Review: Hands On With Zune HD

[Guest]

it loads full web pages no problem, actually. It's set to prefer the mobile ones, but at the bottom of say, yahoo.com, theres an option to show the full page. same with myspace

 

[wildwell]

It looks like Microsoft is finally putting some real effort into the PMP market. But the lack of a full HTML web browser, unreliable text typing, and requirement of an ongoing pay subscription service to take full advantage of it will hold the device back.

You can't just play 'catch-up' when competing with the iPod touch and iPhone. You have to offer some kind of truly new innovation. Otherwise, why 'try' the Zune and it's $15/month service when you can go with a media player you know works well, surfs most of the web fine, and has no additional ongoing fees (aside from phone service with the iPhone)? Again, I think Microsoft executives will be disappointed with how many of these they actually sell.

 

[jamezrp]

brentis, you make an interesting point. I'm well versed with the iPhone and am indeed used to its keyboard, and found that the Zune HD is not as precise. However, we did not see whether non-iPhone users would have more or less difficulty with the keyboard. That's something we'll need to look into!

Chris2345, it loads full web pages and mobile web pages, but there is a difference in the way it loads. It loads websites like a standard phone browser does, meaning if there's a mobile version of the site, it will read first. And if the site is made to allow the phone to view the full page, then there will be a corresponding link. Not all phones use identical browsers, and some in fact do not support full-pages. There are far too many websites for us to test for full page compatibility, though the few we did test were accommodating.

wildwell, there is no requirement for a subscription to take full advantage of the Zune HD. We found that with the subscription, the Zune HD is an excellent PMP, but without it it is still good, but not the same. It gains so much from the subscription service, which is phenominal by the way, that without it, the device seems lacking. On the contrary, it isn't, but without the subscription, it does not compare to the iPod Touch.

 

[Major7up]

I was not really considering a zune as a possible choice but after reading this article I will look at it a bit more closely...thanks tom's!

 

[tachyoneagle]

Ipods do have video output for TV if you want, I bet that even nanos do ... RCA composite or component ...