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Bleeding Edge TV 299: Zune Holiday 2008 Hardware & Accessory lineup

We’ve made it clear a few times that we feel that the platform has progressed nicely since it’s inception, especially with the introduction of the , which we feel is the best deal in music today. Definitely something we recommend this holiday season. So much so, in fact, that we have put together a video showing off every Zune device that is currently available, as well as some of the cooler accessories available for the device set. We show off the Zune 80, Zune 120, Gears of War 2 Special Edition Zune, the flash Zunes, and even a Zune Originals piece.

On the accessories side, we give you a look at the Kicker stereo for Zune, a few cases, armbands, car accessories, and the Home A/V Kit. See? Told you we brought the goods to this one. Check out the video for the scoop on everything, and let us know if you end up picking any of it up.


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Zune Pass now includes 10 keeper songs per month

Zune PassWow. The best deal in music just got a whole lot better, as Microsoft has announced that the $14.99 per month will now allow subscribers to download and keep 10 tracks per month, which is a $10 value. Those tracks are yours, permanently, even if your Zune Pass subscription comes to an end. Participating labels include EMI Music, Sony BMG, Universal Music, Warner Music, and independents like INgrooves, Independent Online Distribution Alliance, and The Orchard. Tracks downloaded from Sony BMG and UMG will be DRM-free MP3s, which tracks from EMI and Warner also include MP3 files, there are also some WMAs still hanging around. The guys say that soon, 90 percent of the music in the Zune Marketplace will be in the MP3 format.

So when you break this down, if you subscribe to the Zune Pass, and download 10 tracks a month, you are really just paying $5 for unlimited access to the huge catalog of music available in the Zune Marketplace. We can’t think of a better, legal deal in music than what Microsoft is offering with Zune right now. Can you? At this point, we see no reason to fire up iTunes to do our music purchasing.


Bleeding Edge Zune Exclusive: Microsoft Zune Impressions and Demo

Okay guys, we get it, you are interested in the Zune. It seems that since posting our last video where we got to play with the Zune outside of a club, people have been asking us for more. Well, here you go. A big thank you goes out to Doug Dobbins for hooking us up with this interview with a Zune beta tester at the Podcast Media Expo. This is about as complete a Zune video as you will find anywhere - nice shots of the interface and navigation scheme of the device are all included, along with a little magnetic headphone love.

The iPod-formatted h.264 file below is higher-resolution than the others, resulting in 640x480 video love.

On a related note, be sure to check out our Zune Hands-On gallery.

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Zune Launch Date and Pricing Details Revealed

Zune Launch

For all of you that have been holding your breath for the Microsoft Zune, the company has finally released details on pricing and launch date. As it turns out, the Zune will drop on November 14, 2006 and will retail for $249.99 USD - the same price as the 30 GB iPod. While the Zune will also feature wireless Zune-to-Zune transfers of music, photos, and personal recorded video, as well as an integrated FM tuner (but won’t allow for time-shifting of radio,) one really has to wonder if Microsoft priced this thing correctly. Our personal opinion is that the Zune should have undercut the price of the iPod by at least $20. To soften the blow, Microsoft is including quite a bit of free content on the Zune at purchase, all of which is listed after the break.

The company has also made known how the payment system on the Zune Marketplace will work, as consumers will use Microsoft Points (yup, the same ones you use on your Xbox 360) as the method of payment on the Marketplace - or they can just pick up a monthly Zune Pass for $14.99 USD to get access to the complete Zune music library.

Click to continue reading Zune Launch Date and Pricing Details Revealed


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