TREKS IN SCI-FI FORUM

Main Decks => Tech Topics => Topic started by: Rico on November 18, 2007, 01:16:55 PM

Title: Rico's New Zune - Welcome to the social!
Post by: Rico on November 18, 2007, 01:16:55 PM
Check it out.  With a little video test footage (just a test).

Title: Re: Rico's New Zune - Welcome to the social!
Post by: billybob476 on November 18, 2007, 01:30:17 PM
Wow the screen and the text are really nice, this Zune might be a threat to iPod dominance! How do you like it so far Rico?
Title: Re: Rico's New Zune - Welcome to the social!
Post by: Rico on November 18, 2007, 01:37:05 PM
Just got it yesterday and haven't had a lot of time to play with it yet.  But so far it's pretty nice.  The software on the PC isn't the best, not nearly as slick as iTunes but I'm guessing it will improve.  It plays video very nicely.  I'll play with it more over the next week or two and let you know more.
Title: Re: Rico's New Zune - Welcome to the social!
Post by: jedijeff on November 18, 2007, 01:52:10 PM
Cool Stuff Rico, looks good, and the price was right. I like how big the text is as well, easy to see
Title: Re: Rico's New Zune - Welcome to the social!
Post by: Bryancd on November 18, 2007, 02:27:07 PM
How could you not get the iPod Touch? It's so frackin' cool comapred to the Zun!
Title: Re: Rico's New Zune - Welcome to the social!
Post by: Rico on November 18, 2007, 03:19:57 PM
Not nearly enough storage for video on the iPOD Touch yet.  Plus this cost $85 for 30 GB and does video well.  I'm not a big fan of the touch interface either.  But I'm sure I'll end up with a newer iPOD someday.
Title: Re: Rico's New Zune - Welcome to the social!
Post by: davekill on November 18, 2007, 04:58:04 PM
That's an amazing price for a 30 GB video player.
(Let's see, should I fill-up the truck or buy a Zune?)
Title: Re: Rico's New Zune - Welcome to the social!
Post by: Bryancd on November 18, 2007, 05:15:27 PM
Quote from: Rico on November 18, 2007, 03:19:57 PM
Not nearly enough storage for video on the iPOD Touch yet.  Plus this cost $85 for 30 GB and does video well.  I'm not a big fan of the touch interface either.  But I'm sure I'll end up with a newer iPOD someday.

I agree the memory capacity is light, but I have to be honest, I am docking my iPod every other day anyway and never seem to need to strore stuff for a long time. And how can you not like the interface?! Spend 10min with it and you would realize it's incredibly inovative and intuitive.
Title: Re: Rico's New Zune - Welcome to the social!
Post by: Rico on November 18, 2007, 05:53:59 PM
I use these devices in the car mainly.  I don't like to have to look at it to change podcasts, songs, etc.  But of course you have to do that if you are watching video.  I really got the Zune to try it and it was so darn inexpensive it was impossible to pass up.  Nice good size screen too.  Video takes up a huge amount of storage if the quality is good so I want a lot of space on it.  If I were to get an iPOD soon it would be the classic, not the touch.  I'm more into functionality rather than the touch gimmick.  Now a 30 GB iPOD touch with just a few buttons on it too, and a good size screen to me would be the perfect combination.
Title: Re: Rico's New Zune - Welcome to the social!
Post by: moyer777 on November 18, 2007, 05:55:54 PM
Quote from: Rico on November 18, 2007, 05:53:59 PM
I use these devices in the car mainly.  I don't like to have to look at it to change podcasts, songs, etc.  But of course you have to do that if you are watching video.  I really got the Zune to try it and it was so darn inexpensive it was impossible to pass up.  Nice good size screen too.  Video takes up a huge amount of storage if the quality is good so I want a lot of space on it.  If I were to get an iPOD soon it would be the classic, not the touch.  I'm more into functionality rather than the touch gimmick.  Now a 30 GB iPOD touch with just a few buttons on it too, and a good size screen to me would be the perfect combination.

I agree.  I would like something like that.  I love my video ipod very much, it would REALLY rock if it had a bigger screen and was touch.  That would be really neat.

I'm holding out for more memory, I've already maxed my 30 gig.

Title: Re: Rico's New Zune - Welcome to the social!
Post by: Bryancd on November 18, 2007, 06:03:52 PM
Quote from: Rico on November 18, 2007, 05:53:59 PM
I use these devices in the car mainly.  I don't like to have to look at it to change podcasts, songs, etc.  But of course you have to do that if you are watching video.  I really got the Zune to try it and it was so darn inexpensive it was impossible to pass up.  Nice good size screen too.  Video takes up a huge amount of storage if the quality is good so I want a lot of space on it.  If I were to get an iPOD soon it would be the classic, not the touch.  I'm more into functionality rather than the touch gimmick.  Now a 30 GB iPOD touch with just a few buttons on it too, and a good size screen to me would be the perfect combination.

Fair enough, but the touch technology is certainly not a "gimmick". It's the future of both hand held and desktop computing and Apple brought it to us before anyone else.
Title: Re: Rico's New Zune - Welcome to the social!
Post by: Rico on November 18, 2007, 07:08:25 PM
Actually "touch" electronic technology has been around for quite sometime.  I just have no use for it.  I'm not George Jetson.  I have no problem pressing a few buttons.  In fact I like it because you get a tactile response that they have indeed been pressed.  But to each his own.
Title: Re: Rico's New Zune - Welcome to the social!
Post by: jedijeff on November 18, 2007, 07:12:28 PM
I bought my wife an iPod touch today for her Birthday next month. I felt for 16 gb it was a bit expensive, but she really wants one, so I got one for her. Looks cool, so I will be interested to see what it is like past trying it out at the store.
Title: Re: Rico's New Zune - Welcome to the social!
Post by: Geekyfanboy on November 18, 2007, 08:32:21 PM
Wow.. I really like the screen size.. I have a video Ipod but don't really watch the video because it's so small.

I may have to get a Zune.
Title: Re: Rico's New Zune - Welcome to the social!
Post by: Rico on November 19, 2007, 05:40:48 AM
It seems the new version of the Zune is in short supply....

New Zune media player in short supply

By JESSICA MINTZ, AP Technology WriterSat Nov 17, 5:49 AM ET

The 80-gigabyte Zune media player Microsoft Corp. launched Tuesday has sold out across the Web, to the dismay of online shoppers and delight of the world's largest software maker.

"Anyone know where I can get a Cabbage Patch Doll ... er ... I mean Zune?" asks an Amazon.com Inc. customer listed as Paul Taylor on the Web retailer's message board for the product.

Amazon told Taylor and others that their preordered devices for Nov. 13 shipping would not be sent for 10 more days, according to the message board.

While Web retailers have 4 GB and 8 GB versions of the second-generation Zunes in stock, the 80 GB music player is not available on Amazon, Best Buy or Circuit City's Web sites.

Microsoft said it prioritized the manufacture of the smaller Zune 4 and Zune 8 devices, and that more of the 80 GB version should be on shelves, physical and virtual, in the next 10 to 14 days.

Rumors of a manufacturing delay spread across consumer electronics blogs this week.

"I think they were already probably a little later than they would like to be, given Apple's iPod announcement" of a new line of the market-leading devices in September, said Matt Rosoff, an analyst at the independent research group Directions on Microsoft. "They probably wanted to get anything out the door as soon as they could."

Quite a few Zunes have "definitely shipped and sold," and Amazon is being given a limited number each week, said Anya Waring, an Amazon spokeswoman.

Microsoft, for its part, is happy to see such a positive reaction, according to a spokesman.



source:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071117/ap_on_hi_te/microsoft_zunes_sold_out
Title: Re: Rico's New Zune - Welcome to the social!
Post by: Jobydrone on November 22, 2007, 10:29:15 AM
Can you use Itunes and Zune together or do you have to use the microsoft software?  What is the podcasting support like, I heard they justt added it.
Title: Re: Rico's New Zune - Welcome to the social!
Post by: Rico on November 22, 2007, 01:15:19 PM
iTunes doesn't of course recognize the Zune and Vice versa.  I do have both on the same PC.  The Zune software on the PC isn't the greatest, but it does support podcasts.  Still learning all that it can do.
Title: Re: Rico's New Zune - Welcome to the social!
Post by: Blackride on November 22, 2007, 04:32:36 PM
Quote from: billybob476 on November 18, 2007, 01:30:17 PM
Wow the screen and the text are really nice, this Zune might be a threat to iPod dominance!

Itunes would have to be beat for that to happen imo.
Title: Re: Rico's New Zune - Welcome to the social!
Post by: space_invader64 on December 10, 2007, 07:58:15 PM
As much of an ipod and mac fanboy as I am I really want competition to drive quality up and prices down.  I like how Amazon now has DRM free mp3s for sale on their website.  Some apple fans weren't happy about the announcement because it might not be good for apple.  Not me!  Lets hope this time next year all of the music on the online stores is DRM free.