Official Zune HD Thread!

[GodlessAstronomer]

Anyone know when this is being released internationally? MS announced a few weeks (months?) ago that the device was ready for international release, yet it hasn't hit the stores here and I couldn't find anything when Googling on Bing.

 

[destrekor]

nice firmware update, whenever it will be.
Sadly, while I'm here at school, my Zune HD (and the previous Zunes) are worthless for wifi. Microsoft seriously needs to support credentials for wifi, the whole PEAP and MS-CHAPv2 ordeal is pain free on my Droid, hell, more pain free than it even is the first time logging in with it on a Windows computer. Zune won't touch the wifi here on campus because of it - it sees the network but is like "what's this shit? F off mate".

 

[sygyzy]

So you admit that all your other devices have a problem with you school's (excessive?) wireless security policy and you are mad the Zune has issues too? I think the issue is with your school. Or, stop using MS products?

 

[Deeko]

He said its pain free on the Droid. Typically, that means, there is no pain.

Do you always get excessively defensive when someone hints at a negative about a product you own?

 

[QueBert]

Did the firmware update fix how slow this fucker is? I played with my neighbors and the web browser was about 5x slower than my iPod Touches, and it took forever to open an app, I tried the calculator. And uh, it must have took 10 seconds to open. Maybe longer, why offer shit like a web browser and apps when it's so slow it's practically useless. I mean Safari on my Touch isn't close to lighting fast, it's almost too slow for me. But next to the Zune HD browser it's like a C2D Vs a 486. This was the the 2nd week it came out I used it. I'm assuming it got better since, how much though?

 

[sygyzy]

He said its pain free on the Droid. Typically, that means, there is no pain.

Do you always get excessively defensive when someone hints at a negative about a product you own?

What is your problem, seriously? You continue to attack me every time I post and I am not even addressing you. What's the issue? I am not getting defensive, I saying that if he's having such bad luck with wireless security policies, maybe it's the school that's too strict. Not saying they shouldn't be. Anytime I say something then you come back with the same lame attack.

 

[sygyzy]

Did the firmware update fix how slow this fucker is? I played with my neighbors and the web browser was about 5x slower than my iPod Touches, and it took forever to open an app, I tried the calculator. And uh, it must have took 10 seconds to open. Maybe longer, why offer shit like a web browser and apps when it's so slow it's practically useless. I mean Safari on my Touch isn't close to lighting fast, it's almost too slow for me. But next to the Zune HD browser it's like a C2D Vs a 486. This was the the 2nd week it came out I used it. I'm assuming it got better since, how much though?

It's no Touch or iPhone that's for sure. Plus man, have you seen the Zune App "Store" (if you can even call it that?). It has maybe 10 apps/games. Let's just say there is a long way MS has to go to catch up to the 100,000 apps the iPhone has.

 

[Deeko]

What is your problem, seriously? You continue to attack me every time I post and I am not even addressing you. What's the issue? I am not getting defensive, I saying that if he's having such bad luck with wireless security policies, maybe it's the school that's too strict. Not saying they shouldn't be. Anytime I say something then you come back with the same lame attack.

Your statement was incorrect, so I corrected you. Clearly it was a result of you not even reading his post - presumably because you're too concerned with shooting down criticism of a product you spent your hard earned paper route money on to pay attention.

And what's my problem? Ha, good one, you seemingly forget last week when you attacked me for attacking the Nexus One, when I never said anything bad about it. Similar to what you're doing here. If you're going to act like a dick to people, which you've done in both threads, at least actually read what you're replying to before spouting nonsense.

 

[dlock13]

It's no Touch or iPhone that's for sure. Plus man, have you seen the Zune App "Store" (if you can even call it that?). It has maybe 10 apps/games. Let's just say there is a long way MS has to go to catch up to the 100,000 apps the iPhone has.

The thing is, even though there is so much potential for the Zune has an application/gaming/iPod-esque device, MS doesn't want to give it the chance. They keep saying it's a music player first which is why there really won't be thousands of applications. However, seeing as though MS is saying WM7 is going to be amazing, one can assume that it's merging Xbox/WM/Zune together which means they'll open up the XNA for Zune and allow applications to be ran on WM and Zune.. possibly that is.

Anyway, people will more than likely pressure MS to open the "store" to allow for more quality games, etc, but honestly, if you want a device that can game/personal computer/anything like that, you'd buy an iPod Touch because it can do everything the Zune can plus...... a lot more.

 

[hanoverphist]

I saying that if he's having such bad luck with wireless security policies, maybe it's the school that's too strict.

im not getting into your guys argument at all, but i can tell you one thing... my zune hd with the updated firmware has many issues with WEP networks. not an issue at all with wpa or any others, just the WEP security. it hasnt connected to one yet that ive tried. i also had the weirdest thing happen last week, the mac reset itself to all zeros. a power cycle put it back to normal, but it didnt give me any indication there was any issue at all with the radio.

the browser speed isnt really that bad, and next to my daughters 2g itouch its about the same loading the same page on both. what annoys me is there is no "right click" function to save pics or anything. all you can do is browse.

apps open at different speeds, im guessing based on how much stuff they need to preload. the calc isnt fast, but its not any slower than the itouch either. games load a bit slower, but im betting the graphics load is a bit higher on the amoled screen. it really is a purty screen. otherwise, the few utility apps there are for it load just as fast as their respective itouch apps.

now, i havent flashed the itouch to the new firmware (i refuse to pay for it) so that may have some speed up for the itouch i dont have yet, but overall they are about equal in performance in use. i do like the interface much better on the zune, but thats just me. my daughter that has been using her itouch for the past couple years tells me she likes the touch better, but that could just be due to her being used to it.

im happy with both of them, they both have their cool things.

 

[QueBert]

It's no Touch or iPhone that's for sure. Plus man, have you seen the Zune App "Store" (if you can even call it that?). It has maybe 10 apps/games. Let's just say there is a long way MS has to go to catch up to the 100,000 apps the iPhone has.

lol I don't care if MS add's a million apps, if they don't fix the speed issue I had while using a Zune HD it'll still fail. If it took me 10+ seconds to open a freaking caculator app, I'd hate to see how long an involved 3d game would take. The Zune HD might be great for a PMP, but for everything else it was horrible. When you can reload the same web page 3 times on an iPod Touch and it's still not 100% loaded for the first time on a Zune HD there's a huge problem.

One thing I did love about the Zune HD, after using it my iPod Touch felt like the fastest device in the world lol.

 

[idiotekniQues]

i've used the wifi to browse the marketplace and download subscription music with zunepass no problem and it was snappy. i dont find the screen big enough for real web browsing, but for me i could care less.

i have the zuneHD for podcasts, music and video with an amazing subscription service in zunepass. the thing is a fantastic PMP.

then i have the nexus one for web browsing and apps and being a phone.

until battery technology can truly catch up with a do it all in one device, i dont think the do it all in one device model works. at all.

the zunehd being so portable makes it a nice complement to a smartphone.

 

[Blueychan]

now only if zune would support flac

 

[blurredvision]

After having an original Zune 30 since launch day back in 2006, I finally upgraded today to the 16GB Zune HD. My Zune 30 is still going like a rock (although the battery needs replaced), but I had some Best Buy money to spend, so I finally decided to take the plunge.

I charged it to full and synced everything I could, as well as updating to 4.3, before ever using the interface. I had absolutely no problems figuring it out, it's very intuitive. I love how you jump in and out of menus with the visual stylings. I also love the interface tweaks over the Zune 30 where you can quickly play entire artists or albums from the list instead of having to go deeper into the menu.

The HD radio sounds great and reception was fantastic, better than my old Zune. I use the radio feature a lot, so it's going to be nice exploring the extra 8 or so stations in my area that I didn't have access to before.

Overall, I'm really, really impressed with the unit from about 30 minutes of playing around with it. Sound quality is great, the screen looks amazing, I love the screensaver during song playing that mimics the PC software....just nothing bad to say about this thing so far.

 

[erwos]

now only if zune would support flac

Try WMA Lossless... works quite nicely with my 360 and Zune HD.

 

[destrekor]

So you admit that all your other devices have a problem with you school's (excessive?) wireless security policy and you are mad the Zune has issues too? I think the issue is with your school. Or, stop using MS products?

Actually the exact opposite of that.

Well, beside my PSP... something I barely ever use. Might use it more if it had support for this network.

Listen, I love my ZuneHD, loved my two Zunes before it (and each has been better than before... Zune30 worked, Zune120 soooo much better, ZuneHD holy shit awesome).
But I can have realistic complaints. It's not perfect. And like you said, the app store is terrible. But it's not trying to compete, at least... I don't know why Microsoft isn't trying. But I don't care, because I don't need it. My phone does the apps, my Zune does music. And it does it the best imho.

But there is fair and deserved criticism that Microsoft needs to acknowledge.
There is no way anybody is convincing a school as large as Ohio State to change their mind about wireless network credentials.

My Droid, and likely all Android phones in general, make connecting to my school's network a walk in the park. So easy, readily supported.
All of my Zune devices have never had the capability to connect to it.
The PSPs cannot connect either.
iPod Touch and iPhone can connect to the network.

It's not enough of an issue to turn me away from Zune devices, though wireless store browsing would be awesome.

The network credentials are absolutely retarded, but the network here is not unique. Hell, the one is a bloody Microsoft version of the credential! I just find that amusing a Microsoft device doesn't support a Microsoft wireless credential.

oh, and just saw this reply was from awhile ago. Oh well, still stands. I just apparently didn't follow the thread after I posted that.

 

[gizbug]

Nice write ups in here.
Do most of you use the playlist function on your zoom? Have yet to make any.

 

[hanoverphist]

Nice write ups in here.
Do most of you use the playlist function on your zoom? Have yet to make any.

my son does, he has different playlists set up for different groups of music. i also got him the dock for his bday, and found out the hdmi cable for it works on the xbox360 as well, and you can connect the zunehd to the usb port on it and play your music and videos on your tv. pretty damn cool. the full screen visualizer is very addicting to stare at when its a dark room and 65" of wobbly colors. sound quality was pretty good as well, had the walls bumpin.