[macfantn]

http://www.jakeludington.com/zune/20...omparison.html

that thing looks HUGE

[macintologist]

Are they sure it's lighter? I'd like to see the official weight specs. Usually when something is more dense it feels heavier.

[mitchell_pgh]

It looks much uglier IMHO. I was one of the people thinking that the Zune advertising looked OK, but seeing those pictures makes me reconsider my original position. It looks like it is built from cheap plastic.

[xi_hyperon]

His weight assessment doesn't jive with the statement by a Microsoft manager in the quote below (taken from the other zune thread):

The player is exactly the same weight as an iPod Video. In fact, we're 5.6 ounces. They're 5.5, if you want to be really technical. It's pretty much the same size as an iPod Video. We are 4.4" x 2.4". They're 4.1" x 2.4". It's a little less than a quarter of an inch taller. It's basically a little taller, the same weight, and the same width.

link

[mitchell_pgh]

One note the media has seemed to overlook... while the Zune screen is larger, the resolution of the Zune screen is identical to the iPod.

[Eug Wanker]

Originally Posted by mitchell_pgh

One note the media has seemed to overlook... while the Zune screen is larger, the resolution of the Zune screen is identical to the iPod.

That doesn't matter. I'd be perfectly happy with a larger iPod screen, even if were still 320x240. Even better would be a 480x360 screen though.

[macfantn]

i'd be happy if they throw a sim card slot in the ipod, a 3mp camera w/ optical zoom, auto focus and flash

[dreamryche]

Originally Posted by mitchell_pgh

It looks much uglier IMHO. I was one of the people thinking that the Zune advertising looked OK, but seeing those pictures makes me reconsider my original position. It looks like it is built from cheap plastic.

My thoughts exactly. That thing looks ridiculous.

[mitchell_pgh]

Originally Posted by macfantn

i'd be happy if they throw a sim card slot in the ipod, a 3mp camera w/ optical zoom, auto focus and flash

I hope you are kidding, because I couldn't disagree more.

If you want a digital camera with optical zoom... buy a digital camera. ANYTHING placed on an iPod would be vastly inferior to even the most basic $150 digital camera.

I can appreciate the combining of some technologies into a unified platform, but a camera and iPod aren't one of them. Even if Apple showcases an iPhone... I feel anything beyond a basic phone camera is overkill. Anyone that is serious about taking pictures will buy a real camera, and not the $20 in camera components that make up most cell phone cameras. The people that use their cell phones as their primary camera really don't care so much about the quality [granted, a little nicer is always good].

[mitchell_pgh]

Originally Posted by Eug Wanker

That doesn't matter. I'd be perfectly happy with a larger iPod screen, even if were still 320x240. Even better would be a 480x360 screen though.

But would you be willing to have a larger iPod footprint for that larger screen? The Zune looks big. I think I would be fine with a larger iPod if the screen resolution was larger, but simply making the pixels larger isn't necessarily better IMHO.

Kind of reminds me of the 12" vs. 14" iBook screen debate.

[smacintush]

I wonder how it feels in your hand because it looks like a plastic toy.

[JoshuaZ]

I want to see the real world battery usage for it. Especially with wifi on and that big old screen of its.

[Gossamer]

Originally Posted by mitchell_pgh

But would you be willing to have a larger iPod footprint for that larger screen? The Zune looks big. I think I would be fine with a larger iPod if the screen resolution was larger, but simply making the pixels larger isn't necessarily better IMHO.

Kind of reminds me of the 12" vs. 14" iBook screen debate.

I got the 14" iBook, and I love it. Movies, web surfing, everything's bigger. You can't fit more on the screen, but it's easier for 4 or 5 people to watch a DVD in a car on a 14" screen rather than a 12". Is someone going to try and convince me that a projector is no better than my iBook's screen because it's 1024x768 also?

[Oversoul]

Originally Posted by mitchell_pgh

It looks much uglier IMHO. I was one of the people thinking that the Zune advertising looked OK, but seeing those pictures makes me reconsider my original position. It looks like it is built from cheap plastic.

What a difference advertising images and photoshopping make. The zune is made of cheap, ugly plastic.

[Dakar]

Man it's like the XBOX compared to the PS2

[olePigeon]

The Zune is ugly as hell in person. The quality of it is just crap. Cheap plastic, chrome plated plastic buttons; it's horrible.

[kick52]

Originally Posted by mitchell_pgh

It looks much uglier IMHO. I was one of the people thinking that the Zune advertising looked OK, but seeing those pictures makes me reconsider my original position. It looks like it is built from cheap plastic.

i completly agree with you.

[mitchell_pgh]

Originally Posted by Gossamer

I got the 14" iBook, and I love it. Movies, web surfing, everything's bigger. You can't fit more on the screen, but it's easier for 4 or 5 people to watch a DVD in a car on a 14" screen rather than a 12". Is someone going to try and convince me that a projector is no better than my iBook's screen because it's 1024x768 also?

I guess my point was, the iPod isn't technologically inferior to the Zune's regarding the display resolution.

I would have been considerably more critical if the screen resolution was higher. All this means is the Zune has larger pixels (aka less sharp) than the iPod.

[mitchell_pgh]

P.S. This is the photo that made me go "Ummm... no way!"

http://www.hollywoodreviews.com/jake/zune_ipod_edge.jpg

[Dakar]

It keeps making me think if the 1st gen ipods. Welcome to 2000 MS. Your hardware is as timely as your OS.

[Dark Helmet]

The biggest "NO THANK YOU" for me is the fact that the scroll wheel isn't a wheel at all. Just some buttons on a circle to try to trick you into thinking it is like the iPod.

[kick52]

why not just stick a walkman onto a brick?

[mitchell_pgh]

Originally Posted by Dark Helmet

The biggest "NO THANK YOU" for me is the fact that the scroll wheel isn't a wheel at all. Just some buttons on a circle to try to trick you into thinking it is like the iPod.

Excellent point. I have a feeling it's not going to feel very organic.

[©öñFü$íóÑ]

I got one thing to say to that......

[scaught]

Originally Posted by xi_hyperon

His weight assessment doesn't jive with the statement by a Microsoft manager in the quote below (taken from the other zune thread):

The player is exactly the same weight as an iPod Video. In fact, we're 5.6 ounces. They're 5.5, if you want to be really technical. It's pretty much the same size as an iPod Video. We are 4.4" x 2.4". They're 4.1" x 2.4". It's a little less than a quarter of an inch taller. It's basically a little taller, the same weight, and the same width.

link

no mentions of how its obviously thicker (thats a 30GB zune compared to an 80GB ipod in the photos circling the net today, btw). link

[BRussell]

One thing I like about it, and I hope Apple does soon, is the vertical orientation of the screen. It really makes a lot of sense - the iPod is rectangular, with a greater length than width, but the screen has a greater width than length. Orient the screen vertically and you could put in a 640x480 screen without making it the size of a brick.

[GSixZero]

I agree that it looks really cheap and plasticy. But in MSFT's defense, any portable device that has wireless probably has to be made mostly of plastic as metal kills any wireless reception. They might be able to built in some sort of external antenna outside the metal casing (think powerbook), but if iPod become wireless, I'm sure iPod will suffer an aesthetic hit.

I've never really played with a RAZR, does anyone know how it gets around the faraday cage effect?

[Oversoul]

Originally Posted by GSixZero

I agree that it looks really cheap and plasticy. But in MSFT's defense, any portable device that has wireless probably has to be made mostly of plastic as metal kills any wireless reception. They might be able to built in some sort of external antenna outside the metal casing (think powerbook), but if iPod become wireless, I'm sure iPod will suffer an aesthetic hit.

That's probably true, but there's plasticy and then there's cheap and plasticy -- and the Zune falls into the latter category. Half the iPod is plastic, and it doesn't look cheap.

[Cadaver]

30GB Zune is thicker than an 80GB iPod. Can you imagine the comparison between the 30GB Zune and the much thinner 30GB iPod! It would make the Zune seem downright obese.

[smacintush]

Originally Posted by GSixZero

I'm sure iPod will suffer an aesthetic hit.

I bet not.

[Dakar]

Originally Posted by BRussell

One thing I like about it, and I hope Apple does soon, is the vertical orientation of the screen. It really makes a lot of sense - the iPod is rectangular, with a greater length than width, but the screen has a greater width than length. Orient the screen vertically and you could put in a 640x480 screen without making it the size of a brick.

True, but the you're going to have to hold it a 'weird' orientation to watch movies... and will the controls adjust for use being horizontally.

I wouldn't mind if Apple did this, but I think the reason we haven't seen a bigger screen on the ipod yet is because they're trying to find a better solution.

[Salty]

I wouldn't really mind a longer screened iPod, that said I don't see why everyone's focusing so much on the movie thing. I have the ability to watch movies on my iPod and quite frankly I listen to music far more.

[TheoCryst]

Originally Posted by Salty

I wouldn't really mind a longer screened iPod, that said I don't see why everyone's focusing so much on the movie thing. I have the ability to watch movies on my iPod and quite frankly I listen to music far more.

It's because it's something different. The MP3 player market is nearly completely saturated, what with all the different iPods and Zens and even generic-branded players. Hell, I can go to Wal•Mart and pick up a $20 dollar player that doubles as a small flash drive. Quite honestly, nearly every who both wants and can afford a music player has one by now. The only way to really enter such a saturated market is by presenting something new and different. At the moment, that seems to be video.

Or you could make a higher-quality product that performs simple tasks well... but hey, it's Microsoft we're talking about.

[Salty]

Originally Posted by TheoCryst

IOr you could make a higher-quality product that performs simple tasks well... but hey, it's Microsoft we're talking about.

I dono XP seems to be doing a really good job of getting infected quickly...

[goMac]

Originally Posted by Salty

I wouldn't really mind a longer screened iPod, that said I don't see why everyone's focusing so much on the movie thing. I have the ability to watch movies on my iPod and quite frankly I listen to music far more.

The funniest part is at launch the Zune won't even be able to play movies.

[goMac]

Originally Posted by Salty

I dono XP seems to be doing a really good job of getting infected quickly...

I'm running Vista on my PC. No anti virus software, using Internet Explorer. And so far it's done a pretty good job of staying clean. That doesn't change the fact that all the changes Microsoft had to make to do so have completely broken compatibility. I can't run a lot of my XP software, I have a lot of installers abort because it's not XP (with no reason beyond that), and the security dialogs are annoying, and a lot of installers I have to manually launch as administrator because Vista isn't smart enough to automatically prompt when they need administrator rights.

[GSixZero]

I'm not really surprised that Vista isn't having any virus problems yet. There's really no point in distributing a virus for an OS that's not in use yet.... I'm sure virus writers are cooking up what they can. We'll see them released a few weeks after vista starts to be installed widespread.

[pyrite]

give it nine months, unless they give it great support for video formats and a revolutionary online store. anything less and this thing will fail, i rekon ppl like slim & sleek too much to bother with it