Microsoft coy on apps for Zune HD
While confirming that the Zune HD now sports an Apps menu, Microsoft is being circumspect on just how extensive the collection of programs it plans to offer for the media player will be.
An eagle-eye user this weekend spotted an Apps menu on some of the devices being demonstrated at Best Buy outlets as part of a preview weekend. Microsoft suggested on Monday that the Apps menu and Zune Marketplace will be home to the types of games found on past Zunes but hedged on whether and when it might offer a broader selection of software.
Microsoft confirms its Zune HD will have an Apps menu, but is being far less clear on just what kinds of Apps it will have.
(Credit: Donald Bell/CNET)"Games came pre-loaded on the current version of the device, but we made a decision to take them out of the firmware update and let people choose what games they want to have for themselves--and it made sense to do this via Marketplace," a representative told CNET News. "As before, games are free; the only difference is that people get to choose. Right now, we don't have anything further to say regarding Apps functionality beyond what we've already shared."
Early versions of the device seen by CNET News had a games menu, but the games were similar to the kinds of free games included in the past.
Microsoft suggested that the Apps menu, for the moment, might just be an outlet for such games. However, the company is clearly leaving the door open for much more.
"We have games on the Zune today and those will carry forward to Zune HD, but that's not where we'll necessarily stop," Microsoft said.
The Zune HD is slated to go on sale September 15, though Best Buy and Microsoft are also taking pre-orders for the product. A 16GB version will sell for $219, while a 32GB version is priced at $289.
During her years at CNET News, Ina Fried has changed beats several times, changed genders once, and covered both of the Pirates of Silicon Valley. These days, most of her attention is focused on Microsoft. E-mail Ina. 
Likely because they don't want to get into that kind of comparison against their main competitor - the iPod Touch. I mean, dozens of thousands of apps versus, err, however many Microsoft managed to build in-house for it? Okay, maybe they contracted out a few as well.
However, the point still stands - they make one peep about the apps they have on hand, and the very next Apple commercial will smother it with a barrage of useful/neat/whatever apps that are available now for the iPod Touch... and the iPhone.
Until/Unless Microsoft can come up with a compelling number of applications (or offers all of them for free and then some), they're toast in that comparison.
Despite most apps on the app store being very useless, and as you put it as "poor quality", at least the app store will have better quality apps than a winmo platform would EVER have. Just remember that.
...which is likely a dozen more than Microsoft has in total for their device right now - that's liable to change, but they've got a deeper hole to crawl out of than they did in 2007. As for the Apple App Store, others will likely find a couple dozen that they like but you didn't, and so on, so forth. 'course, being a somewhat open marketplace of ideas, there's likely to be a few in there that simply suck no matter who sees it, but those will wither and die due to lack of sales, and will get pushed to the bottom of the heap where no one sees them.
--
"Maybe not 100% free but if the programs are high quality I'd pay $20 for a Remote desktop tool"
You and me both... I used to have a remote ssh client (over 802.11a/b of all things) set up on my ancient iPAQ PDA, which in turn was rigged to run Familiar Linux. I loved that damned thing, in spite of the tiny stylus-controlled keyboard.
--
"Have you noticed that Apple hasn't actually been running *any* television ads for several weeks now, and the last time a Mac vs. PC ad ran was months ago?"
Last night, on the Discovery Channel. Look up the one called "Surprise" @ http://www.apple.com/getamac/ads/
The iPhone ads have been chugging along as usual...
@Yelonde
My experience with Apple vs. WinMo apps is that WinMo are more capable. It seems folks have to dumb down programs a bit (wish I had a better word for that) to accomodate the touch interface. That said, if they get it right, the apps are easier to use, and few use all the power of high powered apps. Mostly we need simple tools for simple jobs. Neither is a clear winner here.
Fair point, but the discrepancy wasn't (and certainly isn't now) as stark, and emulators (e.g. Classic Mode, VirtualPC, etc) solved most of the rest of that problem.
With computers, there are and were almost always solutions (even the old 68k series had the ability to plug in a PC emulation card...) On mobile platforms, I don't foresee a virtualization layer getting much play on a handset's tiny ARM processor.
You are right in that a lot can be ported... OTOH, Microsoft is coming out with 6.5 and 7; the two will have different requirements and likely different featuresets - which one do you code for (and keep in mind that porting is more than just a recompile here and a couple of lines changed there. I have yet to see an SDK and environment together that made anything that simple, and yes I'm including OSX' Carbon in that statement).
The types of games on these two devices are going to be completely different in my opinion.
Quake 1,2,3
Age of Empires 2 (3 sucks)
Halo or a light edition of it.
Of course native support for exchange server and other mail server types.
Should support AWSOME SKINS make your phone act like windows 3.1 or 95,98,xp,vista or 7
even though it is some other underlying OS.
It should support HDMI and ability to sit in a cradle base for HDMI
Fast frame rate for recording video and full access to the units hard drive to be used as a slave drive if needed.
Also a rugged version should also be sold if they know it will be dropped alot.
Ear peice hookups should not be proprietary.
Ability to support with adapter 32gig flash drives(for gamers/reporters on the go)
....The Zune HD would be better suited if one could play Uno with xbox live friends....or 1 vs 100 during one of the evening trips on the bus (or in my case, during night classes on mondays...)
If Microsoft wants me to purchase another zune device, they better integrate that way!
You'd have an easier time finding a cute 22-year-old virgin babe in Los Angeles who's willing to sleep with you...
Even though a lot of the games from the XBox Live Arcade probably woudn't work on a Zune HD, seems like some of them would (with minor tweeks to the controls). It would definitely add value to XBox customers if they could simply copy the game they already purchased on XBox to their Zune HD. Even better if they could sign in to Live and play an on line game while on the bus or train or anywhere with wireless internet access, but that seems a bit far fetched at this point. I agree that it would be a great feature though.
I know, but any answer to that isn't nearly as funny. :p
On a more serious note, you bring up something interesting: Aside from the simpler games (e.g. Uno), the graphics discrepancy would hamper gameplay a lot (you playing, say, Halo, on a Zune with primitive embedded controls eating into an already tiny screen, versus some teenager hopped-up on Red Bull and playing an xbox 360 w/ a custom controller and daddy's 52" 1080p monitor... doesn't take much math to figure out who's gonna win that contest :) )
And if they open this up to the XNA developers creating the "Community Games" on the XBox then MS could end up with a lot of apps for the Zune. Granted most of the Community Games are not really worth playing, but I'm sure the same thing can be said about a ton of the iPhone apps as well.
Personally, I'm looking forward to getting a Zune HD apps or not.
Open your wallets and prepare to hand over your credit card details.
No pushing in front of the queue please.
The first 5000 people to buy an ap will get a free 1 year antivirus subscription.
Nothing like paying a lot of cash to rent some Apple equipment. I'd rather pay and own the thing.
Don't hold your breath on that. MS in spite of having WinMo apps that aren't vetted by an app store is going to be looking with envy at the Apple App store.
Buy our product to rebel against Apple.
BTW, Open Source and Microsoft don't fit together.
Open Source is cancer to Microsoft. They are absolutely scared of it.
BTW, Open Source and Microsoft don't fit together.
Open Source is cancer to Microsoft. They are absolutely scared of it."
I'm not certain what "our product" is. As for open source running on MS environments: There are plenty of open source app's for various forms of Windows. This is basically the same concept. Apple's freakish control of its ecosystem is both its strength (because there are fewer compatibility problems) and its Achilles' Heel (because it subdues creativity). MS should take advantage of the weakness.
--mark d.
Love,
A Devoted Zune Fan
Seriously people, remember why microsoft even created the zune HD. If it weren't for the touch, the HD wouldn't exist. Remember why microsoft is trying to add an app store, because the touch has an app store. Always being a step behind is never going to cut it.
First, the computer software for it is WAY better than itunes. It doesn't look like some 1990's crappy grey box like all apple's software does.
Zune has a completely different interface, allowing for horizontal scrolling as well as vertical via the zune touch pad, which also is nothing like apple's quickwheel.
Has FM radio, FM tagging, wireless syncing, mixview, wireless sharing between zunes, subscription music (unlimited music plus 10 free mp3's for $15)
and thats just to name a view.
Before I respond to this, let me state that I am an iphone owner, so I don't want anyone claiming I am biased either way.
Apple neither made the first MP3 player, the first touch screen personal device, or even the first touch screen MP3 player for all that matters. There have been several models overseas that did these first. You cannot claim one item by one manufacturer is a CopyCat just because they are making the same type item. If this were the case, all cars companies would be copycats and we shouldn't buy from them, we should all be buying the first car ever made, produced in 1769 by Nicholas Joseph Cugnot and topped out at 2 mph, because after all.. everyone else is just copying his idea. Also, that TV your watching.. chuck it, because its a copycat, yes thats right.. the company that made YOUR TV is copying someone else's idea! The iphone was innovative in its design and implementation of concepts, but its didn't pioneer any of the concepts its using.. including an app store, these have been around on many devices for years and years, just never the scale of apples.
If you want to say how great the iphone/touch is, then applaud it for its mass appeal and the grand scale of its customer base, but don't boldly state that no other devices like it would exist without it because this does nothing but make us all a little dumber for having read your post.
Marcus Brigstocke - "To the people who've got iPhones: you just bought one, you didn't invent it!"
How is the zune known for copying? Have you ever even played around with one?
First, the computer software for it is WAY better than itunes. It doesn't look like some 1990's crappy grey box like all apple's software does.
Ha ha. Owned. He didn't mention an iPod you did. You contradict your own argument.
look again buddy, i said the exact opposite. I think you're trying to refer to Yelonde
@monkii_
look again buddy, i said the exact opposite. I think you're trying to refer to Yelonde
My apologies man ;]
I copied the wrong name.. sorry lol
According to the poster above you (ywkhgqo), if Apple releases an HD version of the Iphone/Touch.. you shouldn't buy it because they are just copying MS and they didn't innovate it!"
Whatever your trying to say doesnt make sence. But then again why even bother.............. :/
Go ahead flame away.
For those of us with kids and deal with grandparents all the time, its also nice to be able to view your home videos in HD on other family members TV's when they want to see videos of the grandkids... it really is a very nice and useful feature.
So the big draw to having an HD output on the ZuneHD I think is being able to use it at other peoples homes on their HDTV's.
What he is referring to is that Apple should focus on making quality Apps (made by Apple) and not just let users make all the apps that are mostly, junk. Seriously, when I had an iPod touch, I only had about 15 apps on my computer. Why? Because they were really mostly only the ones that worked for me. "Over 1,000 apps, half that are useless" I would hope Zune focuses on making quality apps, not a lot of apps that are useless. Zune HD ftw. That's what I have to say.
- by stockyjoe August 25, 2009 9:09 PM PDT
- zune based phone, zune base phone...
- Like this Reply to this comment
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- by o2bpitching August 26, 2009 8:28 AM PDT
- zune based phone.... would be a disaster
- Like this
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