CNET Gets Hands-On Time With the Zune HD

"I'll admit right off the bat that I've been a pretty big fan of the Zune ever since I bought my first one back in 2007. I've also had some disappointments, which I haven't been shy about sharing--and last year's half-hearted Zune hardware refresh had me losing faith that Microsoft would be able to steer this one out of the ditch. Well, having just geeked-out with a pair of Zune HDs for about an hour, I am tentatively reaffirming my faith in Microsoft. This thing was worth the wait, folks."

Donald Bell was fortunate enough to get his hands on the Zune HD - one of an increasing number of people able to do so - and he was generally pleased with what he saw. Check out his article for the details, but the highlights are that the Zune HD is using the same Wolfson DSP so the sound quality should be just as good, and the EQ has been brought back. What surprised me, in a pleasant way, was the fact that he was impressed with the Web browser. I was expecting it to be the most suck-tastic part of the Zune HD because IE Mobile on Windows Mobile is such a dog, but Bell says it's as impressive as the browser on the iPhone. There's also a gallery of photos worth checking out.