be a bit strenuous, but I'm sure I'll get used to it... and according to another press release, Zune will automatically download all the music you've purchased through iTunes for free (legally, of course) which... Well, it makes me wonder if you can just use iTunes predomanently. Certainly sounds like it.

Ipods are the best MP3 players around period. They are thinner than zune, have a larger market, less complicated song system (79=99? what was M$ thinking) and does the zune even play movies? Microsoft needs to stop trying to get into markets they dont belong in. MICROSOFT STICK WITH COMPUTERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lets just call it what it is...an Ipod ripoff

If there is some kind of xbox 360-zune connectivity beyond a regular mp3 player I will probably get the zune

Mircosoft is trying to take over the world, first the video game market, now the mp3 market. They can't overthrow the kings (Sony and Apple), when we they realize this?

not bad im getting one mp3 player but cant decide ipod-zune

I can't wait to see how this plays out over the next year or so

i alreafy have an ipod video i got last year so i wont be getting the zune, however next year i will probably start looking for an replacement for my aging ipod and hopefully MS will have an original idea next year seeing as the current zune is based on toshiba hardware. So to those who say that its like an ipod, your wrong its based on toshibas, besides the only remote similarity is the circular controls, I mean common what do you really want MS to do hace a triangular screen with square buttons

It's obviously not going to be an iPod killer and MS knows that so that's not what they're trying to make. They're making a good Mp3 player that's more integrated with the Xbox 360, Xbox Live, and the Live Anywhere system. Also, Mp3s that you buy from the MS service won't be confined to JUST your MS Mp3 player, and that rocks. As someone who uses most of Live's features, it looks like the Zune will be my best choice for an Mp3 player because of the wonderful integration that it will have (you can't download the latest trailer for Bioshock onto your iPod for instance). For other people, it's just going to be another Mp3 player, and probably a good one, so it will be one more alternative and that can't be a bad thing. And hey, maybe this will give the custom soundtrack feature some more spotlight and use in Xbox 360 games. I can also totally see a kareoke (sp) game comming out soon after this does.

i think this zune is a "non-ipod killer". it's not sexy and looks too similar to the ipod. i like microsoft for it's 360, but everything else i pretty much dislike. the ipod is the best mp3 player, period.

When is it coming out in Australia because im getting one.

To jetsethi - 300 gigs is too much? I beg to differ. My music harddrive is over 200 gigs.

its a beter looking rip off of an allready versitile machine probabily the only difrence is it has a bigger screen for about the same price as a ipod but Itruly thought thay could of done better. as far as anithing becoming a ipod killer I doubt it will bappen because apple has had a hold on the market and why would somebody want to buy the Zune when thay allready own in ipod its practicly the same product just a refurbished, reversed enegered ipod that cost exactly the same as the ipod video with the same amount of hdd space it sounds like m$ has joind the steal this"----------" club.but i guess thay realy got a good THINK TANK in ther R&D department.

How many MP3 player that have come out have been "Ipod killers". The PSP was suppose to kill thee Ipod, Sorry, but if it cost the exact same price as an Ipod most people would rather get that, because of brand recognition.

I get my music leagally...but thats because limewires leagal in Canada. I really cant see the zune dethroneing the ipod though. i mean if a older person sees you with a mp3 player they will most likely call it an ipod. Thats how implanted the ipod is into our culture. and ipods and other mp3 players can allready stream music to the 360 through a usb cable anyway so...plus the zune is really ugly

round wheel on front? check. big collor display? check. 0.99 cent per song? check. i woulnd be suprised of the ear buds will be white as well... come on microsoft, be original for change. this is no ipod killer but a ipod rip off. i dont see how their gonna 'kill' the ipod with just an imitation.

I want to know, will this be better than the iPod?

Its not as stylish as the ipod. It should be thinner.

I want to know who still pays for their mp3s ? I bet metallica does ( frigin Lars )

just tell me i can still rip cds and move em onto a zune, thats all i want

....interesting

I might buy Zune if M$ keeps it simple and affordable. but if they try to cram in all the 360 and M$ points crap on it, I might as well stick to the plain and sexy ipod.

really

Definitely has potential. ipods have come down in price though................ But am I the only one who thinks that 80 points equals one dollar is freakin stupid? Why wouldn't 100 points equal 1 dollar? Would that not have been so hard?

What, the ipod is not the best MP3 player period. It just has brand recognition, just like playstation and just like the 360 is going to take some of sonys game market, Zune is going to take some of the ipod market. MS already made the 360 ipod compatible, I cant wait to see what the have in plan for the zune with the 360.

I want the turd brown one. Good marketing microsoft, retarded monkeys pick the best designs

more attempts by sony and microsoft to 'kill off' their competition sony + ms over nintendo gaming (both console and handhelds) sony + ms over ipods

its ok to call it the "ipod killer", but did they have to make the design such a ripoff? It looks good and all, but...

Whats next Microsoft? Laundry detergent?

Give it a rest M$. Apple owns you in the MP3 dept, Nintendo owns you in the handheld dept, and Nintendo WILL own you in the video game console dept.

I prefer iPod over this thing

Not revolutionary...

@evol_jojo Chances are the record labels aren't letting Microsoft offer a lower price. They've been trying to get Apple to raise prices for a while now, after all. Just like the NFL and football games, the labels don't want a price war - they want to make more, not less, and don't want anything to cause the consumer to decide the going prices are "too much." I'm sure they've been quite grouchy that legal music downloads allow us to buy only the good songs we want instead of $16 for those songs and the associated filler. Also, Apple doesn't make much money off iTunes sales - they make money off the iPod. All Zune needs to be is competitive with iPods, that's all I care about. Maybe we'll see some action/competition in the digital media player arena worth watching again. It's not overly worth comparing to the iPod yet - the iPod is a mature product, Zune is new and attempting a new direction for music players (you turn into a walking radio station), which is something new and interesting, I think. Hopefully Apple will evaluate that as well...

ipod going to get owned

Can't wait for Zune, I'm really tired of my iPod. They are so overrated its not even funny. I'm sure Microsoft is gonna make it where you can download songs over the 360. Why else would they use Microsoft Points? Plus Zune is being set up so its really easy to discover unheard bands, which I think is pretty awesome.

I like how Microsoft is continuing the trend. Hopefully it will work out as well as it is on the 360. Also, $.99 isn't too bad for a song.

What in the world was M$ thinking?!? Here they had the chance to have an edge over Apple's iTunes (and iPods) by delivering music at a lower cost than $0.99 but they go ahead and sell it for the same prices as iTunes!?!?! The zune has absolutely no edge over the iPods, what a waste... nice try M$..