Clunky-looking Microsoft Zune player revealed in filing

Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited January 2014
An obesely proportioned digital media player, confirmed to be Microsoft's upcoming Zune device, has turned up in photos and documentation filed with the FCC.



The filing, published on Thursday, was made by Toshiba Corp, suggesting that electronics and component maker will play an integral role in the manufacturing of the device.



According to a draft user manual accompanying the filing, Zune will include a 30GB 1.8-inch Toshiba hard drive, 3.0-inch low temperature polysilicone TFT LCD display, high qualify FM tuner with RDBS, headphone jack and USB 2.0 connectivity.



The user manual further indicates that Zune will be powered by a rechargeable Li-Ion battery, include mechanical switches for all control surfaces and feature a Wireless LAN module manufactured by Taiyo Yuden.



Wireless communication



"In order to use wireless sharing feature such as 'send' and 'DJ' you will need to turn on your device's wireless capabilities," Microsoft states in the user manual. "When this setting is on, your device will be discoverable by other Pyxis devices and also be capable of searching for other Pyxis devices in range."



Sending content



Once Zune's wireless capabilities are enabled, users will be able to share photos and promotional copies of songs, albums and playlists from other Pyxis users, the documentation states. After selecting the audio track or image to be shared, users of the device can activate a send command which will display a list of nearby Pyxis devices that also have wireless capabilities enabled.



DJing content



"Pyxis allows you to stream music to up to 4 other Pyxis devices. If you wish to 'DJ' content to other devices you need to go either to settings/music or press the center button in the 'now playing' screen," the manual states. "You will be presented with a DJ setting with 3 options: off, on, or friends. If you choose DJ:on, anyone can listen in to the same music that you are currently listing to. If you choose DJ: friends, only people in your friends list can listen in."



Being the DJ



After users enable Zune's DJ setting, users will receive an onscreen notification as other users join the audio stream. "If you turn off your device or begin playing non-music content, any listener connections that you have will end and you will not be shown as a DJ again until you are once again listening to music," the documentation goes on to read.



Tuning in



Users who are tapped into a DJ listening session will be unable to use any transport controls, according to the documentation. Instead, the user DJing the stream has full control of the session. In order to stop listening to the DJ, users must start playback of "any piece of music or video content" in their library.



Friend requests



"You can invite other Argo members that you meet to be your friends wirelessly via Pyxis. Navigate to the 'nearby' screen and find the person that you wish to send a friends request to," the manual states. "Select 'send friend request' and the person will see a notification on his/her device allowing them to accept or reject your request."



Images of Zune follow:











































































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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 91
    Wow, what a blatant rip off of an iPod external design. Except larger and guaranteed to be less reliable. However those wireless, and sharing features are long overdue on an iPod.
  • Reply 2 of 91
    wilcowilco Posts: 985member
    8)8)8)8)
  • Reply 3 of 91
    apple needs to adopt the wireless features like microsoft. I still agree that the player looks thick and ugly compared to the ipod
  • Reply 4 of 91
    rdas7rdas7 Posts: 32member
    I can't wait. I'll finally be able to listen to what everyone else is playing on the train ride to work every morning. That's exactly why I bought an iPod. So I can listen to what someone else chooses.



    Apart from the fact that it'll suck battery (goodbye weekly recharges, hello nightly docking), it's by Microsoft. So basically it'll work in the commercials but in real life it'll be flaky, and no one will care about it, except Apple fanboys who will use it as ammunition as to why iPod pwns.



    Zune. Yawn. Will it ship with Vista?
  • Reply 5 of 91
    It looks pretty cool to me. I wouldn't call it clunky, but whatever.



    The iPod is still better
  • Reply 6 of 91
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mariofreak85


    It looks pretty cool to me. I wouldn't call it clunky, but whatever.



    The iPod is still better



    Ugly. It looks kinda cheap. Like it doesn't even feel right.
  • Reply 7 of 91
    macinthe408macinthe408 Posts: 1,050member
    If I were Apple, I'd be afraid, very afraid. That thing looks demonstrably way better than any iPod. It simply looks amazing. I am, ohmygod, flabbergasted.



    The billions and billions of dollars Microsoft spends on R&D has finally come to fruition. This is the result of years of hard work and dedicated engineers diligently working to reinvent the music playing device as we know it.



    I am simply enamored at how Microsoft closed the curtains and totally designed this thing from the ground up, without regard to what designs and form factors are already out there.



    Unbelievable. As Jim Rose would say, "I am riveted!"
  • Reply 8 of 91
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by macinthe408


    If I were Apple, I'd be afraid, very afraid. That thing looks demonstrably way better than any iPod. It simply looks amazing. I am, ohmygod, flabbergasted.



    The billions and billions of dollars Microsoft spends on R&D has finally come to fruition. This is the result of years of hard work and dedicated engineers diligently working to reinvent the music playing device as we know it.



    I am simply enamored at how Microsoft closed the curtains and totally designed this thing from the ground up, without regard to what designs and form factors are already out there.



    Unbelievable. As Jim Rose would say, "I am riveted!"



    *blink* You're on your own.



    Does anyone else notice the computer it's hooked up to on the bottom pictures?
  • Reply 9 of 91
    Apple actually does need those wireless features... those sound really amazing. I would love to be able to wirelessly listen to what my friend is listening to on his iPod, instead of us having to crouch over his iPod, sharing the earbuds, listening with one ear to whatever is going on on his device. This is actually a long-overdue feature on the iPod. But I wonder how long Apple will avoid this for?? I mean, they still had one-button mice shipping until just a few weeks ago... about a DECADE after the rest of the industry came out with multi-button mice! I'd hate to see Apple drop the ball on this one, as they have so many times in the past.
  • Reply 10 of 91
    aplnubaplnub Posts: 2,605member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by theapplegenius


    Does anyone else notice the computer it's hooked up to on the bottom pictures?









    Too funny!
  • Reply 11 of 91
    Why do I think the iPod may someday become the Newton?

    And not as in an iPod with a touchscreen, but a chunly, obsolete block with limited capabilities.

    I can just see someone releasing a software package similar to "The missing synch" where we can get this ugly, pathetic clunky device to synch with iTunes and such.

    Then, I believe, We will see the iPood litteraly killed by Microsoft.

    Oh my, what a bleak future.
  • Reply 12 of 91
    macgregormacgregor Posts: 1,434member
    Wow, it is reassuring to see that billions of dollars of R&D at MS lets them use masking tape and styrofoam blocks to do NASA-like testing of this new and imaginative device!



    [theapplegenius: This is satire. You may want to see macinthe408 to understand.]



    I know the Zune is supposed to be in colors and this may not be the final version, but dang it looks like it came right from the Lego's skunkworks for plastic clunkiness. And how about the steps you have to take to get to actually sharing music, I think landing the shuttle takes fewer steps. Since only about 6% of those who buy this thing will put the wifi on, and they will be surrounded by iPod users, I don't see this as being a fun experience.



    Actually this brings up a point. Let's say Apple feels it needs to have wifi capabilities. Does it choose the same one as MS? That means these Zune things COULD tie in to the huge installed iPod base thereby leaching off iPod friends and their iTunes purchases. This is like Macs having BootCamp. A minor Trojan horse to invade the enemy stronghold. This may mean Apple needs a different wifi protocol. Does anyone know about this kind of thing?
  • Reply 13 of 91
    kerrybkerryb Posts: 270member
    This must be a mock up or something and can't be what the shipping product will look like, can it? Today an mp3 player (does it actually play mp3's or just M$' proprietary files?) anyway players are fashion accessories as much as a bit of technology for the non geek. Wireless has to first work and second be easy to set up and use. Don't get too excited folks.
  • Reply 14 of 91
    dac0nvudac0nvu Posts: 175member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by scotty321


    ...I would love to be able to wirelessly listen to what my friend is listening to on his iPod, instead of us having to crouch over his iPod, sharing the earbuds...



    Ewwwww
  • Reply 15 of 91
    bauchbauch Posts: 20member
    That thing looks... ugly. It looks like its made out of cheap plastic from the pictures too.



    Anyways... it's made primarily by Toshiba. It WILL be crap. Every single thing I've owned of theirs has died, minus the Toshiba HD in my 2nd replacement iPod. I"ve had... 6 Toshiba HDs die on me, a DVD player, a TV, and 4 laptops. I'll be staying far, far away from this thing, just because its made pretty much by Toshiba.
  • Reply 16 of 91
    mbaynhammbaynham Posts: 534member
    U------G------L------Y



    yak, not nice. imagine walkin down the street with that in your pocket, hahaha, you'll fall over if your not careful....
  • Reply 17 of 91
    eaieai Posts: 417member
    Theres a couple more pictures at:



    http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/08..._zune_details/



    I didn't realize that Microsoft weren't making them themselves... Will they be branded Microsoft Zune or [Random company] Zune?
  • Reply 18 of 91
    Interesting article title.
  • Reply 19 of 91
    crees!crees! Posts: 501member
    I also like how the dock connector is in the same position and looks relatively the same as the Apple one.



    Now, with this wireless sharing feature.. I'll be the first to say it. Zune viruses here we come!
  • Reply 20 of 91
    macgregormacgregor Posts: 1,434member
    Is anyone else suspicious about the fact that it looks like this thing is being tested in an holodeck?
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