So we just hit up the
Zune preview event in Los Angeles (as if we really needed to get
more dirt on the thing at this point). We basically saw a ton of Zunes, got a full walkthrough of the software (with a load of pics), got good long look at some of those accessories, and finally snagged some shots of the Zune / Xbox 360 integration. We're not exactly expecting this to be a hugely enlightening experience or anything, but it was finally nice to see some of this stuff.
Outside the event. Nice florescent bulb gradient.
More store.
Stacks of album art organized.
Guest mode allows you to connect to another machine with Zune software and share tunes. This mode isn't as strict as the 3x3 inbox, but it's got its own particulars (like no moving music off the device, for one).
File types associated.
Encoding rate: up to 192kbps.
Select your codec: WMA or MP3.
Difficult to see, but this specifies Zune interaction when connected.
This is the CD burning options, about what you'd expect.
Zune connection performance options.
Here we've got sharing options for the Xbox 360.
And shared folders.
Burn options.
Zune and drive mappings.
Privacy settings.
Security settings.
CD ripping settings (again).
Proxy settings.
General settings. Phew. Ok, take your glasses off now.
Wireless remote
What your Zune looks like while plugged in (with the USB cable, of course)
And docked, with that remote docked as well.
Video accessories that look a bit like those for the Xbox.
Canalphone buds, with the same magnetic locking mechanism up top. Noice.
FM transmitter.
Yep.
Kickstand / battery pack. Necessary for the world traveler who's insistant on a Zune over a device with a longer battery life.
Cases, lots of cases.
... and speakers.
Mag-locked.
And open, with L/R key.
In-line remote.
And here comes the Xbox integration. Whisky is plugged in, and it indexes those tunes right quick.
Browse content quickly.
Drill down to artists.
Then to tracks.
posted November 9th 2006 9:01PM
Max encoding rate is 192 kps? No support for Playsforsure. Only supports wma and mp3. How do they expect to steal customers from Apple? I have 580 songs from the iTunes Store (few bought, mostly free downloads) and I have over 160 videos that aren't compatible with the Zune. Oh yeah, I have everything in AAC and Lossless too. That's 14,756 items in my library that won't work with the Zune. Even if the Zune offerred something better than the iPod I wouldn't switch due to the hastles with changing my library over.
From a review by The New York Times’ David Pogue - The Zune player is pretty barren, too. It doesn’t have a single standard iPod amenity: no games, alarm clock, stopwatch, world clock, password-protected volume limiter, equalizer, calendar, address book or notes module. Incredibly, you can’t even use the Zune as an external hard drive, as you can with just about every other player on earth.”
There is one feature of XBOX integration that seems overlooked by reviewers. The zune uses WMV, the XBOX reads WMV. So unlike the Ipod you can stream video from the zune to the XBOX and keep some more room in your XBOX HDD.
Now if microsoft were smart they'd let you copy video from the XBOX to the zune in a future Live update.
Xbox Live Video + Zune = the iTunes video store that could have been?
Thanks enGadget,
We were at the L.A. preview event as well, and getting hands-on with Zune really gave us a great feel for the device. Highlights for us were the big, bright screen, the impressive UI, and just how well that D-pad controller works. Nice pix.
Harvey
Editor, Zunerama
http://www.zunerama.com
BOOOOORRRRRIINNNGGG. who cares? that's as much the "ipod killer" as me standing around singing in your ear. no thanks microsoft, too damn late. and ugly.
I'm totally going to throw out my ipod and buy this player which has features copied directly from the ipod but no additional benefits!
I was at this LA event.
Pros: The brown zune is nicer than I thought it would be. If held in the light it's actually got this cool coke-bottle-green glassy look. The menu system was very intuitive, I immediatly figured out how to navigate. I liked the subtle animations on the type, lots of cool wipes and transitions between different menu modes. The screen was a very nice size, which might be killing the battery life..the transfer of one song only took about 15 seconds, not 3 minutes like Mr. Jobs suggested.
Cons: I searched around the menus and didn't see any games/calendars/address-book apps. (it might have had some apps, I didnt spend that much time in the UI)
No mac support...Which is a deal-breaker for me.
dude, the first picture shows enough Zunes, can you just give me one... i wont tell anyone...
Ladies and Gentlemen...
*shuffling of hard-to-open envelope is heard*
The most overhyped portable audio device of the year goes to...
Looks like they indeed rather look for long term success than a big splash right away.
They must be betting on positive reviews on the second generation of Zunes, saying things like "Microsoft has made a big leap forward, not coloring their expensive, rich-on-restrictins, poor-on-features gadget brown anymore".
A Microsoft product that's not PlayForSure?
Did you see the Zune Product logo on the 360 music menu? Wonder if any other media player does that...
I like the zune, i actually like it more than the ipod. my video quality is really good, i also like how the video plays widescreen...my battery life is very long. i was able to watch 2 full 3 hour movies on my way to los angeles from virginia. high five bill.