Zune unlikely to hit UK until 2008

Microsoft’s iPod-rivalling Zune digital media player – still rumoured to eventually include games capabilities – won’t launch in the UK until at least the end of 2007, a year after the US launch.
Although the device is on track for release in the US on November 17th, it will miss the lucrative Christmas market in the UK and Europe this year and possibly next. One reason for the delay is reported to be that Microsoft has had no one to head up a UK and European launch – however the recently appointed head of Zune International will be building relationships in those areas. “They will be working on rolling out the Zune in the UK and Europe with its compatible Zune Market place,” said Dene Schonknecht, media and entertainment alliance manager at Microsoft. “We haven’t yet selected a music store provider to build marketplace in the UK, which means we’re way off launch.”

yay