I was waiting for your links to reviews that were "overwhelmingly positive."
Here's one I read earlier today:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/172014/zune_hd_no_ipod_killer.html
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Microsoft Launches Zune HD
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I was waiting for your links to reviews that were "overwhelmingly positive."
Here's one I read earlier today:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/172014/zune_hd_no_ipod_killer.html
I was waiting for your links to reviews that were "overwhelmingly positive."
Here's one I read earlier today:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/172014/zune_hd_no_ipod_killer.html
That isn't a review, it's just an observation regarding pricing and marketability.
Woah. I didn't know that the thing was that small. It looks awesome. Glad they went away from that bulky look.
I LOVE COMPETITION
If the sales on this are decent, this will push apple to get off the petty update train and give the ipod touch some solid updates.
I LOVE COMPETITION
If the sales on this are decent, this will push apple to get off the petty update train and give the ipod touch some solid updates.
Umm first off, the Zune software was released the same time that article was released, so the Zune HD was practically unusable at the time without syncing it.
Second of all it IS NOT a hardware/software review..just an observation. Re-read it. It makes some good points but makes no comments about how good or bad the Zune HD hardware or software is.
Give me a break.
Now lets release it OUTSIDE America Hmm? The world doesn't end at California's sunny beaches.
No, it ends at the borders of Texas.
I was waiting for your links to reviews that were "overwhelmingly positive."
Here's one I read earlier today:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/172014/zune_hd_no_ipod_killer.html
That review is just saying two things - lack of app store (as if 100% of the population survives off of Apple's App Store) and they do not have anything that is 8Gb for $199 - in other words, not very much.
Needless to say that is not a review - just some biased prediction.
And most of the comments on this post have little to do with Zune hardware or software, other than the fact it doesn't bring anything new to the table. Does the UI look great? Yep. Is there anything compelling, hardware-wise, over the iPod Touch? Not really. If you think most consumers care about OLED at this time, you're nuts.
The bottom line is the Zune gives buyers no real reason to choose it over the comparably-priced iPod touch, which does almost everything the Zune does hardware-wise and about a million things the Zune does not do software-wise.
It's the answer to a question no one asked.
I don't know about tons of apps. It seems that Google's Android app store has been slow to gain any traction and I would bet that MS will have the same experience.
the Zune HD (and subsequent versions) may be great devices, even better than the iPod/iTouch, but I think that the overwhelming market share of Apple will simply be to great to overcome in the long run. MS may end up with 5-10% of marketshare but that will be all.
Apple has found this truth out all to well in the OS department, even though OSX is found by many to be superior to Windows XXX.
I remember reading the "Tears of Joy" "review." What a slobbering piece by CNET. They tend to lick up all things Microsoft, but the "tears of joy" thing was hilariously over the top. Imagine if a tech pub used that title in an Apple product review. The "fanboy" accusations would have been raging.
Riiight. Tons. Christmas. Got it.
BTW, it doesn't matter how long it took Apple to get one. It's completely irrelevant. The fact is Apple has had one for a year now, and Microsoft is way behind.
"Hey everyone, don't buy an iPod yet - we'll have tons of apps for the Zune someday. We promise! Maybe."
Nonetheless, I'm sure you're right - the Zune is a technological tour de force that will turn the industry on its head and sell billions of units, making Steve Ballmer every cool kid's superhero.
Let's talk about it again in a year and see how things turned out, hmm?
don't forget that MS does have far more resources and money than Apple and others do.
I really think this device will cut into Apple's market share if it properly advertises. I think a 1.1% market share for MS has no where to go but up. A 20% market share would still be GIGANTIC. 220 MILLION ipods have been sold worldwide. A 10% market share would be huge for MS if they get it.
I think MS will develop and invest their own app store. Zune is a precursor to Windows Mobile 7, and if the UI is updated to match the Zune's, it won't be utter crap anymore.
I give credit to MS for moving in a surprisingly positive direction. Windows 7 is great (stable) and the Zune HD can POSSIBLY be an extremely competitive rival to the ipod if they develop their app store and market properly.
You do make a point, but you're giving the Zune HD (or MS for that matter) any credit for making a product worthy enough to compete with the ipod touch. Anything the other brands have come out with have been for the most part crap. The Zune HD can actually compete, and outshines the Ipod touch in most categories, besides everything besides Apps and mac compatibility
Not as much nonsense as you seem to think, based on your post. I'm not touching the one about mobile websites, I'm not sure how the Zune handles that or what the complaint was, so I really don't have anything to add there.
If capacity was the only thing that mattered, then the iPod shuffle and nano wouldn't even exist. Yes, it's larger than the iPod touch in capacity, for $20 more, but quite frankly, that's meaningless unless you can really use it the way you want. I'd rather pay $80 more and get the 32GB iPod touch, btw, which is right in line with Microsoft's pricing for the 32GB Zune HD ($10 difference). Even if I could use the Zune with my Mac, the lack of any true usefulness outside of listening to music puts that price tag into the "why should I waste my money" category. Sure, I can browse the web, but on a screen that small, it's a novelty whether it's the iPod touch or the Zune. I rarely browse the web on my iPod touch outside of the few websites I check for news updates (like MacRumors), because I don't like reading pages on that small screen.
It's because the apps are game-changers. There's more than a few games that are good, but it also makes it far more than just a media player (in fact, I could see people who have zero interest in playing any type of media being interested in an iPod touch). Seriously, have you even looked at the list of apps you can use? My most commonly used apps, other than games:
Mail (does the Zune have a mail client? I don't think it does, wasn't mentioned on their site.)
Lose It (diet/exercise log)
iVote (social/polling app)
Mint (financial tracking/planning)
What's On? (TV/Movie schedules)
Urbanspoon, etc (Restaurant search)
RemotePad (Wireless trackpad for my MacBook)
Kayak (Travel planning)
iPhunny, I Can Has Cheezburger (humor)
Sure, most benefit greatly from internet access, though they don't all require it constantly, but Wifi's common enough I don't think that's an issue. You can't do hardly any of that on the Zune, if any of it (Mint has a website, though not sure on the mobile site and functionality on the Zune). My list is very different from many other people's too, which is the big thing about apps: your device can do what you need it to do. It's not limited to what the creator of the device intended it to do.
Sure, radio's nice, and HD radio means it's useable on a smaller device without horrible static. It'll probably show up on the iPod touch at some point, considering it's on the nano. It's definitely not worth the limitations of the Zune. Apps are really where it's at, and the Zune falls flat on that point.
jW
why are there so many tools on the mac fan sites who have nothing better to do then argue and create a negative tone in every thread? sharing opinions and having criticisms is one thing, but these posts are clearly more than that. you're obviously not apple fans, so why are you here? how about you just leave, and go spend some more time not satisfying your significant others in any way, on the off chance that you have one.
I think you meant to say I'm not giving it credit, which is true - and that's because I don't see it as a viable iPod touch competitor without a software ecosystem, which the Zune does not have, nor will have in the foreseeable future. As I said before, the Zune HD doesn't bring anything new to the table aside from a few hardware specs and an animation-heavy UI.
Of course when the Touch gets an OLED screen it will be the best thing since sliced bread right?
Give credit where it's due.
The hardware and additional capabilities are very nice.
Does it lack in available apps, sure it does... for now.
Apple's App Store wasn't built over night and neither will Microsoft's Zune Marketplace.
Hopefully Microsoft won't flood it with 50,000 flashlight type applications just for the sake of volume.
I mean seriously, how many apps in the app store are actually worth a damn?
Not a whole lot.
And the really good ones aren't cheap.
Yeah, he's right - it's not a review.
Actually it looks better, is lighter and has a better screen. That about does it for me.
I can't say I relish the idea of Microsoft owning another market segment - they already got total control in almost every market except Mp3 players.
Given that everyone is thinking just like Apple these days, let's hope they can find some way to 'Think different' again.
Given that everyone is thinking just like Apple these days, let's hope they can find some way to 'Think different' again.
For all those saying that the Zune HD will have an app store. BZZZT. Sorry, try again :
http://www.businessinsider.com/zune-hd-app-store-2009-9
Only Microsoft and Microsoft's chosen 3rd party developers will have access to the Zune Marketplace, there is no SDK and it won't be open to anyone. You can whine about Apple's approval process and call it "control freak" all you want, this is 10x worse.
Now can all the MS fanboys go back to MSrumors to talk about their beloved Zune ? Trolling is really unbecoming.
http://www.businessinsider.com/zune-hd-app-store-2009-9
Only Microsoft and Microsoft's chosen 3rd party developers will have access to the Zune Marketplace, there is no SDK and it won't be open to anyone. You can whine about Apple's approval process and call it "control freak" all you want, this is 10x worse.
Now can all the MS fanboys go back to MSrumors to talk about their beloved Zune ? Trolling is really unbecoming.
Wifi sync. Now's that's beautiful indeed. Microsoft nailed that one way ahead of Apple.
Apple really needs to enable 802.11n and setup an automatic wifi syncing system (why n? because it'll overcome the excuse that wifi syncing would be too slow and it wouldn't slow down the wifi network that it taps into by going b/g compatible). Adding the ability to print through wifi would also be a nice feature both should add.
Apple really needs to enable 802.11n and setup an automatic wifi syncing system (why n? because it'll overcome the excuse that wifi syncing would be too slow and it wouldn't slow down the wifi network that it taps into by going b/g compatible). Adding the ability to print through wifi would also be a nice feature both should add.
