Timed purposely to be launched closely after Apple's new 5.5G iPod lineup, Microsoft have just officially lifted the curtain on their new "Zune" portable media player, and it certainly seems to have the goods to put the pressure on Apple but time will tell for sure.

The unit sports a 30GB HDD (a little on the lowly side maybe?), 802.11b/g wireless connectivity, an FM tuner, USB 2.0 interface and a massive 3" LCD screen.

Microsoft's official press announcement can be located here, and theres more info on it over at the DailyTech folks.

Update: Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows have published two photo galleries of the new Zune in action, as highlighted in this fresh article at the DailyTech.

REDMOND, Wash. - Sept. 14, 2006 - Marking the next big milestone for its Connected Entertainment vision, Microsoft Corp. today unveiled details of the first products to be released under its Zune™ brand. Designed around the principles of sharing, discovery and community, Zune will create new ways for consumers to connect and share entertainment experiences. The Zune experience centers around connection - connection to your library, connection to friends, connection to community and connection to other devices.

"The digital music entertainment revolution is just beginning," said J Allard, vice president, design and development, at Microsoft, 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."