Zune Thoughts: Anythingbutipod's Anti-Wish List

Be sure to register in our forums! Share your opinions, help others, and enter our contests.


Laptop Thoughts

Loading feed...

Windows Phone Thoughts

Loading feed...

Digital Home Thoughts

Loading feed...



Friday, January 4, 2008

Anythingbutipod's Anti-Wish List

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Zune Talk" @ 05:00 AM


  • Clock/Alarm: A clock is definitely something I definitely want to see added, because quite often if I have my Zune out on a table listening to music while I'm writing, I want to be able to pick it up and see what time it is. My mobile phone is away in a pocket or my bag. I want the digital device I'm holding in my hand to provide the ultra-basic function of telling me the time. It's simply idiotic that the Zune doesn't have a clock display on it. It could be an option that's turned off by default, and only users that want it would turn it on. I personally don't care about an alarm clock, but there are people who fall asleep with their headphones in, listening to music, and want to wake up to music. That seems kind of bizarre to me, but to each his own: adding a feature like that doesn't seem complex, and wouldn't add to the overall complexity of the device if it was implemented properly.
  • Games: Grahm's objection here is that games are self-indulgent, and only for "bored" people. Uh, isn't that exactly what a digital media device is for? To pass the time, to entertain? Games aren't very high on my list of things that I want the Zune to do, but there's such a great natural synergy between Xbox Live Arcade games and the Zune it's hard to ignore. Would I like to play Catan while listening to some John Mayer on my Zune? Sure! The new Zunepad control allows for all sorts of great gameplay options. I don't own any sort of a portable gaming device, largely because having a device that's all on it's own, needing special games that only it can use, isn't very appealing. The Zune is a device I already own, and if I could play the games I've purchased via Xbox Live Marketplace on my Zune for free, or for a very small fee, I'd love that.
  • Web Browser: The current Zune devices should not have a Web browser; Grahm and I agree on that much. Without a keyboard, or a rich touch interface, it would be an exercise in frustration. But I feel Microsoft absolutely has to deliver a device to challenge the iPod Touch at some point: a Zune that has a wide-screen aspect ratio with a four inch, high-resolution screen, great battery life, and is aimed squarely at the movie-watching crowd. On a device like that, with a touch interface, browsing becomes a wonderful thing. The iPhone and iPod Touch deliver a better browsing experience than any Windows Mobile device, and Microsoft has been working on their mobile Web browser for at least ten years now. That's just sad.
  • Voice Recording: I had voice recording on my Zen Vision:M, and while I admit to not using it very often, the times when I did need it, it was invaluable. Grahm again insults users who'd want this feature, declaring that they must be the only ones who'd listen to their own voice notes. That might be, but if someone uses voice notes regularly, for whatever reason, having to carry a dedicated device for that purpose seems ridiculous. Why can't the Zune do it? The level of complexity here wouldn't be high (just a menu item), and considering even some of the smallest devices do voice recording, the hardware requirements don't seem to be burdensome.
  • FM Recording: I agree with Grahm here (surprise!). I can't really think of any scenarios where I've ever wanted to record FM radio.
  • Memory Expansion Slot: The fact that you can expand a SanDisk player via memory cards is just killer. By giving users the option to expand the memory on their device, the device maker is putting power in the user's hands. I'm always for that. I was very disappointed there was no 16 GB Zune (other than the Zune staff-only Citron), but if I could put my 8 GB microSD card in my Zune 8 and have a 16 GB Zune, that would be great! There's no complexity here, no software needed: just a slot. Microsoft should not be like Apple here: they should put some power in the purchaser's hands to expand their device if they want to, and not pull an Apple where they decide how much memory you should have on your device. Microsoft can, and should, do better than Apple in this area.
  • Bluetooth: I like the idea of Bluetooth on a player, and Bluetooth headphones, but I've yet to see/heard any Bluetooth headphones that are anywhere close enough to replace my Ultimate Ears headphones. Unfortunately I don't think we're going to see much development in Bluetooth headphones until more MP3 players support Bluetooth. So for now, I agree with Grahm on this point.
  • Touch Screen: Similar to the browser comment above, I don't want to see touch interface on a Zune until they release a device to compete with the iPod Touch. Touch on the current Zunes would be useless. But anyone that denies the joy of using touch to flip through photos or coverflow is someone who's far outside of the realm of a regular user. Every single person I've seen pick up the iPhone or iPod Touch and user their fingers to navigate through it has been delighted. Touch, done right, can be fantastic.
So those are my thoughts - what do you think about Grahm's list and my rebuttal points?


Reviews & Articles

Loading feed...

News

Loading feed...

Reviews & Articles

Loading feed...

News

Loading feed...

Reviews & Articles

Loading feed...

News

Loading feed...

Reviews & Articles

Loading feed...

News

Loading feed...

Reviews & Articles

Loading feed...

News

Loading feed...

Sponsored links