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
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
We’ve got a hands-on with the Zune coming up shortly, but we thought you should all know that pricing has indeed been leaked on Microsoft’s sexy new player. At $220 and $290 for 16GB and 32GB respectively, they’re exactly in line with what I expected (I flatter myself shamelessly but it’s true) an a little lower than rumors had it. This anticipates the expected price drop from Apple coming this fall. A microphone and camera (not to mention the App Store) on the iPod Touch still set it apart, though. → Read More
Don’t these FCC inspectors do this for a living? I don’t know how you can spend all day photographing gadgets, circuits, and so on, and end up with such a shabby collection of out-of-focus, weirdly exposed shots of random components. Maybe they were in a hurry. You’d think with the amount of stuff they go through, they’d have a nice lighted table all set up.
But I digress. The FCC has been checking out the ZuneHD, and took a bunch of pictures while they were at it. Not exactly major news, but the curious among you will want to check it out, and besides, it shows the new dock! → 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
An engineer at Microsoft has ballparked the cost of the 16GB ZuneHD at somewhere between $250 and $280 (for reference, a 16GB iPod Touch is $300). That’s a little bit higher than I’d have guessed, but considering OLED screens are still expensive, to say nothing of flash memory, it’s a solid estimate. Trouble is, where are they going to get people to take it for a spin? Apple’s got a great spot for iPod discovery — maybe it’s time for Microsoft to do the same. → Read More
The rumor mill is churning, churning. Not too much, though, because it only squirted out a little bit of Zune HD-related info: some leaked Microsoft documents say the OLED-screened, Tegra-powered, HD-outputting next-generation media player will be coming out on September 8th. They also say there will be 16GB and 32GB versions, which seems right. The question is, will it have the value to compete with the iPod Touch? → Read More
I thought we already knew this, since it was included in all those other details that were confirmed shortly after, but everybody else seems surprised so we should probably at least act like we didn’t know (we’re very polite here at CG). Yes, the ZuneHD does officially use Nvidia’s Tegra chipset — its hardware decoder and low power draw made it a natural choice. I still would have liked to see a slightly bigger screen, the better to show off that beautiful UI, but I guess you can’t have everyzing. → Read More
Microsoft officially outed the Zune HD a week ago, but the Amazon product listing under the Technical Details section is talking about Xbox Live integration that wasn’t mentioned in the Microsof presser.
Integration with the Xbox LIVE network gives you access to millions of videos, TV shows, and games from Xbox LIVE720p HD video output to your HDTV with optional docking station
There is more too. → Read More
It’s pretty crazy over there at All Things Digital, and in the hubbub it looks like the Zune HD has had its picture tooken and video shotten. This little video tour shows off the smoothness and speed of the UI, which looks like it has adapted extremely well to the touchscreen. I have my doubts about the screen resolution (480×272 is… well, passable), but the fact that it’s OLED makes for beautiful contrast, and I think that aspect is really emphasized by the stark Zune UI. → Read More
You saw the leaks, you read the announcement last night, and now you know when this sucker will be touchable for real. E3 will see the ZuneHD in all its glory, and we’ll be there to cover it for sure. Even if I have to tear myself away from the Dark Knight or Project Trico, I’ll get you guys some solid video of this long-awaited update to the Zune family. → Read More
The ZuneHD has been acknowledged by Microsoft, and although much of what we reported turns out to have been true (OLED touchscreen, web browser), we were hoping for a little more resolution. A 480×272 screen on a device branded “HD” is a bit misleading. I suppose the HD is for the HD radio receiver inside, but honestly, that’s not much of a killer app, though it’ll be nice for radio fans. I’ll also be happy to use a touchscreen on the Zune OS, which seems well-made for it, but I confess disappointment at what should have been a breakthrough device. Still, the HDMI out will be nice for sure, so using this thing as a sort of emergency HTPC will be sweet if I get the chance. Here’s the skinny, straight from the press release: → Read More
Let’s talk about why this isn’t a real next-generation Zune. I can think of seven reasons right off the top of my head, having used one for about a year now and knowing a little about the way things work. Can you spot all of them? → Read More
If I didn’t know better, I might think that the Zune team was trying to create a buzz. The ZuneHD peek-a-boo show continues, with some rather drool-inducing specs being thrown around. Apparently Microsoft has confirmed a few, probably by not saying they won’t be in the unannounced device. Off the record. But anyway, Tegra? Check. OLED? Check. Xbox 360 integration? Maybe-check.
Here’s what the latest rumors are putting inside this cryptogadget. → Read More
There has been a quite mumbling on the ol’ Intertubes that Microsoft has another Zune in development. We kind of already knew that from an Microsoft suit interview. The latest ‘leaked’ pics sport the same design that was in the first photoset however, are clearly renderings. The source claims these pics are real, along with a long list of specs and capabilities. Some which seem kind of unlikely, but if implemented will serve as a benchmark for even Apple in portable media devices of this size. → Read More
The Internet was awash with ZuneHD pics and speculation late last week and it seems that a squatter is attempting to cash in on the rumor. ZuneHD.net appears to be a simple placeholder for an upcoming device. There is single image made in the classic Zune style, but there is something strange about the site. Mainly that the site was registered after the leak last Friday. → Read More
It’s all very anonymous and tipsterish, but it appears that some promotional material for new Zune hardware called the ZuneHD has leaked onto the blagosphere. Engadget got the pictures, those rascals. The art style is very Zune, so I can see these being authentic. So what do we think the ZuneHD has in store? → Read More
