I got my 32gb Zune HD on release date (9/15), and have been using it off and on throughout the day everyday since. My experience with it has been pretty darn good. As much as I would love to give it a 5-star rating, I don't find this latest Zune iteration to be perfect at its current state, although it definitely has that potential once MS works out the kinks.
The kinks:
1. Browser - The included IE6-based browser is decent at best. Some sites are not rendered well. I don't get why a forward button/arrow was not included to navigate through pages. It's good enough for casual browsing, but its capabilities are currently limited. Flash rendering would be great in future updates. *Fingers crossed*
2. Applications - The number of apps included is limited at 9 currently. This is not really a deal-breaker for me as I use Zune mainly for music and videos and internet-browsing. That said, it would still be a great bonus if there were more apps available. Also, the apps tend to load moderately slow. I have not used apps on the iPhone or Touch, but I assume their apps load instantaneously? There's a big brouhaha about the apps being ad-supported. It's really much ado about nothing since the ad appears briefly and only in the beginning. The ad does not appear in the middle of a game, or while you're checking the weather. Plus, the apps are free.
Nit-picks:
1. Wireless syncing - It takes 3 taps to sync wirelessly. 1 or 2 would be ideal.
2. Marketplace on Zune hardware - Currently you can only buy music and apps. You have to purchase videos using the Zune PC software.
3. Clock - You have to manually set the time. You would think it should be able to auto-set the time.
The Goods:
1. User interface - The interface is smooth and easy to use. It's a little different from the Zune 80 interface, but it's pretty easy and quick to get used to it. Quickplay and Pins are very useful and convenient. The accelerometer is very responsive.
2. Video quality - With OLED screen and Tegra chip, video quality is definitely improved over previous Zunes.
3. HD Radio - I live in Los Angeles, so I am able to get HD stations. This is a good feature if you live in major metropolitan areas where HD stations are usually available.
4. Sound quality - I don't know if I am imagining it, but it seems like the audio quality is improved. The sound is crisper and clearer to me. Perhaps the new equalizer setting helps.
Unknown:
Battery life - I have not used the player continuously for hours so it's hard to say if the claimed 33 hrs audio and 8 hrs video are accurate. So far, not surprisingly, I've noticed browsing the internet (using wifi) and watching videos drain the battery quick.
BOTTOMLINE: Zune HD is an excellent product as is, already presenting itself as a formidable competition to iPod Touch. With more apps, XBOX integration, and a more robust browser, I don't see why it could not be as mainstream and ubiquitous as the iPod.
Get more detail about Zune HD 32 GB Video MP3 Player (Platinum).
0 comments:
Post a Comment