RSSToshiba Manufacturing Microsoft Zune
By Ed Oswald | Published August 25, 2006, 12:42 PM
A recent FCC filing seems to indicate that the highly anticipated Microsoft Zune music player will be produced by Toshiba, rather than the Redmond company itself. The filing also provided the first concrete evidence of Zune's specifications and wireless capabilities.
According to the documentation, the Zune player (here referred to as the "Toshiba 1089") includes a 30GB hard drive, three-inch TFT LCD, an FM tuner, wireless 802.11 b/g, and USB 2.0 support. Details of Zune's wireless capabilities were also disclosed, including the capability to stream music to up to four other devices.
More specifics on the codenames that have been mentioned in rumors on the device were also provided to the FCC. "Pyxis" now seems to refer to the network on which users of Zune would be able to send and stream content to one another.
"Once your wireless setting is set to on, you will be able to send and receive promotional copies of songs, albums, and playlists from other Pyxis users," the documentation states.
As for "Argo," the term seems to deal with some type of social networking aspect of the player. In the filing, the code-name is mentioned in the "Friend requests" section. Argo seems to make possible the ability to make nearby Zune users friends, as well as sending and receiving requests to become friends.
Microsoft has remained fairly tight lipped about the Zune project, and has yet to offer a release date for the product. It is widely expected, however, that the device would debut in time for the holiday season. Sources indicate the marketing effort has already begun to ramp up.
Previously, sources told BetaNews that promotional efforts would begin in late August, with public demonstrations during the month of September. This would lead up to a possible October launch for the Zune player.
Best move on Microsoft's part ever.
Toshiba makes quality.
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|I wonder why they refuse to make any of their own hardware. They have more money then god, so why let a third party make them. I mean they will have to pay Toshiba obviously. I mean are they just simply manufacturing it or did they design it as well?
I have no doubt this thing is going to bomb worse then any other product microsoft came up with. The fact is however with their cash reserves it won't matter. The sad thing is that they can do what they want. Unlimited cash reserves gives you that right.
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|They have to answer to investors. They don't have unlimited cash, in fact having all that cash on hand makes investors skittish, hence the buyback of the stock recently.
Microsoft could devote money to build the hardware themselves, but why both when there are other companies that can ramp up the logistics needed much quicker, like Toshiba?
As for Toshiba, it's not very sexy, never has been, and that is exactly what Microsoft needed to beat the ipod.
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|Look at the main page, they put the Gorillaz pic (taken from iPod video) on Zune's screen. LOL.
I think both MS & Apple won't be too happy when they see that.
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|The only thing I have against it is the DRM. You can't tell me there will be none....
I really don't see the point to these things but, to each there own.
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|Zune will to start eating up IPOD's marketshare very quickly. Has much more to offer and from what i have seen of its OS - its very nice.
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|Back to vinyl baby. Or I'll just get a chip implanted in my brain and cut out the middleware.
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|looks butt ugly.
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|Because we know it is how fashionable it looks that counts.
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|Indeed
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|Are you kidding me? Go back to your cave.
Look at the huge screen. That's all I need to see. I'm not going to buy one, but I don't think they are by any means "ugly."
Sounds more like the immature rantings of a MS troll.
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|You may have been trying to be sarcastic, but the iPod is proof that your statement is true.
Sad, but true.
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|Damned straight! Why can't the non-iPod makes produce something that looks good, this looks so old style-wise. Wireless sounds great though (pun intended!)
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|Yeah, sad indeed.
It doesn't help that Apple has been on "hate campaign" against MS. Most Apple fans that I know (incl. my friend) hate whatever MS comes up with; regardless of features.
To them, iPod pwnz Zune. Features don't matter.
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|Agreed it really doesn't look great -could just be the poor quality photos though. Features-wise it sounds pretty good, but if you want most girls (and a lot of guys) to buy it it has to look half-decent.
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|for people who are saying they cant see the zune logo check out
http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov...3&native_or_pdf=pdf
then go to page 44/45 in the Test Report
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|I've got something better - my 3lbs laptop in my ventilated backpack sending signal to my bluetooth headset. I also carry a 7MP digital camera in that backpack...
Both came in handy in NUMEROUS occasions...
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|For the price of an MP3 player? Really?
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|I question what is touted as an FCC photo with the Zune logo. When I looked at the FCC site the photo did not show a logo.
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|I don't see one with a logo either. I do notice they used a darker (looks almost black but not quite) in the testing photos.
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|Yea im definately getting a zune.
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|"the Zune player (here referred to as the "Toshiba 1089") includes a 30GB hard drive, three-inch TFT LCD, an FM tuner, wireless 802.11 b/g, and USB 2.0 support. Details of Zune's wireless capabilities were also disclosed, including the capability to stream music to up to four other devices."
Projected battery life: 30 seconds.
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|lol
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|It could turn off most those features when unused and not needed. My cellphone's screen goes off a little after I am done pressing buttons, the USB is not connected it could go into a sleep mode, same with wireless and tuner. Heck, if it has some flash memory in it, even the harddrive wouldn't need to be very active. I notice they also didn't say which direction the USB support was, it could draw power off the USB of a computer it was connected to.
In either case, I wonder how long the battery life will be, and if they'll be user changable...and wow, isn't that more hard drive space than the Xbox 360?
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|I think you hit the blank. 802.11b/g drain huge amounts of power. Products with bigger bateries(notebooks) often suffer from wifi power drain. Is hard to expect good operating times with this kind of device.
(Hard disk + active screen + 802.11g)^Microsoft_1st_generation=PANIC
Anyway, I have to admit that Micro$oft hardware never dissapointed me... Time will tell
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|Dont you all have wifi in your cellphones by now? I dont hear anyone complaining about that... if you dont like then turn it OFF, better than not having the possility at all... Right??
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|Well... The Toshiba Gigabeat S (based on the PMC platform) has received very good reviews, and if this device is being manufactured by Toshiba, I think it is a promise of a very good and reliable device.
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|I for one have had nothing but great experiences with Toshiba products. This seems like a good move on MS's part - quality should be top notch. (IMO).
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