I got my Zune HD & I'm very impressed.
I've been a Zune owner for a while, now. I already have the 1st generation 30GB & the 2nd gen 8GB models.
I can't compare it to any iPod because I've never "touch"ed one. I'll keep this review informative. I do apologize for the length of this post.
I got the black 16GB Zune HD. It's thinner than my other Zunes & is only slightly smaller than the 30BG model. As the HD's touch screen covers most of the unit's face, it's the largest screen off all the Zunes. There are only 3 buttons: The "home" button at the bottom of the front, just below the screen, the "media" button is on the upper-left side, & the "power" button is in the middle of the top of the unit. The headphone jack & sync port are along the bottom. With it's thinness, large surface & the touch screen, I don't think I will be slipping it into my pants pocket. I'll keep my 8GB for that.
The touch screen is bright & the colors are brilliant & true to life, but not over-saturated. The contrast is exceptional. Blacks on the screen are totally devoid of light. Even in complete darkness, you can't notice the screen edges. The whites can be very bright if the brightness is set to high. However, the screen will wash out in direct sunlight, unlike the 8GB's screen which will reflect the image a bit in bright light even after the backlight has gone to sleep.
The touch aspect of the screen is very good. Motions are very fluid & the sensitivity is precise. I did have some trouble touching tiny links on some web pages, though. The other minor nuisance is fingerprints.
I've always liked the Zune's OS, & the HD's OS is even better. Other than the touch screen operation of menus & lists, I think the "quicplay feature is a nice touch. You can "pin" an item to this screen & it will always be close at hand. There's also a "history" screen that shows the last few items used. Whether it's music, games, web pages, videos or radio stations, this is a quick way of getting back to the most recent content. These 2 items are to the left of the familiar "home" menu.
Navigating lists is a breeze with the touch screen. Just drag your finger up or down a list or menu & the list scrolls with it. You control the speed. When a song is playing, you can scroll to the next or previous song with a left or right drag of a finger.
One of the "HD" aspects of the Zune HD, is the fact that you can play HD (720p only) videos through your 720p compatible TV. I did not test this feature, as it requires a special dock. I use my Zune for videos on the go, so I couldn't justify the extra expense for the dock.
Video & photograph clarity on the Zune HD is very good. As mentioned earlier, the contrast & color are stunning. The screen resolution (480 x 272) is nice & crist. However, I did notice that the upcoming song list that appears below the currently-playing song title is a bit too small for the screen's resolution. Lake all Zunes the HD has to be turned on it's side for proper video & photo display.
The other HD function of the Zune HD is FM HD Radio. The HD has the most sensitive receiver of all the Zunes. I live 45 miles from Milwaukee & I was able to get all the stations that offered HD service, with only one exception. I also got the HD to work on one of the Chicago stations at 65 miles. Tuning the radio is a very touchy affair with the touch screen. You drag your finger along the "dial" to change the frequency. There are plenty of presets you can set. I just use those.
I'm not a really big gamer, but I did download the game "Hexic". I've played this game on my other Zunes & I find it relaxing. I found it maddening on the HD. The game's object is to mach hexagonal tiles to that of the same color. A group of 3 tiles is selected & you can move the selection, then spin the group of 3 to see if they cause a match with nearby tiles. On the other Zunes, once you navigate the selected group, you hit the center button to spin the group. On the HD, you can touch the group you want to spin, but spinning it is the hard part. You need to move your finger in just the right circular motion to get it to spin. Do it wrong & you move your selection.
Web browsing is very rudimentary, but most web pages will display fine. When you turn the HD on it's side, a wider portion of the page can be viewed. The "keyboard" that is used for entering information is very small, but as you drag your finger along the rows of "keys", they are enlarged so you can tell what character you're selecting. There is no online video playback functionality, so YouTube is out of the question. But, if you want to look something up, or check your online email, this definitely will do the trick.
I did have one problem with the wireless connectivity, though. I had no trouble using the wireless functions the first time I tried it, but when I tried it later, I got a message about not being able to connect because of a "DHCP failure". I reset my wireless router, now everything's connecting fine.
I've always enjoyed the elegance, simplicity of the Zune desktop software. The presentation is straightforward & uncluttered. The only real downside I see to the Zune HD, is the lack of apps for the device. Right now, there are only 9 apps & 7 are games. I could use more than just a weather reporting app & a calculator. I'm sure that there will be more coming soon, though. Personally I would love a contact manager & a calendar.
Finally...I think Microsoft has a winner, here, if they would just come out with more apps.
I've been a Zune owner for a while, now. I already have the 1st generation 30GB & the 2nd gen 8GB models.
I can't compare it to any iPod because I've never "touch"ed one. I'll keep this review informative. I do apologize for the length of this post.
I got the black 16GB Zune HD. It's thinner than my other Zunes & is only slightly smaller than the 30BG model. As the HD's touch screen covers most of the unit's face, it's the largest screen off all the Zunes. There are only 3 buttons: The "home" button at the bottom of the front, just below the screen, the "media" button is on the upper-left side, & the "power" button is in the middle of the top of the unit. The headphone jack & sync port are along the bottom. With it's thinness, large surface & the touch screen, I don't think I will be slipping it into my pants pocket. I'll keep my 8GB for that.
The touch screen is bright & the colors are brilliant & true to life, but not over-saturated. The contrast is exceptional. Blacks on the screen are totally devoid of light. Even in complete darkness, you can't notice the screen edges. The whites can be very bright if the brightness is set to high. However, the screen will wash out in direct sunlight, unlike the 8GB's screen which will reflect the image a bit in bright light even after the backlight has gone to sleep.
The touch aspect of the screen is very good. Motions are very fluid & the sensitivity is precise. I did have some trouble touching tiny links on some web pages, though. The other minor nuisance is fingerprints.
I've always liked the Zune's OS, & the HD's OS is even better. Other than the touch screen operation of menus & lists, I think the "quicplay feature is a nice touch. You can "pin" an item to this screen & it will always be close at hand. There's also a "history" screen that shows the last few items used. Whether it's music, games, web pages, videos or radio stations, this is a quick way of getting back to the most recent content. These 2 items are to the left of the familiar "home" menu.
Navigating lists is a breeze with the touch screen. Just drag your finger up or down a list or menu & the list scrolls with it. You control the speed. When a song is playing, you can scroll to the next or previous song with a left or right drag of a finger.
One of the "HD" aspects of the Zune HD, is the fact that you can play HD (720p only) videos through your 720p compatible TV. I did not test this feature, as it requires a special dock. I use my Zune for videos on the go, so I couldn't justify the extra expense for the dock.
Video & photograph clarity on the Zune HD is very good. As mentioned earlier, the contrast & color are stunning. The screen resolution (480 x 272) is nice & crist. However, I did notice that the upcoming song list that appears below the currently-playing song title is a bit too small for the screen's resolution. Lake all Zunes the HD has to be turned on it's side for proper video & photo display.
The other HD function of the Zune HD is FM HD Radio. The HD has the most sensitive receiver of all the Zunes. I live 45 miles from Milwaukee & I was able to get all the stations that offered HD service, with only one exception. I also got the HD to work on one of the Chicago stations at 65 miles. Tuning the radio is a very touchy affair with the touch screen. You drag your finger along the "dial" to change the frequency. There are plenty of presets you can set. I just use those.
I'm not a really big gamer, but I did download the game "Hexic". I've played this game on my other Zunes & I find it relaxing. I found it maddening on the HD. The game's object is to mach hexagonal tiles to that of the same color. A group of 3 tiles is selected & you can move the selection, then spin the group of 3 to see if they cause a match with nearby tiles. On the other Zunes, once you navigate the selected group, you hit the center button to spin the group. On the HD, you can touch the group you want to spin, but spinning it is the hard part. You need to move your finger in just the right circular motion to get it to spin. Do it wrong & you move your selection.
Web browsing is very rudimentary, but most web pages will display fine. When you turn the HD on it's side, a wider portion of the page can be viewed. The "keyboard" that is used for entering information is very small, but as you drag your finger along the rows of "keys", they are enlarged so you can tell what character you're selecting. There is no online video playback functionality, so YouTube is out of the question. But, if you want to look something up, or check your online email, this definitely will do the trick.
I did have one problem with the wireless connectivity, though. I had no trouble using the wireless functions the first time I tried it, but when I tried it later, I got a message about not being able to connect because of a "DHCP failure". I reset my wireless router, now everything's connecting fine.
I've always enjoyed the elegance, simplicity of the Zune desktop software. The presentation is straightforward & uncluttered. The only real downside I see to the Zune HD, is the lack of apps for the device. Right now, there are only 9 apps & 7 are games. I could use more than just a weather reporting app & a calculator. I'm sure that there will be more coming soon, though. Personally I would love a contact manager & a calendar.
Finally...I think Microsoft has a winner, here, if they would just come out with more apps.
