Microsoft unzips Zune details

Microsoft's 30GB Zune digital media player will sell for $249 (£133) when it hits US store shelves on 14 November, the company said on Thursday as it released more details on the device.

Microsoft has not announced UK price and release date information.

The Zune's price will put it in direct competition with Apple's latest 30GB iPod, which also costs $249 in the US (£189 in the UK).

To introduce the companion Zune Pass music service, the device will come preloaded with songs, music videos and film shorts from the store. Zune Pass will cost $14.99 a month.

There will also be the option of purchasing individual songs through a system called Microsoft Points. The new Microsoft cash system will work by adding money to an account, as with a pay-as-you-go phone card. Points will then be deducted from the account with each purchase. A single song will cost 79 points. The point system will also work in the Xbox Live Marketplace.

Microsoft said that Zune software will let people import audio files in unprotected WMA, MP3 or AAC (iTunes) formats. That means that although songs purchased from Apple's iTunes store are barred by DRM restrictions from being moved, songs that were originally ripped from a CD and uploaded to a computer with iTunes software may be able to be copied onto the Zune.

As previously reported, the Zune will come in black, brown or white. It will have wireless capability that lets people share music, playlists and photos from one Zune to another. It will have an FM tuner and a 76mm (3-inch) LCD screen. The Zune will hold 7,500 songs, 25,000 pictures or 100 hours of video.

Microsoft also released details on Thursday on the Zune's three accessory kits.

The $99 Zune home pack hooks the device into an entertainment system. It includes an AV output cable, Zune dock, a wireless remote, Zune sync cable and AC adaptor. The $99 Zune Travel Pack includes earphones, a Zune dual-connect remote, a gear bag, sync cable and AC adaptor. For the car, there is a $79 kit that comes with a charger and an FM Tuner with AutoSeek.

All of the accessories from the kits will also be sold individually as well. The cables are each priced at about $20. The AC adaptor, gear bag, wireless dock remote, and wireless dual connect remote sell for $30 each. The dock and earphones cost $40 each, the car charger $25, and the FM Tuner with AutoSeek $69.