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Digital
Zune coming to the UK
By CMU Editorial | Published on Wednesday 22 September 2010
Microsoft’s music service Zune is coming to the UK, albeit via other Microsoft-powered devices rather than the bespoke Zune MP3 player.
Zune was Microsoft’s relatively low-key attempt to take a slice of the digital music market from Apple, after it became clear third-party MP3 players using the Windows multi-media platform were impressing no one. Shunning said platform itself and basically starting from scratch, Zune arrived in the US in 2006.
And, although it was never rolled out elsewhere, and is still a minority player in the shadow of the giant that is iTunes and the iPod, the Zune player and its accompanying download platform did win some fans, and subsequent link ups with other Microsoft products – in particular the Xbox – have expanded its reach. Zune has also successfully added a subscription package alongside its iTunes-style a la carte download service, and has made some headway in the provision of movie content.
In the UK, the Zune service will be made available to users of the Xbox, any mobile running Windows Phone 7, and any PC running Windows. Some reckon having one service that works across gaming, mobile and PC platforms could give Zune an edge.
An exact UK release date has not been confirmed, though Pocket-lint reckon it could coincide with the launch of the new Kinect tool for the Xbox 360, the slightly scary new technology which means you can interact with the gaming console through words and gestures rather than a controller.
