Microsoft Makes Zune HD Official, Packs IE Browser

By Jane McEntegart, published on May 27, 2009 at 2:10 PM
Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: , , , , | Themes: Audio/Video Players
Syndication: Add to your Google homepage Add to My Yahoo!

Microsoft has finally put all those Zune HD rumors to rest.

The Redmond company yesterday announced that it would launch the Zune HD this fall. First off, what kind of device are we looking at here? Previous rumors gave the Zune HD some pretty serious specs.

Our favorite list was something along the lines of a multi-touch OLED screen with a 16:9 aspect ratio and HDTV out, from an HDMI port on the side. That aside you’d aslo get HD radio and the device would offer support for HD media playback, available from the updated Zune Marketplace as well as support 3D Xbox games.

It will also have a web browser based off Internet Explorer, which I'm sure we can't wait to see how it measures up against the webkit-based browsers on the iPhone and Palm Pre.

Alright so we’re not quite getting the dream machine we hoped. The Zune HD will have a built in HD radio receiver as well as high-def video output and an OLED display and WiFi enabling users to surf the web and connect to the Zune Marketplace. This is basically Microsoft’s answer to the iTouch. Any iTouch owners regretting their purchase at the moment? I stand by my original statement that if this were also a phone, I’d be all over it.

Check out the Zune HD official website here.

Comments | Print | Send to a friend
Slideshows related to this news

Sponsored links

Comments

grieve 05/27/2009 8:29 PM
Hide
-20+

looks good, the best thing about Zune is no Itunes!

leo2kp 05/27/2009 8:30 PM
Hide
-0+

...damn

tenor77 05/27/2009 8:33 PM
Hide
-4+

If I can play XBLA games I'm sold

btw- Tecmo Bowl coming in 2010.

Enginerd 05/27/2009 8:34 PM
Hide
-2+

*Replaces Kindle 2 with Zune HD on Christmas list*

the_one111 05/27/2009 8:36 PM
Hide
-1+

Might just buy one...

*begins drooling*

spongebob 05/27/2009 8:40 PM
Hide
-0+

Quote :The page cannot be found

I can't find the site by browsing manually.

Has the page been pulled?

eddieroolz 05/27/2009 8:50 PM
Hide
-0+

Man, I'd like one of that.

But I already have a Cowon S9 :(

apmyhr 05/27/2009 8:51 PM
Hide
-3+

Actually I am glad they didn't try to make it into a phone. That means we shouldn't have to enter into a damn phone contract with one particular vendor. Besides, I got a Samsung Glide and I hate it because its to overcomplicated to be used as a good cell phone. In the future, I want to just have a simple NO TOUCH SCREEN cell phone and have a device like this, or ipod touch, to provide me with multimedia and internet browsing.

apmyhr 05/27/2009 8:55 PM
Hide
-0+

I was really excited to learn that you can play HD movies onto your TV. However, if I read correctly from other sources, it sounds like you can only do that through some Zune docking station. My dream was that I could keep my movies on this nice portable Zune, and be able to hook it up to any of my friends TV's using a regular HDMI cable. Oh well :(

dman3k 05/27/2009 8:56 PM
Hide
-0+

I wonder if the carjack will work for not only music but also HD radio.

Enginerd 05/27/2009 8:59 PM
Hide
-0+
foxyg 05/27/2009 9:06 PM
Hide
-0+

Does it support APE, FLAC? Does it play XBLA with achievements?
I will be overover it, if it does.

Anonymous 05/27/2009 9:15 PM
Hide
--2+

No regrets buying iTouch, as marketplace is not available in Canada. Owned a Zune and brought it back the next day since MS doesn't advertise that marketplace is not in Canada.

Marcus52 05/27/2009 9:41 PM
Hide
-1+

Dittos to the phone idea!

iron-e 05/27/2009 9:45 PM
Hide
-0+

My friend gave me his old 30gb zune when he got an Iphone. I bought a zune pass and use it with a cheap wireless auditor sender/receiver combo to wirelessly download and transmit music where ever I need it. It's an excellent solution for outside.

gm0n3y 05/27/2009 9:50 PM
Show
falchard 05/27/2009 9:53 PM
Hide
-0+

I love Zune, best music service.

JMcEntegart 05/27/2009 10:08 PM
Hide
-3+

gm0n3y :
People still listen to the radio?



I've rediscovered the radio in recent months. It's like turbo-shuffle and there's 10 stations for every genre.

jecht 05/27/2009 10:13 PM
Hide
-0+

JMcEntegart :
I've rediscovered the radio in recent months. It's like turbo-shuffle and there's 10 stations for every genre.



I'm waiting for the metaphor-free radio ;)

JMcEntegart 05/27/2009 10:18 PM
Hide
-0+

jecht :
I'm waiting for the metaphor-free radio



Hey now, I got your metaphor-free radio right here! I said it was like turbo-shuffle. That my friend is a similie. Oh yes, jane is wearing her clever trousers today. :kaola"

dark_lord69 05/27/2009 10:22 PM
Hide
--2+

grieve :
looks good, the best thing about Zune is no Itunes!


You can get MP3 files on your iPod WITHOUT using iTunes.
It's called Winamp. :)
Send to -> iPod

dark_lord69 05/27/2009 10:25 PM
Hide
-2+

I also wish it was a phone.

afrobacon 05/27/2009 10:55 PM
Hide
-1+

I'm curious how this "IE based" browser will match up. Any news on being able to switch to something (possibly) better?

gm0n3y 05/27/2009 10:56 PM
Hide
--1+

JMcEntegart :
I've rediscovered the radio in recent months. It's like turbo-shuffle and there's 10 stations for every genre.



I admit that I've never listened to satellite radio with its plethora of stations. I just can't handle radio that has any of: advertisements, djs (i.e. talk), or terrible industry pushed / created pop music.

ravewulf 05/27/2009 11:08 PM
Hide
-0+

I can't wait! I had no desire for the phone part anyway, I just have a cheap basic phone with txt and pix and that's all I need. Portable media player though, I want MORE, MORE, MORE! I love all the features and the new look. Definately going to look into ditching my iPod Classic for this

Hatecrime69 05/27/2009 11:09 PM
Hide
-0+

I don't regret just recently getting my touch, but i will admit that the zunehd getting hd radio is very neat, i typically listen to the radio at night here and hd radio is advertised a lot on the station i listen to

war2k9 05/28/2009 12:34 PM
Hide
-1+

I will not buy a zune simply because it requires you to use zune software, just like ipods requires you to use itunes..

Curnel_D 05/28/2009 12:51 PM
Hide
-0+

This is the only reason I waited on the Cowan S9. And if we're lucky, it will have skype support anyway.

war2k9 :
I will not buy a zune simply because it requires you to use zune software, just like ipods requires you to use itunes..


And you can set it up rather easily so that you can use any MP to sync songs.
JMcEntegart :
Hey now, I got your metaphor-free radio right here! I said it was like turbo-shuffle. That my friend is a similie. Oh yes, jane is wearing her clever trousers today. :kaola"


And I still find it funny when you crazy euro's say trousers. :P

tipoo 05/28/2009 1:16 AM
Hide
-0+

Need more details, but at this point its a thumbs up for me. I hope they revert back to the "premium" headphones, or something better.

spongebob 05/28/2009 1:42 AM
Hide
-0+

afrobacon :
I'm curious how this "IE based" browser will match up. Any news on being able to switch to something (possibly) better?

afrobacon has a legitimate point - Whoever voted this message down must have never used IE on a mobile phone. IE on WinMo 5 is pretty poor, completely outclassed by Opera. Be that as it may, I've caught some rumors that IE was getting some attention - I suspect the version on this device will be much improved.

Anonymous 05/28/2009 1:53 AM
Hide
-1+

Yes... YES!!! I'll wait to see the actual device, but I'll definitely be holding off buying an iPhraud product... My sisters have ipods, while I do like the concept of watching videos on the ipod touch... we had to update the ipod and... tada! fry-tunes failed in the middle of the update process and bricked the device. Perhaps I could have restarted the device if I was able to remove the battery :-\


Sponsored links