Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: ZuneHD, Microsoft, Touch | Themes: Audio/Video Players
5. Zune Gets Social Web
A social app connects your Microsoft Live account to any friends you may have on Microsoft’s network, either through Zune or Xbox Live. An inbox and friends list are available for you to share songs or quick messages.
The Web browser is very different from what we’re used to with the Touch and iPhone. The browser loads pages specifically designed for mobile devices (as opposed to the Apple devices, which typically load full pages), and it’s very quick (we’ll have full speed tests in the coming days). Preliminary tests show that the browser can access secured networks properly without conflict, that it can access required pop-ups, and that it does just about everything Apple’s mobile Safari browser does, with the exception of loading non-mobile sites in non-mobile format. Slide the command bar up from the bottom to type out a new URL or to set a favorite. More info about the social network and web browsing features can be found on page 7.
Typing on the Zune is not as natural as on the Touch/iPhone. It’s too easy to accidentally hit the wrong letter when typing quickly, even in landscape mode. There are no sound options for typing, so audio queues can’t help you catch your mistakes. Typing in landscape was easier, but the scrolling-method of choosing letters is not as precise as Apple’s interface. It works, but the accuracy is not up to par.
Applications are very few in number and are the weak link for the Zune HD. There are only nine in total, though plans to offer serious gaming titles like Forza Motorsport are rumored to be making their way to the Zune. We tested all nine of the applications, including Hexic, Calculator, Chess, MSN Weather, and a few other games. Most of the games seem like demos designed to show off what the Zune can do, which considering the games in question, is very little. The calculator app has an interesting function where when turned in portrait mode, it becomes a scientific calculator. The Chess app crashed whenever the computer was close to losing, but the other apps ran smoothly and without incident.
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Good article! Brought some of the lesser known features out and reviewed them thoroughly!
Excellent article! Wow, I wanted one before, but thought it might be best to wait and see if the price comes down. Now I'm thinking, where's my wallet?
Ouch. That's kind of a big thing to leave out.
Just a little info: the "Easter Egg" you found (Hello From Seattle) was also on the back of the original Zune.
More on topic, can't wait to purchase one of these! Great review!
"hello from seattle" has been on every single Zune since it's creation. Dont assume you're 'that' special.
Quick Question:
Do I NEED the dock to plug the zune HD to my hdtv or is it optional?
Slow Question:
Can I browse regular webpages with it?
Quick Question
1) Yes, you do. It's 80$ from what I've heard.
2) Yes, but you have to click on the non-mobile button after the page loads (shouldn't take more than a second) and then it will load the full version. It's like the PSP browser.
Quick Question
You can use the old dock that sells for $20 but it won't play HD.
1) Yes, you do. It's 80$ from what I've heard. 2) Yes, but you have to click on the non-mobile button after the page loads (shouldn't take more than a second) and then it will load the full version. It's like the PSP browser.
You can use the old dock that sells for $20 but it won't play HD.
Thanks for the quick (and slow xD) answers.
The dock thing is kinda a bummer though.
amazon has the HD dock for $62 as of RIGHT now
480x320 resolution of the iPhone has an aspect ratio of....4:3?
... 320 / 160 = 2...
... 480 / 160 = 3...
...Am I doing my maths right?
Any word on last.fm scrobbling?
@manjyomethunder
It's possible the iPhone doesn't have square pixels, either that or they've made a mistake with the figures.
Wow...
$80 for the dock, damn.
Just sounds like a really portable video player to me. It would make it easier to play my downloaded films on my TV. All I need is a Zune HD, Zune HD HDMI dock, and a HDMI cable... not sounding all to great any more ($$$)...
i don't live in America so i cant get it, otherwise i would have pre-ordered it. with the dock. imagine using the dock controller to play actual 3d games on tv, taking tegra and arm 11 to the limits.
argh why the hell dont they sell this thing in the UK.. id buy one in a flash if they did
You didn't go into my favorite feature, wireless sync. I love leaving my zune in my car in the garage, and finding new podcasts every morning when I drive to work.
Something neat, when tied to a comp via USB it will run through the PCs network (I was pulling up web-pages with wifi off and did a double take yesterday). Makes web-pages a bit faster but doesn't do much else. Suppose its an easy way to download if ones wifi is odd, but you have the zune software already to do this... so... redundant?
A few notes. First, thanks for all the comments, it was very helpful for the update.
manjyomethunder, your math is correct. The Touch has a 3:2 screen ratio. I'd love to say it was a typo, but it was just wrong information. I myself checked the numbers before, but saw what I thought was concrete info about it being 4:3. Obviously, a poor source we won't be using anymore.
fartblossom, we didn't go into wireless sync too much (did more in the update) because it's not a new feature. I like it very much, but I don't like how it only works on one network. In my house, we've got 3 wi-fi networks on the same router, so unless I'm in the vicinity of my home office, I can't sync wirelessly.
One thing we're not sure about, and waiting for more feedback on, is whether the Zune HD supports ad-hoc networking. Our tests show that it does not, but it could be a problem with our device, since realistically it should be identical to making your laptop into a wi-fi hotspot.
What do you guys think of it so far?
Great article, but I disagree on two fronts. First I think apps work fine - the poker is quite enjoyable to play. Second and more important, is it seems that you are familiar with typing on the iphone. I just recently started testing an iphone app and haven't used the keyboard before and had had horrible time typing on it. keypresses are noted on initial touch where with the zune they are enacted upon release and you have some room to adjust prior to selecting the key. I thought I was going to have problems with the zune given my iphone experience and it works phenomenal for me. Actually, really like it and had to double check my first URL was i typed into it was 100% correct. (and this was in before i realized i could type in landscape mode).