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Microsoft Zune HD
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Joshua TopolskySeptember 17, 2009
Pros
- Gorgeous new UIResponsive touchscreenZune Pass
Cons
- Limited beyond music and video playbackUnclear roadmap for applicationsNo Mac compatibility
Microsoft
Zune
Engadget - Not yet scored
0
Critics
12 reviews84
AVERAGE CRITIC SCORE
Users
126 reviews91
AVERAGE USER SCORE
View All Critic & User Reviews
Microsoft Zune HD
- Critic Reviews (12)
- User Reviews (126)
- 84AVERAGE CRITIC SCORE12 ReviewsCNET80Zune HD (32GB - platinum) MP3 player reviews - CNEThe Zune HD delivers one of the best portable music and video experiences money can buy. At a time when many people have shifted their focus to games and applications, providing a killer media experience may not be enough for potential Zune buyers.Tom's Guide90Review: Hands On With Zune HDWatching videos and listening to music is better, smarter, and more convenient than the previous Zune models and is on par with Apple’s interface.Engadget90Zune HD reviewEven though the Zune HD is a tremendous media player with a lot of great features, we still don't think it competes 1:1 with a device like the touch. Still, it competes, and for Microsoft and the Zune brand, that's a major leap forward.New York Times80Tuning In a Zippier ZuneThe Zune HD player isn’t perfect, but it’s every bit as joyful, polished and satisfying as its rival. The question is whether Microsoft will stick it out long enough to close the catalog gap, the ecosystem gap and the image gap.Ars Technica90Third time's a charm: Ars reviews the Zune HD - ArThose who take the bait will find themselves hooked (in both senses) by one of the best portable music discovery experiences yet created. ... For everyone else, the new Zune HD is “merely” an excellent media player with a gorgeous screen, HD radio, and 720p output over an HDMI connection.Gizmodo80Zune HD Review: The PMP, EvolvedThe Zune HD is the best touchscreen PMP on the market. It's got the most unique vision, the most impressive hardware and the most stylish software. ... But I'm not sure that's enough.Computerworld80Review: Can the Zune HD close the iPod gap?If you need a high-end player primarily for music and video, Zune HD is a strong alternative to the iPod Touch. It's even more compelling if you appreciate using a music subscription service.Wired70Zune HD Gives iPod a Real Run For Its MoneyAll in all, there’s a lot to like here. But there are still some big holes we’d love to see filled. After years of playing second fiddle, it seems that this scrappy underdog from Redmond might just have what it will take to compete with the iPod.PC Mag90Microsoft Zune HDWith a fantastic OLED touch screen, a top-notch Web browser, and a wireless music store, the Zune HD is the best PMP you can buy—that is, if you live outside the iTunes universe.CrunchGear90Review: Zune HDThis is a fantastic media player. Don’t take my word for it, though. Go to your local electronics store and see for yourself how good the screen is, how intuitive the interface is, and how right it feels in your pocket — you may not want to put it back when you’re done.Gear Live80Zune HD Review | Gear LiveIf you want the device that will provide you with the best music experience, that is backed by a platform that enables you to constantly find new music, share tracks with friends, and puts you at the center of your music experience, then we whole-heartedly recommend the Zune HD.Mobility Site90A Week with the Zune HD | Mobility SiteAll things considered the Zune HD is easily the finest MP3 player and small screen PMP on the market and I hope it will enjoy all the success it so richly deserves.
- 91AVERAGE USER SCORE126 ReviewsEngadget Reader80August 9, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader100May 1, 2013Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader80March 22, 2013Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90March 8, 2013Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I replaced my Sony Network Walkman with the Zune HD. This was a big jump for me. I was convinced that Atrac was a better format than MP3 or WMA from my reading. I haven't noticed any difference in sound quality. This device is small, compact, easy to navigate and the music store is so much better than Sony's store. Oh, not to mention Sony shut their store down. The HD radio is a nice feature which also works well. However, you really cannot watch video on this device. It is way too small a screen. Also, it takes a long time to load video onto it in the first place.Engadget Reader90November 2, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader50September 28, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A disappointing product with a lot of problems. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90September 14, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The Zune was a great device. It's fashionable to hate Microsoft though so it got buried. I was a little bummed that they eliminated the ability to send songs directly to other Zune users, I used to do this on the subway for fun. The thing looks great, feels even better. Sadly, it only exists within the universe of the Windows phone, which I think is a stupid idea. I think it was a superior device to most of the competition, only really getting stiff competition from Apple, and comparing to mini computers like the iPod Touch isn't really fair, this belongs in the iPod Classic category. It's a dedicated media player and although there are some apps (bells and whistles) it's really built to play music and movies and by golly, it does it better than everything else on the market. The OLED screen is the sexiest thing ever, I know it's probably costly to manufacture, but it looks so damn good, I can't believe there's hardly anything (if anything) on the market with OLEDS. Humbug.Engadget Reader90June 26, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader100June 25, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Great device for music. I still use it for working out and other tasks where I won't risk my phone or want to be interrupted by phonecalls and messaging.Engadget Reader90June 20, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90April 18, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader100March 11, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The top quality media player out there. If you're looking for an MP3 player and care about an outstanding multi-media experience, the Zune HD is the best choice. Includes OLED screen, HD radio, quality sound, brilliant interface, long-lasting battery and slick design.Engadget Reader100March 8, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader100March 3, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - Engadgetasteenbuck90March 1, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Easily the best media player I have owned. Blows my iPod touch out of the water. Screen quality (OLED I think) is much better, as is the audio fidelity. About the only thing lacking is the selection of apps (or lack thereof), but I use this only for music, and I have a Droid for apps. I will say though that Hexic HD and another waveform surfing app are pretty addicting on car rides.The Zune software is a ton better than iTunes. It is a much more rich, and immersive-feeling experience. The Smart DJ is great for getting a variety of related music. Zune Pass is the greatest thing ever, even though you're technically only renting the music; $15 a month is a very reasonable price when you factor in that you're getting 10 MP3s a month with it.It's a shame that MS abandoned this product in favor of Windows Phone 7, as they could have been very competitive with the iPod Touch with more / better marketing.Engadget Reader10February 21, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!An awful product that should be avoided. You'll be sorry. - EngadgetEngadget Reader100February 14, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader100February 1, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader100January 27, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader70January 20, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A dependable product that doesn't really stand out from the competition. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90January 10, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The Zune HD has an absolutely outstanding interface (although it's showing age 2.5 years after it was introduced, of course) and is a thoroughly fun and satisfying -both personally and technically- companion for music and video. The Zune desktop player is also quite nice and I would use it over any other Windows application for music regardless.Engadget Reader80December 30, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90December 30, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90December 28, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90December 28, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I love my Zune HD. It’s small and comfortable. The interface is wonderful, the screen is vibrant and responsive, the features are vast and the build quality is outstanding. My only complaint is that the app support is very pathetic. Though there are a substantial amount of apps available and all are free, the app platform is slow to load the apps and cannot multitask. The app experience is very disappointing and I suspect that it is because the tegra 1 processor is unable to provide enough horsepower for an effective app experience. Keep in mind however that the Zune is primarily a music player and functions perfectly for that purpose. If you’re a music enthusiast, this is the dedicated music player for you. If you want effective apps, get a smartphone.Engadget Reader100December 24, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader100December 24, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader90December 21, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I imported a 64GB Zune HD into the UK last year, and having used it for a long time, I am really impressed with it. The screen is incredibly vibrant, has great bettery life and the Metro UI that Microsoft has developed for it is a beautiful alternative to the more traditional iOS/Android grid-based UI.The only issue I have with the device is that both it and the accompanying Zune software client do not support videos with DRM. If you are into watching video podcasts this is not an issue, but it does cause problem if you are wanting to use the device to watch digitial copies of movies that come with some films. Also, be aware that the device does not have a large selection of apps, so inj that sense it is not an iPod Touch rival.Overall, though it is a great product, and is probably the best Portable Media player I have owned to date. However, if you wanting to sue the device for downloading apps, then get an iPod touch or Android-based PMP.Engadget Reader90December 1, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader100November 29, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The Zune Players and the Zune software are the best kept secret in technology. The Zune software is far and away so much better than iTunes at keeping your media organized.Engadget Reader90November 22, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90November 18, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I love everything about this player, except that it has no flash support. I feel like the volume button could have an up/down instead of just triggering an on screen menu.Engadget Reader90November 17, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90October 29, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Seeing as how this device has been discontinued i would not reccomend buying it if you really want something special. if you want a device that has awesome media play back an excellent subscription service an awesome and fun to use ui (the precursor to WP7) then absolutely purchase it because it will be dirt cheapEngadget Reader90October 27, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!This is an excellent product. I really wish Microsoft would have continued with development. Sad to see it disappearing soon.Engadget Reader90October 25, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader100October 24, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Superb music player. I love this a million times over any iDevice! I am not a Mac-hater -- I am a music lover who loves logic and slick design over herd-mentality.Engadget Reader90October 6, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90October 5, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90September 30, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetNicolasR90August 28, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Best damn MP3 player, best ecosystem. Much better than anything that the fruity toymaker has ever made.Engadget Reader90August 26, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90August 19, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90August 14, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader100August 7, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Purchased the product right when it became available. Years later I am still very happy with it and use it almost everyday! Love the marketplace where for a monthly fee I can download whatever song I want to (and keep 10 of them per month).It's upsetting that Microsoft officially stopped developing next generation versions of it (or at least don't comment on this topic). I don't want my phone to also be my pmp - wish there would be a second generation of the zune HD (not sure I can trust a smart phone to last all day long).Engadget Reader90August 6, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90August 5, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The ZuneHD is the best standalone media player I've ever owned. I prefer it for media over the iPod touch simply because of its focus on media versus applications.Engadget Reader70August 2, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Nice but it's no IpodEngadget Reader100July 25, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader100July 20, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!It's awesome...Engadget Reader100July 20, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Really outstanding focused pmp. Over the air sync, and if you have a Zune pass, over the air music marketplace browsing and purchasing is outstanding, and years ahead of the competition.Engadget Reader100July 18, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Wow, I gave this thing a good review! It is really a beautiful and elegant device. The interface is so unexpectedly refined and cool, especially for a Microsoft product. Almost no glitches experienced. The desktop software was pretty buggy on my Vista machine but once I upgraded to the Windows 7, its nice and smooth. The biggest seller for me is the Zune subscription service. I love to explore new music but who can decide after a few brief clips if the artist is going to grow on them? Also, ive wasted a ton of cash on bad albums. I usually purchased one album a month at least. Now, I get to listen to dozens a month and still keep 10 songs a month! Its ironic that, in this case, the Microsoft product is superior to the Apple product but, because of the market share difference, the superior product cannot get a foothold. I was really hoping that Windows phone 7 would incorporate all of the best of the Zune.Engadget Reader80July 17, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90July 3, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!While the Zune HD has far fewer apps and features than the current generation of iPod touchs it is still a very solid PMP. it size and price could be enough of an advantage for many users to choose this over any apple competitor.Engadget Reader100June 25, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader80June 22, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader80June 20, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!As a music device this was very useful. With the help of Zune Pass, I really love this device as I can stream music without filling up the device. This could also do videos which I like but watching in the small screen feels inadequate. It's better to just watch the videos on my desktop or if I plug it in the cradle I got for this device. It can do multitouch with photos but it's no fun when you want to zoom in really close as you'll notice that the quality is reduced. It has some apps that are pretty good but not as big as what they've been doing with WP7. Browser is sufficient but not the best. It is too hard to use the keyboard in portrait even with my tiny fingers. Wifi seems to perform nicely with home network. Certain features here I actually wish they kept in the WP7 eco-system like the tiles on the left panel is grouped (i.e. new, pinned, recent), and has a big icon of what's running music wise. Also liked that the right panel is grouped too using text only. Also a small visual feature I liked is when you tilt the device at the home screen you actually see the tiles and text slightly moving with the motion.Engadget Reader90June 15, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Not much as far as apps go, but to be honest, I wouldn't use the apps much anyway. I use it for podcasts and watching my tv shows that I recorded on my desktop pc. It sync's the videos from Media Center with no problem at all! The video quality is awsome! I love the Zune Marketplace!Engadget Reader80June 10, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader100June 6, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I bought this device at midnight on the day of release. Man did that thing serve me well. I loved all the features the device had. My favorite though was SmartDJ, with just the simple press of an on-screen button I had an enjoyable, 30 song playlist of music. I loved that thing so much. Then I got a Windows Phone 7 and really didn't need it anymore. So I sold it to one of my Zune-loving compatriots. That device was built tough. I dropped it on concrete and asphault so many times that if it were an iPoo Touch, the screen would have been obliterated. The only bad part was that the web browser was built off of IEM6, in other words, it was a pos.Engadget Reader90June 3, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader100June 2, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!This gadget is the reason I switched from being an Apple fanboy to a Microsoft cheerleader. AT the time I had an iMac running Fusion. I bought the Zune HD just for the hell of it and will never forget when I booted it up, the first glance and pokes at MS now-revolutionary Metro GUI. I was flabbergasted. But after a couple of days of not being able to use it on the Zune software through Fusion, I sadly took it back to Best Buy. But couldn't get it out of my head so I did what any gadget freak with some disposable income would do–I rebought it along with a PC laptop to support it. I accessorized my Zune HD with a 'puter. I have been slowly seeing the light about how Microsoft is doing all the innovation now and Apple just putting out more of the same shit in different formats. Zune Pass has opened up my queerbait musical tastes 100fold. Smooth, fluid and I know I annoy the people in my gym cause I leave the jaw-dropping screensaver on for the full 5 minutes. I can't say enough about this, and am heartbroken to learn it looks like the end of the road for it, tho I will snatch a couple of 'em up when they get cheaper as I never will wear my phone on my arm during workouts at the gym. My all-time favorite and most influential gadget to me...ever!Engadget Reader90May 29, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90May 27, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Love my Zune HD. Possibly the best gadget I have purchased in a long time. The build quality of the device is excellent and you can tell that Microsoft put a lot of effort into making this the best pmp possible. The Zune Pass is so much value for the money and really adds value to the Zune HD. Wifi streaming and instant downloads with Zune Pass are awesome. The Wifi syncing is also a great feature. Have not connect my Zune to my Envy in a while; I just leave it on the AV Dock in the evenings and let the software auto sync for me.Engadget Reader80May 27, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I've had a Zune of one kind or another for a few years now. They're great devices but the Zune HD is possibly one of their best. It's a shame they're not producing the hardware anymore because I think it was better than the iPods I've owned over the years. The interface was so much better than that of a standard iPod (although not much better than that of the iPod touch) that I'll miss my Zune when it eventually dies (as all hardware must).Engadget Reader90May 25, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!One of the best portable media devices I've ever used.Engadget Reader100May 25, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!It is the best MP3 player in the market still in 2011. The Zune software is much better than iTunes. I have had iPods and iPhones, I even own an iPad, but I always use my Zune daily for my music subscription, podcasts and Audible.Engadget Reader70May 24, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Soooo much potential but a lack of apps and developers killed off the platform but also helped birth a struggling wp7. Great display though it suffered from typical amoled performance in the sun. Apps are a huge part of an mp3 players success and a lack their of killed it. Zune software is amazing as is zune hds interface however its a one trick pony in a world where one devices take the places of several stand alones.Engadget Reader100May 24, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Love love love my zune I dont use any apps so I cant review that function but everything else is greatEngadget Reader90May 24, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best music player available in my opinion. Hampered by the lack of apps.Engadget Reader100May 24, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader100May 23, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader100May 22, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader100May 22, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader90May 21, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90May 21, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Sweet. Just wish Microsoft wasn't abandoning this form factor.Engadget Reader100May 16, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader90May 15, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader80May 15, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Only problem is that Zune Pass is a little too expensive for a little small of a catalogEngadget Reader100May 15, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader80May 15, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader100May 15, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader100April 9, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader90March 31, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader70March 18, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A dependable product that doesn't really stand out from the competition. - Engadgetsquilliam90March 13, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90January 16, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader100January 9, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader90December 27, 2010Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!This device is absolutely stunning. Real metal and very durable so you don't have to worry so much about scratching it like You would with an Ipod (which are made of a very scratch-able metal.) 2 days ago I accidentally tripped on it's cable which had it flying and hitting my wall very hard and slamming down on my table and then off the other wall and finally on the ground. the device was unharmed. not a single scratch. (Note: I do have a screen protector on it, but that is all)just to comment on a few of my points above, The desktop software isn't really complicated at all, but It's only available on Windows(There are no alternative methods whatsoever for Linux). also, by default it uses alot of eye candy. On a low end computer you will have to disable this or have a very laggy experience.I have only tried MP3 music files on it, so I wouldn't know if other formats like aac or flac would work. hopefully it would convert the format to a playable one like wma, but I haven't tried.It does convert videos, but I have very few video formats on my computer and wouldn't know if it supports every format.My only real want with this device is for it to be available in a higher capacity to fully take advantage of Zune Pass. I know there are higher capacity zunes, but the Zune HD is so much more than those devices, I don't just want a high capacity zune, I want a Higher capacity Zune HDEngadget Reader90December 13, 2010Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90November 28, 2010Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader100November 18, 2010Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader100November 18, 2010Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader100November 17, 2010Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader80November 4, 2010Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!It would have a perfect score if it didn't easily break on me. Maybe it was just me, but after a couple drops and living in my pocket for awhile, the earphone jack is so loose that any movement causes the Zune to think the earphones have been removed and stops. Its annoying and keeps me from giving it a perfect score.Engadget Reader80October 13, 2010Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90August 29, 2010Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Zune pass.That is all.Engadget Reader90August 21, 2010Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I can honestly say that I love this thing. Yes, there is probably a good chance that I would like an iPod Touch just as much if not more (cough cough, apps), but I hate iTunes enough to not want to get one -- plus, I feel like this Zune doesn't get enough respect as is.That being said, here are my other notes:-- I have had weird syncing problems when I have the capacity maxed out. Most often it comes in the form of podcasts (GDGT being one of them!) glitching out, but I've had it happen with music too. The podcast or song will be playing along fine when all of the sudden it switches into playing a completely different song -- but it still registers that it is playing the original podcast. When you fast forward, rewind, or restart the track the issue stays there until you manually resync the device. When I keep ~600mb of space on the device this issue doesn't seem to come up, but once I pass that mark I find that it happens to maybe 1 in 6 daily podcasts that I listen to. Needless to say, this is not okay and I have tried formatting the device but found it happening again once I got close to maxing it out.-- The apps they have for this thing are really disappointing. It's a brilliant screen, the accelerometer is pretty darn good and the touch screen has great sensitivity and no lag... but there isn't much of anything to do with it! The scientific calculator is a nice touch, but where is the unit converter, the weather app for my home screen? I could go on but I'm sure you get the idea.Worth mention on the apps side of things is that the people at ZuneBoards.com have finagled a way to get some non-Microsoft apps on there (some of which are really helpful, like zNotes) but you have to muck around and install three different applications on your computer and then once you get the apps up and running on the Zune, it restarts the device after using each and every one which isn't necessarily a problem, it's just a pain in the butt!Engadget Reader80August 20, 2010Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader100August 18, 2010Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader90August 10, 2010Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90August 9, 2010Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!When it comes to music, podcasts, and movies, the Zune HD offers a remarkably pleasant experience. The Zune Desktop software is easy to use and manages your media collection without overhauling it or retagging your files (like iTunes has a habit of doing). When it comes to apps, Zune HD pales in comparison to Apple's iPod touch. Zune HD apps are slow to load and Microsoft offers just a tiny fraction of what's available in the Apple App Store. Zune HD's Web browser is nice, but it's slow to load and slow to display pages. That said, the beauty and simplicity of managing music and podcasts (what I do 99% of the time), I prefer the Zune HD for that content over the laborious experience offered on my iPhone.Engadget Reader90August 8, 2010Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90July 31, 2010Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader60July 31, 2010Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A forgettable product. It isn't bad, exactly, but also doesn't do anything particularly well. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90July 25, 2010Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader80July 22, 2010Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The Zune HD is better than the iPod Touch in just about every major way, except for one thing: APPS!!! Apps have proven to be the Achille's Heel of the Zune platform and a solution, let alone a viable one, seems no where near the horizon. For the added functionality of Apps alone, I would recommend and iPod Touch over a Zune HD.Engadget Reader100June 18, 2010Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I have always been a fan of the Microsoft Zune. Great interface pristine audio quality and great value. But Zune outdid themselves with the Zune HD. The display is incredible, the interface is extremely user friendly , and support for XNA apps is already built in. The free apps are very fun and if you download XNA apps the possibilities are endless. I like the new music interface, you can read everything about the artist and look at photos. to cut the review short, if you want a good media player with a lot of flexiblity and don'y have deep pockets, the Zune HD is the media player for you!Engadget Reader90May 28, 2010Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The Zune is a Media player first. I mean music, Videos, pictures, audiobooks, and podcast. I can enjoy my media all day long on a single charge and I mean playing audibooks about 10 hours straight and I do this almost every day. ( I am in vacation catching up on a lot of books and podcast.) If I play movies or do about an hour of web browsing then cut the battery to seven hours. Anyway back to my main point, media is easy to play and enjoy in the device, plus the subscription means that I can download anything i feel like just because and I don't ever heart I don't waste money and I am expanding my music horizons. Adding to that the zune dock gives you a great experience to use this for parties since it makes the tv look cool as it plays each song and allows for anyone to stream new songs depending the mood of the party. Can you do that with any other device. Secondly it does have a web browser, but it is like those of smartphones. Likewaise there are some cool apps, but mainly they are meant to pass the time. I would like to see this open for more apps, but I think this will happen in the future with more updates.Finally but very IMPORTANT. I owned the first Zune and the best thing is that they will update the device for years to come in the firmware giving you the new features as the hardware can handle. Meaning the device will be getting updates even if they come out with new hardware the old hardware will have most of these features. I think this is very rare in devices and something that they should be congratulated upon.Engadget Reader100March 1, 2010Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!At first I was drawn toward it by the screen and how vibrant it looked, but after I started to use the Zune software, I fell in love. I used itunes but have never owned an ipod and IMO opinion the combination of the software and hardware is so much better. The Zune pass is in invaluable tool in combination with this device, I have downloaded so much music that I would have not normally bothered with or tried to listen to just on an alternative free way. That said it does have a few issues with it.One I realized that I need more space, probably even more then 32gb if only for the vast quality on the videos that I can put on there. Then there is small quirks with the software when updating, little but annoying like not being able to log into Zune pass. All in all this is a great PMP and should be at the top of everyone's buy list if you are looking for a great touchscreen player. Sure it doesn't have a lot of apps, but that is what my phone is for and it is a perfect compliment to my MyTouch 3G.Engadget Reader90February 24, 2010Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The HD has everything for a complete and awesome music experience (maybe except for enough storage space). The Zune Marketplace on the PC is a good experience that is just about great with the use of the Zune Pass, but with the Zune HD, WiFI, and Zune Pass the experience is near perfect. Browsing the top albums, songs, and artists in each genre is a smooth experience and a joy. And one of my personal favorites is the HD radio. Being able to choose from multiple different sub-stations makes radio much more bearable. The few games/apps that are out are pretty good. The graphics on PGR are very good, and the most fun game is Audiosurf: Tilt.The only real problem I noticed is a couple minor bugs. Sometimes the screen will freeze for up to 10-15 seconds. And when you are browsing the web the HD will sometimes just restart if it runs in to a website that is difficult to load.Overall I enjoy the Zune HD and recommend it to anyone who really enjoys searching and finding new music.Engadget Reader100February 23, 2010Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I bought the 32GB Platinum Zune HD the day it came out. I had been looking forward to it ever since it was announced and I was not let down once I got it. In my opinion it is the best media player you can buy. It is the perfect size - Before it was released I thought it might be a little big - then when I got I was amazed at how small and thin it was. I almost thought it was too small at first, but after having for just a couple days I could tell it was the perfect size. The screen on this thing is gorgeous and the touchscreen and accelerometer are super responsive. If you're looking for a great media player, this is it. If you are wanting an iPhone and all it's apps - look elsewhere.Engadget Reader100February 1, 2010Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!This player doesn't do everything, but what it does do, it is by far the best at:Pros:- sound quality - vastly superior to my iPhone and iPod- Screen. Holy...Crap. It's beautiful. - WiFi syncing. This, as far as I'm concerned is THE killer app.- Multiple PC\account syncing - sync to more than one library. Amazing, huh, Apple?There are really only a couple things that would make this a grand slam, instead of 'just' a home run:- playback controls via headset- wider codec support- speakerOther than that, I absolutely love this device. It also allowed me to ditch the crapware that has become iTunes.Engadget Reader90January 27, 2010Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I still can't help but marvel at how well designed this device and UI is. Despite being smaller than an iPod touch, and 2/3 the weight, it has an (arguably) better screen, better battery life and a more powerful graphics processor (more powerful than even a Sony PSP). The UI is a slick as it gets - maybe the most drool worthy interface on the market today. It utilizes a 3D theme where menus move forward and backward in space...it looks terrific. This thing is snappy too, maybe even snappier than the iPhone 3GS or Nexus One. Video playback? Great, although the screen is pretty small. Which brings me to video playback. Hooking up this thing to a HD tv is a cinch and it really does work well. Playing movies in HD from a device this small is really pretty incredible.Now why the Zune HD didn't get a 9+ rating is fairly simple and unfortunate. Microsoft is not supporting the product like Apple or other companies do. Zune marketplace can be super slow to download stuff, Wifi support is missing, there are few apps available now and they come out very slow. In short, I still love the device but am beginning to hate that MS made it.At the end of the day, it depends what matters to you. If you want a ton of Apps, Apple's excellent iTunes marketplace, and a simple and usable interface - the Touch is hard to beat. But if you're looking for a device with prodigious gaming capabilities, seamless integration with HDTV's, a gorgeous screen, and a smaller more pocketable size....look no further than the Zune HD.Engadget Reader100January 27, 2010Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I have had an iPod ever since they introduced the 4 touch button one way back in 2003. I’ve used iTunes to buy music, organize my playlists, and keep my digital life in order. Over the years however, iTunes has grown exponentially in size, but only marginally in features. I find it amusing that Apple, a company that heavily trumpets their digital lifestyle hipster look while mocking the work-a-holic spreadsheets-using ‘PC’, uses nothing more than a glorified spreadsheet to organize its music. They need a reality check… but that’s a post for a different time.This is about Microsoft’s answer to the iPod Touch, which I also own. As I used the iPod touch, one thing became more and more aware to me. I don’t care about many if not all the extra features of the iPod Touch (apps, email, weather.) I couldn’t figure out why for the life of me because I knew how awesome it all was… or did I?The problem for me is, they took the iPhone and took out the phone… and what went with the phone was the always connected scenario. Now, the device can only connect when there is an open Wifi signal somewhere… and I feel like that is horribly limiting in terms of the potential for the device. Apple does make a product that reaches its full potential by the way, its the iPhone.So with this revelation that I only really care about my media on my device I started looking else ware for a device that gave me plenty of storage and also provided an alternative to iTunes that worked well. I only have about 15GB of media right now so I wanted something at least 32GB for future growth insurance. I stumbled upon the Zune HD and haven’t looked anywhere else since.I have the device now and I can say that I am super happy with that decision.So lets go over some stuff. Then I have some pics.OLED screen: Holy mother of god this thing is gorgeous… its 3.3 inches which is smaller than my iPod Touch’s 3.5 but the difference in size is absolutely okay with me. With OLED, the individual pixels can be turned on or off at will, this means that black IS black. The screen is also in true 16:9 which is a nice touch for movies. Speaking of movies, this things plays them like a champ. Fluid. Perfect. A+ on that one!Navigation: After using the icon paradigm on the iPod Touch for a while, i was wondering how quickly I would adjust to this one. Turns out the interface is a lot more intuitive than I was giving it credit for. I quickly understood the idea multiple layers that you cascade through… and I like the effect a lot.Sound: I don’t have the best ear in the world… but I do seem to like the sound on here better… though I can’t back that up with facts.Music Selection: I used the 15day free trial of Zune Pass and it is really tempting me for more… it really is the best deal in music BAR NONE. $15/month for 10 free downloads a month plus unlimited Rentals.Zune 4.0 software: This really was the deciding factor in what iPod alternative I bought. Like it or not, Apple is good at turn-key solutions. iPod/iTunes integration is great. It’s a shame iTunes is as bad as it is now. Zune 4.0 software is so nice, multiple ways to view your content, lots of images to replace text, fluid, simple. I like it. I only have one problem with it: please, for the love of god, separate audiobooks from general music. It is annoying to be rocking out to music and having an audiobook pop up next.Smart DJ: genius on steroids… I spent 2 hours listening to a playlist and it was superb, not once did i question the results unlike Apple’s solution. If you have a Zune Pass Smart DJ actually pulls music in from the store. It is the best music discovery solution out there since Pandora. Love it.Originals: Microsoft has always had this Zune Originals thing where you can engrave your Zune with three lines of text and an image while also picking a color. I did not have the greatest experience with this process… they lost my order in the database so it took them almost a month from when I ordered it to when I got it. A little Insider help went a long way and I am eternally grateful for it :) . I have a very awesome Red Zune HD with a knight on the back. Very cool.Apps: A big deal to some, Apps or Applications, helped propel the iPod Touch and the iPhone to great heights… I just don’t care though. I want a Media player… my music, my video, my pictures.There are a few Apps available and I downloaded them all. Overall… meh. again I don’t care enough.Overall I love the Zune HD and the Zune 4.0 software. There are some things I didn’t talk about but that’s mainly because I only discussed things I use (how can I review what I don’t use?) HD Radio for instance is great for people who listen to the radio… but I don’t. Zune, by far, is the best Personal Media Player I have come across.Engadget Reader80January 27, 2010Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Things I like about the Zune HD:Beautiful high quality/sturdy designGreat picture/video quality (OLED)The audio is superb including the HD digital radio stations.Responsive user interfaceThings I dislike about the Zune HD:Hard to use the controls to switch songs while driving (this is easy on the ipod since it has the clickwheel)No graphic equalizerNo support for third party applications/gamesThe zune software for syncing is clunky (I think the itunes software is too)Unable to use the zune as a hard driveHard to use the onscreen keyboardAccessories are expensive; $80 for a car adapter with a really weak FM transmitter (I know about FCC regulations) - but $80?Engadget Reader100January 12, 2010Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Only very minor bits keep the Zune HD from being perfect in every way. Some are firmware correctable (addition of video and podcasts in the on-device Marketplace, expanded audio codecs), others are, unfortunately, not (lack of Bluetooth, stronger battery life). But one thing is definitely for sure, MS hit one out of the park with the Zune HD.The software is, quite possibly, the most elegant I've ever used. It just flows naturally, the way you'd expect it to. Certain advanced functions require foreknowledge, but simple navigation is the stuff of Minority Report. The Tegra processor keeps pace with all of the UI's visual goodies too, slowing down only slightly at rare moments.Audio quality is stellar. Paired with a headphone amp and a great set of cans, you'd be hard pressed to find anything that sounds better. The screen is gorgeous and displays deep, rich, vivid colors. No issues can be found with either audio or video playback that are worth mentioning. The Zune Marketplace with Zune Pass is nearly unbeatable for keeping your content fresh. Apps, while sparse, are starting to become more abundant and are well fleshed out. The browser may be the weakest part of the package, but it does the job in a pinch.In my endless search for the perfect PMP, I think I've found my hero device. Viva la Zune!Engadget Reader90November 26, 2009Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Without a doubt this is one of the best purchases I've ever made. It's sleek, small, light, and packs a punch with its Tegra processor. I got a 16GB red HD from the Zune Originals site and have been loving it since.--Music-------------------Music playback is phenomenal. Not only is the interface very well designed, but the audio quality sounds amazing.--Video-------------------Video also looks amazing on the 3.3" OLED display. Compared side-by-side with the newest iPod touch it blows the touch's backlit LCD out of the water. I just wish it had a higher pixel density.--Radio------------------I can't tell you anything about how good the HD radio sounds, since I'm unfortunate enough to not have any HD stations here, but I can tell you that FM reception and quality is fairly good for a portable device.--Marketplace----------Also a little disappointed here; I was hoping you could also get videos directly on the HD, but alas, Microsoft didn't include it. Music browsing and buying is pretty straightforward. You can also download apps straight off the Zune.--Social------------------I hope you have friends with Zunes. I don't.--Podcasts--------------Separate sections for audio and video podcasts, nothing special.--Internet Browser----Oh, boy. When I got my Zune, the browser was beyond unusable. Pages took excruciatingly long lengths of time to load and render, and on top of that the portrait AND landscape virtual rds sucked, plus the built-in Bing search looked and worked like garbage! Thankfully, everything improved with the 4.3 firmware update. Pages loaded much faster, and the landscape leopard was stretched out to the edges of the screen for more space between keys. The Bing search coincidentally rolled out a new version of their mobile site, which looks and works much better.I still wouldn't say the browser is better than, say, the iPod touch's browser, since after all it is based on IE6 CE, but it's a fine browser that will work for quick searches and blog updates, etc.Engadget Reader100November 24, 2009Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The user interface is optimal and together with the music listening experience together with a Zunse pass, makes you not miss the apps at all. Use an iPhone or something for that. This is a great podcasting and music listening device. What i am missing is the possibility to scrobble my tracks to last.fm, but I guess that is coming.The device is much smaller than you probably think,based on the earlier Zunes, it is ridicolously thin and has an amazing OLED screen that looks great in any angel. Even if it is a bit small for movies etc it still works fine.Engadget Reader100October 21, 2009Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!This device is fantastic. The only drawback is that many of the online and marketplace features simply aren't available outside the US, and as an Aussie this means I an denied many things that I long to be able to do.Hopefully MS will realize there is a world outside US borders and let me use their outstanding player to its full capability in the near future, oh, and they HAVE to get a 64Gb version out. 16/32 gigs just aren't enough in this day and age, and I find my older Zune 120 accompanying me on longer trips and commutes.Engadget Reader90October 20, 2009Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!i love my 32G Zune HD. I haven't sprung for the HD dock yet, but that's what Christmas is for. The screen is beautiful, the battery life is terrific. The interface is really zippy. I love the new software. Anyone looking for a great music first, video second, podcast/audiobook experience should seriously consider this. The smartDJ list is cool and with a Zune pass, a lot cheaper than the Genius list. I loved hanging out in the Apple Store using their WiFi to download an album from the Zune Marketplace using my Zune pass while they fixed my iPhone. Sick, I know!Engadget Reader90October 19, 2009Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!To be quite honest, the difference between and iPod Touch and a ZuneHD is that the ZuneHD's actual focus is the music. From the general browsing, to the point that the tied in Zune Pass + Wireless makes it easy to find new artists, not to mention pick up on ones that might not even be that large just yet.The UI of the device is rather nice to be honest, a bit more bold than the iPod, but also with a bit more character with the automatic screensaver with scrolling text, plus each artist's information being only a few finger points away.The device can be synced with your computer's library wirelessly, once you set it up, which makes it almost seemless once you get into the home, Just plug the device into a dock or sync cable attached to electricity, and the device with sync automatically after a small amount of time, or you can just sync via. Settings > Wireless > Sync with PC.To be honest, Apple may have cornered this market early, but Zune is one of the many signs that Microsoft is getting their ship in order. Apple should watch out, because Redmond is coming for them and coming with quality.Engadget Reader100September 26, 2009Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!In a market where every new 'PMP' is really a MID/UMPC hybrid (and new acronyms are developed every day), it seems like the music player has been left in the dust. Despite the technological advancements of modern devices, no real media player truly offers anything too much more advanced than my free-on-contract featurephone. Companies chasing the prize for the best mobile application experience have simply used the Music Player as a stepstool to fuel other goals. Not so with Zune.It is evident that the Zune Team really loves music. They've focused their device on it. Sure, there is the touted HD Video playback, but to me that feels more like a feature added on to the base, and that base is arguably the best media experience available on a portable device.Part of this is the software on the device. One of my favorite features of the HD is that it downloads bios, pictures, and related music links for every recognized artist in your collection to the player itself. In many cases, this feature has provided me my first real look at the face behind the music I listen to and love. Quick access to each artist's biography lets you understand even more how your music came to be. All of this is part of a pretty simple idea, but it adds so much more depth to the music experience. Another excellent feature is the Quick Play menu, located to the left of the main menu, from which you have fast access to your favorite media. Zune continues its dedication to Radio as a music tool, expanding this feature to include higher-quality HD radio-- a first for this kind of device. The HD also adds many less flashy but extremely useful media management tools, like deleting files from the device and creating playlists on-the-go (which, until now, was another feature my phone had over many of the market's big players).Other aspects of the Zune's amazing music experience reside in the rest of the Zune ecosystem. The most notable feature is the Zune Pass-- a $15 a month subscription which allows you to listen to basically all of the music on the Marketplace and keep 10 songs a month. Within the desktop software, you have Smart DJ playlists, which will pair an artist or album of your choice up with compatible music tailored to fit your tastes-- and coupled with a Zune Pass, it will pull such music from the entire Marketplace. It's possibly the best way to discover music out there.The Zune HD does offer these advancements to the oft-ignored digital music experience, but that doesn't mean it's a media-only player. Included is a capable internet browser and a small catalog of good time-waster games and apps with some utility (a calculator and weather app). I just focus more on the music because people need to understand that the Zune HD is essentially and foremost a music player, not a portable computer.But it is important to note that no Zune product is set in stone. The brand has a history of pushing huge feature updates in new firmware downloads. The Zune Team also has a reputation of listening to its customers. It may soon pass that the HD expands its repertoire to include a full-fledged portable application experience and a better-featured browser-- it certainly has the hardware capability. In fact, the device itself has so much potential it's hard to imagine it staying as it is. If the Zune Team puts as much effort into these pursuits as it did with media playing capabilities, the HD will easily be the best portable device on the market. For now, though it comes down to a simple question: what is more important to you, media or applications? If it's the former, then the Zune HD is your best bet.If it's the latter, well... wait a few months, and it might be that too.Engadget Reader90September 24, 2009Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!This was an impulse buy for me, to be honest. I'd heard some reviews and details about the product on the podcast, and was intrigued, but had no real plans to buy one. Then a co-worker who had pre-ordered it on amazon decided he didn't want the thing and was going to return it, so on a whim I offered to buy it off him. I was actually a little nervous about the purchase, I already had a Zune 80, how much better could this be?Boy, was I surprised. The first thing that caught my attention was the size. I didn't realize how small it was going to be. I have a pair of skullcandy earbuds that came with this soft cloth pouch for storage that I can slip my HD into, WITH the headphones. (In fact, i'm currently using it to hold my Zune until I can find a proper case I like enough to buy.) It's the perfect size to slip into my pocket, while still fitting snugly into the palm of my hand. I was already using a Zune, so the menu system was familiar to me. Naturally, I completely ignored the guide booklets and dove straight into using the device. After I loaded all of my content onto the HD, it only took a couple of minutes flipping through the menus to figure out the controls. The touch controls were quick and smooth, requiring only feather-light strokes and taps to sail through long lists of content. Navigation was simple, with some nice subtle visuals as you navigate through that make the experience quite enjoyable. They added several features over the old Zunes that make jumping through content easy. The head of lists contain a small box that pops up a screen for jumping through your content alphabetically. Also, you can finally create and save playlists on the device itself, a feature that I thought was sorely lacking on previous Zunes. The side of the device has a nice little button that will bring up the media controls no matter what you are currently doing. You can quickly pause, adjust the volume or skip tracks. Press the button again and you will switch back to whatever you were doing before, whether browsing the web, playing games or just flipping through your pictures. You can even access these controls while the screen is locked. My favorite feature, I'd have to say, is the new main menu. It has all the same standards as in previous Zune, but if you tap the left edge of the screen, you get a series of quick lists for instant access to your content. If you have Music or a Podcast playing or paused, it appears at the top and you can hop to it with a simple tap. Below, you can find the Pins list. While viewing content (Podcasts, Albums, individuals songs, Radio Stations, web sites and I believe even pictures) all you have to do is touch and hold your finger down and you'll get an option to Pin it to this list for immediate Listening/Viewing. This section of the menu also provides you with a list of content you've used lately, as well as content that has been synced to the device most recently. Everything is displayed in nice little tiles that make it easy to find what you need right away.I haven't actually used the HD Radio yet, so I'll just go ahead and skip this feature. Sorry.The internet browser is smooth, with basic pinching for zoom and sliding for navigation. Pages load quickly and the text is crisp and easy to read. Pictures seem to be loaded at lower quality to help pages load, so they tend to get pixelated rather quickly if you try and zoom in on them. Also, the OSK feels a little cramped, especially if you're using it vertically. When you tilt the Zune horizontally you get a slightly larger Keyboard, but it still is a little awkward to use.I downloaded the small handful of Apps that are currently available, but nothing really stands out. Weather, Calculator and some games. Most of the games don't really use the touch controls for anything serious, the only app I found I like is one called Goo Splat. Blobs slid down the screen, you poke them and they pop. Nothing special, but entertaining during downtime.Lastly, I should really mention the OLED screen on this little baby. Wow, is it stunning. The colors are amazingly vivid and the blacks are actually black. This leads to some wonderful contrasting that really makes whatever you're viewing just stand out. The viewing angle on it is incredible as well. I can look at the screen nearly side-on and there's practically no loss in visual quality; you might as well be looking at a still photo instead of a screen.In all, I'm quite satisfied with my purchase, and I'm really looking forward to where they take this. As an Xbox owner there's a lot I'm hoping they will do with the 360 Marketplace integration, as well as what they're going to end up doing with the Apps.In the end, I'm going to settle on a score of 9.0/10. I can't find any genuine faults with this gadget, but I disliked the clumsy OSK on the browser and while I enjoy the size, I've had some friends who disliked the smaller screen. So I can't give it a perfect score. However, I recommend this device to anyone looking to purchase a music player, you won't be disappointed.- Kale9/24/2009Engadget Reader100September 24, 2009Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Microsoft’s new touch screen portable media player is the new kid on the block of the ever popular touch screen based PMPs. But what makes the Zune HD stand out and what are its shortcomings? Check out this thorough startBlue review. The first thing one notices is the design. Extremely industrial, it is available in either Black 16GB or Platinum 32GB which consists of a brushed metal back and a glass OLED touch screen. The second thing that catches your eye is the clarity, detail, and colour of the OLED screen. Unlike many of its competitors, the Zune HD innovates with the newest in screen technology. Unlike traditional displays that have one light bulb that is filtered by a liquid crystal display, the Zune HD contains thousands of light emitting diodes or tiny light bulbs. The result is a stunning display.Beneath the outer hardware exists some impressive internals. It is the first PMP to have HD Radio. HD Radio allows you to not only listen to FM radio but also HD stations, giving you a larger selection and higher clarity. Bringing it all together is the 8 core NVIDIA Tegra Processor which allows for handling of HD Video, a slick graphical UI and games all together with powerful battery savings. Each core has a unique purpose so by selectively turning them on and off, the Zune increases your ability to save energy.But what is hardware without software? The Zune also excels on this front. In an extremely intuitive method it brings your music to life with info and photos about your artists integrated into your experience. It also allows you to further explore music thru suggestions and with the optional Zune Pass you can stream and download unlimited music for only $14.99 a month while choosing your favourite 10 tracks to keep forever.Read more including a review video:http://www.startblue.net/technology/reviews/zune-hd-brings-new-experiences.htmEngadget Reader100September 24, 2009Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I will admit, I was extremely excited to pick mine up last Tuesday (32GB Platinum), and while my excitement wore off quickly, my love for this device has not. Hardware:When you open the box, the first thing you notice, is how small it actually is. I think that the size is perfect, not too big, not too small. Second, the build quality seems unparalleled in nearly any device I have seen or handled. Third, it is beautiful. Microsoft made some extremely intelligent design choices with the textures and material used to make this device. Unlike some fruit based PMP's, the textures used do not easily show scratches or fingerprints (except for the screen), and give it a strong industrial look. The buttons are all sturdy and usable, and the screen material is very nice. The screen is absolutely gorgeous... at full brightness. It looks ok at low and pretty good at medium. Audio sounds a bit better than my Zune 30, but its enough that i notice.Software:Coming from a black Zune 30, the interface felt like moving to a new home that was laid out similar to yours. It is nearly perfect i would say, but is super responsive and slick and cool as ice. The media discovery and slideshow features are great, and you can really see Tegra at work in these cases.Faults:I have two points that dropped it down from a 10 to a 9.9. First, the side button. It is not a volume rocker like i thought. It is useful haw it brigs up controls, and i like how it does so even when the device is locked, but i would have preferred a button on side, and a rocker on the other. Second, on the now playing screen, the Shuffle, Repeat, and Favorite buttons should have been replaced with Back, Play/Pause, and Next. They should have been accessible through another menu when pusing the control button or such.Other:This is a media player first and foremost, and excels at being oneI did not include the web browsing or or applications into account in this review because they are mere addons to me. No, the browser is not better than mobile Safari, but i don't need it to be. However, i do find it sufficient for quick browsing, and handles most sites extremely well. I never have needed any real apps, but when 3D games come out which take advantage of Tegra, that will be a whole different story.
Key Specs
TYPE
Audio / video player
MEDIA TYPE
Internal storage
AUDIO PLAYBACK TIME
up to 3320
VIDEO PLAYBACK TIME
up to 8.520
AUDIO CODEC SUPPORT
Aac, Mp3, Wma
VIDEO CODEC SUPPORT
Avi, H264, Mpeg4, Wmv, Xvid
SCREEN SIZE
3.322
SCREEN RESOLUTION
480x272
WIFI
Yes
INSTALLABLE APPS
Yes
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The future of ‘Minecraft’ includes swamps, scary monsters and a Game Pass bundle
At Minecraft Live, Mojang shared details on the game's next major updates.
There's now an official 'Minecraft' gaming chair
Secretlab wants you to sit on a Creeper.
You can preorder the Xbox Series X Mini Fridge on October 19th
The $100 appliance will ship in December.
US Army delays Microsoft's $22 billion HoloLens deal
Soldiers won't get AR headsets until September 2022.
Microsoft to shut down LinkedIn in China over 'challenging operating environment'
The company will instead run a standalone jobs app in the country.
15 years of Google Docs, and where the next 15 might take us
Turns out when Google sticks with a product, it can get pretty good.
ICYMI: Everything you need to know about Microsoft’s new Surface devices
Also, our thoughts on the 2021 iPad and the new OLED Nintendo Switch.
Microsoft made a translucent controller for the Xbox's 20th birthday
It will go on sale exactly 20 years after the release of the original Xbox.
7713Microsoft Surface Go 3 review: Third time isn't quite the charm
Microsoft's tiny 2-in-1 still isn't powerful enough.
8417Surface Laptop Studio review: A better Surface Book, a missed opportunity
The most powerful Surface yet is still limited to a quad-core CPU.
87Windows 11 review: Microsoft’s most pleasant OS—until it isn't
It's polished and secure, but also frustrating in entirely new ways.
How and when to upgrade to Windows 11
It might be months before you can install the OS through Windows Update, though.
Halo Infinite's accessibility features make driving and menu navigation easier
Microsoft is also making it easier to identify accessible games before buying them.
Microsoft Office 2021 starts at $150 and arrives on October 5th
The business version costs $250.
Apple, Amazon and others back groups trying to kill US climate legislation
Disney and Microsoft are also connected to lobbyists who are fighting the $3.5 trillion budget bill.
