I wonder if the Zune software updates will wait until November when the new XBox interface arrives...

oneclick

Wal-Mark is incapable of DISCONTINUEING a Zune. They dont manufacture then, nor own the rights to them. The company (MS) must discontinue them. Just an FYI.

hahahahahaa...

Stacky Botrus

Come on everybody knows that apple will drop the 160GB ipod to $250 and introduce a new one in days so why does microsoft has to wait until apple does this??? i mean a 120GB zune price at the same price as a 160GB ipod don't look too good

snitch29

Well from what I read on Engadget, a cnet editor said there was some major software updates with undisclosed new features. So I am defineately excited about what they are.

LJKelley

Storage bumps are OK, but what's up with the Marketplace? They got some NBC stuff, but the service is part of the appeal.

Kaiser-Machead on the Edge

Darn... just when they announced a massive upgrade for the existing Zunes. You know ummm lets see... what was it again that they announced?

Ken_Darrow

I just bought a 80GB Zune and am none too pleased that it's going to be obsolete soon.

The Sword Master

Wal-Mart could simply be re-coding the Zune, they do this often, if they are going to run a model in a store ad, for example,..or to adjust for an overstock situation, if they don't want to carry the green ones anymore and only want black ones. Could mean just about anything ,(I previously worked for Wal-Mart), nothing to see here, move along.

mlonidot

@nutbastard: Yea, I know. I thought about deleting that part. However, there are some things that end up in short supply for inexplicable reasons. It can be annoying when we only get 2 or 3 of an item at a time that sells out rather quickly and then don't get any more in for a couple weeks.

ceilingFANBOY

@ceilingFANBOY:

"It is possible that the NRPL status is only their due to a short supply of the product as well."

...we're talking about Zunes here buddy. Short supply? they aren't exactly flying off the shelves...

nutbastard

@Stacky Botrus:

"Wal-Mark is incapable of DISCONTINUEING a Zune."

it's like this:

Microsoft manufactures zunes, so they can discontinue manufacturing them.

Wal-Mart sells zunes, so they can discontinue selling them.

nutbastard

It is possible that the NRPL status is only their due to a short supply of the product as well. Certain items, such as the Wii, are put in the system as NRPL to prevent department managers from ordering 20 of a product in short supply and screwing up the stock allocations. It could also be set as NRPL because these Zunes are going to be in a tab as a special buy or they are just getting ready for holiday time. I'm not saying that these items aren't discontinued, but it is possible that there are other reasons why it is NRPL. The low stock report would give a more definitive explanation then a Telxon.

ceilingFANBOY

@Stacky Botrus: You underestimate Wal-Mart's power. That will be your undoing.

Rabid Penguin

@The Sword Master: Just need to point out that the Zune never really had a moment in the sun. It began life as obsolete from a features perspective. If the "Social" happened, maybe it could have stolen the spotlight.

The Lab

@The Sword Master: same here, although i don't really need the extra 40gb, the only thing that'll really irk me is if they're a new color. that one picture made it seem like they were all black, much like the kickass joy division zune, minus the laser etching.

jbhitter24

@The Lab: Obsolete? How so? It started out decent, and the second generation is great. I've got an 80GB and I love it. Fantastic build quality, great interface, great features. Couldn't be happier, and so glad I didn't get an iPod. This new 120GB model doesn't render it obsolete. The most it does is apply the usual early adopter's tax. You buy your model, then a new one comes out later that's cheaper or better. In this case it merely holds more. Software will be the same, as Microsoft back-ports their software updates to their old models for free, unlike a certain fruit-themed MP3 player company.

I'm happy about these new ones. It'll help improve their popularity and bring me new software for my perfectly-adequate 80GB model.

TurboFool

Didn't Wal-Mart become a wholly owned subsidiary of Buy N Large? This could just be a temporary glitch as the new SKUs populate the system.

frigg

The Zune really is a cool piece of gear. I got my 8 year old a refurb one for Christmas, and he loves it. Ripped a bunch of movies to it, and it holds every song he could ever want to hear. Plus it works great with the Sync system in my wife's car.

I love piling on Microsoft, and they did plenty wrong launching the Zune, but it's actually a nice piece of gear now.

elvindeath

Apple just announced their special event for the 9th so expect MicroSoft to officially announce their new Zunes on or about the same time. it's that "what about me" complex MS seems to have.

Funny how Ballmer doesn't seem to be gloating as much as he did when the Zune first came out. I guess when SanDisk is outselling your "iPod killer" it doesn't bode well for trash talk.

BiZarRroBALlmeR

When I was young, "NRPL" was kind of the equivalent of a Purple Herman AKA a Titty-Twister.

And no, you wouldn't want to replenish that either.

ps61318

@oneclick:
MS has more sense than that, I don't think they want to pull off another apple ( New slang for fuck up)

With the XNA Games coming for zune i'm sure they have something in the works with xbox marketplace and zune marketplace and maybe some new hardware with bigger screens. ...zune rocks.

wetworker

@TurboFool: Fair enough, I was just using the above poster's definition of "obsolete". In this case, no longer state-of-the-art. Of course Gen 1 Zunes still work. But then again, so do Gen 1 iPods. If you consider inspiring envy a feature, then the Zune has lost a feature. Or never had it.

The Lab

@Rabid Penguin:

Spell-check will be his undoing....

freakshow1

Id be much happier with an 80gb Zune with better features than a 120gb Zune with the same features. Space is nice, but I find that with a really huge media player about 90% of it is stuff I put on there with no intention of ever watching or listening to. My 1gb nano is still my most listened to device (while working out), my 16gb iPhone isn't anywhere near full, and meanwhile my 40gb iPod languishes practically unused with a bunch of stuff I put on there ages ago.

ppiddy

@freakshow1: Even Mark spelled "discontinues" wrong in his headline. I've stopped caring about spelling mistakes :c)

Rabid Penguin

lol.

StealthNinja

I mean the like living with the tribe!

StealthNinja

what about the XBOX 360 Zune that can have a 120 gb hdd! with an incredible 10 + mg camera with a flash on the back that's bluetooth and wifi/ dsl /t-1 wireless modem; that has GPS software applications and all other modes ie- camcorder at 150 fps and a 10x optical zoom etc...
Tchao- meckssssssssssss!

StealthNinja