Yeah, I agree. I'd have expected a price to directly compete with the touch, but I'd have been wrong!
It looks cool. No idea how well it works. Hopefully it does well, if for nothing else to push Apple a little bit.
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Microsoft Launches Zune HD
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Yeah, I agree. I'd have expected a price to directly compete with the touch, but I'd have been wrong!
It looks cool. No idea how well it works. Hopefully it does well, if for nothing else to push Apple a little bit.
That I know. See the touch update for this year. Twas lame. The touch will get a camera next year and it will be hailed as revolutionary.
Read the Appleinsider article earlier - pretty scathing. Can't say anything about this would make me replace my touch. Good to see some competition to keep Apple sharp though.
i was told this is not available in Canada... if that's true, that's some serious failing on MS's part...
Zune HD is a sham!
I played with one last night as we were putting them up on display... It's a POS. I hated it! The screen is jumpy, it doesn't actually have HD onboard, you have to output to an HDTV. Once again Microsoft Over promises, and under delivers. I wish they would do the world a favor and just make par for the course office software and gaming systems. Leave the rest of the tech market to organizations that know quality and design.
Interestingly enough, I gave a customer who had told me he wasn't on the iPod band wagon, and was waiting for the Zune HD, the opportunity to play with the device last night... He handed it back to me and said, "It's not what I expected. It's way smaller, and feels cheap. Let me see the iPod Touch". Needless to say, he walked out with an iPod Touch 16GB in hand.
I played with one last night as we were putting them up on display... It's a POS. I hated it! The screen is jumpy, it doesn't actually have HD onboard, you have to output to an HDTV. Once again Microsoft Over promises, and under delivers. I wish they would do the world a favor and just make par for the course office software and gaming systems. Leave the rest of the tech market to organizations that know quality and design.
Interestingly enough, I gave a customer who had told me he wasn't on the iPod band wagon, and was waiting for the Zune HD, the opportunity to play with the device last night... He handed it back to me and said, "It's not what I expected. It's way smaller, and feels cheap. Let me see the iPod Touch". Needless to say, he walked out with an iPod Touch 16GB in hand.
They just did. But your talking camera (which would have been nice) or a pretty new case right?
I would think that the dim OLED will be one of the biggest complaints of the device. I'm a big fan of the possibilities of OLEDs but most of what I've read about them concludes that they're not where they need to be just yet, from a consumer standpoint. In bullet points, OLED sounds impressive. In reality, it's not ready for prime time. They're hard to see in sunlight. The short life span of current OLED displays isn't something to look forward to, either.
As much as I hate Microsoft I don't have much negative to say about this device, but I will say this, in the very words of many PC fanboys in the past and present ignorant ones, "Why buy a Mac, there's no software for it?" In this case, the Zune Marketplace sux, it doesn't even have a slight fraction of the applications in the store, very little software support since it only runs from the Zune Marketplace which is Windows only. I need a device that I can do a lot with in terms of how it's supported and the iPod Touch kicks the Zune's butt. I don't care what the PC fanboys say or the people who are pissed at Apple for not putting a silly camera in the iPod Touch and then throw out the fake threats that they will buy a Zune, what's the point of using something with very little software support? It just ends up a paperweight.
Its only available in the US and to windows customers
you expect HD video on a screen that small? There is no way you would be able to see all the detail in the video, so there is nothing microsoft has done wrong there
The OLED is nice. But I don't know how you can complain about there being no camera when the iPod touch doesn't have one, either.
Someone else already said HD radio which is nice. If you've got an iPhone you wouldn't need a Zune HD or an iPod touch.
I played with one last night as we were putting them up on display... It's a POS. I hated it! The screen is jumpy, it doesn't actually have HD onboard, you have to output to an HDTV. Once again Microsoft Over promises, and under delivers. I wish they would do the world a favor and just make par for the course office software and gaming systems. Leave the rest of the tech market to organizations that know quality and design.
Interestingly enough, I gave a customer who had told me he wasn't on the iPod band wagon, and was waiting for the Zune HD, the opportunity to play with the device last night... He handed it back to me and said, "It's not what I expected. It's way smaller, and feels cheap. Let me see the iPod Touch". Needless to say, he walked out with an iPod Touch 16GB in hand.
Are you sure they had 4.0 on them? The software was just pushed last night. Wouldn't surprise me if the demo units weren't up to date.
The extra output needed to do HD was known when it was announced.
I'm excited to see what the Zune HD can do.
I would also love to see a Zune marketplace for the Mac because the subscription model isn't that bad.
Because, as we all know, the iPod touch has a camera since last Tuesday, right?
Stupid Microsoft. So far behind Apple. How did they even dare to release a device without a camera?
Because, as we all know, the iPod touch has a camera since last Tuesday, right?
Stupid Microsoft. So far behind Apple. How did they even dare to release a device without a camera?
I think he was saying both companies were stupid to not throw a camera in seeing as thats what everyone supposedly expects from a PMP nowadays. He wasn't saying the touch had one, only that the Zune doesn't AND its still behind the touch (a claim we'll have to wait and see).
Its a shame they put in features that are clearly not ready for primetime though.
Mark my words. The HD radio feature is a joke. I have HD radio in my car and it constantly cuts in and out when the car is in motion... and that is with an antenna on the outside of my car. Can you imagine the lousy performance from the tiny antenna inside of the Zune?
Having HD radio on the Zune is a gimmick and users will be disappointed when they find out how lousy it works.
Having HD radio on the Zune is a gimmick and users will be disappointed when they find out how lousy it works.
I hear you, but the app store/marketplace/software IS the device. It's not the hardware.
I think the iTunes store is the major reason why ipod/phone etc is as successful as it is. Yeah the device is really cool and I'm sure Zune can easily compete on that level, but without the apps et al... it's nuthin.
2 cents
sdp
Or for people who are too stupid to live in the US?
Apple products are sold outside of the US.
I pre-ordered a Zune HD, should be on my doorsteps in a couple hours.
I have an iPhone 3GS so I am not giving up on anything on the Apple side. I also have my iPod 5.5G Video that I use daily. I have owned an iPod Touch (first gen, before the iPhone) and a couple Nano's and a shuffle.
I like the looks and feature set of the Zune, especially the Zune Pass, which I have signed up for. I like the idea of the subscription plan with "keep 10" per month. Some people don't like that idea, and that is okay. To each his own.
The Zune HD looks promising. It is starting out with minimal apps, but Apple did the same thing with the first gen iPhone/iPod Touch. So there is potential for this to be a cool device. I don't think that the web browser on the Zune will ever compete with mobile Safari, but that isn't why I wanted a Zune anyway. It will never out do Apple's success but I think that competition is good. Look at the iPod Touch's announcement on 9/9/09. Nothing new because nothing is competing with it at the moment.
I bought the Zune HD primarily for the Zune Pass. I have my Macbook Pro and iPhone combo. The iPhone will go with me everywhere and the Zune will likely stay in the car. I got sick of my Sirius Subscription playing the same music over and over an over, so I got the Zune with Zune Pass.
HD Radio isn't a compelling feature for me because there are no HD stations in my area. HD Video out is a neat feature but I'll probably never use it. It does suck that they don't offer Zune software for the Mac. As it stands now, I use my daughters laptop for my Zune. I could use my bootcamp but don't want to use up the Hard Drive space or more media.
That is how I am going to use it. Others are fan boys who just bought it because they like MS. Others are Apple fans and won't buy it just because it is a MS product. Me personally could care less who makes a gadget if it is cool and I want it, I get it (if I am financially able). I think that the Zune has potential but will never outsell the iPods. Again, I still have iPods but I wanted to try the Zune Pass and the Zune HD looked like a great way to go.
Just my .02
I have an iPhone 3GS so I am not giving up on anything on the Apple side. I also have my iPod 5.5G Video that I use daily. I have owned an iPod Touch (first gen, before the iPhone) and a couple Nano's and a shuffle.
I like the looks and feature set of the Zune, especially the Zune Pass, which I have signed up for. I like the idea of the subscription plan with "keep 10" per month. Some people don't like that idea, and that is okay. To each his own.
The Zune HD looks promising. It is starting out with minimal apps, but Apple did the same thing with the first gen iPhone/iPod Touch. So there is potential for this to be a cool device. I don't think that the web browser on the Zune will ever compete with mobile Safari, but that isn't why I wanted a Zune anyway. It will never out do Apple's success but I think that competition is good. Look at the iPod Touch's announcement on 9/9/09. Nothing new because nothing is competing with it at the moment.
I bought the Zune HD primarily for the Zune Pass. I have my Macbook Pro and iPhone combo. The iPhone will go with me everywhere and the Zune will likely stay in the car. I got sick of my Sirius Subscription playing the same music over and over an over, so I got the Zune with Zune Pass.
HD Radio isn't a compelling feature for me because there are no HD stations in my area. HD Video out is a neat feature but I'll probably never use it. It does suck that they don't offer Zune software for the Mac. As it stands now, I use my daughters laptop for my Zune. I could use my bootcamp but don't want to use up the Hard Drive space or more media.
That is how I am going to use it. Others are fan boys who just bought it because they like MS. Others are Apple fans and won't buy it just because it is a MS product. Me personally could care less who makes a gadget if it is cool and I want it, I get it (if I am financially able). I think that the Zune has potential but will never outsell the iPods. Again, I still have iPods but I wanted to try the Zune Pass and the Zune HD looked like a great way to go.
Just my .02
Not true.
Just to name one such usage off the top of my head: Reflink/local commentary radio broadcasts at sports events. Since the iPhone doesn't have a radio receiver, I have to either carry a separate FM radio, or buy one at the ground (5-10 euros per game, up to 20 events per year.. it adds up).
That's what you get when HD radio is a proprietary format and not used everywhere.