I think this is just splitting hairs over whether calling something HD means it has to be able to play back HD content, or display HD content. Blu-ray players don't have screens, but they can play back HD content. You wouldn't dispute that they're HD players though, right?
We are splitting hairs.
Go out on the street and ask 1000 people what "HD" means in terms of a media player and if they say that it means you can connect it to a television to play HD content through an optional dock, but not on the screen of the device itself, I'll stand corrected.
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I've never heard HD Radio in my life, but from a bit rate perspective, the difference between an MP3 at 32kbps and an MP3 at 64kbps is massive. So the difference between FM radio at 25kbps and HD Radio at 60kbps is likely to be just as huge.
***long quote trimmed by mod JD***
FM Radio is in the range of 25-50k, not 25k, so there are FM stations that are in the 'hood of 50 (think something like z100 in NYC that puts out 50,000 watts and reaches as far as Philly).
I don't think it's a useless feature to have HD radio, mind you, just one that isn't really a meaningful addition. I know they're trying real hard to sell it as "better" than regular radio, and they like having another "HD" to tack on the name, but for 90% of users, FM Radio is more than adequate.
I've always hated the way they called it HD radio anyway. It has nothing to do with "high definition;" it's just a marketing thing like the afforementioned "Radio Flyer" whose name was chosen to make their 1930's era red wagon sound more modern.
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Well, yeah, but this is all about you not thinking the name is accurate, right? So we're really arguing about marketing, which is always a little...squishy. I laughed when I saw Epson start calling their printers "HD"...it's a silly moniker on a printer since they surpassed HD resolutions years ago. Accuracy and product names don't always go together, but I think the Zune HD name makes sense.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vincent Ferrari
Go out on the street and ask 1000 people what "HD" means in terms of a media player and if they say that it means you can connect it to a television to play HD content through an optional dock, but not on the screen of the device itself, I'll stand corrected.
Actually, I bet most people would say "Being able to view HD content on the device". The Zune will play back HD content right there on the 3.3 inch screen. Most people don't understand resolution, so I think your argument would be lost on them. Lots of people watch SD content on their HD TV's and think they're watching HD.
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Oh, heck. You just brought up the one BIG advantage of the Touch that I'd forgotten - the App Store. That's a killer advantage and one that Apple markets like mad.
I'm a big fan of the App Store - in fact I think it's the best thing about the iPod Touch that I have - but on a music/video/picture device, I don't think it's as important. I guess it really depends on what the person is looking for - a gaming/Web browsing/Exchange Syncing PDA, or a device that's all about media consumption, music discovery, etc.
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Oh, heck. You just brought up the one BIG advantage of the Touch that I'd forgotten - the App Store. That's a killer advantage and one that Apple markets like mad.
Sure they market it like crazy, but I really don't think it's actually that useful. Almost every report on usage shows that people don't open an app again after the first couple days--my own use with my iPhone mirrors that. I'd rather have a strong media player with the Extras tucked away, and have only a slightly built-up framework for apps on the device*. Games are another matter: they need to be pushed and brought to their full potential.
*Note that the .Net Compact Framework already runs (in a fashion) in Zune 3.0; it's needed for XNA. If they bring full (or close to full) XNA support to Zune HD I think it could completely kill the iTouch/iPhone, which really isn't that great of a gaming platorm anyway.
Sure they market it like crazy, but I really don't think it's actually that useful. Almost every report on usage shows that people don't open an app again after the first couple days--my own use with my iPhone mirrors that. I'd rather have a strong media player with the Extras tucked away, and have only a slightly built-up framework for apps on the device*. Games are another matter: they need to be pushed and brought to their full potential.
*Note that the .Net Compact Framework already runs (in a fashion) in Zune 3.0; it's needed for XNA. If they bring full (or close to full) XNA support to Zune HD I think it could completely kill the iTouch/iPhone, which really isn't that great of a gaming platorm anyway.
Depends on what you're looking for. Quite frankly, I think most of what's in the App Store is crap or just eye candy, and that's what folks download once then forget. But a lot of the serious players from the WM world have ported stuff to the App Store and that's the stuff I find of great values (Olive Tree, NetNewWire, soon Laridian's Pocket Bible, Pocket Informant, soon PhatNotes, that kind of stuff). I'm not a gamer so that isn't at all important to me.
I am using my Touch as a PDA almost exclusively. Having two other iPods, I don't need it for music and I do like that I have that option with the Touch. And with judicious and sensible use (and finding the gems among the crud), I think the App Store really is a big selling point.
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I'm a big fan of the App Store - in fact I think it's the best thing about the iPod Touch that I have - but on a music/video/picture device, I don't think it's as important. I guess it really depends on what the person is looking for - a gaming/Web browsing/Exchange Syncing PDA, or a device that's all about media consumption, music discovery, etc.
In which case it's probably 6 of one, half a dozen of the other if you're looking for a media device. Mac users obviously are bound to the iPod or some other device that can sync with iTunes, but Windows users would do well with either I believe.
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I am using my Touch as a PDA almost exclusively. Having two other iPods, I don't need it for music and I do like that I have that option with the Touch.
The Zune team hasn't focused on making the Zune HD a PDA, and I think because of that, it's just not a good fit for people who use the iPod Touch like a PDA. And that's a bit unfortunate in that I think everyone was hoping the Zune HD would be a compeditor to the iPod Touch in every way...but, frankly, the Zune team doesn't seem to have the resources that Apple does and they can't seem to develop the device software as quickly. I mean, look, they introduced games on the Zune well over a year ago, yet today there's still no games store. That's pretty sad when you think about it, and it's something I'm dissappointed with.
I think the Zune HD has potential to be a GREAT entertainment device, but it's not going to be able to compete with the iPod Touch as a PDA until it has a rich app store, and a bunch of new on-device software (contacts, email, etc.)...and who knows when that will be?
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