MP3 Player
Microsoft to Debut Zune 2 on Tuesday
Microsoft will hold a event on Tuesday in Redmond to herald the second generation of Zune music players, BetaNews has learned.
According to sources close to the situation, both Microsoft chairman Bill Gates and Design and Development chief J Allard will be on hand for the event. The main part of the announcement will center around the players, which will include the first flash memory based Zunes.
Entering the flash-based device market is very important for Microsoft, as the category is by far the most popular. While the Zune has managed to grab a 10 percent share of the HDD player segment, overall that has amounted to about a 3 percent share of the market in general.
Not much change in the Zune’s design will accompany the new HDD players, which would look similar but thinner. The flash based players will measure 3-inches by 1.25-inches and are said to look much like the iPod nano. The smaller Zunes will be video capable, and are rumored to include Wi-Fi and higher storage than competing products.
