The Rabapab Blog

So I must say that I am definitely looking forward to the Zune HD release supposedly sometime this fall.  The previews and few hands-on reviews that I have read with pre-release hardware samples lead me to believe that it will be quite the piece of hardware.  The touch screen interface is what I am definitely looking forward to, it has been long overdue.  The jump to the HD Radio will help to keep the device out in front, which will add to its appeal.  And now that it will have a web browser built in the device gains the utility of similar devices with WiFi connectivity.  The OLED screen should be absolutely amazing to see in real life, and I certainly cannot wait to get my hands on one.

I do hope that Microsoft can see the huge market for allowing applications to be developed for the device.  And with that knowledge I hope they open the device to 3rd party developers to create software similar to that capable of being run on the iPod Touch devices.  Otherwise, even with all the nice bells and whistles the Zune will still be lagging far behind the iPod Touch and iPhone applications market.  I would think that making the Zune device capable of running 3rd party software would be possible, considering as how it is running a Microsoft operating system.  Certainly they can build something that Apple is clearly capable of building, only I am sure that Microsoft can do it better and with the ability to multi-task.

If you are looking for more information check out the following articles, I found them informative.

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-12519_7-10303243-49.html

http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/28/zune-hd-hands-on/

http://gizmodo.com/5272228/zune-hd-hands-on-photos-and-video-tour

Those are just a few articles with pics of early versions of the device in the hands of the reviewers.  And so far the device looks amazing, it can only get better between now and release.  Hopefully Microsoft will see the light and start releasing development kits to developers to begin creating applications.  That way with some luck they have some apps ready to go when the device is released.

Stay tuned for more on this device in the future.  I do plan on grabbing one as soon the device is released.

So the Summer concert season is well underway.  So far this year I have traveled to Columbus to see Wish You Were Here, which is a Pink Floyd tribute band.  They put on a really good show at the Newport in downtown Columbus.  My buddy Justin had tickets and invited me to go along.  It had been a while since I had been in the Newport, I think the last time was when I lived back in Parkersburg and some friends took me to see NoFX.  I was not much into the Punk scene, but it was still a concert and it was fun.  The Wish You Were Here show was well worth the trip down to Columbus.  But that was only the start of the concert going for the year. 

The next show I made it to this year was Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers at Blossom.  He had Steve Winwood opening for him which we missed the 1st few songs of that set.  We left a little late and did not make it to Blossom in time to get very good parking or spots in the lawn.  I was there with my friend Justin and his brother.  My friend from Parkersburg Nate and his wife Shelly made it up for the show as well.  We hung out on the side of the lawn for the remainder of the Winwood set and then once Petty was ready we moved to the center of the lawn and found some really good spots.  Petty put on one hell of a show, playing for around 2 hours.  He played nothing but classic Petty cuts like Free Fallin, Last Dance with Mary Jane and American Girl just to name a few.  I have been to Blossom many times, and I have to say that there were more people there than I ever remember seeing at that venue.  The lawn was completely packed, and everyone was having a fabulous time.  The weather was working against us the whole day, rain rolled in earlier in the day and did not seem to be going anywhere anytime soon.  It didn’t let up until Petty went on stage, the gods must have realized that one of their own was about to speak.  The sky didn’t clear, but the fact that the rain had stopped was all that mattered.  Needless to say my legs were killing me, the ground was too wet to sit down unless you had a chair and all I had was rain coat.  It made a great seat for a few minutes to give my legs a rest.  All in all Petty put on one of the best shows I have seen in a while, only topped in recent memory by Pearl Jam in Cleveland. 

The next show for me will be the 3 Doors Down / Staind show at Blossom this Friday.  Hopefully the weather will be a little better for that show.  I am definately looking forward to that show as well.  I have seen 3 Doors Down before and they put on a really good show.  My friend Justin is going to that show with me as well, hopefully this time we will make it to the venue on time and be able to not only get good parking but also some nice spots in the lawn.  I am hoping for some good music from 3DD off their new album, and it would also be nice to see some classic stuff.  As for Staind I am really hoping to hear some of their classic stuff along with some of their amazing cover songs.  Only time will tell, I guess I will find out what goodies they have for us this Friday.

More to Come.