Microsoft's Zune HD already cracked open and photographed (updated)
By Darren Murph 
posted September 15th 2009 8:52AM
posted September 15th 2009 8:52AM
Update: iFixit just went live with their teardown as well!
Update 2: The iFixit teardown is complete. While there aren't any 802.11n WiFi or vacant camera-space surprises like those found inside Apple's iPod touch, the Zune HD doesn't need any to pique our interest. What you will find photographed in exquisite detail is the NVIDIA Tegra SoC, SiPORT HD Radio module, Toshiba-sourced flash NAND, a 2.45Wh battery, Wolfson MIcro WM8352 audio subsystem, and Foxconn logo confirming its manufacturing origin. There's also a "for our princess" inscription meant as a tribute to a Zune team member who passed away during development. Check the gallery for a tease or head over to iFixit to get knee-deep in it.
The zunehd has things that the ipod touch doesnt like HD radio and microsoft xbox connectivity, zune pass and things like that. Also the Zune software is much much much better then itunes. For things like being able to download your songs again off the store if you accidentally deleted them and syncing the device with guest machines and things like that.
You shouldn't believe everything you read particularly when its source is roughlydrafted.
You've no idea how the Tegra platform works and why its use of DDR1 memory is totally irrelevant so I would just drop it, ok?
Wrong thread Mark lol?
What are you wearing?
Oops, wrong thread AND wrong site.
Its called marketing.That what made your iPod the best selling mp3 player in the world.I dunno how the advertising for this was in the states but no one even heard about the Zune Hd here in Asia.MS need to step it up.
Nope. I'm going to wager his opinions about OLED and Tegra are culled straight from Dilger's desperately ill informed piece in RD.
$10 says I'm right.
Microsoft never sued nvidia, but they did get into a legal spat with each other. MS wanted to renegotiate their contract at a cheaper rate since it no longer cost nvidia whatever it was to make the gpu's for the xbox.
I cannot help but notice that once again Apple users get trashed for a variety of reasons. Has anyone bothered to point out that the Zune software is for PCs only? At least apple offers software on both platforms and as the "fanboy" owner of an iPhone, I really don't understand the haters. Perhaps people should learn to embrace the product and not just the brand. I run a MacBook with Snow Leopard. I have Windows 7 running under Parallels so that I can use Office 2007 and Office 2008 truly sucks.
Apple may not be perfect, but everyone here acts like Microsoft is the 90 pound nerd being harassed by the mean old Apple bully. People really have short term memories these days.
That reminds me, I cannot help but notice....
iTunes wasn't initially released for Windows. Apple didn't really have much choice in the matter, considering they were leaving out 95% of the market by not having a Windows version of their software.
That being said, I am hoping for a Mac version of the Zune software. I know many Mac users that want to get a Zune, but stick with iPods since there is no native software for their computers. Having a PC and a Macbook, it would be great to have a native Zune software for my laptop. Running a Windows virtual just for the Zune software gets old.
On another note, I really..really wish there was a hard drive based HD out -- 32GB is not enough room considering my Zune 30 is constantly full with music and each 720p movie will run a few GB. Maybe I'll snag a Zune 120 if the prices drop today.
@pradeep, I hate to rain on your party but are you aware that, Tegra uses a conventional ARM11 family CPU core (ARMv6), the same generation CPU core used by the original iPhone, the Zune, Nokia N95, and the HTC Hero. The Tegra's CPU/GPU package also uses DDR1 memory, introducing significant real world RAM bandwidth limits no matter how powerful the embedded GPU core is rated to be in theoretical terms. LMAO
In your every day life, there probably won't be that much difference.
I made the same decision as you (although MS wasn't giving me much of a chance, they are not selling the Zune HD in Canada yet) but I needed more than 32GB (my 30GB ipod is full) and I already own ipod speakers and all my library and purchases songs are on my iTunes so it just make things easier than way. I personally don't care about a crappy camera. I would have love a lot more a FM tuner in there.
"At least apple offers software on both platforms and as the "fanboy" owner of an iPhone, I really don't understand the haters."
Have you ever tried iTunes for Windows? That bloated piece of crap is one small step away from being malware. I don't want Quicktime or Bonjour (whatever the f*#k that is) and please quit re-adding yourself to my startup. iTunes is one the the major reasons I won't buy Apple. One installation of iTunes was enough, never again.
While I do agree there are some annoying things about iTunes on Windows (such as having Mobile Device support automatically installed), but have you ever tried Office 2008 for Mac? Who's fault would that one be then?
It would technically be Microsoft's, but Microsoft has an Apple team devoted specifically for writing software for the Mac. They write it to fit in style with Macs. I have used both, and I agree, Word for Mac is horrible. Mainly because everything is a separate window and you can see your desktop through them. I hate that, but it's the Mac style. Same as photoshop, final cut, after effects, etc. It may be a Microsoft program, but it was written by people who write for the Mac. I just happen to hate how Macs display windows.
Apple on the other hand will not write iTunes to work in the Windows style. They refuse to. Does iTunes yet support Aero? No, three years later and it's still just as ugly and slow as has ever been. Try minimizing the program, it will not use aero effects, and chances are it will still display parts of the program on your display.
Bottom line, I feel Apple is more at fault for writing crappy programs for Windows than Microsoft is for writing programs for the Mac.
Just got mine... thing does circles around my buddy's new Touch.
Might they perchance be red (RRoD) circles?
i just picked mine up from best buy and am kind of shocked how small the zune hd actually is... it literally is like 1/4 the size of my zune 30 haha...
So we get full day bombardments for Apple press conferences but we barely get reviews and coverage for a big Microsoft launch? Well played....
Apple guru's cannot handle the fact that someone else out there has developed something more intriguing and powerful than the xerox copy you just relaunch. They are living under the, "if we ignore it, it means I didn't blow money on a second rate product".
Microsoft launched the Zune HD a month ago and ther was plenty of coverage. There was coverage of pre-order availability, all kinds of stuff. This is just when it shipped.
You can partially chalk this up to MS not handling their launch very well. They failed to synchronize their hype and their availability.
WELCOME TO ENGADGET
Whats with the ifixit weirdos? all they did was remove the battery cover >.>
Yeah no kidding. Teardowns are not all that interesting. I'll admit I was hoping they'd find a hidden Bluetooth module in there though.
It's full of stars!
@snitch: And you do realize that that information comes from Apple insider is and highly skewed and, in many cases, outright false, right? Since the Tegra does use 8 separate processors(despite their incapability to understand that) including an ARM11 and ARM7 core for basic computing. You also do realize that while basic computing is important to a degree, the GPU is what really matters here and the one on the Tegra chip is far superior. Also, so far the only source I've been able to find on the 3GS/iPod Touch 3G using DDRII RAM is in that specific article or others quoting it. That aside, RAM speed honestly isn't going to matter much and DDR should be more than enough for such a device(do you really need RAM that has a faster clock rate than the CPU/GPU that's using it?)
God, the HD is gorgeous. I only hope they'll somehow jam phone innards in there, since I can't think of another device I'd want to replace my iphone 3g.
Forgot to bring my freakin' laptop to work. So all I can do is watch it charge on my work PC while I debate the merits of cutting out of work twice in a single day just to play with some OLED goodness...
Really excited to get this. I'm a little disappointed, though, to see that 660 mAh battery in there - the one in the FCC shots was 730 mAh
http://www.siport.com/products/sp1010.html
Holy hell, MS. This is an awesome receiver chip. How about enabling its full functionality? Weather band?? (or is it already enabled?)
Considering the HD has a weather app, I would think it's possible.