Buy.com has a discount deal available on this Microsoft PSF-00001 64GB Zune HD Video MP3 Player which reduces the price down to $299.99 – $80 Instant Discount + Free Shipping = $219.99!

With the Zune HD you have a grasp on all your favorite media and music anywhere you go! It’s super slim and stylish and sports a large 3.3-Inch OLED multi-touch screen with a 16:9 resolution ideal for all your videos. To take it even further you have instant access to the Zune Marketplace where you can get new songs and videos on your own terms and with Wi-Fi connectivity you have a full Internet Browser at your fingertips. You even have full access to HD radio so you always have listening choices that are new. This model has a massive 64GBs of internal memory which allows you to hold up to 16,000 songs at once or 96 hours of video.

Newegg is offering a new discount on this Microsoft EHD-00001 Zune HD 16GB Portable Media Player for just $199.99 – $30 Instant Savings + Free Shipping = $169.99!

If you’re looking for the ideal Music/Video player to take with you anywhere then check this out! The Zune HD by Microsoft features a large 3.3-Inch OLED Touch screen for displaying all of your HD content with superior quality and performance. It has support for all of your favorite media formats for maximum compatibility and is very easy to use with the included software to get you started. To make it even better it has connectivity with HD radio to expand your musical horizons as well as full Wifi support for browsing the Internet and sharing music with others right on the device and with the large display it has never been easier to navigate around. It comes with 16GB of internal storage for all of your media needs and has HDMI output for connecting to an HDTV for showing videos and photos with ease.

Zune users no longer have to resist the temptation to invest in a shiny new Mac thanks to Windows Phone 7 Connector, a free app available in the Mac App Store.  The app allows Windows 7 phones, and more importantly Zune HD users, to sync their media from a Mac computer, something that wasn’t natively supported until now.

From what we understand, the app will only sync media, and doesn’t support contacts, mail, calendars and other things of a similar ilk.  However, it does support two way syncing of media including photos, which at least is a starter, but still, we’re sure many people will be asking why the app is so crippled?

Despite the above caveat the reviews, albeit 15 of them, are overwhelmingly positive.

The best part?  It’s free to any and all.

Read

Deal expires 2/7

5 out of 5 stars

Pros:

• Best design yet, excellent screen and feel
• Faster, thinner, lighter
• Facetime and 720p video recording

Cons:

• No FM radio, no numerical battery
• Low resolution and low quality still photography

Product perfection is next to impossible. There’s no way to please everyone, and as we all know, the minute you buy something new, something new and better has just come out. In our everlong search for perfection in anything, gadget or otherwise, the iPod Touch aims for kingship. Does it take the throne?

With the iPhone 4, a huge makeover to the handset promised to reshape Apple’s media player, and it did. Including the iPhone 4’s A4 processor, Retina display and front-facing camera for Facetime, the 4^th generation iPod Touch includes almost everything the tech giant’s latest phone introduced. It accomplishes all this while still thinning down and shedding weight, from the already absurdly-thin design.

The iPod Touch 4G makes older models look fat in comparison. The mirrored back surface still scratches easily, and rounds the glass off to an almost razor-thin edge. Past iPod’s had much larger, rounder edges – this iPod is by far the sleekest. The power/standby button has finally been moved over to the right side, as on the iPhone. The volume rocker has thicker, rounded buttons which are easy to press, though iOS4 on the iPod does not support quick mute like on the iPad.

The 2nd Gen iPod Touch left of the 4th Gen

4th Gen iPod Touch, Top, with it’s rounded, separated volume rocker above the 2nd Gen

Past iPod touch models had qualities that made them seem less professional, less clean. The Wi-Fi antenna showing, thick rounded edges, etc. The iPod Touch 4G, however, does not. It’s clean, crisp, and looks and feels great. The thinness of the design is excellent for holding in a pocket, though like the Nano, it’s easy to forget because it’s so light and thin. Yet with that miniscule frame, the iPod is still tough. Users can safely play a game of ball with the Touch in a pocket. I’ve on more than a few occasion forgot it was even there.

Performance is stellar. It seems silly that each new i-device is considered snappy and fast thanks to performance boosts, yet the same applies with this iPod Touch. There isn’t a faster mobile device on the market today.

Many have thus far been impressed by the Retina display, boasting a higher resolution 960×640 display and 326 pixels per inch. I’m not. Yes, it looks great, and yes, it is much clearer than older every other screen I’ve tested. But having switched back and forth between my iPhone 3GS and the iPod Touch 4G, it really isn’t that big a deal. Some journalists have openly stated that the upgraded screen makes the iPad useless, but I couldn’t disagree more. There is certainly a difference, but that’s not worth upgrading for alone.

What is more significant is the improved brightness and contrast. The difference in lights and darks has been significantly improved over previous models. It’s not as good as the Super AMOLED displays used on Samsung’s recent Galaxy S mobile phones, but it’s a significant step forward in LCD displays. That contrast is far more important than the picture clarity because the human eye is more sensitive to the differences in lights and darks than it is to anything else, except for motion. So unless you plan on spending inordinate amounts of time reading – for which the pixel density and higher resolutions do matter  – the update in contrast and brightness is most noteworthy.

For gaming, however, pixel density changes everything, or at least it can. Games with heavy graphics can look amazing on this screen, though few have helped flaunt the upgraded hardware thus far. More importantly, the upgrade in processing speed, screen quality and overall build, help to push the iPod ahead of mobile gaming competitors. This iPod is easily the most powerful gaming device, not to mention the smallest, most useful and most inexpensive (through cheaper downloadable games).

The addition of not just one, but two cameras is huge, but not as big as it could have been. The main camera in the back is capable of shooting 720p video. A few test videos I shot proved to be noisy and a little fuzzy, but picture quality was fine, above par for what we’ve come to expect with 720p-ready cellphone cameras. Reducing the size to 480p improves the quality.

The lack of a proper still camera is more frustrating. Both the rear and front (640×480) cameras can shoot stills, but only at low resolutions with mediocre quality. The rear camera is limited to about one megapixel. It was my biggest hope to see the iPod Touch become a competitive photographic device, but Apple’s obviously more intent on leaving that with the iPhone for now. Maybe next year…

Using Facetime has been a blast. Calling family and friends is gimmicky, but fun. It works perfectly, and the results of several dozen calls proved that the technology is solid. The bigger problem is how we communicate as a society. Conversation becomes awkward quickly – with Facetime, you can’t do anything besides for look at the person on the other end and speak. Your appearance matters. You can’t play with your hair or do something else. In a way, it puts more pressure on the conversationists. Facetime demands a person’s full attention, one which we as a society will need to adjust to.

FM radio, which made its way to the iPod Nano, is still missing for the Touch, though one could argue the point that with Wi-Fi and apps, an FM transceiver is unnecessary. I argue that Touch owners who plan on using the device to exercise won’t be carrying a Wi-Fi signal with them, and we all can’t live in Mountain View. There is also no numerical battery life indicator, which I always use instead of the graphic battery bar.

With this fourth iteration of the iPod Touch, Apple brings sweeping upgrades, but not sweeping changes to their acclaimed media device. Those upgrades are fantastic: a powerful processor, more memory, a vastly better screen, all while maintaining excellent battery life. The few changes – the inclusion of two cameras – are a start in the right direction, but not the leap we’ve seen Apple take so many times before. The company is quickly closing in on a perfect, do-everything device, but this isn’t it.  Still, the 4^th generation iPod Touch is by far the best portable media player, and the closest one to perfection.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Pros:

• Excellent design and user interface
• Touchscreen more accurate than 99% of smartphones
• FM radio, finally!

Cons:

• Small. Small enough to lose very, very quickly

As gadgets get smaller and smaller, we begin to reach the absurd size problems we remember from Zoolander. The departure from the past iPod Nano design, as well as the complete reworking and shrinking of the latest device is highly questionable, and interested consumers are all wondering whether it’s worth the upgrade.

Is it?

Apple’s complete makeover for the iPod Nano may look like the company is confused, but their history proves otherwise. Every product they make, every filing they submit, and every word out of Steve Jobs’ mouth is intentional. The latest Nano does not buck that trend.

The 6^th generation iPod Nano rids itself of video recording and playback, effectively cuts the size in half, and has finally removed the last remnant of Apple’s renowned scroll wheel. In its place, a 1.54” capacitive touchscreen running on a slimmed down version of iOS.

The loss of video recording and playback is nothing to fret over. Yes, it was convenient, but the tiny screen was, frankly, ridiculous to watch video on. I’m glad Apple acknowledged that and rid of the function. Recording video on such a small device was likewise handy, yet the light weight and small size, not to mention low resolution and mediocre picture quality, made the feature a last-resort for users. Most video shot on the Nano never even left the device, thanks in part to no Wi-Fi antenna.

This latest Nano is trimmed of all the fat from the previous model and gets down to the very core of the device: a small music player that’s simple, intuitive, and easy to use for anything. For kids to store their music collection on; for adults looking to exercise to a beat; for the busy salesman who already carries around too much in his pockets and needs something small and simple.

For these users, the Nano is an excellent fit. In practice, the Nano is an exceptional media player. With up to 16GB (8GB or 16GB models available), there’s more than enough space for the daily excursion or even a month-long trip. Battery life is rated for 24 hours of continuous audio playback, and the recharge time is quick, capable of a full recharge in just a few hours (or 80% charge in 1.5 hours).  In fact, there’s only one thing that doesn’t make the Nano the ultimate road warrior: its size.

Like all small things, the latest Nano is easy to lose. Scaling back in every way for this latest Nano simplifies the device, but also makes it a chore to keep an eye on. While testing it, I lost the Nano several times, each time slightly more than the last. Luckily they were all around the office or home. Had I left it on some store counter or doctor’s office, it would be as good as gone.

The iPod Nano, thicker than the 4th gen iPod Touch thanks to its clip

With the iPod Shuffle, such a loss isn’t a big deal. $50 is a much easier replacement than $150 (or $180) for the Nano. The inclusion of a clip to holster the Nano is great, to wear on the belt or an armband, though while testing I only used the clip for exercise. For the sake of not losing it, I recommend using the clip whenever possible.

Features are limited for the Nano to what’s already on the device, and the Nike+ add-on. The Nano is not strictly speaking an iOS device, though many of the functions feel and look identical. Rotating the screen (a 240×240 pixel square) is done with two fingers turning the image on-screen. This method is convenient and intuitive – much better than using accelerometers for the same function. Instead of a dedicated home button, pressing and holding a finger on the screen for three seconds returns to the home screen. Because there is no way to exit apps besides for holding on the screen, swipe functionality plays an important role on the Nano. Swiping left on almost any screen will go back one screen.

Apps on screen can be moved around, but none deleted. Four pages of apps include quick links to music (playlists, artists, now playing, Genius mixes, etc.), settings, photos, fitness, clock, and an FM radio. The photos app is almost identical to other iOS devices, though as I found out when putting pictures on the device, it took my 7000+ photos roughly two hours to be resized specifically for the Nano. It won’t store full-size images, and for good reason: there is no pinch-zoom function on the Nano, only a double-tap to zoom in enough for the full screen to be utilized.

The clock app includes an analog clock, stopwatch and timer. Fitness includes a silly pedometer, which uses the internal accelerometer to count steps. A history of the Fitness app’s use is also recorded.

The FM radio uses headphones as an antenna, and undoubtedly built the relatively weak iPod headphones to work best for reception. Other, higher-quality headphones I tested didn’t receive as good a signal as the iPod headphones, but users will have to determine quality of the sound versus quality of the earbuds for themselves. Unlike the Zune HD, this is no HD radio, just a standard FM receiver. Any number of stations can be set as favorites. A special “Live Pause” feature allows up to 15 minutes of radio to be stored, in case you don’t want to miss anything. Battery life cuts down significantly when using the FM radio. In my testing, I averaged between 6-8 hours listening to FM radio.

The iPod Nano also has voice control, though the included headphones do not include the required microphone. Interested users will have to purchase a separate set for $30.

Apple’s latest iPod Nano is a simplification of media playback devices. The computer and cellphone giant has finally made three (technically four) separate mobile entities: the Shuffle – light, inexpensive, and for music only; the Nano – screened, high capacity for photos and music, and an excellent exercise companion; and the Touch (or iPhone) – the do-all media device for music, videos, pictures and games. The Nano performs its function marvelously, though interested consumers can purchase similar media players for cheaper. But they won’t find a better, crisper, and cleaner device than the latest 6th generation iPod Nano.

Amazon has the 16GB for $172.

It’s $359.99 – $120 instant discount + $0 handling = $239.99!

Zune HD owners rejoice.  Crickets?  Microsoft has recently announced that a batch of new 3D games is now available at the Zune MarketPlace.  For Free.  That’s right, the following games are available now for free:  Project Gotham Racing: Ferrari Edition, Audiosurf Tilt, Vans Sk8: Pool Service, Lucky Lanes Bowling, Piano, and Checkers.

Totally cool for free right!  Hopefully this will help Microsoft move some units this holiday season, but  having not yet seen an actual Zune HD in person, I’m interested in how good the gaming will be on this thing. If you are a Zune HD owner and download these free games and let me know just how 3D they actually are!

Read

With next week’s September 15th release of Microsoft’s potential “Worm in the Apple” Zune HD, word has reached the Blogs that the product will only be available on US soil.  Seemingly looking to bring a different experience to international markets, no announcement has been made as of yet in regards to releasing the Zune HD elsewhere.

Looks like it’s time to buy a bunch and fire up your eBay accounts.

Read

Microsoft got official today and says that the Zune HD will ship on September 15th.  Actually, the news is no surprise since we saw a leaked display stand yesterday and Amazon, which now has the product page back up, leaked the price a few days prior.  So if you want a brand new shiny PMP you’re gonna need to plunk down $219.99 for the 16GB or $289.99 for the 32GB.  There’s still no word on a 64GB version, but I guess you never know.

Read – 16GB Zune HD
Read – 32GB Zune HD
Read – Zune Website

The proprietor of Neowin has some how scored in inside man at Microsoft.  More importantly the leak is willing to share info about the Zune HD, so much so in fact that he straight up admitted to Microsoft execs that he had leaked info previously, but some how went on breathing.  I think it’s all just PR spin with a dab of reverse psychology (why would Microsoft let a leak admit to telling execs if they were pulling the strings), but if the info is accurate does it really matter?  Nonetheless, on to the juicy stuff.

So the Microsoft programmer, who doesn’t work on Zune, says that we can definitely expect the Zune HD early September and that the price of the 16GB version will cost between $249 -$280.  Using my powers of deduction that probably means we can expect the 32GB to cost $299 – $349.  The leak also went on to say that Microsoft is considering a 64GB Zune HD, which I highly doubt because once you add a 3rd choice into the mix it gets more difficult for people to decide on which one and ultimately if they should actually purchase.

[via Gizmodo]

Read

According to a source close the Microsoft Zune project, the Zune HD will arrive September 8th and come in an 16GB and 32GB capacity.  There’s no word on price, but since this iteration of the Zune is said to sport Nvidia’s Tegra graphics processor and an OLED screen, something we should have seen in the latest iPhone, it will no doubt be a bit on the pricier side.  But it is a Microsoft product, so how many people can there be clamoring for this PMP?

Note: I own an Xbox 360, so I’m not totally anti-Microsoft, just anti-Microsoft when it comes to competing with Apple.   Flame on!

Read

Today Microsoft officially announced the Zune HD to thousands of screaming fans.  While possibly too little too late, the Zune HD will attempt to steal some iPod Touch thunder with the inclusion of such features as:  A built in HD radio receiver, HD video capabilities, OLED touch screen, and WiFi.  What also will be of mass importance is the addition of Xbox Live’s MarketPlace, where you can go for movies and TV programs.  No word on whether or not games or apps are on the horizon, but I’m sure someone somewhere in the Microsoft matrix is gargling on about it.  E3 will have more to say about the Zune HD and will demonstrate the Xbox Live lovechild.  Is this cool?  Does anyone care?

Here’s a bit from our buddies in Washington:

REDMOND, Wash. — May 26, 2009 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the evolution of Zune, the company’s end-to-end music and entertainment service, to a new platform and new markets. Zune will extend its video service to Xbox LIVE internationally this fall. This marks an important development in the Zune strategy and brings the Zune brand to more than 17 million international Xbox LIVE subscribers. In addition, Microsoft confirmed the next generation of the Zune portable media player, Zune HD. Available in the U.S. this fall, Zune HD is the first portable media player that combines a built-in HD Radio receiver, high-definition (HD) video output capabilities, organic light-emitting diode (OLED) touch screen, Wi-Fi and an Internet browser.

“The Zune music player is an integral part of the overall Zune experience, and we’re proud to be growing and extending our offering beyond the device,” said Enrique Rodriguez, corporate vice president of the Microsoft TV, Video and Music Business Group. “Delivering on Microsoft’s connected entertainment vision, this news marks a turning point for Zune as it brings cross-platform experiences and premium video content to living rooms around the world.”

Zune Service Expands to New Platform

Zune will be a premium partner in the Xbox LIVE Video Marketplace, bringing an exciting catalog of TV and film to the platform. Zune will occupy the first slot within the Xbox user interface in the Xbox LIVE Video Marketplace, exposing the Zune brand experience to millions of new consumers for the first time. At the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) next week, attendees will see firsthand how Zune integrates into Xbox LIVE to create a game-changing entertainment experience.

Introducing Zune HD

Zune HD is the next iteration of the Zune device family and brings a new level of listening and viewing experiences to the portable media player category.

·         Zune HD comes with a built-in HD Radio receiver so users can listen to higher-quality sound than traditional radio on the go. Users also will have access to the additional song and artist data broadcast by HD Radio stations as well as additional channels from their favorite stations multicasting in HD. If you don’t like the song playing on your station’s HD channel, switch to its HD2 or HD3 channels for additional programming.

·         The bright OLED touch screen interface allows users to flip through music, movies and other content with ease, and the 16:9 widescreen format display (480×272 resolution) offers a premium viewing experience on the go.

·         The HD-compatible output lets Zune HD customers playback supported HD video files from the device through a premium high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) audiovisual docking station (sold separately) direct to an HD TV in 720p.*

·         Zune HD will include a full-screen Internet browser optimized for multitouch functionality.

·         Zune HD is Wi-Fi enabled, allowing for instant streaming to the device from the more than 5 million-track Zune music store.

Read