Worried that your venerable Zune 80 is going to kick the bucket some day? That spinning hard drive can only take so much abuse, after all. Well, if you’ve got the stomach to tear it apart and feel like dropping a bill on a little 32GB SSD, you might just be able to keep on Zunin’ until the sun blows up. → Read More
The Zune HD is upon us, and whether you love it or hate it, you have to admit that it is devilishly good-looking. I happen to think it’s also a great media player, based on my day with it and on previous demos, but the final judgment will come in a day or two with the full review. In the meantime, I’m sure a lot of people have been waiting on a decent walkthrough of the Zune HD’s interface. I’ve got just that for you, in HD no less, so click that play button and get an in-depth tour of the music and video navigation, browser, and marketplace. → Read More
Reminder! That Zune HD launch is hitting tomorrow, and I guarantee they’re going to be at least trying to roll the new 4.0 software out at midnight. I’m spending my Monday night drinking beer and refreshing zune.net, why aren’t you? All right, I also watched Gossip Girl. On accident! Anyway, the new stuff they’ve got coming is hot. I’ll post a full unboxing and tour tomorrow for the curious. Having handled the hell out of this little thang, I can tell you it’s worth taking a look. Update: The update is live. 131.2MB? Seriously? After I wrote a thousand words on iTunes taking up 88? → Read More
Zut!
Oui, it’s true. The Zune HD we’re all pumped for will not be hitting Europe this year, if indeed it does at all. Microsoft France’s entertainment division director has said during and interview that “for now, we have no intention of marketing (it here)” or, to be precise, “pour le moment, nous n’avons aucune intention de le commercialiser.” Okay, that’s one way to get your product out there… → Read More
We’re still hours away from Apple’s event today in San Francisco, but that apparently hasn’t stopped the company from releasing some changes in its own store. The main thing to note is the prices of the various iPod lines, especially the iPod touch.
Yesterday, a 32 GB iPod touch was $399. Today? $279. Yesterday, a 16 GB version was $299. Today? $249. The 8 GB one is now only $189, down from $229. The nanos are falling as well, with the 16 GB version now only $149, and the 8 GB only $129, down from $199 and $149, respectively. The iPod classic has seen a $20 price cut. → Read More
I think we all knew it was coming. After all, the new interface, while aesthetically similar to the old Zune UI, is totally incompatible with the old hardware. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks, unfortunately — though I would add, that doesn’t mean you have to throw away the dog.
Click on through for a great Zune-in-heaven photoshop. It’s the subtle glow that sells it. → Read More
We’ve had our hands-on, but that’s because we’re an elite media group that knows everything eons ahead of time. I’ve had a Zune HD for almost two years now; I’m just waiting on the new holographic interface that comes with the Zune VR. Oops, I’ve said too much. Or I’m lying. Which is it?
Whatever the case, the Zune HD is making its way around the US so everyone can get their hands on it. I think Microsoft understands that not many people are just going to pick their device based on specs, but the screen and interface will probably turn a lot of heads in real life. They’re taking it around to a bunch of Best Buys for people to check out, so check this (extremely long) list of locations to see if you’ll get a chance to have a hands on. → Read More
“It’s a phone that runs Windows Vista, and it connects to the Internet through America Online.”
Let’s end the religious war waging between iPhone and Android fanatics right now and all get our hands on the Fune, Microsoft’s new smart phone. I’m sure the Fapp Store is right around the corner.
This is the latest video from UCBcomedy.com, and it made me laugh out loud. → Read More
It looks like the Zune HD’s aspirations go beyond simply showing HD video on your TV. It is, in fact, a home theater PC in your pocket. I don’t to sound like I’m shilling here, but it really is a pretty serious advance in PMPs, unless (and this is certainly possible) there are ones already doing this equally well over in South Korea or Japan. It looks quick, sharp, and easy to navigate, as well as simply being better looking than many full-size media boxes out there. → Read More
A lot of people today are excited about the new Zune HD. And that’s great news for Microsoft, as it has been attempting for a few years now to even just steal some buzz from Apple in the MP3 market, if not sales. Well, they’ve succeeded in the first part, but the second? That could be much more difficult.
Microsoft’s new device sounds great: OLED screen, HD radio, HD video (720p) outputs, powerful Tegra chip, and most importantly a iPod-beating price of $219.99 for the 16 GB variety, and just $289.99 for the 32 GB version. That latter is a $110 savings over the comparable iPod touch, which the Zune HD clearly targets. And now it has a very real release date: About a month from now, September 15.
Are the planets aligning for a hit version of the Zune, finally? Not so fast. → Read More
I’m beginning to wonder whether someone is conducting this concert of Zune madness. The whole thing has been leaked, from the original unveiling to the specs, the approximate date, the pricing and models, and now the preorder tokens.
On reflection, that last one isn’t exactly big news, but it does pin down the release date: September 15th. We had September 8th penciled in, but we’ve waited four months, why not another week? → Read More
Can Microsoft’s latest Zune, the Zune HD, take down the king? It depends on which king you’re talking about. As it stands, the iPod Touch is a whole different beast because of the App Store. What Microsoft has done with the Zune HD is nothing short of spectacular, but who is it really competing with? My BlackBerry can play videos and show me pictures taken on a recent trip. The HTC Hero and/or myTouch 3G can stream music from the likes of last.fm or Slacker. I can download MP3s from my iPhone. Everything the Zune HD does, I’ve been able to do with a slew of different devices that I already own.
You see, the features that the Zune team has been touting don’t interest me much. I don’t really care to see an artist’s bio, their pictures or anything of that nature. Sure, the modified IE browser is nice and works great, but I want to know how deeply integrated the Zune HD is going to be with other Microsoft devices like the Xbox 360. I don’t need to fork over extra cash for an HD dock to stream 720p content onto my TV. I can already do that through my Xbox 360, FiOS and whatever content is stored on my NAS. Tell me what the plans are for the next six months. Tell me when the damn thing is actually going to launch. → Read More
Ooh la la. Damn, I need to load Windows onto my Mac. → Read More
Good news for Zune fans. CNET spent a little time with the upcoming Zune HD and came away mighty impressed. Big points were awarded for the 3.3-inch screen, 720p video playback, audio quality, music playback features, and — gasp! — a great web browser? → Read More
There are a bunch of new shots of the upcoming ZuneHD out there all of a sudden, in advance of an official announcement expected later on. They show not only a Black ZuneHD (I kind of like the silver one but hey), but some interface tweaks that make it a very good-looking device indeed. The Zune interfaces, from the website to the player to the device, have always been sexy, but the devices always got the minimalist end of the stick. No longer! → Read More
Forget media-streaming set-top boxes and plunk down $150 on this 80GB Zune with free Home AV Pack deal that Woot! has going on (today only). → Read More
The Telegraph has word that Microsoft will be entering the streaming music market. The plan is to offer free streaming, and the option to purchase music for download. Just what the world needs, another streaming solution. Another boutique music store. Another walled garden from which digital content can be rationed out to the masses, while fatcat music execs wallow in piles of cash. → Read More
