Zune HD unboxing and hands-on

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!

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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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MovieWedge beanbag keeps your iPhone upright, costs ten bucks

You know, 2009 is turning into a banner year for pillow-assisted gadgetry. Not only has Philips introduced the CushionSpeaker, but we’ve just been hepped to a similar idea for the portable media set, an iPhone / Zune / etcetera stand called the MovieWedge. If you’ve ever wanted to spend $9.95 on a bean bag, now’s your chance, kids — this guy’s shaped like a pyramid, constructed out of micro-suede (perfect for wiping your display free of fingerprints) and who knows? It may free you from the tyranny of having to hold your iPhone upright on long plane rides. But one thing it won’t free you from? The shame of spending ten bucks on a beanbag. Peep ‘er in the gallery below.

[Via PhoneMag]

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MovieWedge beanbag keeps your iPhone upright, costs ten bucks originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zune portals close up shop for the day, should re-open with Zune HD launch

No shock here, but it seems as if the Zune world as we know it has closed up for the day. The Zune homepage is currently displaying the banner shown above, while a good number of our tipsters and staffers have confirmed that signing into Zune Marketplace is impossible. Of course, it’s not like a major new product (and software update, most probably) is slated to officially ship on September 15th or anything, so we’d say a little patience could go a long ways here.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

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Zune portals close up shop for the day, should re-open with Zune HD launch originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zune HD sold early, still unusable until tomorrow

See that there? That’s a shiny new 16GB Zune HD, which isn’t supposed to ship until September 15th. Why bother to honor the street date? Ask the cool cats at the Fort Myers, Florida Best Buy, who has no qualms selling our tipster a unit over the weekend. At the time, no 32GB versions were available, and even now, this 16GB unit won’t sync with one’s PC or do much of anything useful. Of course, Microsoft’s pretty much shutting itself down tonight as it readies a new software update, so we suspect all systems will be go within the next 24 hours. While we’re on the topic, has anyone else managed to snag a Zune HD early?

[Thanks, Everett]

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Zune HD sold early, still unusable until tomorrow originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Sep 2009 08:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zune HD promotional videos offer brief glimpse at 3D gaming

Zune HD may really be just around the corner — this Tuesday, in fact — but there’s still a few things we don’t know about. Enter a handful of promotional videos care of Buy TV to fill in some pieces. There’s a couple of really nice overviews of the car dock, built-in radio, Xbox integration, Zune video, and AV dock (it outputs 720p video, just to clarify). More importantly, though, in the video entitled “Portable Perfection” around the 30-second mark, you catch a quick view of what appears to be a racing title as the narrator discusses the ability to “play games” on the device. For a company that’s been about as coy as possible when it comes to the status of applications for its forthcoming Tegra-powered monster, this isn’t exactly subtle. There’s also what looks like some new Zune marketplace images in the Zune pass video around ten seconds in. Be honest, you had nothing else to do this Friday, and now you can at least watch some gadget noir. Check it out after the break and form your own wild opinions.

[Via Zunited, thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Continue reading Zune HD promotional videos offer brief glimpse at 3D gaming

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Zune HD promotional videos offer brief glimpse at 3D gaming originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 12 Sep 2009 01:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zune HD International launch hopes crushed by Microsoft, others raised

Don’t be sad. We know it hurts but that’s what happens when your emotions exceed reason. The Zune HD will be a US exclusive when it goes on sale September 15th just as it was when the original Zune brownie went on sale back in November 2006. Here’s what Microsoft told Ars:

“For the time being the Zune HD device will remain US only. Right now we are focused on deploying an exciting service in the form of Zune Video to 18 markets. We are looking at potential future hardware experiences for these markets, but do not have anything to announce right now.”

Plenty of fodder for conspiracy types here. First, that means Canada is out, even though older Zune models are already on sale there. But the words “for the time being” leave plenty of wiggle room for an international launch window. And what does Microsoft mean by the generically phrased, “future hardware experiences?” Are they referring to a Zune service destined to “transcend Zune the device” later this year? Perhaps. One thing is clear: consumers are far more excited about the Zune HD than the original — especially now that Apple’s cat is out of the bag. Microsoft could be leaving a ton of money on the table if they don’t go global, quick.

[Thanks, Safir]

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Zune HD International launch hopes crushed by Microsoft, others raised originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Sep 2009 03:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft says no plans for Zune HD in France, other markets still up in the air

Those in the U.S. may finally be getting their hands on the Zune HD next week, but it looks like folks elsewhere could well be in for a longer wait than they may have been hoping for. That’s been the speculation since the device was first announced, of course, but Microsoft is only now getting a bit more specific about the matter, with Microsoft France exec François Ruault telling PC World that the company has “no plans” to launch the Zune HD in France, although he adds that doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll never be released there. That presumably also means that the rest of Europe is similarly up in the air, but if past history is any indication, it seems likely that the Zune HD will indeed land there eventually, sometime after it finally makes a trip north of the border.

[Via MobileTechWorld]

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Microsoft says no plans for Zune HD in France, other markets still up in the air originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 18:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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All Zune models not named ‘Zune HD’ on the outs

Microsoft guru Paul Thurrott of SuperSite for Windows fame has read the writing on the wall. According to the reps he spoke with, production has ceased on all Zune models before the upcoming Zune HD. In other words, when supplies run out, Zune 4, 8, 16, 80, and 120 are as good as dead, with only this year’s model left standing. Shed a tear for the old guard, and keep an eye out for what we’re hoping will be some pretty sweet sales as everyone tries to clean out stock.

[Via ZuneSpring]

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All Zune models not named ‘Zune HD’ on the outs originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Sep 2009 22:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zune HD pamphlet discloses HD movies coming to Zune marketplace


With TV shows, music video, and video podcasts already proliferating the Zune marketplace, it was really only a matter of time before Microsoft dipped its toes into HD movies — not to mention kind of a logical step since Xbox Live was getting its movie section Zune-branded. BostonPocketPC writer Steven Hughes has uploaded pictures of an alleged pamphlet handed out at Best Buy’s Zune HD showings that, among other things, make reference to finding Zune Marketplace content including HD movies. Ban on HDTV Media Center recordings notwithstanding, things are looking up for Zune 4.0 software. And here we thought Apple was late to the party with its movie service.

[Via Zunited]
Read – Pamphlet pics
Read – BostonPocketPC

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Zune HD pamphlet discloses HD movies coming to Zune marketplace originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Aug 2009 20:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zune HD box contents spotted at Best Buy

We’ve already gotten a glimpse of the Zune HD’s packaging courtesy of Best Buy’s big preview event this past weekend — but what about the contents of said packaging? Therein lies excitement. Excitement like some giant fold-out instructions, a USB cable, and a pair of headphones that seem to be more or less identical to the ones that came with the Zune 120 — oh, and a little thing called the Zune HD. Hit up the link below for a closer look, and a couple more demo videos for those that still can’t get enough of the thing.

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Zune HD box contents spotted at Best Buy originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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