Zune 2: Microsoft's new portable media player launched

Microsoft unveiled its new portable media player. It's the first sequel to the media player it released last year, called the Zune.

zune

This media player is also called the Zune, though we're calling it the Zune 2, as it's a follow-up to the original. It's here, it's real, and it's a decent upgrade.

Zune 2 features an even larger, 3.2-inch screen and comes in three different models (All three new players are built around a rounded touch-sensitive control that also doubles as a clickable d-pad-style controller, much like the Click Wheel on Apple's iPOd):

1) 80 GB hard drive model comes with a price tag of $249 (One GB of storage is enough to store about 250 songs or 75 minutes of video).

2) 4GB flash based model comes with a price tag of $149.

3) 8GB flash based model comes with a price tag of $199.

The new Zunes (and, with a firmware update, the originals) now feature automatic Zune-to-PC syncing via WiFi.

The new devices are also expected to keep a feature that made the original unique: a built-in wireless connection that allows users to share songs with other nearby Zune users.

It seems to be a worthy product and especially for me, the addition of the 3.2″ screen, MP4 and h.264 could make it a worthwhile purchase if I ever decide to actually buy an mp3/video player for my media collection.

Via: Gizmodo