14 DAY TRIAL // Several undisclosed sources stated that Microsoft's iPod 'counterplayer' - the Zune - will be launched on November 14th, three days before Sony's PlayStation 3 will emerge on the Asian retail market, according to Engadget.
If you believe it or not, Microsoft is really determined to destroy iPod's supremacy and it is rumored to prepare a marketing campaign which will require no less than $500 million. And this is just the start! The software giant is also said to have already contacted iPod's accessories manufacturers in order to tailor some nice good looking peripherals also for its upcoming Zune which, by the way, will feature, if the info is correct, an amazing 30GB storage capacity and a big display, larger than the one of the 5GB iPod.
Earlier this month it was rumored that Microsoft's Zune aka. 'iPod Killer' will have several targets - the DS Lite, the PSP, and Apple's iPod. Consequently, Microsoft's all-in-one player might be able to playback movies, music and games, having also Wi-Fi capabilities. Moreover, it seems that it will pack almost all the multimedia features of the famous Xbox and it will also benefit from several partners online services or hardware expertise.
The key of a future success of the Zune can be an all new capability and the hardware team form Microsoft found, the Wi-Fi connectivity and, moreover, support for XNA gaming content, and the XBox Live feature. But the previous agreement signed with Urge/MTV will probably turn out to be also an advantage for the project, as the Zune will benefit, almost certainly, from an important music supplier.