Microsoft has officially announced the Zune HD. You can check out a few details on the new Touchscreen, HD Radio, HD Video Out, WiFi, and Web Browser features here. I’m not going to copy and paste the press release here, but you can certainly check out the talking points for yourself. We had an interesting conversation about this topic a few weeks ago, if you want to see who hit the nail on the head with the predictions.
While the hardware definitely looks interesting, the big news here might be that they are again leaving open the possibility of a Zune Phone by allowing this new platform to migrate “across the ecosystem”. Let the “I’m a PC” vs. “MacFanBoy” flame wars begin!
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although it looks cool no-one will buy it
I would buy one, that looks awesome!
If u like good sound, you should always buy a zune, want a toy by an ipod.
It looks very stylish. I cant wait to do a review on it. If micro does do a phone that will be another competitor coming out soon for the iphone. I am still looking forward to the palm pre.
Msft needs to get a cool phone platform out ASAP. Folks like one device to carry in their pocket/purse/hip. A cool new Zune HD is nice, but until they nail the single device with all the cool features of iPhone, plus some more, then they are asking for users to migrate away from Windows. It happened in my house…starting with iPods, then moving away from the Windows PC platform entirely, to 100% Mac (four people in the house = four macs), and once they roll out a Verizon iPhone (2010) we’ll likely go there too. (AT&T service in my area sucks).
I have a Zune and i LOVE this idea! However, I think I’m noticing something sneaky here. Microsoft can’t make a Zune phone because it already has a bunch of clients that have invested in their Windows Mobile OS. Microsoft would piss off a lot of people if they went with a Zune phone. If they DO have a zune phone it would not be for another few years.
It looks like a very interesting mix of future tech and old school design. Love the OLED screen, but the 1980s design style doesn’t do much for me.
Also, those exposed screws on the back scare me. Too much experience with portable devices losing their screws after a few months usage.
The questionable business practices of the original iPhone fiasco leads me to the Zune.
Let’s hope that third party vendors come out with peripherals’.
I would be in heaven if they made one with a 250gb hard drive, fat chance
I’ll probably buy one when it’s available. Love my old Zune 30.
If it supports Flash, I’ll be first in line.
I’m adopting a wait and see attitude. For me, Archos was a pioneer and
still the best at this portable media player gig. Could play virtually any format (although you had to pay for extra cost codecs like VOB, H.264). Their players could be user-upgraded to large hard disks (160 GB for example). The big brands crippled their offerings: Microsoft screwed their customers by forcing DRM, then screwed their partners (Creative, iRiver) by introduing Zune, Apple locked in its end users to iTunes. Archos is still the only one that can act as a DVR. If MS charges too much for a Zune HD, I’m probably going to use an Atom netbook or UMPC, or just copy files to an external hard disk and plug it into my WD TV.
‘m also saving money for a Popcorn Hour.
Why is this being released?! Fix the old Zunes before you release more of them, Microsoft! My Zune still isn’t compatible with 32 bit Vista and its software is horrible. Try calling their helpline, they say “it must not be compatible even though it’s on the list as being compatible”.
The zune hd definitely looks incredible. I am personally excited about the possibility of many or all of these features and technologies making it to windows mobile 7.