Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Microsoft Launches Zune HD

dvkid said:
And HD radio. Even the Nano only has FM. Though if you've got an iPhone the need for a radio receiver is null.
Click to expand...

You realize that HD radio isn't really any different from standard FM, right?

It's just a digital signal instead of an analog signal.

Woohoo...
 
It's certainly not an ipod touch copycat device.

It has unique hardware design, a distinctive user interface and some interesting hardware features.

I'm wishing Apple put a camera in the iPod touch - and put the new processor in the base model.
 
retroneo said:
It's certainly not an ipod touch copycat device.

It has unique hardware design, a distinctive user interface and some interesting hardware features.

I'm wishing Apple put a camera in the iPod touch - and put the new processor in the base model.
Click to expand...

There was no way that they could get the new architecture in the base iPod touch without driving up cost.
 
Warbrain said:
Microsoft is just slow and being reactionary. That's the hold-up.
Click to expand...

This has always been their M.O. See something develop, create their own version, use market clout to dominate industry. (MS Office, IE,) Although, way too many people own ipods for this thing to make any sort of a dent in market share. Nice looking device and always good to see competition though.
 
neiltc13 said:
Looks great, I hope they can roll it out to more countries soon.

The best part about it for me is that it has a proper widescreen display. Apple claims that some of its products are "widescreen" but in actual fact they are not, and it means that you have to watch both 16:9 and 4:3 content with black bars or some cropping. Not so with Microsoft's device, which can render 16:9 video without losing an inch of the image.

A few months ago everyone was saying that Apple was going to match Microsoft's effort. The September event is now over and Apple is lagging way, way behind.
Click to expand...

We'll see how begind Apple is when the market reacts.
 
Cask said:
Fanboyism at its maximum.
Click to expand...

I am concerned with the part that claims white screens use 300% more power than on LCD.

Is that a "fanboy" concern? Should I just ignore that because I'm being silly?

neiltc13 said:
A few months ago everyone was saying that Apple was going to match Microsoft's effort. The September event is now over and Apple is lagging way, way behind.
Click to expand...

One device has some things the other doesn't. And then visa versa.

That's "way, way behind?"

Please. Either side saying that is being very hyperbolic.
 
A nice looking device, however the addition of IE using an old code base (desktop or not) which is non-HTML5 and is a bastard child one of the worst apps ever made (IE6) is a complete FAIL.

I had really hoped this might be the start of something if they had a WebKit branch as a base - a time for a new Microsoft to cut out the cruft of yesteryear... but I guess not.
 
Spades said:
Yep. When Apple released the iPod Touch with a camera, the Zune HD instantly fell behind.

Oh, I forgot...
Click to expand...

Well... they sort of have an iPod touch with a camera... it's called an iPhone.

To think Microsoft isn't moving this platform towards a phone would be pretty naive. This is just a test run to see if the interface is good enough. Plus they'll need time to create their office suite for it, as well as all the other standard features found in a windows OS phone.

Hopefully Apple doesn't just shrug their shoulders at this. I know Apple has a head start, but it won't take much to port most of the good apps over to this ZuneHD.

I would expect to see some major iPhone/iPod changes now that Microsoft has "shown their hand".
 
NT1440 said:
Ha I was just about to say someone reads appleinsider :p

It is odd that MS refuses to go where the future of mobile browsers is currently, webkit.
Click to expand...

Yeah read AI and other sites.

The author of that article has his own site, which also explains other MS fails:
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/

daneoni said:
Boneheaded move not shipping this worldwide. Recoculous.
Click to expand...

You know why? Because the faux "HD" marketing term and U.S. only (non HD) technology will get shut down outside of U.S.

Read the myths article to see the full explanation.
 
jaw04005 said:
I'm glad someone is trying to compete with the iPod touch. The OLED screen, "HD" radio and 720p output are all neat features. There's also apparently a big update coming in November for the 360 and Zune HD that will allow integration between the two.

It is a little ironic that the Apple TV can't do 720p playback at 30 FPS and the Zune HD can. Heh.

"H.264 video3; Baseline Profile + bframes, up to 10 Mbps peak video bit rate; 720 pixels x 480 pixels up to 30 frames per second (or 720 pixels x 576 pixels up to 25 frames per second);1280 pixels x 720 pixels up to 30 frames per second, up to level 3.1 and 14.0 Mbps peak video bitrate; Zune software will transcode HD WMV files above the stated capabilities at device sync
DVR-MS4; Zune software will transcode at time of sync"

The whole "We're not going to have an App Store competitor until Windows Mobile 7 comes out" is kind of weird. And the fact that the Zune HD's browser is based on Internet Explorer 6 (quite possibly the worst version ever of IE) is also a downer.

However, Zune HD looks to be a decent competitor if you want something other than iPod touch.

http://www.businessinsider.com/zune-hd-app-store-2009-9
Click to expand...

could not have said it better ;)
 
neiltc13 said:
That's weird, I didn't hear you complaining about the exposed screws on the bottom of iPhone 3G and 3GS?
Click to expand...

Those are tiny screws that are not supposed to stand out as a design feature. Zune's screws are supposed to stand out. Hacker industrial design. Maybe they should put a fake carbon fiber back on it too. What a joke.
 
Surely said:
That's not how the sequence of comments reads.
Click to expand...
Combing what herbalizer and Cinematographer said:
'Yawn, another MS product for people who are too stupid to live in the US'
Click to expand...

Apple products are sold outside of the US.:confused:
Click to expand...
Yes they are, the poster was referring to the fact that Zune HDs are only sold in the US
Click to expand...

From
Originally Posted by herbalizer
Yawn, another MS product for people who are too stupid to buy Apple products.
Originally Posted by Cinematographer
Or for people who are too stupid to live in the US?
 
krye said:
"Microsoft has also confirmed that the company will be adding games and other applications to the Zune Marketplace for use on the Zune HD."

Yeah, if they can find someone to write them.
Click to expand...

Supposedly they're going to be free. I think they'll just use people internally.
 
PeterQVenkman said:
This is the most honest post here. Plenty of people want the Zune HD, but the support isn't there. It's almost like they're releasing it JUST out of spite. The hardware looks great. The software (apps, mac support) behind it, ahhh, not so much.

They aren't even releasing a dev kit for it yet. They aren't ready to compete with Apple yet- or they aren't going to try.

Say what you will about apple- they continued to grow the ipod market in terms of software and support.
Click to expand...

I wish I was rich and could afford a mac - I'd like to see how iTunes performs on a mac. iTunes for Windows is the most bloated piece of software I've ever used on Windows. It takes longer to start than MS Word, Excel, etc, and it can often take over 10 seconds or so for it to recognize that I clicked on something. Infuriating.

However Apple really had no choice but to create iTunes for Windows. It would loose such a huge market (such as myself). Let's be generous to Apple and say they have 8% of the OS market and Windows has 80%. That means iTunes for Windows increases Apple's market for iPhones and iPods 900%. On the other hand, MS only increases their potential market from 80% to 88% which is an increase of 10%.

Apple has no choice!

And don't get me started about Apple's support - after three calls regarding issues on my iPhone and each one resulting in a complete restore to original factory settings, I've given up. I've since found solutions on the web that do not involve jail breaking or restoring. Why don't these "geniouses" know about these solutions?!?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back