So I was able to use a zune HD for a week and here are my impressions.
The first thing that will stand out to you when you first boot up the device is the screen. It has an amazing OLED display that is used very well by the UI. I like the UI for the most part but it gets really annoying when you are browsing music and you keep playing different tracks because you can play something with one click. Now video on the device is good but the screen is to small to be able to enjoy a full film without straining your eyes. Another cool feature about the zune is the hd radio that it has. Sadly I was not really able to test this out since most stations I listened to did not broadcast in HD.
The music quality is where the device really shines. It is much better than an ipod and a little better than your average smartphone.(the iphone falls into the ipod category) The best thing about this device though is the zune pass. It is a subscription service that lets you download and stream unlimited music for $15 a month. On top of that it also gives 10 "tickets" that let you keep 10 songs every month that you get to keep after you cancel your subscription.
The internet browser is better than my current smartphone but not as good as the ipod touch browser. The most disappointing thing about the device is the lack of apps. The thing only has a a total of 31 apps with half of them being basic functions and another 10 being crappy games. Another thing to note is that there is no youtube player.
Overall I would say only get it if you are willing to get the zune pass, do not have a smartphone, and do not need an app store.
Edit: The zune can also output a 720p video through HDMI but it requires a dock that I did not buy when I had my zune.
The first thing that will stand out to you when you first boot up the device is the screen. It has an amazing OLED display that is used very well by the UI. I like the UI for the most part but it gets really annoying when you are browsing music and you keep playing different tracks because you can play something with one click. Now video on the device is good but the screen is to small to be able to enjoy a full film without straining your eyes. Another cool feature about the zune is the hd radio that it has. Sadly I was not really able to test this out since most stations I listened to did not broadcast in HD.
The music quality is where the device really shines. It is much better than an ipod and a little better than your average smartphone.(the iphone falls into the ipod category) The best thing about this device though is the zune pass. It is a subscription service that lets you download and stream unlimited music for $15 a month. On top of that it also gives 10 "tickets" that let you keep 10 songs every month that you get to keep after you cancel your subscription.
The internet browser is better than my current smartphone but not as good as the ipod touch browser. The most disappointing thing about the device is the lack of apps. The thing only has a a total of 31 apps with half of them being basic functions and another 10 being crappy games. Another thing to note is that there is no youtube player.
Overall I would say only get it if you are willing to get the zune pass, do not have a smartphone, and do not need an app store.
Edit: The zune can also output a 720p video through HDMI but it requires a dock that I did not buy when I had my zune.
Last edited by T-800 on 2010-12-07, 23:28; edited 1 time in total
