The Zune MP3 Player Rises Again

The Zune MP3 Player was once the pet project of then-Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. Released in November 2006 as a direct competitor to Apple's iTunes and iPod devices, it was mocked and derided for being too bulky and clunky. Microsoft couldn't keep up with developing and releasing new models, especially after the leftovers were purchased by Kinetic Products in 2012. The Zune had seen its last days by that point, but it's looking like the MP3 player will be revived thanks to Kickstarter.

The Zune was originally touted as a device for consumers, but it did have an attempt at a business model. The hardware came in three different sizes: the basic 30GB model (the one pictured at the top of this article), the 60GB model, and the 120GB model. This was supposed to be sold to businesses, but poor sales resulted in Microsoft giving up on this idea.  The company that bought Kinetic Products acquired some of the Zune parts to produce their own devices.

The MP3 player itself had built-in support for storing videos through its proprietary video-out port. The player had an integrated FM radio tuner and IR blaster to control other devices. The device also came with a car dock, a charger, and a line-in cable for connecting it to an MP3 player you already owned.

Project Creator:

Kinetic Products Inc

Heath Zumock (CEO & President)

Cash Raised: $1.8M from 38 backers on Kickstarter since May 2012.   The project is over its goal of $50K by $43K as of July 26th, 2013 at 3:19 PM EST.   Given that this campaign is still going on, there's still some time left to reach their financial goal.

This is Zumock's fifth Kickstarter campaign.   All five campaigns have been successful in the eyes of backers.  

So Where Does The Zune MP3 Player Come In?

Zune has received its own go-ahead from Microsoft thanks to their acquisition of Kinetic Products, who had already acquired some Zune parts.  You can consider this as a resurrection of sorts, if you want to think about it that way.  

As for the device itself?  Well, it's one that many people are interested in.   The device has an all-black exterior with silver trimming, and is intended for use with earbuds or headphones.  The screen is 0.3-inches with a 320x240 resolution.

The battery life is rated at around 10 hours, but that's with the screen turned off.  The device also supports AAC and OGG formats.

Specs:

1 GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor

512MB of internal storage and 2GB of removable storage (microSD).

Microphone included (3.5mm audio jack).

FM radio tuner.

Music can be stored on the device in MP3, OGG or AAC formats, or from a compatible SD card inserted into a slot independent of the USB port.

The device also has a USB 2.0 port, which can be used to sync or charge devices.

It also has its own WiFi connection, which allows the device to be updated through the internet.

Included with the device is a 3.5mm audio cable, microUSB charging cable and a car charger adapter with 3.5mm audio jack for connecting the Zune to an existing radio dock.  

The Zune MP3 Player will be manufactured in May 2014 and is expected to ship around July 2014 if all goes according to plan.   The final product will also include a glossy black wristband (shown below in images 7 and 8), as well as a black USB cable (which is no longer included with the current "limited" edition Zune).

Mock-up image of the Zune MP3 player

Zune's next step: Renewed interest in Microsoft's MP3 device

by Kevin Poulsen, Published: July 25th 2013 2:00AM 

the Register

Zune fans, rejoice! The Kickstarter for a long-awaited follow-up to Microsoft's ill-fated attempt at an iPod killer has made its $50,000 funding goal.