Zune is here

September looks like month of war at Microsft as it is busy rolling one after another salvos in an attempt to capture market or make its presence felt. After launching Live ( www.live.com) to take on Google head on,  Microsoft has launched its so called iPod killer application Zune aimed at Apple corporation.

Zune, which is going to be available this holiday season in US, includes a 30GB digital media player, the Zune Marketplace music service and a foundation for an online community that will enable music fans to discover new music. The Zune device features wireless technology, a built-in FM tuner and a bright, 3-inch screen that allows users to not only show off music, pictures and video, but also to customize the experience with personal pictures or themes to truly make the device their own. Zune comes in three colors: black, brown and white.

Zune has features like wireless Zune-to-Zune sharing lets consumers spontaneously share full-length sample tracks of select songs, homemade recordings, playlists or pictures with friends between Zune devices and also allows uses to sample a music where they can hear a song upto three times over three days and then can decide to buy.

Further Zune device is preloaded with content from record labels such as DTS, EMI Music’s Astralwerks Records and Virgin Records, Ninja Tune, Playlouderecordings, Quango Music Group, Sub Pop Records, and V2/Artemis Records.

However whether Zune will give iPod a run for its money is yet to be seen as lot many details including its pricing and also price of every track is little unclear and very tight licensing might slow its adoption in students community which thrive on sharing content.