Zune Hits Shelves for $249 on November 14th
by Mike Zazaian September 28, 2006 - 9:36am, No Comments
Microsoft confirmed rumors that they wouldn’t be undercut by Apple’s 30GB iPod, annoucing the price for the its Zune at $249 US. The Zune personal media player, which includes a 3-inch screen and WiFi capabilities, will hit shelves on November 14th, right around the time holiday
While initally the Zune was tailored to sell at $299, competing with the 30GB iPod of yesteryear, Steve Jobs announcement at his September 12th showtime event in San Francisco chopped the price of Apple’s 30GB model to $249, leaving Microsoft in hot water. Luckily for Microsoft, and consumers, the Zune’s premium features didn’t make the unit weren’t prohibitively expensive, and Microsoft was able cut $50 off the price to keep competitive in the holiday rush.
Consumers were worried initially by an accidentally-posted product listing on Wal-Mart’s website, which suggested the Zune would sell for $284. With a Wal-Mart price of $284, an everyone else price of $299 seemed likely, and Zune-seeking music junkies thought the Zune would be doomed at a $50 premium to the newly-updated 30GB iPod. Fears of the scenario were soon allayed, however, as a report from David Caulton, a remember of the Zune development team, suggested that Microsoft would by no means be outdone by Apple. Many are that thankful today that that Caulton turned out to be a reliable source.
[via engadget]