Microsoft Zune HD

[Kamill]

I wonder if anyone on XDA is going to buy the new Zune HD?

http://www.benchmark.pl/uploads/image/ZuneHD.jpg
More info on Zune HD (http://www.zune.net/en-us/mp3players/zunehd/default.htm)

I'm going to order it as soon as it will be available in my country :) The device looks nice, the performance is great, and the interface too.

[Pihrana]

Im selling my Archos 605 Wifi (160Gb) with DVR Station and 4 plug ins just to get the cash together to buy it :)

So the answer is YES :)

[typo]

Not sure yet. I've been a Zune user for a couple years now and I love my 80. Best music device I've ever used.

The HD looks awesome, but I'm willing to trade more than half my storage for the new UI. Time will tell.

My only beef with the HD from what I've seen is that it doesn't look like there's a super-fast way to scrub through alphabetical lists. While I think the iPhone media UI is bland and uninteresting in general, the little rolodex scroller on the side works nicely. Zune HD looks like it takes a few more clicks, but maybe there's a shortcut we haven't seen yet.

[Kamill]

Yeah, the UI is just marvellous! I've watched all of the films that are available :D In the alphabetical list you can click a letter and it shows you a kind of keyboard, when you press a letter it takes you to it. I suppose it's quite comfortable.

I'm waiting for a unboxing video - there's no info still on what will be in the box...

[andyjeezy]

Now if we can somehow emulate the UI to work on our phones??

[style1]

I got to play with one at best buy...good luck running that ui without tegra. Its so silky smooth, so clean. Hopefully some of this makes it to winmo7. I'm already signed up and will have mine opening day. I might end up getting some crap phone and using my Zune as my do all device.

[Kamill]

andyjeezy, IMO it would be hard, because:
- the Zune has a capacitive screen
- UI is based on Windows CE
- the Zune works on Nvidia Tegra :D

I suppose WM 7 will have similar functions, already now 6.5 is based on the same concept of a simple text menu...

[Monty Burns]

why have all these devices taken a step back in storage? I used to use MP3 players that were based on laptop 2.5" disks with 80+gig storage.

Take into account that it claims to be able to play HD tv stuff so thats got to be 720 to be any use, that puts a film at somewhere between 6 and 10gig depending on format.

Now, look at the storage options available on the Zune HD.....


edit: hell, even my Acer M900 has 16gig in it and my Omnia, 32gig and they are both phones!

[Kamill]

The Zune has no longer a HDD, but flash memory, that's why the storage is much smaller... But thanks to that the device is lighter and more shock-resistant ;)

[Monty Burns]

The Zune has no longer a HDD, but flash memory, that's why the storage is much smaller... But thanks to that the device is lighter and more shock-resistant ;)

Exactly and not capable of storing more than 1 HD film ..... so why bother even being capable of playing it?



And to repeat, my Omnia has a combined 32gig onboard/miniSD storage and thats a phone.

[Kamill]

MS surely wanted to cut the cost of production of the Zune HD, so that it would be a real Ipod killer... It would be great if the new Zune had a memory card slot, as in your Omnia :)

[Monty Burns]

...... It would be great if the new Zune had a memory card slot, as in your Omnia :)


Spot on! THEN it could be used as it SHOULD be used. One film per card - you could carry around a mini film library, how cool would that be?!

As it is, its rediculous that they are making them with such little onboard and (Afaik) no way to expand it.

[segadc]

Definetly getting it. Still have and use my Zune 30. :cool:

[alex.gribbin]

I was going to buy one in October when I'm going to the US but since my Touch 3G is coming tommorow, I can't see any point in getting one now, probably just get the new PS3

[segadc]

I forgot to mention. I hope the Zune HD can connect to wmwifirouter or HTC wifi. I know the older Zunes cannot.

[pidsw]

The New Zune runs a modified version of WM6.5 with bits of WM7. How long will it take for people to hack it?
The hard part will be driver support.

[typo]

Spot on! THEN it could be used as it SHOULD be used. One film per card - you could carry around a mini film library, how cool would that be?!

As it is, its rediculous that they are making them with such little onboard and (Afaik) no way to expand it.

The recommended profiles are roughly 3GB per hour. While 32GB might not be great for carrying around a mini film library, it WOULD be useful for carrying around a few episodes of your favorite shows (or maybe one or two movies). I'm much more likely to watch, say, the latest eps of House or 30 Rock on this thing than watching full feature films.

And they WILL be launching a 64GB version in the future, presumably when flash gets cheap enough.

A microSD slot would have been nice, but I'm pretty sure MS was trying to make the thing as small and sleek and easy-to-use as possible.

[Monty Burns]

...

A microSD slot would have been nice, but I'm pretty sure MS was trying to make the thing as small and sleek and easy-to-use as possible.

You have seen the size of a mini-sd card right? Suggesting that MS didn't install the capability to "make the thing as small" is stretching it a bit far in my opinion and a poor excuse if that really is the truth. As for easy to use, how easy is to unplug a card and plug a new one in?

[typo]

You have seen the size of a mini-sd card right? Suggesting that MS didn't install the capability to "make the thing as small" is stretching it a bit far in my opinion and a poor excuse if that really is the truth. As for easy to use, how easy is to unplug a card and plug a new one in?

The card is small, but the reader is bigger. Not saying it couldn't be done (or that it wouldn't be a good tradeoff), but the internals on these things get cramped.

As for easy -- sure, but we're not idiots. ;) The Zune line is designed for mass market idiots. I think there's been concern that people would think they HAD to buy microSD for storage or that it would be cumbersome to manage exactly where the data is, etc. It sounds stupid to competent people who can handle such things, but having worked in IT for a while, I can say there's definitely some folks who'd have their minds blown by an SD slot.

[segadc]

I am hoping Apple does release a 64GB Ipod Touch this year forcing Microsoft to do the same with the Zune HD. :cool:

[ajclai08]

I got to mess around with it in person at bestbuy and its niiice. The device its self is small and really light. The screen is sexy, has a good contrast and looks the same in daylight as it does in the dark. There's virtually no loading times, going from landscape to portrait when lookin at the photo..is instant. I was lookin into the apps tab in their market place on the phone..and saw some what looked to be test apps and such.. but coudnt connect to wifi. Though the zune I think i was lookin at, had been connected to wifi before.. and it dl a list of apps to download..though these are just asumptions, the zune dude told me they had apps, I think their aiming at social apps like facebook and twitter at start, a rumor for the games is, MS is porting older xbox games to their zune..

[segadc]

Nice. I wish ya tried to connect it with wmwifirouter or htc wifi router to see if it worked. I was going to do that if I went to BB but couldn't make the times.

[ajclai08]

Nice. I wish ya tried to connect it with wmwifirouter or htc wifi router to see if it worked. I was going to do that if I went to BB but couldn't make the times.

The zune rep said he couldnt get a wifi connection..then he turned around and looked at the Geek Squad LOL. He was using zunes wifi at starbucks..

[TFGBD]

The New Zune runs a modified version of WM6.5 with bits of WM7. How long will it take for people to hack it?
The hard part will be driver support.

Are you sure? I figured they would just be running a WinCE 5.x or 6.0 kernel with a custom shell with no WM/PPC to speak of just like the older models.

[guitarfreak846]

My sister preordered one. I'm waiting with my Zune120 until they make a 64gb model of the Zune HD. I'm excited to play with it though!

[TFGBD]

My sister preordered one. I'm waiting with my Zune120 until they make a 64gb model of the Zune HD. I'm excited to play with it though!

I'm a little disappointed with this line. There was a lot of potential in the HW/software that it still hasn't lived up to ouside of the offical MS firmware updates. I'm glad I didn't buy one. I expected someone to bypass the bootloader security and for people to be running cooked ROMs on it by now. I still say a Smartphone ROM would be ideal on that hardware. Oh well. Maybe the HD will be different and more open.

[bedoig]

So, I picked up a 32GB model. Nice device, but one big disappointment is the inability to connect to adhoc wifi networks (i.e. WMWifirouter).

Hacking the original Zune never seemed to go anywhere, but hopefully the HD will generate more interest. Is there any possibility that some of the existing XDA Utils could be of use (pregutl for example)?

[segadc]

Yeah its disapointing. I do not have a Zune HD yet (still want a 64GB) but did recently get a Zune Pass (I have a Zune 30). Would be so awesome to stream the Zune Pass anywhere without using a PC, wifi (infrastructure), usb.

I understand it not working with older Zune's for security reasons but not with the Zune HD. As you will find out or read, there is no Zune to Zune sharing on the Zune HD. So there is no reason to secure ad-hoc anymore. Also I am pretty sure you cannot see other Zune's around you anymore. Want to confirm that for me? Thanks!

Oh yeah I forgot about Zune to Zune gaming. I think that is still on the Zune HD so yeah I guess they still use adhoc for that. Too bad...

Really if the Zune HD did connect to ad-hoc connections I would of bought it day one.

[pidsw]

I am not completely certain, as I do not have the hardware yet and plans may have changed over the last three months. To my knowledge, the OS and Hardware could be a phone, but there are various reasons that it is not. Some of these are also reasons that it may be more difficult to crack the bootloader or run Windows Phone Update on it.
Among the major concerns is the DRM issue. Windows Mobile is an open OS with a mostly open filesystem. It would be a little too bold for Microsoft to release hardware that let you convieniantly borrow songs indefinitly without paying anyone royalties.
Other issues are the fact that MS does not want to piss off its OEM patners just yet. There are also Carrier issues.
Has anyone tried running a native Voip app on it? How about Skype?

There will be "Zune-like" (same chipset, same core OS) phones next year, but they will have to use the traditional Carrier+OEM model.

I don't know how difficult it will be to hack the bootloader and install a Pink build on it (Windows Mobile). I have not yet worked with a Tegra.
I also don't know if it supports the GSM / UTMS bands. Some reference Tegra boards do, but I have not acctually seen the Zune produciton model.

Straight Pink builds will run WMWifiRouter, and they have Internet sharing, remost desktop, VOIPos etc. built in.

[bedoig]

Yeah its disapointing. I do not have a Zune HD yet (still want a 64GB) but did recently get a Zune Pass (I have a Zune 30). Would be so awesome to stream the Zune Pass anywhere without using a PC, wifi (infrastructure), usb.

I understand it not working with older Zune's for security reasons but not with the Zune HD. As you will find out or read, there is no Zune to Zune sharing on the Zune HD. So there is no reason to secure ad-hoc anymore. Also I am pretty sure you cannot see other Zune's around you anymore. Want to confirm that for me? Thanks!

Oh yeah I forgot about Zune to Zune gaming. I think that is still on the Zune HD so yeah I guess they still use adhoc for that. Too bad...

Really if the Zune HD did connect to ad-hoc connections I would of bought it day one.

Lack of that feature turned out to be a deal breaker for me. The screen is gorgeous and the interface is second to none, but for me it's not worth carrying around another device without that ability. It's going back to Amazon.

I picked up a 3rd gen iPod Touch to compare with, and I think I'm going to keep it. It's a more polished all around device, and is great for casual web browsing on the couch or whatever. The new processor really takes the iPod's browser to another level. Extremely fast page rendering - practically PC speed. The Zune's browser was good, with smoother, faster screen reorientation than the iPod, but again it was overall just a little less polished. The Zune's keyboard is also harder to type on. You'd think it would be very similar given the screen sizes of 3.3" vs 3.5" but the Zune's true 16:9 aspect ration means that the screen is actually significantly narrower in portrait mode. I should post up some shots of the browsers rendering the same page though so you can see how much more vibrant the Zune's screen really is. Side by side, it makes the iPod's screen look like a washed out piece of junk. You sacrifice visibility in outdoor lighting conditions, but I don't think that would have been an issue for me.

I don't really like the line Microsoft is taking when it comes to apps either. One of the reasons for the success of the iPhone/iPod team is that 99% of applications operate on both platforms. That's a huge user base. Microsoft's decision to segregate the Zune from the Windows Mobile world is not a good way to attract developers, who would have to modify programs to accommodate two different environments. I'm on the fence about ditching Windows Mobile all together. They have the resources to create amazing products, but there is little to no coordination between divisions and their mobile OS has been stagnant for way too long. I'm not really in one camp or another, but I've used a lot of different devices. WebOS, Android, and the iPhone all offer an amazingly refreshing experience coming off of 5+ years of WinMo. The whole reason I starting using WM to begin with was that it offered capabilities that nothing else offered, but that's no longer true. Oh well, that's enough long and pointless ranting. Sorry.

Here's hoping for an awesome WM7 user experience with the Zune media interface, Zune Pass compatibility, xbox integration, and killer hardware.

Also I am pretty sure you cannot see other Zune's around you anymore. Want to confirm that for me? Thanks!

If I see another Zune user before I return it I'll let you know. Haven't seen any yet though ;)

[Monty Burns]

... Oh well, that's enough long and pointless ranting. Sorry.
...

dont be! Was a very interesting read for me and im sure other people that don't own a Zune but are toying with the idea.

So to yourself and the previous two posters, thanks! :)

[ND4SPD]

So, I picked up a 32GB model. Nice device, but one big disappointment is the inability to connect to adhoc wifi networks (i.e. WMWifirouter).

Hacking the original Zune never seemed to go anywhere, but hopefully the HD will generate more interest. Is there any possibility that some of the existing XDA Utils could be of use (pregutl for example)?

Da_G and I were able to get the Zune HD Rom dumped: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=564591

...if it helps anyone. It would be interesting to get Pink/WM7 running on this thing!

[garthus]

I gave in and bought the Zune HD 2 days ago and it's great, not perfect but great. My main reason to buy one was my iTouch is slow and flaky. And to be honest I wanted another new toy to go with the Touch Pro 2.

What i've realized is that the Zune is about the music or music experience instead of the apps. That sounds like a commercial but it's true. The 1st couple of hours with it I was impressed with the device but disappointed with the experience. I missed checking my email, playing games and all the other cool things i can do on the iTouch/iPhone.

It all got better as I listened to more music. I found out more about the bands, other albums etc... It was about the music, When i'm using the device i'm not thinking about checking my email,playing some game or doing any of the other things that there is an app for, i literally was enjoying the music experience. It's the same when i play music with the desktop app.
For the 1st time in a long while i really enjoyed the music instead of just listening to it.
The other thing is I can't fit my entire collection on it but it's not a problem, i'm putting the music I really like on there. Its a different experience than the ipod.

My .2 cents, hope that made sense

On the device itself it's sweet, the UI rocks it's fast,very intuitive and really enhances the experience. This is the control interface I want on my next win mo phone.
The other great thing is the online ability, I hear some song on the radio and go online to get more immediately. I haven't tried to see if it works with Mobile WIFI Router yet, but if it does i'm set.

[segadc]

It does not connect to ad-hoc connections (just like older Zunes).

[adp9626]

My only beef with the HD from what I've seen is that it doesn't look like there's a super-fast way to scrub through alphabetical lists. While I think the iPhone media UI is bland and uninteresting in general, the little rolodex scroller on the side works nicely. Zune HD looks like it takes a few more clicks, but maybe there's a shortcut we haven't seen yet.


You might already know this but touching on the letter in the song list takes you to the alphabet page where you can jump to any letter you like. This is actually a lot faster than scrolling through the whole alphabet table.