[tstarn06]

The current Zune software 3.1 allows Zunes to play AAC files, as long as they have no DRM.

 

[The Eleutherian]

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[Real Man of Genius]

I know flash is the shape of the future but I wish they would have waited for flash to evolve a bit longer and close the gap before ditching hard drive players. Some of us like big storage.

 

[tstarn06]

X2. For now, keeping my Zune80 and using the Clip+, Fuze and Amp3 with micro SDHC cards. Not buying the 32GB flash models, because they are really way too little storage for the price. If you want Web browsing, fine. But if not, why pay for it?

 

[puhn]

The new iPod Touch just drives demands for the Zune HD

And I heard that it's "Far better sound quality than the current hard drive-based Zune"

 

[azncookiecutter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by puhn /img/forum/go_quote.gif The new iPod Touch just drives demands for the Zune HD And I heard that it's "Far better sound quality than the current hard drive-based Zune"

I do agree, it does make Zune HD quite appealing right now. Only negatives on the Zune HD right now might be the lack of apps (which, I presume, will come fast enough) and the lack of a 64 GB version.

 

[penartur]

And lack of HDD-based model.
Even 64GB is not enough! MS, do you hear us?

 

[The Eleutherian]

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[Scott_Tarlow]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Eleutherian /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hard drives and capacitive touch screens are not compatible. That's just physics.

Well actually they are, but the hard drive cannot react fast enough for the touch screen. It would be like running internet on 56k. I don't see why a hard drive player couldnt have ram to keep the touch screen going.

 

[brotherlen]

Sorry for the not knowing Zune supported AAC w/o DRM. I still stand by the rest of what I said, AAC isn't enough to sway a lot of people over. I'm thinking the new iPod updates were almost so lacking, it has left a space for other manufactures to start somewhere. It's not a big foothole, because it wasn't a big mistake on Apple's part, but now the iPods are just getting gimmicky. Time for a serious player for serious jams. Touch screen is nice, not needed though. Maybe a good 32/64 with expandable media? Some of the USB thumbdrives (expensive) have broken 128GB/256GB barrier.

 

[swanlee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Eleutherian /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hard drives and capacitive touch screens are not compatible. That's just physics.

Then why not a 64GB model? Or even a 64GB model with an SDHC slot? And what is the deal with several other models of PMP that have touch screens and hard drives? Archos has an entire line of device that have touch screen and has up to a 320GB model.

 

[puhn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott_Tarlow /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well actually they are, but the hard drive cannot react fast enough for the touch screen. It would be like running internet on 56k. I don't see why a hard drive player couldnt have ram to keep the touch screen going.

Capacitive screen won't work "well" above spinning magnetic disc, hard drive do create lots of electro-statics interference

 

[penartur]

Quote:

Capacitive screen won't work "well" above spinning magnetic disc

Try to put your itouch on a turned on portable hdd and check how will the screen react. I doubt if there would be any difference.
Quote:

And what is the deal with several other models of PMP that have touch screens and hard drives? Archos has an entire line of device that have touch screen and has up to a 320GB model.

Unfortunately, we can't beat him with such an examples. Archoses have touchscreens made by another technology; capacitive touchscreen evolved relatively recently, when there was nearly no hdd players and pdas. I doubt if there were any capacitive touchscreens on a large-scale devices, and the only small devices with an hdd for a last years were hdd zunes and ipod classic, both without a touchscreen.
That could be because of such an interference, but i think that the cause is just that market believes that flash memory is cool and hdd sucks.

 

[The Eleutherian]

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[nirvanaxp]

After seeing what apple did with the ipod touch yesterday (not much), I am even happier to get the zune hd. Even though people complain that flash is more expensive than hdd still, it will be the highest capacity mp3 player i've aver had (by 2 gb!). A 64 gb model is sure to come in the next few months though.

I want a music player! Not a "gaming machine."