The Rabapab Blog

Microsoft released a firmware update Friday for the Zune HD.  This update addressed the play count bug mentioned in my previous post, along with several other fixes.  This update added support for upcoming 3D games and applications, as well as an auto-suggest feature for better text input and other minor improvements.  Browsing the forums the following features were mentioned:

Faster Browser

Landscape Keyboard

Keyboard Option in the Settings Section

Toggle Between Seek and Presets in Radio Settings

Toggle Between Mobile or Desktop Webpage

Settings for TV Out

Song Play Counts Now tracking Properly

Course those are just some of the upgrades or fixes that are mentioned as being noticed by folks on the Zune.net forums.  For more details check out the following link.  http://forums.zune.net/542547/ShowPost.aspx.  Very glad to see that they have fixed the play count tracking issue, that was by far the biggest issue that needed to be dealt with.  This will certainly improve the reception of the device by current Zune users.  I know I will certainly be more inclined now to recommend the device to friends.  So far the device seems to be much better than it was just yesterday, I am actually enjoying it more now that I know it is working properly.  Great job Microsoft, and keep the updates coming.  Can’t wait to see what kind of apps they will be making available.

After waiting a month I finally picked up a new Zune HD 32GB.  I had been waiting for the new Zune device since it was announced, and so far I am pleased with what I have seen.  It definitely delivers in the media player category, the equalizer is a great addition, and the touch screen interface is full of win.   The device itself is very sexy, much smaller and thinner than I was expecting, vastly improved over the previous brick style devices.  Size wise it is comparable to the Gen 2 flash based devices, but with 2 to 3 times the storage space.  The OLED screen is gorgeous, videos and pictures look crisp and bright, vast improvement over the previous screens.  It will certainly feel much better in the pocket than the 80GB it replaced, although I will still be using the old Zune around the house and in the vehicle.  The HD will be my mobile media device that will be used at work and when I am away from home or my car.  I have not had a chance to check out the HD Radio tuner, but am certainly looking forward to using it when I get back up to Canton this weekend.  I was surprised that Microsoft did not ship the HD with the higher quality ear buds like they did with the Zune 80GB brick, instead they opted for the standard ear buds.

Even though for the most part I am pleased with the purchase there are a few things that the Zune team needs to address in a firmware update.  Before I get into those things I do want to mention that most of the negative points I am not quite sure how they were missed during product testing.  It truly baffles my mind that when a company as large as Microsoft does device testing they allow so many glaring defects or bugs to make it into the final product.  It would seem to me that perhaps they need to better select their product testers, and give them specific testing scenarios.  Some of the issues that I have found so far are blatant and at least in my mind should have been easy to identify and address before the device even went to market.

The Zune HD appears to have some issues with accurately tracking play counts and reporting them to the Social.  After visiting the Zune forums it appears that this is in fact an issue related solely to the HD models, and the Zune team is aware of the issue.  For more information on the play count issue please visit the Zune forums http://forums.zune.net/526671/ShowPost.aspx.  This can be a big deal for some Zune users as they utilize the Zune’s ability to track play count to build playlists of their most listened to songs.  The play count feature is one of the main things I like about the Zune devices and software, so I certainly do hope that they address that in their next firmware update.  Another huge issue for some users is the Internet Browser, which seems to be a very weak implementation.  After getting the device home and charged I was unable to connect to sites like MSNBC, Digg, Google, etc.  Upon further attempts I have been able to get connections with MSNBC and Digg mobile sites, so it seems to be hit or miss.  For me the Internet Browser is a nice to have, but I am certainly not overly concerned about it working.  I am a Blackberry user, have a laptop and a netbook that I can browse the web from.  However, the forums again are full of people ranting on the fact that the web browser is weak and that they are even having difficulty connecting to wireless networks, http://forums.zune.net/514655/ShowPost.aspx.  I have not noticed any issues with connecting with the home wireless network, but I am not as clueless as some of the folks on the forums seem to be about networking. 

Other than those two issues I have not as of yet found anything else.  As I said overall I am pleased with the Zune HD, it is so much better than the previous generations of the Zune device.  I really just hope that Microsoft gets on the ball with the firmware updates and fixes some of the bugs that exist with the device so far.  If they can fix the issues I have listed above I think the device will stand a chance of being a competitor in the media player market. 

There is however, one other point I would like to make.  This is not really an issue or bug so I did not mention it above, it is mostly just a poor decision on Microsoft’s part.  The applications available for the device so far are very limited, and for no real reason, at least none that I can see.  I was really hoping that they would take a queue from Apple in this category and offer a larger library of applications.  Now that may come along later, but from what I have seen and read so far, it is not looking good.  The apps are one of the biggest draws for the Apple iPhone and iTouch device lines, why Microsoft would not attempt to tap into that market as well is beyond me.  Here is to hoping that they will open the Application Marketplace up and allow 3rd party developers to build apps for the Zune HD.

There will be a Windows 7 Launch event taking place in Cleveland on October 12th @ Regal Severance Stadium located on 3492 Mayfield Road, Cleveland OH 44118.  The event starts @ 7:30AM with the Developer Event Registration & Continental Breakfast, that will run until 9:00AM.  Then the event really gets moving with the following sessions:

Taking You Application to the Next Level with Windows 7

Building Next Generation User-Interface with Multitouch and Ribbon on Windows 7

Beyond Human Interaction with Windows 7 Sensor and Location Platform

Those 3 sessions will last until around 11:35AM and will complete the developer portion of the event.  There will also be several seminars for IT related technologies which include Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 and Exchange Server 2010.

For attending the event you will receive a free copy of Windows 7, which is well worth taking a few hours out of my Monday morning.  For more information on the event and to register to attend please visit http://www.microsoft.com/business/thenewefficiency/Cleveland/default.aspx

A few weeks ago I posted about the Zune HD, the new Microsoft media player to compete against the iPod Touch.  While Apple is certainly not in anyway close to losing their lead over the media player market, the new Zune HD will certainly close the gap a little more.  Prices were actually leaked a few weeks before the Pre-Order pages started showing up.  Currently both Amazon and Best Buy have the 16GB version available for $219.99 and the 32GB version for $289.99, both to begin shipping on 9/15/2009.

Best Buy – http://bit.ly/20OYJ4

Amazon – http://bit.ly/xtzds

From what I have seen the 16GB version is available in Black, while the 32GB version comes in a Silver color.  Other than memory size both devices are the same on the inside.  The new Zune HD has the following features which will make it stand out against the iPod Touch.  It includes an HD Radio tuner, OLED touch screen, the ability to display videos through the A/V Dock in 720P HD format.  Those are only a few of the new features that will be coming with the new Zune HD media player.  I certainly look forward to being able to play with the new device when it is released.

Once I have the device in hand I will throw a Review post up with some pictures and what not.  The one thing this blog is missing is some pictures, they help to break up the constant stream of text that the blog currently is.  And with those pictures hopefully I can settle this blog into a niche, one that will bring with it some new readers.  Until then, have a good day and make sure to check out the new Zune at a Best Buy near you.