Official Zune HD Thread!

[QueBert]

Superior as a PMP to a Touch? My touch can play AVI's can your ZuneHD? (nope) can your ZuneHD play OGG? (nope) Can it play Flac? (nope) You say it's "superior" but it has a smaller lower resolution screen & doesn't have any sort of 3rd party software library. I can listen to my OGG files on my Touch, if I had a ZuneHD I would be SOL because I ripped all my CD's to OGG. ZuneHD isn't bad, but the fact I'd have to use the crappy Zune software and would have no access to playing AVI/OGG/Flac, I don't see how anyone could possibly say it's even close to as good. HD Radio means nothing to me, and the optional dock to play video on a TV is whatever to me. As a PMP the Touch is better on even level, and not just because it's been out longer. It doesn't matter how much time passes, the ZuneHD will never be able to play any of the formats I need, my 1st gen Touch does. MS won't be adding support, and there won't be any type of jailbreak so homebrewed apps will be out of the question. Also the Touch has a much better UI IMHO.

The ZuneHD is a gimped Touch with HD radio added to make up for the fact it doesn't do anything else any better than a player that's coming up on being 3 generations old. I bet my 1st gen Touch will > 2nd gen ZuneHD, assuming MS actually makes one. Bottom line outside of HD radio the Zune only does a fraction of what my Touch does. Forget 3rd party apps, as a PMP it's not as full featured. I'd bet my cars pink slip that it will never be able to play AVI's, now let me go watch an AVI on my TOUCH.

 

[0roo0roo]

Originally posted by: Deeko

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
those reviews are rather dubious, they gloss over the problems pointed out in the other article.

Dubious? They praise it for what it is designed to be - a media player. In fact, Gizmodo loves the browser and implores Microsoft to put it in Windows Mobile - and the Browser is something earlier articles (such as ars) attacked. Read the first sentence - hell, the URL - of the Gizmodo review. Obviously they are not viewing the Zune HD as a smartphone replacement, which you stubbornly insist it MUST be in order to be successful.

errm..yea the uncritical way they praise it undercuts their credibility when other reviews show how unfinished the browser is. perhaps they are comparing it to the win mobile devices browser but thats a stupid comparison to make since people shopping for such a device are clearly going to be comparing it against the ipod touch, not a freakin windows mobile device. the ipod touch isn't a smart phone replacement either. egads man, you can't hate apple so much that your standards become that low...

 

[0roo0roo]

Originally posted by: Deeko

I would never even consider an iPod Touch, I already have a smartphone, why do I need two all-in-one devices? I got a Zune HD because it is a superior media device - in fact, the biggest reservation I had to buying it wasn't the fact that it didn't have an app store - it was the fact that it had an all touch screen interface. I didn't like it because it was TOO MUCH like the iPod Touch.

the only way you can rationalize your purchase is to claim the ipod touch is a phone competitor? sorry u've gone off the deep end. the i have a smart phone so i don't need an ipod touch equally applies to the zune hd.

its not even a superior media device, if they had not done a browser/apps, spent all their energies on "media" and supported all formats and included that freaking video sync dock you'd have a point, but clearly what they did was a half assed implementation of everything that the ipod touch does which is as far away from your claim that they are going their own way as it gets.

 

[RandomFool]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo

Originally posted by: Deeko

I would never even consider an iPod Touch, I already have a smartphone, why do I need two all-in-one devices? I got a Zune HD because it is a superior media device - in fact, the biggest reservation I had to buying it wasn't the fact that it didn't have an app store - it was the fact that it had an all touch screen interface. I didn't like it because it was TOO MUCH like the iPod Touch.

the only way you can rationalize your purchase is to claim the ipod touch is a phone competitor? sorry u've gone off the deep end. the i have a smart phone so i don't need an ipod touch equally applies to the zune hd.

its not even a superior media device, if they had not done a browser/apps, spent all their energies on "media" and supported all formats and included that freaking video sync dock you'd have a point, but clearly what they did was a half assed implementation of everything that the ipod touch does which is as far away from your claim that they are going their own way as it gets.

It's pretty obvious that he's saying that his phone already does everything he needs in terms of apps.

 

[Deeko]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo

the only way you can rationalize your purchase is to claim the ipod touch is a phone competitor? sorry u've gone off the deep end. the i have a smart phone so i don't need an ipod touch equally applies to the zune hd.

its not even a superior media device, if they had not done a browser/apps, spent all their energies on "media" and supported all formats and included that freaking video sync dock you'd have a point, but clearly what they did was a half assed implementation of everything that the ipod touch does which is as far away from your claim that they are going their own way as it gets.

It makes perfect sense, actually. I have a smartphone as an all-in-one device. It will always be better at apps - many of which are network enabled - because it has a 3G connection, it doesn't rely on wifi. I did not buy the Zune HD for apps or web browsing - refer back to my Kindle analogy. I bought it because it offers the best PMP experience for me.

errm..yea the uncritical way they praise it undercuts their credibility when other reviews show how unfinished the browser is. perhaps they are comparing it to the win mobile devices browser but thats a stupid comparison to make since people shopping for such a device are clearly going to be comparing it against the ipod touch, not a freakin windows mobile device. the ipod touch isn't a smart phone replacement either. egads man, you can't hate apple so much that your standards become that low...

What? Yea, the browser doesn't have Flash - neither does the iPod Touch browser. Yea, it does poorly in the SunSpider javascript test - in practice, its actually pretty fast. I compared it to my G1 - which is 3x faster or so, according to the benchmark - and it actually loads pages faster.

Superior as a PMP to a Touch? My touch can play AVI's can your ZuneHD? (nope) can your ZuneHD play OGG? (nope) Can it play Flac? (nope) You say it's "superior" but it has a smaller lower resolution screen & doesn't have any sort of 3rd party software library. I can listen to my OGG files on my Touch, if I had a ZuneHD I would be SOL because I ripped all my CD's to OGG. ZuneHD isn't bad, but the fact I'd have to use the crappy Zune software and would have no access to playing AVI/OGG/Flac, I don't see how anyone could possibly say it's even close to as good. HD Radio means nothing to me, and the optional dock to play video on a TV is whatever to me. As a PMP the Touch is better on even level, and not just because it's been out longer. It doesn't matter how much time passes, the ZuneHD will never be able to play any of the formats I need, my 1st gen Touch does. MS won't be adding support, and there won't be any type of jailbreak so homebrewed apps will be out of the question. Also the Touch has a much better UI IMHO.

The ZuneHD is a gimped Touch with HD radio added to make up for the fact it doesn't do anything else any better than a player that's coming up on being 3 generations old. I bet my 1st gen Touch will > 2nd gen ZuneHD, assuming MS actually makes one. Bottom line outside of HD radio the Zune only does a fraction of what my Touch does. Forget 3rd party apps, as a PMP it's not as full featured. I'd bet my cars pink slip that it will never be able to play AVI's, now let me go watch an AVI on my TOUCH.

First and foremost - the iPod Touch does not natively play any of those formats. The native Apple media player actually plays fewer formats than the Zune HD. To the best of my knowledge, you have to use crummy apps in a less-than-elegant fashion to get these other formats to play. Hardly a good experience for the average user...although the average user doesn't care about OGG/Flac anyway.

HD Radio means nothing to you - well, I'm sorry to hear that, for your sake. HD Radio is awesome. Then again, as soon as Apple supports it, I'm sure you'll think its the greatest thing to hit PMPs since the iPod.

Lower resolution - on a smaller screen - which makes for a much smaller, lighter player. Read the reviews - even the critical reviews praise the clarity and vibrancy of the screen.

Is being tethered to the Zune software a good thing? No - I wish more media players supported the drag-and-drop or WMP/Winamp type of syncing. It could be worse though - you could be tethered to iTunes. Also, scoff if you will, but the Zune does one thing that, in my eyes, make it infinitely better than the iPod ever will be - the Zune Pass. Say what you want about subscription music, $15/month gets you 10 songs to actually keep/month + unlimited subscription downloads + web player access. You can also use the Zune Pass on 3 different Zunes. That's a hell of a deal.

 

[QueBert]

So it's better to not play a format at all than do it in a less-than-elegant fashion? All I know is I can load up an OGG playlist and listen to my music, which can't be done on a ZuneHD even with all the hacking in the world. As for much smaller? lol it's a few MM's shorter and a few less wide, but it's actually a bit thicker, and while it does weigh a lot less, it doesn't feel as solidly built. Glad you like your Zune HD, but it's not as good as a Touch, bottom line I can do more with my Touch, I'm not an Apple fan or a MS hater, if the Zune HD did more i would like it. But it doesn't, and it won't. As a straight PMP player I would take flac support (even thru a hack) over HD Radio any way of the week *shrug* I also love how my Touch interfaces seamlessly with my car stereo. The best I could do with a Zune would be hook it up to an Aux out, which wouldn't let me control it thru my Head Unit *shrug*

 

[Deeko]

For starters, you don't know that there WON'T be support in the future. You don't even know that the Zune HD won't have an open market. They don't have it NOW, but neither did the Apple products when they came out. Its certainly possible that they extend their new Windows Marketplace to the Zune after it comes out for Windows Mobile. Anyway, I have no interested in OGG support - and I'd wager the majority of the public doesn't, either. Further, I would imagine more of the mainstream market is concerned with HD Radio than OGG. If size doesn't matter to you, a wider array of formats is critical, and you want a full-featured, powerful all-in-one device, you really should be pimping the Archos 5.

ZuneHD Dimensions: 4.08x2.07x.35, 2.6oz
iPod Touch Dimensions: 4.3×2.4×0.33, 4.1oz

That's quite a bit smaller - especially considering the tapered back, the ZuneHD feels thinner than that. And the weight difference is significant. Who says the ZuneHD feels like poor construction? Reviews praise its construction and physical look/design.

Anyway, it is simply a false to make a blanket statement of "its not as good as a Touch". I don't know why this point is so hard to hammer home for some of you - they have different strengths, they are similar but appeal to different people. If you want an all-in-one device, prefer iTunes, want a bigger screen w/ higher res - get a Touch. If you want a music/video player that is small and easy to use, has HD radio and/or HD video output, and can use the Zune Pass, get a Zune HD. They are different products, and one is better for some people, the other is better for others.

 

[erwos]

Honestly, I'm surprised the thread lasted this long before the Apple troll crowd came in to destroy it.

 

[0roo0roo]

Originally posted by: Deeko

It makes perfect sense, actually. I have a smartphone as an all-in-one device. It will always be better at apps - many of which are network enabled - because it has a 3G connection, it doesn't rely on wifi. I did not buy the Zune HD for apps or web browsing - refer back to my Kindle analogy. I bought it because it offers the best PMP experience for me.

you seem to be confusing your low standards for how everyone else should judge this clear ipod competitor. it supports both apps and web although in a half assed way showing exactly how they didn't build the thing with your type of thinking in mind. in any case your "smart phone" doesn't have the selection of software thats avaliable to the ipod/iphone.

Originally posted by: DeekoWhat? Yea, the browser doesn't have Flash - neither does the iPod Touch browser. Yea, it does poorly in the SunSpider javascript test - in practice, its actually pretty fast. I compared it to my G1 - which is 3x faster or so, according to the benchmark - and it actually loads pages faster.

once again, the low standards show up again...

and in any case if your idea that they were going for pure pmp were right they'd make it do that job right. but it doesn't. format support is botched, and simple things like being able to do basic controls with physical buttons so you don't always have to look at the bloody screen completely missing. just looking at it all its very clear it was meant to be an ipod touch competitor.

 

[Deeko]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo

Originally posted by: Deeko

It makes perfect sense, actually. I have a smartphone as an all-in-one device. It will always be better at apps - many of which are network enabled - because it has a 3G connection, it doesn't rely on wifi. I did not buy the Zune HD for apps or web browsing - refer back to my Kindle analogy. I bought it because it offers the best PMP experience for me.

you seem to be confusing your low standards for how everyone else should judge this clear ipod competitor. it supports both apps and web although in a half assed way showing exactly how they didn't build the thing with your type of thinking in mind. in any case your "smart phone" doesn't have the selection of software thats avaliable to the ipod/iphone.

Yes - iPod competitor. What's the key word in that sentence. Look reeeeeal hard, you might find it. I'll give you a hint, it starts with c, and ends with ompetitor. Now, this might come as a shock to you...but that doesn't mean clone! The ZuneHD is not intended to be a 1:1 carbon copy of the iPod, if it were, they would not gain any market share. Its as simple as that.

I'm not sure what you're getting at by putting the words "smart phone" in quotes, are you attempting to denigrate the qualities of the G1, or are you just an ignorant fool? The G1 actually has a very robust selection of apps available in the Android Market. Is the raw number as high as the app store? No, but considering the vast majority of these apps are worthless anyway, you'll find an app to do just about anything you want on Android too. Regardless, the Zune HD and the iPod Touch are not the same product. I'm not sure how many times I have to say that before it gets through that dense skull of yours. They are both capable of the same things, one excels at one aspect, another excels at another.

It has nothing to do with low standards. It has to do with what the strengths of the device are. As I've described - at length - more than once, the Zune HD has several PMP features that are superior to that of the iPod touch. Whether you want to admit it or not, its true.

Did it ever occur to you that YOU have a sad excuse for standards because you don't expect things like HD Radio and Zune Pass on your PMP? See, it goes both ways, sport.

Originally posted by: DeekoWhat? Yea, the browser doesn't have Flash - neither does the iPod Touch browser. Yea, it does poorly in the SunSpider javascript test - in practice, its actually pretty fast. I compared it to my G1 - which is 3x faster or so, according to the benchmark - and it actually loads pages faster.

once again, the low standards show up again...

and in any case if your idea that they were going for pure pmp were right they'd make it do that job right. but it doesn't. format support is botched, and simple things like being able to do basic controls with physical buttons so you don't always have to look at the bloody screen completely missing. just looking at it all its very clear it was meant to be an ipod touch competitor.

Format support is botched? As I pointed out earlier, it already supports more formats out of the box than the iPod - and no one outside of the nerd circles gives a rats ass about things like OGG/Flac. Divx would be nice to have, but again - the other players do not support it either. The Zune HD - as I also pointed out earlier - actually handles media controls very well. Hit a (gasp) physical button on the side and it will pop up media controls. Swipe up or down to change volume, left or right to change tracks. Its actually quite easy to operate without looking at the "bloody" screen. I'll ask you again - if the Zune HD is not intended to replace the old Zunes as well, why were they taken off the market?

And why do you keep harping on low standards? Is this another dig at the G1? You sound more and more like a useless fanboy with every post, which makes trying to have a rational discussion with you a waste of time. However, the G1 has a perfectly good browser - and as I already pointed out, the iPod browser does not support flash either. So I guess you're actually ripping on your lil' iPod Touch too, if you think me not whining about missing flash to be low standards. Try again.

 

[idiotekniQues]

i've put my ZuneHD next to my colleague's ipod Touch. the zune screen is noticeably nicer - vibrant and richer and just more clear.

yes OLED does not do better in bright direct sunlight, it does just great in bright indoor artificial lighting though. maybe you use your PMP out in the sunlight. i don't often go to parks or beaches and sit in the direct sun to use my PMP. i use it during commutes, on planes, in airports, at work, at home to speakers, camping by the campfire, walking in the city, at a cafe, etc.. when i change tracks while walking in direct sunlight it does not look great - turns out that is a minimal part of the time i actually need the screen, and for about 20 seconds.

most of the time i am lounging in the direct sun i am laying with my eyes closed not staring at a video on a small screen. maybe some tunes in my ears though.

 

[WelshBloke]

Originally posted by: QueBert
Superior as a PMP to a Touch? My touch can play AVI's can your ZuneHD? (nope) can your ZuneHD play OGG? (nope) Can it play Flac? (nope) You say it's "superior" but it has a smaller lower resolution screen & doesn't have any sort of 3rd party software library. I can listen to my OGG files on my Touch, if I had a ZuneHD I would be SOL because I ripped all my CD's to OGG. ZuneHD isn't bad, but the fact I'd have to use the crappy Zune software and would have no access to playing AVI/OGG/Flac, I don't see how anyone could possibly say it's even close to as good. HD Radio means nothing to me, and the optional dock to play video on a TV is whatever to me. As a PMP the Touch is better on even level, and not just because it's been out longer. It doesn't matter how much time passes, the ZuneHD will never be able to play any of the formats I need, my 1st gen Touch does. MS won't be adding support, and there won't be any type of jailbreak so homebrewed apps will be out of the question. Also the Touch has a much better UI IMHO.

The ZuneHD is a gimped Touch with HD radio added to make up for the fact it doesn't do anything else any better than a player that's coming up on being 3 generations old. I bet my 1st gen Touch will > 2nd gen ZuneHD, assuming MS actually makes one. Bottom line outside of HD radio the Zune only does a fraction of what my Touch does. Forget 3rd party apps, as a PMP it's not as full featured. I'd bet my cars pink slip that it will never be able to play AVI's, now let me go watch an AVI on my TOUCH.

? iCrystal ball?

 

[dwell]

Originally posted by: idiotekniQues
i've put my ZuneHD next to my colleague's ipod Touch. the zune screen is noticeably nicer - vibrant and richer and just more clear.

Try again in a year when your blue OLED subpixels start fading and your color balance is out of whack.

First gen OLED, not good.

 

[tdawg]

I'm really tempted to buy a zune hd and probably will in the next week or 2. That way I can stop using my iphone for primary media usage. My favorite new "feature" of the ipod app on my iphone is that now when one song ends, the next song will skip straight to the middle somehow. And I'm not even doing anything else; the phone is asleep in my pocket. Good times. Oh, and the shuffle function is horrible; the randomization algorithm is worthless. Can they get some real programmers?

 

[gizbug]

Originally posted by: Deeko
It DOES do things better than the competition. As a PMP, the ZuneHD is superior to the iPod Touch. It is also a hybrid between the iPod touch style and the iPod Nano style. No further proof is needed other than the fact that they've removed their old line from the market. The ZuneHD competes with the iPod Touch, and it competes with the iPod Nano. It is not intended to be a carbon copy of either. Doing exactly what your competitor has done is a perfect way to not gain any market share - if the Zune were an EXACT clone of the iPod Touch, it would lose. Why? Because the Touch is the market leader, it is the known brand, why would people ditch it? They need to offer something different, and something better in its own way - which is what they've done.

I would never even consider an iPod Touch, I already have a smartphone, why do I need two all-in-one devices? I got a Zune HD because it is a superior media device - in fact, the biggest reservation I had to buying it wasn't the fact that it didn't have an app store - it was the fact that it had an all touch screen interface. I didn't like it because it was TOO MUCH like the iPod Touch.

Are there people that disagree with me? Of course, and those people will buy the Touch. However, there will be plenty of people with my opinion, too.

Answer me this - the Kindle includes a web browser and an MP3 player. To the rational mind, these were added as extra features, to make the device a little more appealing - not as the primary feature of the device, and not to make the Kindle a smartphone replacement. Are you going to tell me that the Kindle should be considered a failure, because it doesn't offer the same all-in-one experience too? (note: I am well aware that there is in fact a Kindle app in the app store. That actually adds to my point)

So you have a ZUNE HD and a smartphone? Do you find yourslef overlaping with these? That is my fear with the buying a ZUNE HD.

Also, how do you get the ZUNE HD to play over your home stereo system? Do you hook it up via USB to your 360, and play it through there?

 

[idiotekniQues]

Originally posted by: Chris

Originally posted by: idiotekniQues
i've put my ZuneHD next to my colleague's ipod Touch. the zune screen is noticeably nicer - vibrant and richer and just more clear.

Try again in a year when your blue OLED subpixels start fading and your color balance is out of whack.

First gen OLED, not good.

time will tell, any evidence to back up your claim?

 

[hc2]

OLED Assoc response to Apple Insider statement

Third OLED myth: ?There are other problems with OLED. They don't last long, because the electroluminescence layer degrades far more rapidly than regular LCDs.? The OLED display in the Zune has a lifetime of 50,000 hours. Typically LCDs for mobile products are rated at ~25,000. However, none of this is very important ? These types of products have a useful life of 5-years, which at 8 hours/day and 365 days a year is only 15,000 hours; well within the capability of either technology

Why would Prince McLean write about something that he obviously has so little knowledge? Could it be that the Apple Insider is trying to curry favor with the Apple management so it can become an even deeper shill? It has become a popular art to predict what Apple is going to do and the company is very careful to keep its information on new products, closely held, so McLean may be hoping to get better access. I did not comment about the ?Other Myths? in McLean?s article but if they are anything like his comments about OLEDs, you can draw your own conclusions about their relevance.

Finally, I wonder how McLean would respond to the quote by Steve Jobs, when his display technologists showed him OLED displays for the first time, ?that?s the best f----n display I have ever seen.?

 

[idiotekniQues]

Originally posted by: hc2
OLED Assoc response to Apple Insider statement

Third OLED myth: ?There are other problems with OLED. They don't last long, because the electroluminescence layer degrades far more rapidly than regular LCDs.? The OLED display in the Zune has a lifetime of 50,000 hours. Typically LCDs for mobile products are rated at ~25,000. However, none of this is very important ? These types of products have a useful life of 5-years, which at 8 hours/day and 365 days a year is only 15,000 hours; well within the capability of either technology

Why would Prince McLean write about something that he obviously has so little knowledge? Could it be that the Apple Insider is trying to curry favor with the Apple management so it can become an even deeper shill? It has become a popular art to predict what Apple is going to do and the company is very careful to keep its information on new products, closely held, so McLean may be hoping to get better access. I did not comment about the ?Other Myths? in McLean?s article but if they are anything like his comments about OLEDs, you can draw your own conclusions about their relevance.

Finally, I wonder how McLean would respond to the quote by Steve Jobs, when his display technologists showed him OLED displays for the first time, ?that?s the best f----n display I have ever seen.?

so Chris is just basically a shill for Apple misinformation.

good to know.

 

[Deeko]

Originally posted by: gizbug

Originally posted by: Deeko
It DOES do things better than the competition. As a PMP, the ZuneHD is superior to the iPod Touch. It is also a hybrid between the iPod touch style and the iPod Nano style. No further proof is needed other than the fact that they've removed their old line from the market. The ZuneHD competes with the iPod Touch, and it competes with the iPod Nano. It is not intended to be a carbon copy of either. Doing exactly what your competitor has done is a perfect way to not gain any market share - if the Zune were an EXACT clone of the iPod Touch, it would lose. Why? Because the Touch is the market leader, it is the known brand, why would people ditch it? They need to offer something different, and something better in its own way - which is what they've done.

I would never even consider an iPod Touch, I already have a smartphone, why do I need two all-in-one devices? I got a Zune HD because it is a superior media device - in fact, the biggest reservation I had to buying it wasn't the fact that it didn't have an app store - it was the fact that it had an all touch screen interface. I didn't like it because it was TOO MUCH like the iPod Touch.

Are there people that disagree with me? Of course, and those people will buy the Touch. However, there will be plenty of people with my opinion, too.

Answer me this - the Kindle includes a web browser and an MP3 player. To the rational mind, these were added as extra features, to make the device a little more appealing - not as the primary feature of the device, and not to make the Kindle a smartphone replacement. Are you going to tell me that the Kindle should be considered a failure, because it doesn't offer the same all-in-one experience too? (note: I am well aware that there is in fact a Kindle app in the app store. That actually adds to my point)

So you have a ZUNE HD and a smartphone? Do you find yourslef overlaping with these? That is my fear with the buying a ZUNE HD.

Also, how do you get the ZUNE HD to play over your home stereo system? Do you hook it up via USB to your 360, and play it through there?

A) No, I don't really overlap much. Like I've said, I use my phone as my all-in-one device. The only overlap comes with web browsing - if I'm in a wifi area, I'll use whichever one happens to be in my hand, if I'm not, I use the phone.

B) I just have it hooked up via a 1/8" -> RCA cable. I don't have a 360.

 

[erwos]

So, I bought a Zune HD, and I've had a _little_ time to play with it.

Some thoughts as a Zune 30 owner:

The device itself is built like a rock and looks insanely great. The OLED screen is just unbelievable, too. Washes out a bit in the sun, but nothing unexpected.

I miss hardware buttons for volume control. I get that the svelte profile of this thing might not have been possible with a big old squircle under the screen, but some sort of real physical controls would have been appreciated. Heck, I'd buy a little add-on that plugged into the dock port and gave me physical volume and skip controls. Really!

Now, firmware-wise, it's a bit of a mixed bag. The interface is fast and responsive. I usually manage to hit the buttons and do the gestures I want to. As mentioned before, software volume controls kinda suck, but they're usable (I'd kill for volume presets). It'd be _nice_ if the home button could be configured to be a back button instead.

Something I definitely can't rag on is the quickplay interface that runs parallel to the "dashboard". Very well implemented. I download tons of podcasts, so being able to quickly hit the new ones is great. One improvement I'd like to see is the option for stuff I've played to disappear out of it.

I definitely love the music playing interface. The podcast interface is also quite good. The video interface is almost perfect, except that it lacks a "TV show by season as icons" view (which is weird, given this is how the marketplace is laid out).

Speaking of the marketplace, they make some weird choices as to what you can download and what you can't. Why can't I download podcasts and video? This isn't a phone, I'm not hammering anyone's bandwidth but my own, and you'd certainly figure this thing has the CPU power and memory to do so. But, aside from that, the music download interface is superb.

The browser... I've heard multiple things about this. My usual sites have mobile versions oriented towards the iPhone, and these render quite well in the browser. I haven't tried any "real" sites on it yet, though, so maybe I'll suddenly be shocked at how good or bad it is. It is _definitely_ a huge step up over the mobile IE I'm used to, so yay for that.

App-wise, I think it's been covered that this thing isn't really much of a competitor to the iPod Touch, at least not yet. The calculator and weather app are a good start, but Microsoft needs to ramp up quickly and introduce email, calendaring, contacts, and a Windows Live! port at a minimum.

I haven't tried WiFi sync or TV output yet, so no idea about those. Might give them a whirl tonight.

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: erwos
So, I bought a Zune HD, and I've had a _little_ time to play with it.

Some thoughts as a Zune 30 owner:

The device itself is built like a rock and looks insanely great. The OLED screen is just unbelievable, too. Washes out a bit in the sun, but nothing unexpected.

I miss hardware buttons for volume control. I get that the svelte profile of this thing might not have been possible with a big old squircle under the screen, but some sort of real physical controls would have been appreciated. Heck, I'd buy a little add-on that plugged into the dock port and gave me physical volume and skip controls. Really!

Now, firmware-wise, it's a bit of a mixed bag. The interface is fast and responsive. I usually manage to hit the buttons and do the gestures I want to. As mentioned before, software volume controls kinda suck, but they're usable (I'd kill for volume presets). It'd be _nice_ if the home button could be configured to be a back button instead.

Something I definitely can't rag on is the quickplay interface that runs parallel to the "dashboard". Very well implemented. I download tons of podcasts, so being able to quickly hit the new ones is great. One improvement I'd like to see is the option for stuff I've played to disappear out of it.

I definitely love the music playing interface. The podcast interface is also quite good. The video interface is almost perfect, except that it lacks a "TV show by season as icons" view (which is weird, given this is how the marketplace is laid out).

Speaking of the marketplace, they make some weird choices as to what you can download and what you can't. Why can't I download podcasts and video? This isn't a phone, I'm not hammering anyone's bandwidth but my own, and you'd certainly figure this thing has the CPU power and memory to do so. But, aside from that, the music download interface is superb.

The browser... I've heard multiple things about this. My usual sites have mobile versions oriented towards the iPhone, and these render quite well in the browser. I haven't tried any "real" sites on it yet, though, so maybe I'll suddenly be shocked at how good or bad it is. It is _definitely_ a huge step up over the mobile IE I'm used to, so yay for that.

App-wise, I think it's been covered that this thing isn't really much of a competitor to the iPod Touch, at least not yet. The calculator and weather app are a good start, but Microsoft needs to ramp up quickly and introduce email, calendaring, contacts, and a Windows Live! port at a minimum.

I haven't tried WiFi sync or TV output yet, so no idea about those. Might give them a whirl tonight.

I finally got a chance to put my hands on one at a Best Buy recently. Complaints against Best Buy aside (The device, like all the others, is stuck in place on its stand, you can't actually pick it up and try it out, you also can't try out the acceleromater (sp?) that way).

Anyway, I liked the screen, and the feel of what I could touch, and I guess video looked good, but I couldn't get it to play for more than a second or two at a time, and of course couldn't rotate it.

No WiFi available so I couldn't test the browser.

Physically, my complaint is that the 'home' button is small and unobvious to me. I expected the large, wide, rubberized section under the screen was buttons, and well... they weren't. In my opinion that could be a great place for the home or play/pause rewind/forward buttons if they wanted to go physical on those.

I agree on the lack of physical volume rocker, that would have been a nice addition.

Maybe the ZuneHD 2

 

[erwos]

Originally posted by: TheStu
Maybe the ZuneHD 2

Most likely. Just replacing the current side button with a clickable volume rocker would really be enough to solve the hardware issues.

Oh, and if I could rant about the software keyboard: I don't like it. I don't like software keyboards in general, so that's not necessarily very damning, but it does two things wrong in particular:
1. Doesn't use the horizontal view very well.
2. Doesn't seem to handle rotation (this might be a limitation of the browser).

If I could flip the Zune HD to its side and get a full-length keyboard, I'd probably be slightly happier.

Oh, and the accelerometer works fine. Rotation is super-smooth in the browser.

I am quite excited to see what comes out in the next firmware update for this thing, because I rather suspect we'll see some great fixes.

 

[Deeko]

An actual volume control would be nice, but the side button needs to stay unless they add full play control in button form. If it weren't for that button bringing up the popup play control, it would be a HUGE pain in the ass to change tracks and I would despise it.

A cell phone style volume rocker would be a nice touch though. That was one thing that aggrevated me with my Zune16 - you can't (that I could figure out) change the volume before hitting the play button. When I use my Zune in the car, I have the volume up all the way and use the car controls for volume. When I use it with headphones....uh, that's really loud.

 

[erwos]

Originally posted by: Deeko
An actual volume control would be nice, but the side button needs to stay unless they add full play control in button form. If it weren't for that button bringing up the popup play control, it would be a HUGE pain in the ass to change tracks and I would despise it.

I was thinking some sort of a notched volume control that would essentially have a "middle press" to bring up the on-screen controls, and use the upper and lower bits for volume changing. There's gotta be a design for that that works OK.

Know what I am enjoying, though? Having the battery last for more than 6 hours at a time. My Zune 30 was really on its last legs with the battery...

 

[destrekor]

Originally posted by: Deeko
An actual volume control would be nice, but the side button needs to stay unless they add full play control in button form. If it weren't for that button bringing up the popup play control, it would be a HUGE pain in the ass to change tracks and I would despise it.

A cell phone style volume rocker would be a nice touch though. That was one thing that aggrevated me with my Zune16 - you can't (that I could figure out) change the volume before hitting the play button. When I use my Zune in the car, I have the volume up all the way and use the car controls for volume. When I use it with headphones....uh, that's really loud.

it's a pain in the ass to change tracks?
Simply hit the button to get to the now playing screen, and swipe left or right to skip next or back.
If you use the lock screen all you have to do is swipe up to unlock, then swipe left or right for tracks.

But yes, I would like a rocker with middle press. But I don't mind it the way it is either, I really like the UI.