Microsoft today quietly restored a red version of the Zune 80 to its lineup, adding it to the company's Zune Originals customization service. The hard drive-based media player was previously available only in the color as a limited-run Valentine's Day promotion but can now be purchased alongside the normal black model. The Originals service lets prospective buyers choose from any one of multiple art patterns to be engraved to the aluminum back in addition to (or in place of) custom text.

The price and features of the player remain the same as before, with 80GB of storage, a 3.2-inch screen and Wi-Fi sharing as well as syncing separating the $249 Zune from challengers such as the iPod classic. Devices are expected to ship almost immediately from Microsoft's site, though the company does not say whether the revived color will be available in retail shops.