150°

iPod Killer? Zune HD Plays Games, HD Videos & Apps

Xboxist reviews the multifunctionality of Zune HD.

swingingape5345d ago

Mulitouch OLED Screen sold me. Saw the video-out feature demo'ed on Techzilla and now I gotta have one.

Darkeyes5344d ago

Call me up when the Zune HD has an app library as vast as this--> http://appulo.us/appdb/

Until then, I am happy with my Ipod Touch.... I end up using a lot of those apps (I download them for free from above link as I have a jailbroken IPT:D... I know I am a dog).... The apps are the things that I love about the IPT and with more than 20000 apps which I can download (For FREE), sorry but I will have to give Zune a miss..

Major_Tom5344d ago (Edited 5344d ago )

Didn't you know that N4G doesn't allow factual information?

Below

Ipod 80-120GB Classic with Rockbox

=

Ultimate Mp3 player.

joydestroy5344d ago

while the Zune HD is a top mp3 player imo, it doesn't connect and play via usb like iPods do on aftermarket stereos. that was the deal breaker for me.

kr90915344d ago

Actually, I have heard that in bright environments the OLED is actually worse then LCD =/ and it doesnt have support from car stereo manufacturers like the Ipod Touch. Those two were deal breakers for me.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 5344d ago
tinman_licks5345d ago

Well, flash memory is better than HD. No moving parts makes it last longer.

SuperStrokey11235345d ago

I had my ipod stolen a while ago (in all honesty i lost it but i told the wife it was stole lol) and I would totally get a Zune HD if the pricing was as good or better than the ipod and it wasnt bulky. Looks like its got some pretty impressive specs.

On a side note is anyone else pissed that apple seems to update their products like 2 times a year or something? Makes me always hate buying one as i know it will be considered "old" really soon

Millah5344d ago

Apple updates their iPod lineup yearly in September, and has been doing so for like the past 4 years.

wanderofys5344d ago

It's not bulky. In fact, I was a bit shocked at just how small it is

SuperStrokey11235344d ago

Ill definately be checking out the zune HD when it comes out here (assuming its nto already). I wish MS would make a honest to god portable game console as well (just more reliable than the 360). A little bit more competition there would be great.

Millah5344d ago

Not sure why this article is acting like the Zune HD does more than an iPod (well at least the iPod Touch). The Zune HD is still basically just a PMP, while the iPod Touch has much more functionality and is basically a pocket size computer. Microsoft hasn't even released an SDK for the Zune HD, and as of now has no plans to, so their app offerings will never be able to compare with the App Store. Zune HD isn't really a mobile platform, its just a media player, while the iPod Touch is a mobile platform. So HD output is cool, granted you buy the 70 dollar dock, and an OLED display is nice, but it still isn't really in the same category as an iPod Touch as far as functionality goes.

D4RkNIKON5344d ago (Edited 5344d ago )

I agree with you, I just got an iPod touch 3g and I don't see how the zune could possibly compare. This thing does everything, it really is like a pocket sized computer running it's own OS. I used my iPod to read this post and make my comment.

CrazyOrange5344d ago

there is zune SDK and it was avilable long time ago, i think they updated it with multi touch programing ability

Tony P5344d ago (Edited 5344d ago )

^^What he said. I believe XNA was updated a few weeks ago to support development for the Zune HD. I dunno if they've taken any steps for distribution...but it's a start I guess.

But what legitimately sucks imo:

1. The browser is clunky and slow. Based on IE. Big mistake.
2. MS shows you ads when you launch an app. ADS. Which I don't have to tell you is goddamned ridiculous.

But on the whole I don't think they did badly at all with it. I would like to get one in my hands to confirm though.

dragunrising5344d ago

Browser slow? No way. I have put my brothers iPod Touch (2nd gen) next to Zune HD. Same wireless G router. Hardly a difference when it comes to most websites. I'm not trying to say that the browser is superior to itouch however it is definitely not slow. Webkit is superior but not to the extent most people would have you believe. My only complaint with the browser is that it seems to drain the battery quite a bit. More a problem with the OLED screen than anything else; it has better, richer blacks than any other PMP I've seen however white pixels/background suck the life out of it in particular.

As far as the apps go...they are ALL free. Small price to pay for a 10 second ad. If they weren't free, ads would be problem. Also, not all apps have ads and not all play every time. All in all a great device. I'm not sure it was created to compete with the itouch anyway. Comparisons are kinda pointless in regards to apps.

Tony P5344d ago

I appreciate your contrasting view on the matter, but I've seen a side-by-side comparison as well. And the Zune HD was in poor form indeed when it came to browser speed. It wasn't competitive at all. I'd still like to personally demo one at some point.

Ads when you launch an app is imo intrusive, inopportune, and just plain silly. Who wants to deal with that? Also, free is never an excuse to make a bad decision. Maybe it will be justified down the line when they have a competitive selection of apps, but right now it's just annoying and comes off as a corporate money grab.

Major_Tom5344d ago

But the real question is, will Microsoft unlock the firmware this time?

dragunrising5344d ago

The Zune HD browser is proficient...unless you through lots of Java Script at it. It goes to show its IE roots. You might be surprised however if you use one yourself. It loads N4G quite well and has pinch/zoom.

Once again, the ads aren't intrusive. If I had paid a dollar for every app available, I would be out $9. Small price to pay imo. I think that the reaction to ads in free apps is enough to discourage M$ to put ads in paid (that would be stupid).

All in all, I'm surprised most places like Walmart and Bestbuy don't have any display units. It seems like a good way to seal the deal for many prospective buyers. Give it a try if you can :-p

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 5344d ago
whateva5344d ago (Edited 5344d ago )

Buzz words works every time

I might get one but it seems like no matter what you buy today next month something is going to come out better.

@ D4RkNIKON what are you even talking about? the screen is 480 x 272 that's not HD but people that are not smart enough to read the spec is going to think that the screen is HD and not the output,

and HD radio is another buzz word.

D4RkNIKON5344d ago

Apperently you are not very well informed about this product.

dragunrising5344d ago (Edited 5344d ago )

The Zune HD has "HD" in its name for a reason. HD radio for one (awesome btw). Also, you can hook the Zune HD up to an HD monitor/TV and output 720p. If thats not HD I'm not sure what is...

Also, can you tell the difference between a 40" 1080p TV and a 40" 720p TV? If so, you should be a fighter pilot. You need at least a 46" 1080 P TV to discern the differences of full HD video. Now...shrink the screen size to 3.3 inches. A higher resolution screen is overkill. You couldn't tell if the screen was "HD" or not. Get my point?

Edit: whateva- I get your point. I was trying to make my own:-p Also, there's always going to be something better. Case in point, I have a Storm 1 which I purchased in March. The Storm 2 is coming out in late October with a much better screen and WiFi. I want it bad...However, the Storm 3 (or next touch screen blackberry) might have 4G LTE tech in it, so I could rationalize skipping Storm 2. Sometimes its worth being an early adopter sometimes not. Flip a coin :-)

Show all comments (39)
240°

Why Is No One Making AAA Horror Games Anymore?

Saif from eXputer inquires, "Despite the everlasting popularity of the genre, why hasn't there been a good AAA horror game in a while now?"

Jin_Sakai20h ago

Because the gaming industry is obsessed with live service games.

Rynxie7h ago

Because he touches himself at night to characters like lady Dimitrescu.

Crows903h ago

You're the one still thinking about her

Rynxie3h ago

@crow

Did I give away your secret? It's okay, if you sit on your hand and numb it, you can pretend it's her playing with your little stick.

MaximusPrime_19h ago

Good for me, I have no interests in horror games

-Foxtrot10h ago

Even when they do it's first person trying to copy Outlast, Five Nights, P.T etc

I think the Dead Space / RE2 / RE4 Remake and the Evil Within 2 showed you can have a good story based, third person survival horror game.

thesoftware7307h ago

Calisto Protocol was also fun with fantastic presentation.

FinalFantasyFanatic10m ago

I feel like we haven't had much in the way of horror games for years, I think it became rare after the PS2/PS3 gen. Maybe i'll pick up that Crow Country that recently came out, that looks good.

Redemption-648h ago

Because outside of a fee games, most don't sell that well

Crows903h ago

So in other words...AAA publishers don't have creativity or passion for games.

CrimsonWing698h ago

Didn’t we have Dead Space Remake and Resident Evil 4 Remake last year?

thorstein8h ago(Edited 8h ago)

Among others

And isn't Dying Light 2 a horror game?

Scissorman8h ago

And Alan Wake 2 and Alone in the Dark.

richardmmorales4m ago

We also had The Quarry and The Dark Pictures The Devil In Me.

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170°

New and improved ASUS ROG Ally X battery life is just what it needs to compete with the Steam Deck

Yet another leak for the ASUS ROG Ally X points towards as much as 8 hours of battery, but how does that compare to the competition?

Vits3d ago

Honestly, I really like this updated version. But it doesn't solve the biggest flaw that the original had for me: the Z1 Extreme APU. Yes, it's an extremely powerful part, but it is not part of AMD's Adrenalin driver update program, so it's dependent on Asus for driver updates. And unfortunately, Asus doesn't have a stellar record of support for their devices.

Goodguy013d ago

Up to 8 hours basically just means the least demanding games. AAA gaming at highest wattage would probably be about 2-3 hours which is good compared to just about 1 hour with the current ally. The OLED Deck can do about 2-3hrs.

mrcatastropheAF14h ago

With much less performance so that makes sense.

The Steamdeck shines at the lower TDP end but gets absolutely mopped at the high end.

Similar longevity with much better performance is a big win for the Ally X

Killa781d 11h ago

Too bad Asus are all awful company.

PRIMORDUS1d 8h ago

They used to be the best when it comes to motherboards, now I will never buy anything from them again.

Firebird3601d 9h ago

8 hrs yea right. Running tetris?

Skuletor1d 8h ago

Only after setting the screen brightness to the lowest level, of course.

Notellin16h ago

They tested the battery life watching a game of Tetris in 360p. Running Tetris natively brought the number down slightly to 1 hour and 38 minutes. 😂

Asuka1d 9h ago

Nope. The only improvements I want to hear is better customer support. Otherwise, I can't be bothered.

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