REDMOND, WA – Microsoft Corp released more details today about its upcoming Zune music sharing devices and services, due to hit the shelves in time for the holiday season this year.Saying that the announcement marks the “next big milestone for its Connected Entertainment vision,” Microsoft focused its press release on communal and interactive aspects of Zune.

“Designed around the principles of sharing, discovery, and community, Zune will create new ways for consumers to connect and share entertainment experiences,” the company stated in today’s release. “The Zune experience centers around connection – connection to your library, connection to friends, connection to community, and connection to other devices.”

The Zune digital media player itself will include 30GB of storage capacity, wireless technology, a built-in FM radio tuner, and three-inch screen that Microsoft said “allows users to not only show off music, pictures, and video, but also to customize the experience with personal pictures or themes to truly make the device their own.”

The Zune player will be offered in three colors, black, brown, and white, according to Microsoft.

“The digital music entertainment revolution is just beginning,” said J. Allard, Microsoft’s vice president for design and development, who is leading the charge for building the family of Zune products. “With Zune, we are not simply delivering a portable device, we are introducing a new platform that helps bring artists closer to their audiences and helps people find new music and develop new social connections.”

In support of the portable device, Microsoft will also offer the Zune Marketplace, the equivalent of Apple’s iTunes store, from which Zune users will be able to purchase and download tracks.

Unlike iTunes, which offers strictly pay-per-download purchase, the Zune Marketplace will offer users a subscription service option as well a pay-per-download model. The Microsoft release does not specify pricing, but states that Zune users will be able to “choose to purchase tracks individually or to buy a Zune Pass subscription to download as many songs as you want for a flat fee.”

Zune will also allow for a limited amount of free sharing of songs between Zune users, according to Microsoft’s release.

“Wireless Zune-to-Zune sharing lets consumers spontaneously share full-length sample tracks of select songs, homemade recordings, playlists, or pictures with friends between Zune devices,” the release states. “Listen to the full track of any song you receive up to three times over three days. If you like a song you hear and want to buy it, you can flag it right on your device and easily purchase it from the Zune Marketplace.”

Microsoft will also have a variety of Zune accessories ready for market when the portable device launches, including in-car chargers, and a home audio/visual pack that will enable Zune to be integrated into home entertainment systems.

Apple, meanwhile, announced Tuesday new versions of its iPod, as well as iPod nano, and iPod shuffle models; a new nano model with significantly increased battery life (24 hours), a new 1GB shuffle close to half the size of previous versions, and a new 80GB iPod ($349) capable of holding “20,000 songs or 100 hours of video,” according to Apple.

More information about Zune is available here: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/presskits/zune

The latest announcements concerning iPod releases are available from Apples’ press center here: http://www.apple.com/pr/