Come On And Zune, Zune, Zune, Zune

Come on give it a try...We're gonna show you just why...

I doubt that Apple is sweating the big news out of Redmond. Microsoft explained the details of its portable digital audio and video player. (and I will NOT be calling this another "iPod killer")

The Zune will hit the market this holiday season - no exact date or pricing given yet - and will firmly be positioned as an alternative to the iPod. The device, manufactured by Toshiba, will store 30 GB of songs, photos and video, which users can buy from the online Zune Marketplace.

The Zune will come in three colors: black, white and brown. Yessir, brown. What can brown (and the other colors) do for you? Well...

It will also have wireless technology to let users swap music, an FM tuner and a 3-inch screen. So much for Zune owners tuning in to my show. No manufacturer seems to like AM radio these days.

Here's the deal on the WiFi. Owners will be able to share between Zunes full-length sample tracks of select songs, playlists, pictures and homemade recordings. Users will be able to listen to it for up to three times over three days (we'll call this the Zune Rules of Three), then mark it on the device and buy it from the Zune Marketplace. Users will be able to get a flat subscription to access Zune's music library or buy songs individually.

Unlike the many iPod models the only choice consumers seem to have here is the color. 30GB is a decent size which can hold up to up to 7,500 songs, 25,000 pictures or 100 hours of video, according to Microsoft. Apple offers a 60GB video iPod but more Zune models are sure to come quickly.

Along with the WiFi offering my fave feature as of now is the ability to watch videos in portrait or landscape mode. Nothing like viewing shows in wide-screen on a 3 inch-monitor!

More info: BetaNews, PCMagazine, Reuters