Video and Pictures from Best Buy Zune HD Event

[Adam Krebs]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.zunespring.com/index.php?fn_mode=send&fn_id=276&zs=home' target='_blank'>http://www.zunespring.com/index.php..._id=276&zs=home</a><br /><br /></div><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/zt/auto/1251140609.usr495.jpg" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" width="500" /></p><p>One thing I wish I brought with me on my journey to <a href="http://www.zunethoughts.com/news/show/94894/impressions-from-best-buy-zune-hd-hands-on.html" target="_blank">Best Buy on Saturday</a> was a video or picture camera to document the device in action, and to show off the contents of the Zune HD box. Luckily, John Aarington from ZuneSpring.com remembered his, and helpfully uploaded several pictures and two videos of his experience. He must be Boston-based, because the presenter is the same as the one I saw. Check out the read link for bonus shots of the Zune HD box, a fold-out poster, and two videos of the device and TV functions.</p>

[Phillip Dyson]

First, the news, Zune HD will have the same hard glass screen as the Zune 120. It will come with a few games, as well as a large selection of games and apps available on marketplace at launch with many more to follow.


Really? Can this be verified?

[Alber1690]

Really? Can this be verified?

I have also been very happily observing the same claims by other Best Buy Zune HD preview participants; I believe one even caught video of the Apps link under the Marketplace menu and the rep saying that an apps SDK was going to be available soon. :)

[doogald]

One question: why in the heck did they set the text size of the menu so that the word "marketplace" is cut off (not to mention the menu choice "more", though that doesn't seem as critical to me)? They couldn't size it down a few pixels so that it would fit?

Also, as cool as this device looks and sounds, with no Mac support, I cannot buy it, sad to say.

[Jason Dunn]

One question: why in the heck did they set the text size of the menu so that the word "marketplace" is cut off

This issue has been brought up for months, since the very first screen shot surfaced, and they didn't fix it, so my assumption is they expect everyone to just get over it. Ideally, yes, it would have been nice for them to fit it on the screen, but every other font would have to get smaller as well, and the resulting trade-offs in having smaller finger targets might not have been worth it. Ultimately, I don't think it's a big deal. :)

Also, as cool as this device looks and sounds, with no Mac support, I cannot buy it, sad to say.

This is probably worthy of a front-page post to see if Mac users would really buy a Zune - I often think a large percentage of the Mac owners who complain about the lack of a Mac client aren't really willing to switch from the iPod, they're just complaining about the lack of OS X support. This is all speculation on my part though. :D

[Ricardo Dawkins]

One question: why in the heck did they set the text size of the menu so that the word "marketplace" is cut off (not to mention the menu choice "more", though that doesn't seem as critical to me)? They couldn't size it down a few pixels so that it would fit?

Also, as cool as this device looks and sounds, with no Mac support, I cannot buy it, sad to say.
Change your language to Spanish and it will read "bazar" ;)

[doogald]

This issue has been brought up for months, since the very first screen shot surfaced, and they didn't fix it, so my assumption is they expect everyone to just get over it. Ideally, yes, it would have been nice for them to fit it on the screen, but every other font would have to get smaller as well, and the resulting trade-offs in having smaller finger targets might not have been worth it. Ultimately, I don't think it's a big deal. :)

Or perhaps they could have used the word "store" or "shop"? :shrug:



This is probably worthy of a front-page post to see if Mac users would really buy a Zune - I often think a large percentage of the Mac owners who complain about the lack of a Mac client aren't really willing to switch from the iPod, they're just complaining about the lack of OS X support. This is all speculation on my part though. :D

Up until last year, I would have gladly bought a Zune for a bit less, but then I started using Nike+, so that's out for me. But my kids, who both use Macs, might have chosen one. One of my son's friends has one.

[Jason Dunn]

Or perhaps they could have used the word "store" or "shop"? :shrug:

But the Zune store is called "Zune Marketplace". It would be like iTunes going by a different name...people in the Microsoft world are used to the Xbox Marketplace, Zune Marketplace, etc. I don't think they'd want to start using a new word for it.

[doogald]

But the Zune store is called "Zune Marketplace". It would be like iTunes going by a different name...people in the Microsoft world are used to the Xbox Marketplace, Zune Marketplace, etc. I don't think they'd want to start using a new word for it.

I realize that this is such a minor matter, but surely Microsoft has such a long record of changing their mind about naming conventions* that I think, with a device that has such small market penetration anyway, that they could easily rename it and people would get used to the change. Or just reduce the typeface a few pixels.


* - Windows Media DRM, Plays For Sure.
MSN Search, Live Search, Bing.
Windows has switched from version numbers to years to brand names and back to version numbers, while Office was version numbers to years to the branded XP and now back to years again.
Handheld and Palm Sized PC, Pocket PC, Windows Mobile
I'm sure that if you pressed me I may think of even more examples.

[Jason Dunn]

...that they could easily rename it and people would get used to the change. Or just reduce the typeface a few pixels.

Call me crazy, but why would they go through all that work/effort of re-branding their store just to please a handful of people who are somehow deeply troubled by such an insignificant thing? Honestly, why is this even an issue worth post after post? :confused:

[David Tucker]

Its the new unicode support complaint! :D

I do understand his point though. While I don't think its necessarily a big deal per se, it is just sloppy. There had to be SOME way to do this reasonably. I think they could have shortened it to Market and that wouldn't have caused any confusion.

[doogald]

Think how much better Windows95 would have been with a "Star" and half a "t" button!

I'm guessing this is some sort of attempt to be cool by being anti-cool or something - like wearing a pocket protector, nerdy glasses, or something. Whatever.

[David Tucker]

I highly doubt this is an attempt to be cool. I think someone decided what size the font was going to be, what size the circle was going to be and this was as small as they were willing to go.

[naruto_fan]

Hey, I noteced @ 1:16 there was a dock + zune hd box am I the only one that noticed/ is excited that it's in his video ?

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yLoKnI1pTY&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.zunespring.com%2Findex.php%3Ffn_mode%3Dfullnews%26fn_id%3D276%26zs%3Dhome&feature=player_embedded)