Katie Marsal
The prices, listed at Amazon, also show a 16GB model for $220, or $79 cheaper than the 16GB iPod touch. The 32GB iPod touch retails for $399. The listing was captured by PC World. The devices remain listed at Amazon, but without any prices.
The Amazon Zune HD prices corroborate with alleged internal information from retailer Best Buy, which, according to Gizmodo, also showed price points of $220 and $290.
Microsoft is attempting to position the Zune HD as a direct competitor to the iPod touch, even offering multi-touch capabilities and Web browsing on its 3.3-inch screen. The device will also, via a dock, output 720P high-definition video and includes an internal HD radio. The Amazon page also said the Zune HD will play games.
While the lower price point might seem to position the device as a strong alternative, Apple could change the price of its iPod touch offerings well before Microsoft's touchscreen competitor launches. Apple is expected to launch new iPods, perhaps with cameras, at an anticipated event this September.
Each year since the iPod touch was released, Apple has also doubled the media player's maximum capacity. If that pattern were to continue, the iPod-maker would offer a new 64GB capacity this fall.
The Zune HD prices were temporarily listed at Amazon | Source: PCWorld
The Zune HD also recently received regulatory approval from the Federal Communications Commission, exposing its NVIDIA Tegra chip and Windows CE roots. While the device's price points may now be known, the Redmond, Wash., company has yet to reveal a launch date for the product, only stating it will debut this fall.
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Until, like, three weeks from now when the new iPod Touches come out.
Edit: responded to headline without reading AI commentary
A temporary price listing for Microsoft's upcoming Zune HD showed the device at $290 for its 32GB offering, a cost more than $100 cheaper than the comparable iPod touch model from Apple.
Considering that the 32GB iPod Touch is almost a year old, Apple could probably sell it for $100 cheaper now. It doesn't really matter anyways, Apple will either release a 64GB iPod Touch in it's place or drop the price in September.
This is good news for everyone who wants to hold out for an ipod touch. It MIGHT mean Apple will respond by lowering their prices. I think we might see what we saw with the iphone, where today's ipod touch model will be lowered in price, and the new model will cost what we see right now.
Either way though, that's a decent price for what seems to be a good competitor to the ipod touch. Is the app store worth 100 bucks? To some it is, to some it isn't. At least now you're not paying the same for less. (We'll see in a few weeks though lol)
the Tegra GPU in it is supposed to be very nice. Microsoft's one advantage is that the Zune HD is new and doesn't have the installed base of the iPod Touch. they can pay developers to make nice graphically intensive games that look much better than the current ipod games simply because everyone is still coding for 1st gen Apple hardware due to the installed base
I did see one game optimized for the 3G S, but all the did was add some colored lighting and shadows to the 1st gen graphics. did look kind of nice though
A temporary price listing for Microsoft's upcoming Zune HD showed the device at $290 for its 32GB offering, a cost more than $100 cheaper than the comparable iPod touch model from Apple.
It's a given, I think, that the next 16GB iPod touch will be at most $229. The open question is will Apple move down to $199 to pressure MS's margins, like they did with iPod vs. Zune. MS may be big but Apple, as the biggest NAND consumer, gets better pricing on NAND flash than MS.
It's also a given that Apple will introduce the next iPod touch at least by Sept 15, and more likely, by Sept 9. The open question is will Apple have the intro before Labor Day, as some have rumored.
Finally, why oh why does the Zune HD home screen not fit the words "marketplace" and "more" within it? (I assume "more" is the last item on that list.) I know they want to make the touch area big enough to easily touch, but it just looks ugly.