A lot of people had differing emotions when reading the
Zune HD launch announcement yesterday: joy that the system would indeed sport a selection of apps and games, all free; dismay that those apps would be developed almost exclusively by Microsoft. Today you can turn that frown upside down, sweetheart, as it seems that exclusivity won't last long. An update to the XNA Game Studio development environment has already been released, enabling coders to target the Zune HD. The new version, 3.1, adds libraries for handling the system's accelerometer and multitouch screen, both put to use by developer Elton Muuga to create a simple drawing app, shown in video form after the break. It makes lines on a screen with finger touches and, like a ridiculously expensive Etch A Sketch, erases with a shake. It's not much, but impressive given the thing's only been available for a day now, and while we're still unsure how apps like this will find their way into the Zune's app store, we're sure all will be answered soon enough.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Read - XNA Game Studio 3.1
Read - First Zune HD Multi-Touch Drawing App
posted September 16th 2009 7:54AM
Er, you mean like how the iPods now have built in FM radio two years after it appeared in the Zune?
I'm not an Apple fan boy. In fact, I'm from Seattle and I want you to beware about things already known.
Things such as Zune HD technical support being located in the Philippines. Pre-ordering was a stupid thing to do.
Microsoft better fix this wireless problem quickly or their stock is about to plummet.
There isn't a wireless problem on Microsoft's end.
And I doubt Microsoft's stock would plummet even if there was a problem with the Zune HD, since Zune is a tiny fraction of Microsoft's revenue...a fraction of 1%.
I love the "subtle" reference to something I have seen somewhere....
http://www.folklore.org/projects/Macintosh/images/macintosh_case.jpg
Hello!
Wasn't it used in the original Macintosh?
I've heard that Jobs sometimes smiles. The smiley face is a clear reference to Happy Jobs.
Or maybe "hello" is just a common word to use in an introduction and it is not referring to anything?
@ James
I lol'd.. Thank you for that, mate.
MS-Fanboys are funny *g*
YouTube Zune Phone.
Why all the crap towards Apple when you should be focused on celebrating your new toy? I am an iphone 3gs owner and love it. Its my first apple purchase ans was always told by my friends the apple sucked( I live in Seattle) Well I beg to differ. I think the iphone is amazing. I also love MS products. I really dont see what all the "war smack talk" is about. Seems ridiculous to me. I think the Zune is great but to honestly say the new iphone and all Apple products are crap is really not true. If you dont prefer them fine, enjoy your stuff and move on. Me, I dont give a crap about being loyal to any company or being any company's pimp or fanboy. I like cool and fun a/v toys and both Apple and MS and many others make great products. Enjoy your new toy
Why all the Apple fanboys creating lies when talking about the Zune? Shouldn't they be off enjoying their iTouches and iMacs? Or is this a case where people like Microsoft product users should just shut up, and let the Apple fanboys (such as yourself) say whatever they wish? See, here on engadget, you can look up the post history of people, so why you claim to be impartial, and thing "war smack talk" is something users of Microsoft products should not do, you seem to use it quite a bit (these are some quotes of what you wrote):
- to try and get 1.2% of the market, just like its doing with its motion sensing game crap
- I thought it would pose a threat and challenge the new itouch/iphone when in fact it hasnt. Not even close. What I find is another copying of Apple's intuitiveness just like the first iterations of Zune were ipod imitations(with FM radio ahem of course-a much sought after medium these days). So too now MS reduces its HDD size to the same as the itouch, brings out "apps" and a "touch" screen. How very imaginative. I guess mimicry is a subtle form of flattery as the saying goes.
- MS fanboys love spinning their xbox 1.5. Sonys system is future proof for a good 5 years. The 360 will last for maybe 2 more years before MS fanboys have to shell out 4 or 5 hundred more dollars to keep up with sony
And I could have pulled more out of your short posting history, but I think that is enough to show that you yourself don't practice what you preach. So if you want people to stop defending against the Apple fanboy rants, perhaps you should stop first. But nice try to sound all meek and a simple, honest Apple user that just wants to keep the peace.
Oh, and one other thing. I like how you make fun of the FM radio on the Zune as being a not sought after medium. What are your opinions of it now that Apple has put a FM radio on the Nano?
@Noh You should go through the posting history of people like WindowsFTW, Hamidxa, Mark Anderson etc. These are the people who are driving the FUD bus here on engadget. Try to just find 1 article about apple that they arent one of the first posters on, and then go on to spread their ridiculously inept and uneducated lies and BS. You notice that most of the posts on everything these days are bashing Apple and read like a bunch of MS PR.
@Tsing
No, that is not the point. The point is that here is somebody who is crying because Apple fanboys are coming into a post about the Zune, making false claims, and people are fighting back. He does not like people fighting back about these false claims, and acting like he and the Apple name are being sullied. Over the past few days we have heard that the Zune does not have a Web browser - it does, that the Zune does not have Apps - it does, claims about broken Zunes that can be proven wrong, an article is posted over and over and over from a blatantly partisan web site where every single point can be proven incorrect or twisted to made to look like the hardware in a Zune is inferrior to an iPod (I would expect rendering a 800x480 image with AA, AF, dynamic lighting, lightmaps, etc. to be slower than rendering a 480x320 image with none of those features), and so on, and so on. But I also do not see any of those people you mentioned pretending to be agnostic in the platform they choose, and playing like they are unfairly being beaten-up.
Hell, you have done it yourself, posting claims about the Tegra chipset. It is a common ploy, attack attack attack, then when you are losing pretend you are just trying to make peace - pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. If you really want things to be nice, flowery with rainbows and unicorns, prove it by your own actions before you bitch about other people. Because all we see is FUD being distributed over and over again in MS articles. The onus is not upon me to prove where some of those names you mention are not posting in Apple articles, it is on you who are whining about such actions that you are doing which you so strongly fight against.
hm i guess we are dealing with new technology from microsoft that we havent see before
Gah. I can't seem to find this baby anywhere...and I NEED it lol.
If anyone would be so kind as to help...
@NohOne
You are right I was getting into it and then did an about face. I realized its ridiculous for me to rip on the other guys when both make great products.
And you have my respect for admitting to it. No hard feelings.
From Ars: "Or, rather, they're "free," since Microsoft has apparently decided to sell ads against them. The ads show up during app launch, which takes an astonishingly long time. Booting Chess took 30 seconds, though I suppose one could be grateful for the Kia Soul video that gives the eyes something to do."
Ahahaha... This is just fantastic. Good job Microsoft.
Here is Zune HD support arguing with customers about their lack of wireless "N" support. Looks it could be a simple software fix, yet Microsoft says it is trying to remain compliant with wireless standards and is dismissing the complaints.
http://forums.zune.net/0/2/515389/ShowPost.aspx#515389
http://www.zuneboards.com/forums/zune-hd/45515-how-connect-broadcast-wireless.html
I think I've discovered the issue here with this obscure reference to wireless support.
http://www.techtree.com/India/News/Microsoft_Zune_HD_Arrives_Gets_Dismantled_Too/551-106375-615.html
"Apparently, Zune HD supports only 802.11b/g wireless standards while third generation iPod Touch supports 802.11 b/g/n wireless standards."
good to see they are puttin the wheels on the app machine... not that apps really made a diff in my decision to get a zune hd yesterday... i just like not having my old brick zune 30 haha...
Don't forget what I said before; Monkey see, Monkey do! Apple does it, Microsoft copies! Apple came out witth Ipod, Microsofr came out with the Zune, Apple comes out with Ipod touch, the Zune HD followed, Apple came out with the Genius bar, (the advice is free) ! Microsoft soon follows ! The beat goes on!