Microsoft on Tuesday confirmed its plans to take on the iPod Touch with a new, touch-screen Zune that will be able to surf the Web, play high-definition movies, and tune in to digital radio.

The Zune HD, which will be available in the U.S. only starting this fall, features an HD Radio tuner as well as an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) touch screen, Microsoft said. It is based on Windows CE and will use a version of Internet Explorer customized for its touch screen, Microsoft said.

The software maker did not announce pricing or capacity, though it said the device will use flash memory and attempt to take on Apple's high-end iPod models.

"This device is created to go head to head with the iPod Touch," Chris Stephenson, general manager of global marketing for Microsoft Zune, said in a telephone interview on Tuesday. Zune buyers will also be able to play HD content on their TVs via a dock, Microsoft said.

The software maker also said that at next week's E3 trade show in Los Angeles it will announce details on a new Zune-branded video service for the Xbox that will replace the current Xbox Live marketplace for TV and movies. The company didn't announce details or specifically say that content will be playable on both Zunes and the Xbox.

Currently videos purchased via the Xbox can't be played on a Zune, although both stores use a similar back-end infrastructure to serve up content. Over time, Stephenson said the goal is to move toward a world in which content purchased once can be played on a variety of devices.

Microsoft plans to offer the new Zune video service in a number of European markets, in addition to North America.



As for the Zune HD, Microsoft is doubling down on its bet on a radio tuner as a distinguishing feature. Stephenson noted that the current Zune's FM radio is its second most popular selling point. Adding support for HD Radio, a free over-the-air digital radio technology, represents both a risk and opportunity.

"It's really one of the first portable HD radio receivers out there," Stephenson said. "It's going to be important for us to communicate the value of HD Radio since it is a fairly nascent technology."

One of the big unanswered questions is what sort of gaming abilities the Zune HD will have. There has been speculation on the topic, but Microsoft refused to comment ahead of E3 saying it had no details to share at this time.

Microsoft plans to continue selling its hard drive-based model, which will have a software QWERTY keyboard, but said it plans to eventually discontinue its other flash models in favor of the Zune HD.

"Expect to see the Zune HD...become the definitive Zune product going forward," Stephenson said. "You will continue to see the hard drive product in the market. (The Zune HD) will take over from existing flash devices."

Although Microsoft has said it isn't building a ZunePhone, the company does want to be able to offer its Zune service on phones. However, Stephenson said that is a longer-term goal that will take at least until next year to fulfill.

"This is enough work for us this year," he said. "Going forward, Zune will start to surface on multiple platforms across the ecosystem. Expect to see it pop up in many different places."

Source C|Net

http://www.zune.net/press and http://www.zune.net/ZuneHD Microsoft website detailing the HD.

Main features:
HD Radio
HD video out
Web Browsing
Multi-Touch
Wireless features
I think there will be app support as well with XNA api but not sure yet.
Supposedly based on Nvidia Tegra system on a chip.


Personally I look forward to this.
Even if it doesn't take over the iPod I like having a unique product from everyone else makes me feel special =]

Is this the Zune type handheld gaming console that has been rumored for ages? That would explain a lot...

Still, we don't even have the Zune over here yet... what the hell are Microsoft thinking?

This one is going to be released to more markets.

The iPhone was only released to the USA when it first came out as well so I don't see the issue.

Yeah, but how long have you had the Zune? Four... five years? If i remember correctly with the iPod it was only a matter of months.

http://www.engadget.com/photos/is-this-the-zune-hd/

Yes but isn't it better they are atleast making a effort now? If you have paid attention to MS news within the last year there is something truly changed about them.

They're making an effort? There's nothing anywhere that sais that. If they were truly making an effort then it would already be here

Meh, they'll completely fail it like they did with the release of the first one. You can get radios for the touch for around £15 though...

You apple people and always wanting to pay extra, huh.

If it turns out good I'll definitely consider buying it.

The first Zune worked well actually it was just a failure in marketing using both I found the Zune to be more feature plenty and the user interface was a bit more intuitive.

Is the first Zune the 30gb brick of an MP3 player? If so, that thing ROCKS. I don't need those girly ipods, I have a manly Zune.

My touch was £70, not that much extra. I think apple have such a strong Market share and there are so many acsessories for them, it will be really hard for microsoft unless they a revolutionary product.

Built in HD radio and HD video output seems pretty good to me.

With the last one didn't they completely muck up the resolution for videos? Radio isn't that good a feature, I mean all the good stuff finishes at 9am

This is what we know is included:

OLED 3.3-inch multitouch screen at a 480x272 resolution, web browser (IE-based), Xbox Live integration (Xbox will get Zune's videos instead of their own separate version), HD radio receiver, 720p TV output and streaming music directly from the Zune store via Wi-Fi.

And you say you aren't an Apple fanboy... you haven't even seen the product and yet you judge it to be a failure. The original Zune wasn't bad at all, there were a few bugs but the device itself is good and fun to use. I would probably have one myself if it was available in the UK.

I'm not judging it a failure, I'm making predictions based upon their previous actions.

Again, what previous actions? The original Zune is a good product.

Like their marketing campaign, the apple Market share and their screen resolution.

The screen is going to be larger than the touch's...

By how much?

The marketing campaign was actually pretty good. At least, i liked watching the adverts.

http://www.passion-pictures.com/flash.html#page=d15

Click on the Zune one. There are more on that site...

Ok maybe I lied about that...

Better quality though, OLED is amazing, my iRiver Clix 2 has one...

LOL...
Caboose, I'll get you a couple of links as to how the marketing failed when I'm on my pc, on touch atm. And zunes aren't available in the UK?

YEA OLED ROCKS THE SOCKS OFF OF THE CRAPPY BACKLIT LEDS LOLOLOLO.


Anyways, more will be told about the ZHD at E3, so we'll see what's up then.

Why's it better?

A significant benefit of OLED displays over traditional liquid crystal displays (LCDs) is that OLEDs do not require a backlight to function. Thus they draw far less power and, when powered from a battery, can operate longer on the same charge. Because there is no need for a backlight, an OLED display can be much thinner than an LCD panel. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_light_emitting_diode

As well as having a sharper image, clearer image.

OLED is the future.

Sharper? My touch is incredibly good quality, and 36 hours seems pretty reasonable to me.

Meh, I'd rather have SUPERBLY INCREDIBLY GOOD QUALITY and 60 hours of battery life.

Sure the touch has good quality, but OLED would have higher quality, plus 60ish hours of battery life. 36 or 60?

There reaches a point where you have such insanely good features they're just a waste. But my iPod is virtually always plugged into my mac/charging so it doesn't make a difference to me.

So once again we get to the whole "more for less" thing and you don't want it?

How dare you not call yourself a Mac fanboy!

No, I'm just saying I don't think the screen quality can be much better, and battery doesn't affect me. Surely it's only going to make a difference to video?

Wait, how can you say the screen quality can't get much better? I think I remember someone saying that in the 90s...

And why would you ever say no to a longer battery? I can imagine a scenario (especially with me and my family) where we're on a road trip and the laptop battery dies...

Let's face it, if you're interested in screen quality, you buy a blue ray player, or a bigger screen. It's not gunna make a difference on a 3.3 (smaller) screen.

Why would I go on a road trip for more than a week without a charger? Where could I go for a week without electricity?

What if you forgot your zune under your bed somewhere for a week or two and found it. Charging would be so...inconvenient.

I don't get you?

I'm trying to prove that there's nothing wrong with getting twice the battery size.

Nothing better about it either. But most of the time my screen is off, so I don't get how having a more energy effecient screen would increase audio-playback?

You wouldn't have to have the screen off...

What would you rather have, the ipod touch with a screen set to brightest doesn't last very long, but a ZHD with a screen as bright as the ipod's will last 60 hours.

I don't think there's much of a debate as to which is better.

For a 360 owner, its a great item to have with the Live integration, but for at least the first few months the Touch will be better due to the app store (IMO).


We're talking about screens and battery as a pair here, I'm pretty sure they'll be on par with audio.

Why do I want the screen on in my pocket? The iPod screen is also bigger. Do we an accurate price yet? Last time apple changed their prices to make it lower than the Zun.

Wow, .2" inches bigger. And are you telling me you only use the Touch for audio? When you play games, watch videos, even use the menu it results in longer time to listen to auido with the screen off.

You go on about your quality being sharper, I'll go on about mine being bigger () I mean all I have on it is family guy and criminal minds, I don't need to have award-winning quality enhanced with Dolby digital premium sound...

And when am I going to use my iPod for more than 8 hours in one day?

Well, I just laugh every time I see them try and "take-on" the iPod... - See?

Why have a bigger screen if the clarity is not that great?

I mean its like someone having a 30inch screen that can't do full HD.

Who cares if it's bigger. It's still less innovative. If I have to sacrifice .2" off my screen for something more innovative such as an OLED screen, then that'll have to be a sacrifice I'd have to make.

Your fallacy is where you talk about how you use it. As a matter of fact, nobody cares the slightest about how you use your gadgets, at all. Nobody cares if you dim the backlight, or charge it 24/7 (even if charging it constantly can be a bad thing).

Apple and Microsoft don't cater to your needs, however they cater to the needs of a market in a whole.

The fact of the matter is that Apple is using yesterday's hardware technology, when Microsoft is using tomorrow's technologies.

The Zune is more energy-efficient, and lasts longer.

hopefully it has open application developement. I want to run some code on this.

I think even the first Zune was, but nobody developed for it.

I have the first won and can only do games via the xna thing. I want to be able to do normal applications without some stupid developers program.