I bought a Zune a few months ago and have been very patiently waiting for the Zune HD to start seeping out more and more information. I got the first glance screenshots, watched the tech demo videos, so on and so forth. They finally set out pre-orders and I got the Zune HD 16GB Black. (Not too keen on the Platinum model. The black is gorgeous.)
I really couldn't care much for the iPod Touches features, all I truly want in an MP3 player is a true core media device, and with 5 hours of HD video, 22 hours of Standard Video, HD Radio, and at least 4 thousand songs (Zune Pass), this is by far the best buy I can see myself making in a long time. What about anyone else? Interested?
It's Zune. It won't be released (and therefore supported) in Europe.
All my music is in iTunes and I swear by the smart playlists.
I do wonder what Apple's retaliation to this will be, considering they have a media event in September which is tradionally reserved for iPod stuff. Doubt they'll go for an OLED display though. They've been so against that it's untrue .
But I like that they're heading down the right road. I wonder how it will stack up against the iPod though. Sony's MP3 players were generally quite good too but they just lacked the je ne sais quoi.
As weird as it is coming from me, just let me have my iPod. I wonder if the head of the iPod team is different from the heads of other Apple hardware departments, because something about the iPod just clicks. Mudunno. *shrugs* Mp3 players are neat, but low on my need list so I won't be upgrading any time soon with my limited funds.
Now, put the 360's X, B, Y, and A buttons and a miniature analog stick on a Zune and we'll talk.
EDIT: But hold on, that being said I've seen almost nothing of the ZuneHD. I'll watch some vids later and then toddle back to proclaim my newfound love. I wish they woulda named it something more creative that set it apart more. Sounds like a version of the first Zune whose only new feature is a higher resolution.
I'm not an Apple fan at all, but even I had to concede that the iPod Touch the best thing going at the moment. Good luck with the Zune. It's probably OK but it'll always be lagging behind the market leader. How many HD movies can you fit on a 16mb drive, though.. like 2 if you want any space left over for music? I do agree that when you get one of these things it feels like the best thing you've ever bought
I don't really like portable players of any type. Got myself a cassette player, MP3 player a few years ago and I never used it because I preferred talking to strangers, enjoying the view, or just plain sleeping than sitting around listening to music. It's tough enough saying 'hi' to a stranger, impossible if they're focused on something. I dunno, just can't find a useful place to actually use it.
Disclaimer: Any sarcasm in my posts will not be mentioned as that would ruin the purpose. It is assumed that the reader is intelligent enough to tell the difference between what is sarcasm and what is not.
I actually use my iPod more for watching movies or listening to music before I sleep. I almost never use it during the day when I'm doing anything alone, let alone while I'm out and about.
I actually prefer the Zune not because I want this big fancy media device, but simply because I just want a good media player, which is what the Zune is. The iPod Touch has things like Apps and such that make it more like a PDA, and really I don't need one. I have my cellphone for communication, and my computer for the rest. The Zune would basicly provide me with entertainment whenever I'm out, like listening to music or watching videos (which I really don't do that often to begin with.) So for someone like me, the Zune would defiantly appeal more, because I'd prefer spending a little less money on something with more of a priority going in the field I'm aimed at.
I swear by my iPod, I never used to like them but that was when they were first released, bad battery life, break from flies landing on them etc.. but they make them really well and have pretty good customer support. I haven't had any problems with my 160GB Classic. And what more do you really need on an MP3 player than for it to play your music, hold a lot of songs and watch the odd video or two?
Originally Posted by nim How many HD movies can you fit on a 16mb drive, though..
Probably a few seconds worth
But really. A 720p compressed HD film is probably around 4gb (going off my 45min HD Lost files were about 2gb). And even then it's just a heavily compressed 720p file. When it comes to HD I think the only decent media is BluRay or HD-DVD with their much higher quality compression and 1080pnessssssism.
Originally Posted by Muz I don't really like portable players of any type. Got myself a cassette player, MP3 player a few years ago and I never used it because I preferred talking to strangers, enjoying the view, or just plain sleeping than sitting around listening to music. It's tough enough saying 'hi' to a stranger, impossible if they're focused on something. I dunno, just can't find a useful place to actually use it.
I have a few iPods but yesterday I took off with the iPod Shuffle whilst out on a hike. The scenery is nice enough but its further enhanced by music. I was reaching the ascent listening to The Private Psychedelic Reel by Chemical Brothers and it was just perfect. I use a lot of public transport too and it comes in handy then. But only them times, last year when I was doing a few graphic jobs and not exercising as much I barely had any use for my iPods. Traveling down to my girlfriends uni was the only time I used it (15 min walk, 60 minute bus, 30 min walk, 45 minute train).
I currently have the Zune 8 and I love it. Also, I guess I owe it a lot to me simply loving Microsofts style. The Zune is an all around beautiful piece of hardware. I never did really like how the iPods looked. The iPod Touch and iPhone are an improvement, the high gloss and silver sidings are attractive and all, but I can't say I like the roundness of them. My friend has one and every time I hold it, I feel like if I squeeze it too hard then it'll fly out of my hands like a bar of soap, and if I hold it too loosely than it'll slip out of my hands. No, it may not break that easily if it does either, but I just can't say I'd like holding it. Meanwhile with the Zune, it's got a very nice slick but sharp design to it.
Plus, I think in terms of battery life, Zune generally beats out iPod. My Zune 8 can play music for 24 hours (without Wifi turned on) and video for I believe 4 or 8 hours. Days in stand-by mode. So if nothing else, I think it serves it's job very well as a media device simply because it's capable of holding a charge better than most other media devices in it's class. Features aren't very good if you can't use them for long.
I am with Muz on this one. Apart from that I don't talk to strangers. It is getting quite crazy people have to have their own music in their heads ALL THE TIME. I've had friends who would be listening to their ipod with one ear and listen to me with the other. They are not my friends any more.
Just imagine in 5000 years people will start digging up our culture. They will believe that we had two gods, one was the sun which we represented by a massive amount of silver discs and later even blue ones. The other one was probably our main god, sometimes called Ipod, for who we produced shiny little boxes with buttons, that keep get shinier and flatter with less and less buttons. They will think we were quite primitive.
My main iPod (80gb 5.5G) had 24 hours music, 6 hour video battery life too. The new Classics get 36 hours on music/6 on video.
Whats the music battery life on the Zune HD? It must be a hella load if it gets 22 hours of video! Or is that just one hell of an effecient video chip?
I'd actually like to try and go out walking with my ipod and listen to music for 36 hours in a row, without a break. And watch movies on my other four ipods at the same time. And then find my way back using my iphones. Anyone up for this? I'd like to go in a trip like this with a large group of people.
Well the battery life on my Zune 8 is lower than the higher models. The higher the model, the longer the battery. I think the Zune 80 and 120 have at least as high as 48 hours of battery life listening to music. Also, the Zune HD uses an OLED display which I've read uses less power.
Originally Posted by BrandonC I feel like if I squeeze it too hard then it'll fly out of my hands like a bar of soap, and if I hold it too loosely than it'll slip out of my hands.
I laughed at that one, so true, which is why I bought a rubber case for mine!
Feeding off of Hayo's sarcasm, I'd have to agree with the whole case thing. I never really quite understood the whole point of buying something nice only to make it look ugly so that you can keep it looking nice. That's like people who buy an incredibly soft couch and protect it with plastic covering. You mid-as-well go out and buy a dinky little generic MP3 player if you intended for it to only do the task of playing music. Buying something like a Zune is more than just the power, it's the look. I love how my Zune looks and the Zune HD is drop dead beautiful. iPod Touch looks like it's severely missing something. It's too plain.
I have my ipod touch in a belkin case, just to protect it. My brother had an ipod when they first came out and it got scratched all over. The metal on them tends to get the finest of scratches on it.
But yeah, they're okay but not wonderful. To be honest I've used my little 2GB Creative Zen V more than I've ever used my ipod for music.
Other than using it for music, the itouch feels like a gimmick most of the time, that I can easily live without.
I totally agree with the above and yeah I used to have my mp3players and rubbercaged ipods just to listen to music. I never could get a girlfriend till my friends finally got it tru my thick skull that you have to show off your fancy pods, not hide them or just listen to music on them. Since then I carry my ipods, iphones and zunes on my belt with clips, got rid of my vulgar generic mp3 players and have lots of girlfriends every day now.
Yeah I am always one step behind and they always have the better girlfriends. I have a Garmin gps I could hook to my belt as well? It's from 2003 but still quite shiny and slick
Originally Posted by -Adam- You're not cool unless you have an ipod, silly. Of course, you need the most expensive model to be the better than your friends.
Or a Zune. And honestly I'd prefer the girls that Zune attracts rather than the Apple fanboys/girls. It's not so much the Microsoft fanboys I want to attract, but the Apple fans I want to filter out.
Pssh, Zune, ipod. A real man carries around a gaming laptop and wireless headphones.
Disclaimer: Any sarcasm in my posts will not be mentioned as that would ruin the purpose. It is assumed that the reader is intelligent enough to tell the difference between what is sarcasm and what is not.
I had a second gen Ipod I think it was, now in the landfill. Apple DRM is my main put off, not buying any more apple products.
Whilst on Apple quality, my friend brought an Apple Ibook (whatever the plastic one is called) for “superior engineering and design”, and the thing is falling apart at the front and around the battery, not to mention a kernel panic.
I agree with Muz and Hayo, count me in for that walk baa! Soon we will become a race incapable of speaking to each other.
Real men use 8 track and records in a real car, like a ford Granada mk1 . My in car Philips 45 record player pulls women, GAURANTEED! (note these women maybe 30 plus...).
For some reason I also thought of Facebook while reading, something else I have yet to grasp why people are obssesed with it for. My girlfriend called me miserable for not using it, quoting she has 190 some odd friends she never sees!. My response was “I have real friends!”
iTunes has been DRM free for about a year now, I think. And talking about quality none of the PC's I bought (except some dodgy Aldi laptop because it was powerful+cheap) have ever let me down. But I'm sure that's for another thread .
So Brandon, when are these machines out? I'm very interested in this OLED display, apparently they're brilliant for outdoor viewing.
Originally Posted by Dr. James iTunes has been DRM free for about a year now, I think. And talking about quality none of the PC's I bought (except some dodgy Aldi laptop because it was powerful+cheap) have ever let me down. But I'm sure that's for another thread .
So Brandon, when are these machines out? I'm very interested in this OLED display, apparently they're brilliant for outdoor viewing.
Hmm I still prefer my Zen, seems more "HT proof". Plus from what I read its dependant upon the label house :S. Do you have to pay for DRM free upgrades of current tracks?
Not too sure why i am fussed about DRM, most of my music i have ripped off my record/cd collection anyway . I also have no wish to watch a movie on a piddly screen either.
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Edited by Dr. James MD
I'll watch some vids later and then toddle back to proclaim my newfound love. 
I wish they woulda named it something more creative that set it apart more. Sounds like a version of the first Zune whose only new feature is a higher resolution. 
