Yes, you read right, the Zune is coming to Canada! Our lucky neighbors to the north will be getting the Zune 4/8/80 models. The 4 and 8 will be available in red, black, and pink. The 80 gets red and black. Prices range from $140 to $250. Canadians can download the Zune Software from Zune.ca.

source: http://www.zuneboards.com/zune-news/zune-arriving-at-canada-on-june-13.html

Hey, I am off to work though, I thought I would have time to get it loaded up and play a bit before I left for work, but… I woke up to my office being quiet. That meant all my machines were powered down. We must of took a power hit last night.

So I get powered up and pop up the software, no problem. I SEE A VIDEO TAB!!! All of a sudden, Internet Explorer starts to start a new window over and over again. 20 new windows later, I had to do a restart to stop it. I left for work. I’ll deal with it tonight. I am not sure what caused it, hope it’s not Zune 2.5.

Talk to you all later. Work Calls.

So, tommorow you can try it all out, but just off reading all this info pouring in about tommorow’s launch, what do you think? Come on, Gapless… Autoplaylists, cool features for the Social… you have to have some opinions, right?

I’ll share more about my feelings tommorow after I get to see it on MY PC live.

In case you like reading all the goodies from a press release, I decided to throw you a bone here… Read on for the press release…

Zune Expands Beyond Music to Deliver Integrated All-in-One Entertainment Experience

New software updates bring popular television shows to online store, enhancements to online music community and subscription service.

REDMOND, Wash. — May 5, 2008 — Microsoft Corp. today announced that Zune, the company’s all-in-one digital entertainment brand, is adding new software features and content to the Zune online store, music community and Zune Pass monthly subscription service. Zune is expanding its video store to include downloads of popular television shows from COMEDY CENTRAL, FUNimation^® Entertainment, MTV, NBC Universal, Nickelodeon, Starz Media (including Magna Entertainment), Turner Broadcasting, Ultimate Fighting Championship^® (UFC) and VH1 that consumers can sync to their device and enjoy on the go. In addition, by further integrating the Zune music community into the core experience, the new software makes it easier for people to find and listen to the music they want, share it with friends, and take it with them wherever they go — whether they choose a Zune Pass or a la carte MP3 downloads. Zune Pass subscribers can now set up automatic, real-time feeds of the music their friends are listening to and add those songs to their collection or Zune device.

(more…)

This is one of the nicer additions to the Zune Social with Spring (Zune 2.5)…

We’ve created a new page designed to give a comprehensive overview
of the music your entire circle of friends is playing. This “My Social� page
acts as your new home page, displaying an animated mosaic of artists
and album pictures automatically refreshed by the selections your friends
are playing. This dynamic view includes great artist images along with the
ability to sample tracks on your friend’s cards. Just mouse over images to
see who’s been listening to what.

(more…)

This release that should go live tommorow morning will include a ton of new features, Fixes, etc… Most of the in the Social, but some big ones that you all have been asking for. Video Store, Gapless Playback, and Auto Playlists.

Here are some feature highlights…

• Auto playlists.
• Browsing videos.
• Editing album and track information.
• Organizing collections.
• Gapless playback.
• Syncing groups.
• Zune reminders.

There are tons of new Social Features today too…

• Syncing Zune Cards to a device.
• Enhanced friends search.
• Instant friends.
• Artist and album reviews.
• Reputation badges.
• Windows Live connections.

Hang tight, I have more info coming soon. I had a chance to see this in action last month and it’s nice so far.

So, we’ve known for quite some time that the Canadians would get a Zune launch eventually. Now it seem that it’s getting closer though. Engadget today posted a story about jobs that came up on craigslist Canada and a link to a promo page on Microsoft Canada. They are calling this launch potentially a “limited lineup”. I don’t really understand that considering that the Red Zune was just announced as going to retail and the Zune 30 is an old legacy gen 1 device. It’s still a good Zune, but I don’t think they are in production anymore.

 
Screen grab from Engadget of the Microsoft Canada Promo Page.

Just hold on a little while longer, Canadian Zune-lovers — it seems that your wait is almost over. A job listing just popped up on the Vancouver Craigslist, looking for a “Microsoft Zune Program Coordinator” who will “represent our client Microsoft on their launch of Zune in the Canadian marketplace.” The job calls for applicants to be available between May 12 and June 20, so if it’s legit — and we hope it is, just because we prefer to believe no one is sad enough to fake this — it looks like the Zune will finally roll into Canada in just a few weeks.

Go Canada, at least you know they are coming!

Now it’s about time. Earlier today at CES (which I am not at for the 1st time in while), Microsoft announced that the social will grow closer to the US for now. I am sure that this will lead the way for other launches in 2008.

Zune to Launch in Canada; Zune Social Grows Rapidly

Adding to the entertainment momentum, Bach announced that Zune will be available in Canada in spring 2008, the first time the family of digital music players will be available outside the U.S. Microsoft also announced that since the November launch of Zune Social, more than 1.5 million people have joined the music-focused social network, demonstrating how Zune is tapping into consumers desire to share their musical passions with their broader community.

Source : Mobilitysite

I am not normally one to hop on the Petition bandwagon to try to get the attention of a company. I don’t think they are effective. On the otherhand, it only takes a second to sign one online.

I am passing this one on to anyone that wants to sign it since I support a worldwide launch of the Zune. I am not going to pretend to know why they haven’t yet, but I assume it has something to do with the Marketplace and having international deals with international recording labels, etc. No clue, just a guess.

Anyhow, I get 1-2 emails a week on YouTube asking me when the Zune will launch in Europe. They remind me to talk to my Microsoft MVP lead to find out some info, but normal replies don’t tell me any more than I already knew. So, here it is, a Petition asking Microsoft to Release the Zune Worldwide.

To:  Microsoft

To whom it may concern,
There has been alot of speculation about the Microsoft Zune and when it will be released world wide. The Zune first came out late 2006 for all Americans to get their hands on in time for Christmas. Though it didn’t do as well as some other mp3 players on the market. Approximatly one year later Microsoft had released a newer version of the Zune called the “Zune 80″ which also has been quite popular now in the US market.

Though there has been alot of confusion to why Microsoft has not released it world wide. There have been many websites online which are dedicated to the Zune, particularly Australian ones, many which claim false dates for the releasing of the Zune in various parts around the world. This is due to Microsoft not answering any questions or claiming that they simply do not know when the release dates are. One particular website stating that an Australian Microsoft executive claimed that the Zune was to be released early next year (which was meant to be early 2007) yet nothing seemed to become of it.

I for one have contacted many people, including Microsoft representitives to when the Zune is going to be released world wide. None were able to answer.

So Microsoft, we are pleading that you please make a statement to when the Zune is to be released in various parts of the world. Not later, not soon, but a date that we could perhaps rely on. There are many of us willing to try it out and spread the word about the Zune. For those who choose to go that extra bit further and buy one online, Microsoft has yet still restricted people from using the Zune Marketplace (used to download music) as it states that “It is not avaliable in your region”. We have been waiting for over a year, so please consider this petition and all the people which sign to have the Zune released in their country.

Releasing the Zune worldwide Petition

Willing to drive? Fly? Well, there are Zune 80s still available for in-store pickup in the Southeast.

If you really want a Zune 80, just head over to CircuitCity.com and throw in some Zip Codes around you and see…