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

FX120 said:
The same people Apple got the idea from?

Cowon? Or was it Archos?
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I have looked and I have looked and have yet to find the Cowon, or was it Archos, "touch" music/movies/tv shows player at my local retailer... :rolleyes:

Surely, these fine products, first out of the starting gate, would have been marketed as a world wide wonder in as much to dominate this particular niche of the mp3 market segment that would have left Apple twiddling it's thumbs and lamenting that we should never even try to compete by producing a slick looking touch based mp3 product... :eek:
 
The most interesting parts are:

HD Radio - An initiative that's getting poor uptake in the US just at it did in the EU. Also, HD Radio is compatible with the EU's DAB Digital Radio.

Zune HD - That's a joke. It has a lower resolution screen than the old iPT, yet it slaps on the "HD" logo and suddenly that isn't the case? HD Output is not a killer feature, and naming the product "Zune HD" is pretty misleading.

A Brower? Based on IE? on a Mobile device? - Oh, Lord... :( . And BTW, why isn't it on the front screen? Do they not consider it key to the device? Because if not, they'll fail.

Windows CE - Something they dug out of the skip of Windows-products-that-didnt-work. Why no Windows Mobile? It's a more modern OS with more advanced features, and sharing an OS would give it full compatibility with the WinMo store apps.

App Store? - Since its running CE, its not going to be fully compatible with WinMo (which has gone a long way since its CE days) or its app store. I don't think that menu interface is going to scale to very many apps at all.
 
peterdevries said:
I'm describing the principle, not what any company actually did. It's not nonsense, it's a basic principle of economics and competition. And even though MS does not seem to do innovation consider the following:
  • Blue Track mice (innovation on laser mice)
  • ergonomical keyboards
  • Windows media player (was here years before iTunes)

This list is not complete, but to say that MS is only copying is nonsense. They do not introduce entire new concepts or new products types. But neither does Apple: Laptops, Desktops, Smartphones and MP3 players were here all before Apple started making them. Apple is just great at improving , designing and innovating existing concepts. MS is poor at this (IMO)...
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Windows media player innovative...this has got to be the funniest thing I have ever heard. In what form was it there before iTunes, in a godawful player mo one used and it's only two years since they got some sense to turn it into a media library player cpying real jukebox, musicmatch now yahoo player, j rivers, iTunes and countless others...of people even weren't using it and used other apps instead, I know cause I had a pc. For crying out loud people please think before posting.
 
does anybody ever actually replace the battery's??? i can honestly say that i've gone through life without ever feeling the need to change batteries in my phone or whatever!
 
I quite like the 'industrial 1st gen iPhone' look they've gone for. Credit to M$ for copying something properly.
 
akutad said:
Really..... Not very much constructive criticism here at this forum. Just bias opinion. I guess that's why it's called "Mac"Rumors. Comical really.
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When it comes to MS, there can be no balance. The entire organization lives off its licensing sacred cow. All you need to run MS' day-to-day ops is a cash register: Ding! another OEM copy of Vista . . . SOLD!

Apple has a fraction of MS' R&D and look what they're doing with it. MS' R&D coughed up Vista, confusing web services, aimless forays into the Search marketplace, Yahoo circle-jerks, the Zune, WinMo 6.5 (ugh!), another version or two of Office, a Big-Ass Table(TM) that doesn't work right, and now a copycat iPod Touch. And they don't even need to manage computer hardware rollouts!!

So look at what's left MS' doors since 2001, with their billions in R&D and all the opportunity in the world. Now look at what's left Apple's doors since 2001. See any difference??? Duh!!!
 
chalpin said:
Not sure I follow. I do have fun with it. Have you used IE 8 yet? It's pretty good - much better than Safari. It's a pretty close tie for me with Firefox.
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IE 8, sure great! About 27 times slower in java than safari, and in all around Independently Verified Tests THE slowest by far from either safari, opera, and firefox. BY FAR SLOWER, and that has been assessed.
 
crossifixio said:
Microsoft does not understand that people buy the ipod touch not because of its specs but because of the way it integrates with iTunes. Sony failed at the MP3 player wars not because they cant make great MP3 players, on the contrary they make some of the best, it is this because they did not have the right software to go with it!! So until Microsoft comes out with something that competes with iTunes and fits with its music player, its point set match to Apple!
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Are you serious? Who on earth would buy an iPod because of the way it integrates with iTunes? That's insane. No one I know with an Apple product uses it with iTunes unless they are technology-impaired. iTunes is a horrible piece of garbage that seems to suck the life out of decent computers. If it weren't for the buggyness of downloading apps to the iPhone wirelessly, and the lack of being able to backup my iPhone's contents without iTunes, I wouldn't be using it either. Most people I know use alternatives such as Media Monkey that use a lot fewer resources, do not crash as often and are so much more responsive.

Too bad Apple keeps locking down their devices so fan boys like you are stuck with their products.
 
Wanna be cool design, crapy OS

Wanna be cool design, crapy OS. This is destined to total failure ! The OLED will not help !.
 
applecultvictim said:
Windows media player innovative...this has got to be the funniest thing I have ever heard. In what form was it there before iTunes, in a godawful player mo one used and it's only two years since they got some sense to turn it into a media library player cpying real jukebox, musicmatch now yahoo player, j rivers, iTunes and countless others...of people even weren't using it and used other apps instead, I know cause I had a pc.
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I agree that WMP is a piece of crap, but when it appeared (and this was somewhere in the 90s) it was new and hadn't been done before. At that moment in time it was innovative.

applecultvictim said:
For crying out loud people please think before posting.
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Your arrogance is quite annoying, since I thought about my post, but you clearly didn't take time to understand mine..
 
They really don't have any ideas of their own anymore, do they? Kinda sad for a company that actually used to be innovative (long time ago).

chalpin said:
Are you serious? Who on earth would buy an iPod because of the way it integrates with iTunes? That's insane. No one I know with an Apple product uses it with iTunes unless they are technology-impaired. iTunes is a horrible piece of garbage that seems to suck the life out of decent computers. If it weren't for the buggyness of downloading apps to the iPhone wirelessly, and the lack of being able to backup my iPhone's contents without iTunes, I wouldn't be using it either. Most people I know use alternatives such as Media Monkey that use a lot fewer resources, do not crash as often and are so much more responsive.

Too bad Apple keeps locking down their devices so fan boys like you are stuck with their products.
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I find itunes well laid out, fast, stable, and intuitive. I don't know anyone who's used it who feels noticably different. Sorry you don't like it, but you could really stand to lose the attitude and stop assuming your experience is the same as everyone else's.
 
applecultvictim said:
IE 8, sure great! About 27 times slower in java than safari, and in all around Independently Verified Tests THE slowest by far from either safari, opera, and firefox. BY FAR SLOWER, and that has been assessed.
Click to expand...

It's interesting you did not mention Chrome. Is speed the only important browser trait? If so, you must be using Chrome. It destroys everyone else.
 
chalpin said:
Are you serious? Who on earth would buy an iPod because of the way it integrates with iTunes? That's insane. No one I know with an Apple product uses it with iTunes unless they are technology-impaired. iTunes is a horrible piece of garbage that seems to suck the life out of decent computers. If it weren't for the buggyness of downloading apps to the iPhone wirelessly, and the lack of being able to backup my iPhone's contents without iTunes, I wouldn't be using it either. Most people I know use alternatives such as Media Monkey that use a lot fewer resources, do not crash as often and are so much more responsive.

Too bad Apple keeps locking down their devices so fan boys like you are stuck with their products.
Click to expand...

Mac users use iTunes. It works beautifully on OS X. It was designed to work seamlessly on OS X, and it does. It's the Gold Standard of apps of its kind. And it looks great, too.

Downloading wirelessly to your iPhone should work alright as well. Nothing wrong with it. Maybe your problems are just your own. And you're projecting them on to everyone else. It happens around here.

v66jack said:
does anybody ever actually replace the battery's??? i can honestly say that i've gone through life without ever feeling the need to change batteries in my phone or whatever!
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Because MS usually provides answers to questions no one's asked. No one replaces batteries. We just charge them. LOL. Nothing too difficult about that. A replaceable battery is no longer a feature. It's another moving part that no one needs.
 
chalpin said:
Are you serious? Who on earth would buy an iPod because of the way it integrates with iTunes? That's insane. No one I know with an Apple product uses it with iTunes unless they are technology-impaired. iTunes is a horrible piece of garbage that seems to suck the life out of decent computers. If it weren't for the buggyness of downloading apps to the iPhone wirelessly, and the lack of being able to backup my iPhone's contents without iTunes, I wouldn't be using it either. Most people I know use alternatives such as Media Monkey that use a lot fewer resources, do not crash as often and are so much more responsive.

Too bad Apple keeps locking down their devices so fan boys like you are stuck with their products.
Click to expand...

For someone posting on Macrumors and claiming not to have a love affair with the Zune you certainly post a lot about the topic. In fact, you joined this morning just to talk about the topic.

In fact you do buy an iPod just because of the way it integrates with iTunes because there is no other way to get applications on the Touch unless you hack it.
 
*LTD* said:
Mac users use iTunes. It works beautifully on OS X.

Downloading wirelessly to your iPhone should work alright as well. Nothing wrong with it. Maybe your problems are just your own.
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Ahh, by that rational, Windows users should buy a Zune. If they all did, Apple would be done for.

As for downloading apps wirelessly, yes, it should work fine but it doesn't always. I don't believe it's just me - you obviously haven't come across any complaint forums.
 
chalpin said:
Is it drooling? Tested its IQ? How can you tell stupidity in a product?
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Same way you could tell with the current Zune.


chalpin said:
Ahh, by that rational, Windows users should buy a Zune. If they all did, Apple would be done for.

As for downloading apps wirelessly, yes, it should work fine but it doesn't always. I don't believe it's just me - you obviously haven't come across any complaint forums.
Click to expand...

Except even Windows uses recognize that the current Zune is a steaming pile.
 
macfan881 said:
ugh i can never understand why people prefer a zune over a ipod i have used both and ipods are clearly a 100x better
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Sorry, that made me laugh. You obviously fell for a Zune as well.. :p;) But at least you agree that iPods are better! :)

Still, the Windows crowd always fall for the "but this one includes a radio" or "but the iPhone will fail because it only has a 2MP camera" trick..

I'm assuming the picture is a rough mock-up because the 'e' from Marketplace doesn't quite fit on the screen. My first thought was that it was alright in the looks department... until I saw the back and sides. :eek: Take it away...
 
brop52 said:
For someone posting on Macrumors and claiming not to have a love affair with the Zune you certainly post a lot about the topic. In fact, you joined this morning just to talk about the topic.

In fact you do buy an iPod just because of the way it integrates with iTunes because there is no other way to get applications on the Touch unless you hack it.
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I've never even seen a Zune other than in Best Buy. A friend of mine had one and she loved it until she lost it.

Yes, I just joined today to participate in this thread. I thought the idea was to participate. I've posted a long time ago but I can't remember what my ID was - it was easier to sign up again than to search for it. I assume there was a thread that caused you to sign up at one point too. Which one was it?

Just killing some time, trying to help people take off their rose tinted glasses. It's probably a futile exercise though, isn't it? So many fanboys, so little time.
 
Saladinos said:
The most interesting parts are:

HD Radio - An initiative that's getting poor uptake in the US just at it did in the EU. Also, HD Radio is compatible with the EU's DAB Digital Radio.
Click to expand...

What part of Europe is it failing in? It's very popular in the UK and I love the idea of it - if it weren't so darn expensive.
 
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