Hasta La Gadget!

It’s official: the Zune no longer sucks. We’ve been playing with Microsoft’s new hi-def version of the much maligned media player for a couple of days now and can say that the boys and girls in Redmond really worked their tails off to refine the hardware and software on the player. We haven’t quite spent enough time with the device to release a full review, but Wired mag products editor and Zune expert Mark McClusky has written an awesome first look. From his article:

Video from the Zune Marketplace is sold at 720p resolution, and then downscaled on the device for playback on the OLED. But pop the Zune into the AV dock (yours for another $90, which is too much), and the player outputs the full HD 720p resolution to your TV, over an HDMI connection. The video is one reason for the HD moniker for this Zune.

The other is the inclusion of an HD radio tuner on the Zune HD. Until last week, when Apple announced inclusion of an FM tuner on the new iPod nano and touch, the radio tuner had been a big selling point for the Zune. The new version keeps the FM tuner, and adds the ability to tune in HD signals if they’re available, including sub-channels. When docked, HD radio¿s output as well.

The HD’s screen is touch sensitive, eliminate the infamous “squircle” control pad of previous Zune models. The touch screen is particually useful for the new web browser built in to the Zune HD. This browser, built from Internet Explorer for Windows Mobile 6.5, has been optimized for multi-touch, and uses the now familiar scrolling, pinching and double tapping to move you through web pages. In our limited surfing time, it handled complex sites cleanly.

On the software side, sad to say, Zune is still Windows only (although there were some hints in our conversations with the Zune team that there might be some chance of a Mac version at some point). That’s a shame, because the Zune software, along with the Zune Marketplace service, is a generally slick piece of code, and especially good for people looking to discover new music.

Keep in mind this is just an excerpt. There’s a lot more on the Zune HD at our reviews website. Check it out right here.

Photo by Jonanthan Snyder/ Wired.com

We’ve known the specs for the Zune HD since May, and I’ve even gotten a couple brief hands-on demonstrations, but I discovered a few more surprises in the run-up to the retail release Tuesday.

(Credit: Microsoft)

My favorite surprise on the device was a new feature called Quickplay. …

Originally posted at Digital Noise: Music and Tech

The Zune HD is soon to be officially out on the streets, and we’ve got the official Engadget hands-on / unboxing. Now, we were excited as all get-out to wrap our paws around the Tegra-powered PMP, but some of that luster has worn off since popping this baby out of its extremely attractive packaging. Why is that, you ask? Well, Microsoft decided to hold on loading up any usable software until the new Zunes were out to market. What that means is that we have yet to do any serious testing with the new device — despite having the gem sitting right here. We can tell you that the Zune HD is most definitely a thing of beauty as far as gadget standards are concerned, and while the only media we’ve been able to enjoy is the big M’s demo video, we have been marveling at the clarity and crispness of that OLED display.

Obviously we’ve got a proper review coming soon, but we take this stuff pretty seriously and don’t like to offer our opinion till we’ve spent some quality time with a device. You can expect a look at both the music and media playback capabilities of the ZHD, as well as the new Zune integration into Xbox Live, Windows Media Center, and all other kinds of connected-world goodness. Till then, feast your eyes on the galleries below, and quietly curse Microsoft for handing us a neutered Zune.

Update: As a commenter points out below, these devices are being sold to end users in the same condition our unit is in — namely, without any real functioning software. It’s a pretty unusual move for a company like Microsoft to put devices into the hands of consumers with no functionality at all, but it seems the Zune team was cranking till the last minute. Let’s hope all the hard work pays off!

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Zune HD unboxing and hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 01:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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See those two antennas? They can only mean one thing: lickity-quick 802.11n WiFi on Microsoft’s unannounced Xbox 360 adapter. Of course, the FCC label reads, “Xbox 360 wireless N networking adapter,” leaving little doubt as to its purpose. A spec bump that should push the raw data rate to at least twice what you’ve seen on 802.11b/g networks while offering more options for placement thanks to improved range. What, you do have an 802.11n network at home, right? It’s IEEE official now, you know?

Filed under: Gaming, Wireless

Xbox 360 802.11n WiFi adapter floats through the FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 01:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Those new ENVYs too rich for your blood? HP still has some design chops to show off in the ProBook 5310m and the (leaked, pictured) Pavilion dm3. HP is calling the classy 5310m the “world’s thinnest full-performance notebook,” whatever that means, while the dm3 offers a choice of AMD Neo or Intel Core 2 Duo processors. Both rock 13-inch LCDs, hover around four pounds and measure around an inch thick. The 5310m is available with a Celeron for as low as $699, but to get that “full-performance” Core 2 Duo action, you’re looking at a $899 tag. Meanwhile the dm3 starts at $549 for AMD and $649 for Intel. With thin-and-light prices like these, who needs netbooks? Both laptops should be out on October 22, running Windows 7. Full PR is after the break.

Continue reading HP’s ProBook 5310m and Pavilion dm3 keep “thin-and-light” cheap enough for the rest of us

Filed under: Laptops

HP’s ProBook 5310m and Pavilion dm3 keep “thin-and-light” cheap enough for the rest of us originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 00:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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