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All posts tagged "cnet"


Wednesday, August 5, 2009

CNET Gets Hands-On Time With the Zune HD

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Zune Articles & Resources" @ 02:45 PM

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-12519_...0303243-49.html

"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.


Monday, December 3, 2007

Zune Marketplace: Podcast of the Week

Posted by Rocco Augusto in "Zune Talk" @ 07:39 PM

http://social.zune.net/my/ContentRedirect.ashx?mtype=Podcast&mid=7863ccbe-4094-4e56-9606-bf0499ded8a1

Buzz Out Loud is CNET's podcast of indeterminate length featuring the hosts Tom Merritt, Molly Wodd, and Jason Howell. This podcast is right up there on my lists of most listen to podcasts and luckily, I can listen to it five days a week. One of the reasons why I like Buzz Out Loud is be how easy going the hosts are and how pleasant and southing their voices are. It is like listening to a radio show without the god awful top twenty dribble that is played between the talking. If you have never listened to Buzz Out Loud, I command you to add it to your podcast subscription list immediately! If you don't add it, I'll be forced to use my sad face and then everyone will be mad at you because you made me sad.



To subscribe to the above mentioned Podcasts, please visit the following link:


Friday, February 9, 2007

CNet Reviews DLO Zune Cases

Posted by Aaron Roma in "Zune Accessories" @ 07:00 AM

http://reviews.cnet.com/DLO_Leather_Case_for_Zune/4505-6510_7-32327978.html?tag=sub

"Slim, snug, and sumptuous, the DLO Leather case ($34.99) keeps your Zune riding in style. It's a belt-clip case with a play-through design, a screen protector, and a magnetic front flap. The latter sports a small pocket that can hold a few bills or business cards. However, you can't open or close the flap while the headphones are plugged in--an annoying design issue. Plus, the Leather can't turn into a kickstand, so it's less practical than it is stylish."

CNet reviews three Zune cases by DLO: Leather Case (Pictured), Action Jacket, and Jam Jacket.

Tags: case, review, cnet, dlo

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Are You Ready To Rumble?

Posted by Aaron Roma in "Zune Talk" @ 08:33 AM

http://www.cnettv.com/9710-1_53-24992.html?tag=nl.e404

CNET TV pits Zune head to head against iPod in this heavyweight championship prizefight. You can see it here: Part1 and Part2. And the winner is? iPod, by a slim margin. No surprises there, it is a close fight. These videos do a nice job of comparing the two devices and each unit's strengths and weaknesses.

Tags: ipod, review, cnet

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

C|NET Editor Goes Looking for Zunes, Doesn't Find Any

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Zune Talk" @ 12:00 PM

http://news.com.com/Desperately+seeking+Zune/2100-1041_3-6142291.html

"Welcome to the social. That's the promise Microsoft makes with its new Zune. Unlike the solitary iPods, the digital music player lets you make new friends and discover new music. Using its built-in Wi-Fi, it can send a song to another Zune, and that song can be played up to three times before the recipient has to either buy it or lose it. Well, it had been two weeks since the Zune had hit stores, and I was ready to sample a stranger's tunes. Equipped with a demonstration unit--courtesy of the folks in Redmond--I set out to try to find some fellow Zunes and their playlists."

Look, I can appreciate (but not understand) the media's need to bash Microsoft and their products, but this is just getting ridiculous. The Zune was launched a little under 30 days ago, and it's not selling like hotcakes, so there are a limited number of Zunes out in the wild. It also has a wireless range of around 40 feet or so (I haven't tested this yet), so even if someone on my street had a Zune, if they were more than one house away from me I couldn't detect it. Most Zune users also understand that until there are more Zunes around, keeping the WiFi turned on is a battery drain - so they turn it off (like I did). Those three factors put together mean this article is about as valid as me writing an article about how I couldn't find any rattlesnakes in my backyard...which is now covered in snow. It's just basic math, and while it's worth pointing out that the value of the network is directly proportional to the number of nodes it contains, to write an article article like this is disingenuous at best and insulting at worse. No one, including the author, honestly expected to find Zunes to connect with a few weeks after launch - the entire article was an exercise in mockery and is a farce.

This is the email I sent to Ina Fried:

"Hi there - I have an idea for your next article: rattlesnakes. You can walk around, looking for rattlesnakes, and write an article about how you didn't find any. Should be gripping reading, no?"

I'm not expecting a response.


Saturday, November 4, 2006

CNET's First Look at the Zune

Posted by Darius Wey in "Zune Talk" @ 05:18 AM

http://reviews.cnet.com/Microsoft_Zune_30GB_white/4505-6490_7-32102769.html

"Overall, the Zune is a well-designed portable media device with good playback performance, a snappy processor, and an excellent interface. Wi-Fi sharing worked well, but prospective owners should know that its format support, especially for videos, is limited. The Zune looks like a good fit for MP3 player novices."



CNET's James Kim got some hands-on time with the Zune and whipped up a short video preview and a reasonably-sized article. Unlike Engadget's video which has a greater emphasis on the software layer of the Zune device, CNET's video pokes around some of the hardware components, so do check it out. The article covers a lot of points, though one worth highlighting is the issue of file support. By now, you're probably aware that the Zune is not PlaysForSure-compatible, so all of your existing DRM'ed WMA tracks won't work. Native WAV and WMA Lossless are apparently out the door as well, so that leaves you with MP3, unprotected AAC, and Zune's WMA (tracks you'll end up pulling from the Marketplace). Video support is weaker, with the Zune supporting WMV only. There's no love for DivX or XviD. MPEG-4 and H.264 aren't supported natively, though the Zune software on the PC will convert these to WMV. On the topic of video, you can't share them wirelessly, unlike music and pictures, which is understandable considering movie-length videos would take an eternity to send over Wi-Fi (either the battery or user's patience would suffer a miserable death). Pictures are limited to JPEG, and unfortunately, the Zune software won't convert other picture formats to JPEG, so this is something you'll have to perform manually (boo!). Otherwise, the Zune appears to be a smashing device. I certainly hope that Microsoft will solve some of these file support issues with an upcoming firmware update. The Xbox 360 team have done an excellent job at adding new features, so fingers-crossed, the Zune team will follow in their footsteps.


Thursday, November 2, 2006

C|NET Looks At The Zune

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Zune Talk" @ 04:15 PM

http://reviews.cnet.com/Microsoft_Zune_30GB_black/4505-6490_7-32068976.html

"Earlier this year, the idea of a Microsoft-branded MP3 player was foreign to most consumers. After all, what could the software giant do to the iPod dynasty that Windows Media hardware partners such as Creative, iRiver, and Samsung had been unable to do? Well, we all knew that after Microsoft's September 14 announcement, the Zune would be a different kind of portable media player, one that integrates wireless technology for Zune-to-Zune sharing of files, and one that works within a closed Zune Marketplace ecosystem. The 30GB device, which comes in black, white, or the love-it/hate-it brown, will enter the real world on November 14. I was lucky enough to test-drive the device today, and here are my first impressions."



James Kim from C|NET had the opportunity to take the Zune for a spin, and while it's a "first look" type report that doesn't have any hard details on battery life tests, etc., it does have a great overview of what the device is and does. You go read it while I mutter to myself about not having a Zune to review. ;-)

Tags: review, cnet

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