Journojulz
macrumors 65816
Case in point - zune pc software - have you tried it?
All style, no substance, can't even play video full screen without black bars and transport controls! 😀
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Microsoft Attempting to Recruit App Store Developers for Zune HD?
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Case in point - zune pc software - have you tried it?
All style, no substance, can't even play video full screen without black bars and transport controls! 😀
kdarling
Contributor
Nope, but thanks for the heads up. For that matter, I'm not a fan of iTunes on a PC, either. It's the only piece of software that has ever crashed my XP Pro laptops.
A couple of things that could make me get a Zune instead of more iPod touches, would include: not being charged $20 every year or so for a software update. And being able to sync to more than one computer and/or the ability to access the file system directly.
*LTD*
macrumors G4
Agreed. It looks alright. Nothing special, but it could have been a lot worse.
Rodimus Prime
macrumors G4
It is the same thing with me about the Zune has some things that really interested me over the iPod. One of the big things is the reports and things I have read of hose it is going to tie in and worth with the 360. This has my attention because the 360 already has some things I like about it that it does besides gaming.
My 360 already replace my cheap ($20) DVD player and the fact the fact that I can stream my entire video library off my computer is a HUGE and I mean HUGE plus.
Microsoft did one thing very right and that was the 360. Microsoft lead and still is leading the way for the TV tieing back into the computer. They started with a PC in every living room which is where windows Media center edition came about. That did not work to well but then they made something a lot like the Apple TV (predates it as well) known as media center extenders that did not sell to well much like the Apple TV is not selling to well. Then they saw the same demographic that is interested in that technology is the same group that buys the Xbox system... hell they saw people modded the orginal Xbox for no other reason that to just stream stuff off a PC over the network. The 360 was built that way.
The Zune working with the 360 just really has my attention and I wondering how it works.
That is the one thing making me consider a Zune. I wonder how the software is when using it on a Mac.
That Zune HD interface on a TV is freaking sick.
Journojulz
macrumors 65816
The zune software on the pc is sick.
I.E. It doesn't work very well and needs urgent professional attention.
I couldn't get it to play full screen video without black borders, grey Borders and a transport bar.
Didn't see a mac version.
I.E. It doesn't work very well and needs urgent professional attention.
I couldn't get it to play full screen video without black borders, grey Borders and a transport bar.
Didn't see a mac version.
Every three posts you say you don't like the desktop software (I don't share the same opinion by the way) but you don't give any real reasons. The program can only be maximized, thats true but when the only video will likely use it for are video podcasts. This is hardly a reason to hate the program.
By the way the black borders are because the aspect ratio of the video you are playing does not match the size of the window. I don't even know what grey border or transport bar you are talking about. The program is border less similar to how quicktime x is in snow leopard.
The reason I like the program is mainly because of its layout. Navigator to find what you want is easy and fast while still managing to keep a good feature set. It also monitors folders so adding and removing music is easy and it also finds artist info (pic, bio) for any song my hardware. (I don't own a zune I just use the software as a podcast client and music player on windows)
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/revi...udgement-a-review-of-the-zune-marketplace.ars
Thats the only review I could find of the software on the net.
Journojulz
macrumors 65816
The extra width is taken up dark grey columns with proper black Borders above and below.
The transport bar disappears, but the odd bars remain
the reason I didn't take to it was the large type of the tracks meant you could barely see two dozen tracks at a time, and few columns of information. The zune software takes up half the screen with blank graphics.
What I like about iTunes us that I can chose the columns of info I need in the order I want.
The other good thing about iTunes is video playback, cmd f plays full screen mode, cmd 1,2,3 switches between fit to biggest dimension, stretch to fit and actual size.
Couldn't find those options in zune.
Will try again, see if it works any better.
MS will release a new version of the Zune software so everything should be fixed. Apple needed couple of attempts at quicktime player as well. I still remember when you had to pay for full screen playback lol.
CQd44
macrumors 6502a
It's a stylistic choice. Everything in Zune is supersized if you haven't noticed. Makes it really finger friendly.
Journojulz
macrumors 65816
Hope they do fix it, maybe then they will make a mac version.
and yes, quicktime did used to need upgrade to Pro to play full screen.
I upgraded cos its a useful encoding programme and i got my £20 worth
When did that stop?
and yes, quicktime did used to need upgrade to Pro to play full screen.
I upgraded cos its a useful encoding programme and i got my £20 worth
When did that stop?
Not sure why they would. Mac users are a loyal bunch so it's unlikely they would buy MS when Apple has a similar product in the first place. MS would do better just concentrate on the PC and Zune itself.
And if a Mac user really wants a Zune they can always go to bootcamp. After all, that's the usual method when someone really needs to play games or use windows only software.
The extra width is taken up dark grey columns with proper black Borders above and below.
The transport bar disappears, but the odd bars remain
the reason I didn't take to it was the large type of the tracks meant you could barely see two dozen tracks at a time, and few columns of information. The zune software takes up half the screen with blank graphics.
What I like about iTunes us that I can chose the columns of info I need in the order I want.
The other good thing about iTunes is video playback, cmd f plays full screen mode, cmd 1,2,3 switches between fit to biggest dimension, stretch to fit and actual size.
Couldn't find those options in zune.
Will try again, see if it works any better.
Double click on the video i think changes its size ( that may be the reason for the grey bars because I don't get those bars when I play video). I said early that I liked the layout. While it show less items vertically it has multiple columns which I find is is better way to navigate
For example with both itunes and zune desktop if I want to listen to one particular song, I go artist,....etc. But where zune wins is that if want to find another song most times there is no need to navigate away from the page that I am currently in. This for me is a big plus because both these media player are on the slow side.
However I can see the benefit for having more info on the screen and for some people that way may be better for them.
Journojulz
macrumors 65816
Probably right. The demand will probably not be that great.
If i was being waspish - i would probably suggest that answer has seen path finally wandering back, we are on topic again. 😉
Journojulz
macrumors 65816
Tried it. No response. No right click either
Ah - got it! to put in more columns and now it goes fully across the screen!
And there is a sub-menu that allows you to reorder them
It shows 26 tracks deep, itunes shows 45
Now i get the multi-column thing and the album column, it does seem to be an ok itunes alternative for audio. Ta.
The main reason I want a Zune HD is because of it's media centre capability. You just dock it and that's it. All MS needs to do is enable Zune HD as a media extender so that you can stream music and HD video from the PC to the tv via the Zune. If they let the Xbox 360 controller interface with the Zune to play XBLA games on the docked Zune, that would be even better.
Journojulz
macrumors 65816
All this tech talking together - its getting exciting now, like the future is finally getting closer, felt that when i first picked up an iPhone.
Cool times to be a gadget head! 😀
Competition will make us all stronger.
Cool times to be a gadget head! 😀
Competition will make us all stronger.
CQd44
macrumors 6502a
Hugh
macrumors 6502a
Zune vs iPod Touch
The video showing the Zune in use didn't impress me. But then again I have yet to see how an iPod Touch works.
HD Radio wouldn't appeal to be, because we have no stations that would support it here.
Video play back.. I don't know, I bough some videos from the iTunes Store and yet to see them on my iPod (Something about too small of a screen, even though the screen on the iPod Touch and the Zune are larger.). Hooking it up to a HD TV has no appeal to me either. I don't own a HD TV (By the way there are docks that let you hook up you iPod Touch/iPhone to the TV. Isn't the video on iTunes HD 720? Might not be 1080 but still HD). As for traveling with the dock so you could watch those HD shows, you have to have a hotel room with a HD TV which most hotels don't have in their rooms.)
Market place... I don't know about this one. Lets talk about music first. You don't own the music you are renting it for 30 days. Then it's deleted. Can you even move you music file to another device like you can with iTunes (not to mention the song doesn't expire on you)? What about movies and videos are they also timed limited or do you get to keep them?
App Store ... I would think the app store for the Zune to be the Market Place, right now there are a few to none apps for the Zune compared the iPod Touch/iPhone. Maybe that's why MS bribed this programer $$ to port his App over. Are their Apps going to be in price points set by programmer or will be just set fee?
Games... Okay some of you keep saying this could tie in to the Xbox 360. I don't own an Xbox 360 so this has no benefit to me or any one else that doesn't have an Xbox 360.
Overview of use In the video, it showed that he had to take the unit out of portrait mode to move around the Apps, or just to change the Artist. Do you have to do this as well on the iPod Touch? I am going to assume you can zoom in out similar on the iPod Touch (if not, correct me, like I said haven't seen the iPod Touch in operation.)
Lastly... Can I use the unit on the Mac, this is going to turn some people seeing it won't work on a Mac OS X computer. Sure they can boot in Bootcamp but is the average user going to do that, or even know how?
My choice is most likely to be the iPod Touch in September, because I know it can be used on both Mac OS X and Windows xx
Hugh
The video showing the Zune in use didn't impress me. But then again I have yet to see how an iPod Touch works.
HD Radio wouldn't appeal to be, because we have no stations that would support it here.
Video play back.. I don't know, I bough some videos from the iTunes Store and yet to see them on my iPod (Something about too small of a screen, even though the screen on the iPod Touch and the Zune are larger.). Hooking it up to a HD TV has no appeal to me either. I don't own a HD TV (By the way there are docks that let you hook up you iPod Touch/iPhone to the TV. Isn't the video on iTunes HD 720? Might not be 1080 but still HD). As for traveling with the dock so you could watch those HD shows, you have to have a hotel room with a HD TV which most hotels don't have in their rooms.)
Market place... I don't know about this one. Lets talk about music first. You don't own the music you are renting it for 30 days. Then it's deleted. Can you even move you music file to another device like you can with iTunes (not to mention the song doesn't expire on you)? What about movies and videos are they also timed limited or do you get to keep them?
App Store ... I would think the app store for the Zune to be the Market Place, right now there are a few to none apps for the Zune compared the iPod Touch/iPhone. Maybe that's why MS bribed this programer $$ to port his App over. Are their Apps going to be in price points set by programmer or will be just set fee?
Games... Okay some of you keep saying this could tie in to the Xbox 360. I don't own an Xbox 360 so this has no benefit to me or any one else that doesn't have an Xbox 360.
Overview of use In the video, it showed that he had to take the unit out of portrait mode to move around the Apps, or just to change the Artist. Do you have to do this as well on the iPod Touch? I am going to assume you can zoom in out similar on the iPod Touch (if not, correct me, like I said haven't seen the iPod Touch in operation.)
Lastly... Can I use the unit on the Mac, this is going to turn some people seeing it won't work on a Mac OS X computer. Sure they can boot in Bootcamp but is the average user going to do that, or even know how?
My choice is most likely to be the iPod Touch in September, because I know it can be used on both Mac OS X and Windows xx
Hugh
Apologies if this has been said.
There are just so many failures in this pic, and I don't even mean aesthetic ones. Some of these are just plain dumb.
(1) "Marketplac" (Seriously, they couldn't fit it on the screen? Most of the 'e' is already there, so they could have just changed the font oh so slightly.)
(2) "Social" (What doesn't belong? 'Social' is an adjective. "If you want your social, just touch your Zune to go to your Social." Riiiiight.)
(3) Is it really so hard to come up with icons? The ONLY one that makes any sense is the one next to music. And "videos" doesn't even get an icon.
(4) Getting just a tad bit more picky, the "more" at the bottom is cut off. This would be fine, except then what is all the blank space near the top of the screen for?
Wow.
Aside from the fact this was an early prototype and the fact that it already has been talked about
- Ever thought that "marketplace" might scrool from left to right and back?
- and? whats the problem with being social. Want to be a looner all your life?
- The icons are unique and very modern. I'm not taking the zunes side, i'm just saying. Look at Safari. what does a compus have to do with web browsing (ok, you can say the same for the "e" and the fox but what ever)
- Its a touch screen. You move up and down. Just like your songs/albums/artists getting a bit cut off on the touch/iPhone.
(1) Really? You make it sound worse than I'd thought. It's supposed to scroll like a marquee? Where a font size difference would have sufficed? Or "scrool"? What's that supposed to mean?
(2) You seem to be having some reading comprehension difficulties. "Social" is an adjective. Can you name what part of speech the other categories are? Which one doesn't belong? I don't know what a "looner" is. Are you sure that by relying too much on other people being able to tell what you mean despite what you say, and in return demonstrating no comprehension, you're not just an inane bother to everyone around you?
(3) OK, the icons are "modern." So I guess it's normal for them to be unrecognizable or missing (like next to "videos")? Also, the word is 'compass.'
(4) So the blank space at the top is there for a reason other than poor design? Or are you just confusing the ability to scroll with an inability to design correctly?
By the way, I think this product, in terms of hardware, looks way better than the famous turd-brick from before. They got the outside right, but did they get the insides right? I guess we'll see.