Microsoft Confirms Multi-Touch Zune HD to Compete Against iPod Touch

[iansilv]

I really like the idea of an OLED screen in a competing device- hopefully Apple will improve the screen on the next iPhone. That said- 480 by 272?!? Are you kidding me Microsoft? Man, this is just getting pathetic...

We told her- you find it, you keep it...

"I wanted a screen that was s non-standard resolution so that my images would look crappy and the ipod touch was too high..."

 

[Spades]

I agree. I was just trying to figure out how I could get my media collection to my Windows partition. My options don't look good, and until I can find a good way I'll have to hold off on picking that bad boy up.

Do you have Parallels? You can have the VM share your Music folder with Windows, and have Zune monitor that folder. VMware probably has something similar. Then if you buy something in iTunes, it automatically gets added to the Zune software. Unfortunately a piece of your soul dies for participating in this unholy union of Apple and Microsoft products.

 

[TuffLuffJimmy]

Yes but can you control your music through the AUX/line in? Nope.. I mean by changing the songs without touching the MP3 player..

You mean like any MP3 player... That's not something impressive.

 

[Eidorian]

I agree. I was just trying to figure out how I could get my media collection to my Windows partition. My options don't look good, and until I can find a good way I'll have to hold off on picking that bad boy up.

My problem was that it wanted to organize my music based off of the Album Artist tag and not all of my songs have that filled. In addition the track name search lightyears beyond what you get on iTunes.

That is the point. It is only for Windows.. So I see no point in owning a device that only works on Windows.. I bet I am not the only one that feels the same way..

I had a Sansa Clip for some time but it kept choking on my ID3 tags from iTunes. The OLED screen on it was so bright even in the daylight and I liked having the FM radio.

 

[Darth.Titan]

A lot of hostility towards this product, and many posts to which I would like to add my $.02 (on both sides) but I shall keep my comments brief:

This could be interesting, but I am reserving judgement until I can see and play with a finished product.

 

[bengst]

a photocopier

THEY COPIED IT RIGHT DOWN TO THE BLACK AND SILVER BACK!!!!!

There was absolutely no reason they couldn't create their own color scheme. That is simply a blatant rip off. I know they can't think of anything original, but right down to the colors of the first iPhone? Jayzus.

I think the color isn't like the iPhone.

Anyway, from all Apple's design, what not to liked?

The color is just a small part though. Everyone's now an Apple wannabe, always comparing to Apple. IMO as much as I like it, I kinda bored with it. Remember Leopard Widget copied to Vista and named Gadget.. And so Click-wheel™, and M$ come up with Squircle.

Think about Dell Adamo, they copied the aluminum unibody and.. the packaging case looks like iPod Touch/nano resin case! Adamo is nice, but really, it's just second innovation. (if you call that innovation )

There's this Palm Pre. I like it, and going to buy it. (btw, I'm a Mac not a fanboy, but at some point I must admit) it's a really cool device come up with something iPhone didn't have, real keyboard and real background Apps. People said it's better than the iPhone. Of course, it's been 2 years!

But look closely, it's an iPhone rip-off! The flicking gesture, double-tap to zoom, landscape (w/ accelerometer) mode, almost everything iPhone had. Even their icons are Apple look alike.

Blackberry too, try to bet with "App world" (in fact, they call their programs "Apps" too!).

Again, what not to liked (and copied) from Apple?

 

[Casiotone]

How ironic, if it had a 480x320 screen like the iPod touch (instead of 480x272) you'd be able to see the whole "marketplace" instead of having the "e" chopped off...

 

[Slim02]

You mean like the Zune Home A/V Pack?

LMAO... You know that 99% of Cars and homes receivers now have iPod control build in.. You do not need any pack.. You just plug in your iPod and go.. No extra cost crap like the Zune..

 

[peterdevries]

2. there are more of these people in the windows camp (with different arguments ) than there are here, just go and read some of the engadget comments
3. I agree that dismissing MS products by default as deficient and inferior is very tired.

 

[slapppy]

Here is the design cues

This thing looks like a Sony Walkman from the eighties. It even has the 4 exposed screws. Yep its really cutting edge design from Microsoft.

Oh where is the accelerometer or BT on the list? Why is this announced now a few days before Apples big show? F.U.D. technique. Yeah MS is still using that famed IBM tactic till this day.

 

[peterdevries]

Competition is all well and good, but if they are just as effective here in Europe in distributing the Zune HD as they were with the previous models, than this will be another product that I will never see in real life.

Up till this day I have never seen or held a Zune or know someone who owns it. This thing is sold almost nowhere in Europe.

 

[Slim02]

You mean like any MP3 player... That's not something impressive.

Well seeing I can plug my iPod to my car stereo and use the remote to change the songs on the iPod like I do with the CD in the CD player.. Also change the iPod with the same cable.. You can not do that with any other MP3 player..

 

[MattInOz]

I don't like the idea of being able to see the screws that keep the device together

It's the first thing that catches the Eye isn't.

Would like to see Digital FM on the next iPhone.

 

[SandynJosh]

Who prefers Zune over HD? MS employees?

Hmmm....I'm gonna give you fellas an idea that may be worth running with to the bank. There's gotta be thousands of MS employees that would want an iPod but might fear being discriminated against if they didn't buy a Zune. So, make an enclosure for the iTouch that makes it look like a Zune.

I'm not sure how you should hide the brighter screen of the iTouch...maybe a dark gray screen cover that darkens it down so you can hardly read it, a la OLED screen.

The one and only time I tried a phone running Windows CE, I touched the screen and nothing happened. So I said to myself, "I must have not touched it hard enough," and I reached my finger over to push it again when it finally executed my command. "Holy girdles, Batman! Talk about sluggish performance!"

 

[MagnusVonMagnum]

I don't like the idea of being able to see the screws that keep the device together

It means changing the battery will be easier. The ability to play HD movies back to a TV through a dock blows away the iPod Touch's current capabilities. Apple doesn't seem to want you to be able to do too much with their devices, at least until competition of some kind FORCES them to do it. So either way, this is GOOD for us the consumer. I cannot fathom why anyone would vote negative about this thread except for Apple fanatics that want Apple to rule the world. Otherwise, competition is always GOOD for the consumer because it means better products and lower prices. But I don't think too many Apple fanatics care about such things. Apple seems to be more of a religion for them than a company selling electronics and operating systems.

Now if only someone could force Apple to add more features to AppleTV....

 

[Eidorian]

It means changing the battery will be easier. The ability to play HD movies back to a TV through a dock blows away the iPod Touch's current capabilities. Apple doesn't seem to want you to be able to do too much with their devices, at least until competition of some kind FORCES them to do it. So either way, this is GOOD for us the consumer. I cannot fathom why anyone would vote negative about this thread except for Apple fanatics that want Apple to rule the world. Otherwise, competition is always GOOD for the consumer because it means better products and lower prices. But I don't think too many Apple fanatics care about such things. Apple seems to be more of a religion for them than a company selling electronics and operating systems.

Now if only someone could force Apple to add more features to AppleTV....

Take a look at how many negative votes the Back to School Promo article has right now.

Rating (83 Positives; 32 Negatives)

 

[mac*jedi*g]

....Right... You have got to be kidding me. Steve Ballmer has to be behind this.

 

[Ropedartman]

Good!

OLED screen? Nice...competition is a good thing, likes to take their sweet-time otherwise

 

[slapppy]

Competition

What is with the "competition is always good" when talking about Microsoft?

Microsoft can afford to lose millions and even billions of dollars on a product that competes directly with another company. They can do it for years and years.

If the competing company loses millions in as little as a few quarters, that product is gone, dead and out of the competition ASAP.

So how can one state that Microsoft products that compete with an existing product from a rival company is always good?

 

[DMann]

I have the distinct impression that there are indeed people within Microsoft who have good ideas; it's just that every last one of them is slowly, systematically strangled to death by committee before it poses a danger of actually working. You can find the odd blog or two by "people on the inside" if you look around, mostly detailing the mind-numbing incompetence that permeates the organization.

"This device is created to go head to head with the iPod Touch,"

Exactly why the device will fail to be succesful, when companies create something to compete with another thing that was truly inventive and obiously created with passion, it will utterly fail. Sad... if only MS could put their efforts in creating instead of copying out of jealousy the world might become a little better
This, original zune revisited.

WOW, a touch control portable player! Where did they get THAT idea from?

Since the beginning, MS has been consistent in rendering its business to emulate already successful products, albeit in a shoddy and compromised fashion, and shoo them out the door, whether functional, or not. Changing this practice now would be a difficult task, since innovation requires talent, foresight, cooperative synergy, and interdepartmental coordination, all of which have been severely lacking since day one. I hear that they'll be attaching a Wii stick to the 360 in 2010 - trail chasing, it's the Microsoft Way.

 

[crusadernm]

Jeez. What is with all the vitriol and hate? Holy cow, I would never think any company could illicit such hatred. Did Microsoft kill your dog or something?

It must suck to not have an open mind.

 

[peterdevries]

What is with the "competition is always good" when talking about Microsoft?

Microsoft can afford to lose millions and even billions of dollars on a product that competes directly with another company. They can do it for years and years.

If the competing company loses millions in as little as a few quarters, that product is gone, dead and out of the competition ASAP.

So how can one state that Microsoft products that compete with an existing product from a rival company is always good?

When we are talking about competition, we mean functionality... Not money.

Example: a good Zune HD with new hardware and software will force Apple to be at the top of their game and vice versa. If there is no competition than there is no reason to introduce new features as people will be forced to use that product anyway.

 

[slapppy]

When we are talking about competition, we mean functionality... Not money.

Example: a good Zune HD with new hardware and software will force Apple to be at the top of their game and vice versa. If there is no competition than there is no reason to introduce new features as people will be forced to use that product anyway.

You cannot separate that with money. Thats the most ridiculous statement I've read so far. Companies produce products to make money. Companies add functionality to products to make money. Companies INNOVATE to stay ahead of the competition to make money.

MS doesn't have to innovate. They wait and copy and fail, but continue with the crappy product because their monopoly allows them to fail over and over again on the product.

 

[billysea]

This thread reminds me of how biased the people here are towards Apple.
Ugliest thing ever? Give me a break.
It looks much better than 90% of gadgets out there.
I am not going to buy it because I have Touch already, but this is far from ugly.

 

[TuffLuffJimmy]

What is with the "competition is always good" when talking about Microsoft?

Microsoft can afford to lose millions and even billions of dollars on a product that competes directly with another company. They can do it for years and years.

If the competing company loses millions in as little as a few quarters, that product is gone, dead and out of the competition ASAP.

So how can one state that Microsoft products that compete with an existing product from a rival company is always good?

This comment does nothing but contradict itself. Are we supposed to just let Apple have the monopoly for the sole purpose of not letting Microsoft have any market share?