Hot Products: Microsoft Zune Mp3 Player

The key feature on the Zune is really the LCD display. It's actually 44% larger than a video iPod screen. It's large enough to watch a music video, or movie and actually see the expressions on peoples faces. The pixel density is about double that of modern laptops, so it's more like watching a mini HDTV than a mini television. The refresh rate is also higher than a television, which means the frames move extremely fast to make the motion appear fluid rather than jaggy or digitized. 

User Interface: The user interface is the second most important feature (after the display) for making the Zune stand out. The large center button can be pushed in 4 directions (left, right , up, down) or pressed straight down. Anyone who can use a web browser can operate the Zune. Pressing the button is similar to clicking a mouse button, it takes you to whatever item is selected, and just like a web browser there is always a back button available. The layout is really minimalist, we observed many people at the LA preview picking up and using the device for the first time without asking any questions or looking for instructions. The menus have a sleek animation from one screen to another that gives the Zune a modern edgy feel, and personalized background pictures stay visible during navigation. 

WMA, MP3, AAC, JPEG,WMV, MPEG-4, H.264 media playback 

Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g) connectivity 

30 GB Hard Drive 

3 inch video LCD 320x240 

White, Black, and Brown Colors 

FM Radio 

Dedicated song download site zune.net 

Podcast playback 

Updateable Firmware 

Tested 13 hr battery life for audio, 4 hr video 

3 day playback of Wi-Fi transfered songs from friends 

XBOX streaming 

XBOX (Microsoft) points compatability 

Preloaded music videos 

Over a dozen accessories at launch 

5.6 ounces in weight, 4.4 x 2.4 x 0.58 inches size 

Metric: 158 g, 112 x 61 x 14.7 mm size 

Custom background images 

WiFi transfer of photographs 

Tag based storage system (Will not appear as drive) 

PC Compatability (no Mac client at launch) 

Zune tag enabled 

Horizontal and vertical video orientation