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I hate surprises.  This year, it looks like a showdown of portable music players is being leaked early and I, for one, am thrilled.  No more watching keynotes to see what is coming down the line.  Today we can reveal one confirmed product and one that looks to be very real. 

The Zune HD is real

Microsoft has confirmed the Zune HD we told you about here, saying it will be available this fall.  This new Zune is designed to compete head-to-head with the iPod touch; which is a bold move as many of us believe that device is the pinnacle of PMPs. 

The Zune HD will include an OLED screen, HD radio receiver, and HD output to a TV.  There hasn’t been any announcement yet about apps (the big advertised point of the iPod touch), so surely MS has something more up there sleeve, right?

Zune owners love their little portable media player and are usually very vocal about it.  Unfortunately, they are in the minority of PMP buyers.  Quite frankly, I am a little surprised Microsoft is pushing forward with the much maligned Zune brand.  Microsoft will be using the goodwill of the Xbox brand by having the Zune HD being a “premium partner in the Xbox LIVE Video Marketplace, bringing an exciting catalog of TV and film to the platform. Zune will occupy the first slot within the Xbox user interface in the Xbox LIVE Video Marketplace, exposing the Zune brand experience to millions of new consumers for the first time.”

Next iPod takings shape

Also revealed is what looks very likely to be the next iPod Nano.  The newest feature appears to be a camera that is also rumored to make it onto the new iPod touch (uh-oh MS, quick - put a camera on the Zune HD).  The location on the purported new Nano is very odd, unless it can only be accessed in landscape.  The supposed release time is June to September (when Apple historically releases new iPods).

What this tells us at Gadgetell is we’ve not seen the final shape of PMPs.  They continue to change and evolve.  They also tell us Microsoft believes there is a market for it’s Zune (hopefully more than that Zune tattoo guy).  It will be interesting to see how these announcement/rumors change before release time. 

Read: [CNET]