Handheld Now » Zune HD

Why the Microsoft KIN is actually worth considering

Kyle — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0000

A few weeks ago (April 12) Microsoft announced the KIN and it has received much dissension on the internet on tech blogs on user forums. Honestly though what were they expecting? For a long time we have been hearing rumors about Project Pink (Codename for KIN) and they were extremely accurate: a social networking phone targeted at youth.

The KIN is not a useless paperweight, as others would have you believe, but a relatively powerful feature phone. Engadget posted an article confirming that KIN is extremely similar to Zune HD specs wise. The processer is underclocked to 600MHz, which sounds like dial-up compared to the abundance of 1GHz smartphones launching. The iPhone 3GS runs a 600MHz processor as well, so I do not think that anybody will experience speed issues on the KIN.

Microsoft worked very hard to give KIN a good battery life. Their goal was to have it last a weekend on one charge with average use. They claim to have accomplished this. I find this very hard to believe, but I hope that it is true.

MicroSD support is nonexistent. GOOD! I hate removable memory. I do not see the point of it. The argument is that you can upgrade your MicroSD card for more space. Unless the company packages a card with the device, it is just another fee. In addition, removable storage is slower than internal flash storage. Microsoft also wants to keep a lot of your content on the web rendering local storage obsolete.

Have you ever heard of Zune? Well you probably had not before the launch of the Zune HD. KIN has the exact same user experience as the Zune HD for music and videos. Microsoft also shows the KIN as one of the Zune products on the Zune website.

What I love about modern day is the fact that people always have a camera in their pocket. If you do not then your phone is probably five years old… Anyway, the KIN boasts an impressive 5 and 8 MP camera, on the KIN One and KIN Two respectively. Now MPs are not everything, but 8MP means that the KIN Two shoots HD video that can be uploaded to their friends in minutes.

The naysayers’ most logical argument though is very simple… why? Why launch another phone/OS just after announcing the revamped Windows Phone 7? Why not just have KIN be a subset of Windows Phone 7 instead of a different user experience? Why fragment your users before the devices even launch? I do not have answers to any of these questions. Microsoft addressed these questions partly by claiming that they are working on integrating Windows Phone 7 services into the KIN.

There is so much more to be said about these devices, but I think that this is enough for now.

KIN is a bold move by Microsoft. Do you think that it will be a hit or a miss?

What Puts The HD In Zune HD?

Kyle — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 00:05:21 +0000

Sometimes companies just throw HD on the end of names to make it appear better than it is. This Zune’s name might be slightly misleading. The name seems to imply that the screen displays HD quality images and video but this is not true. The screen resolution on the Zune HD is only 480×272 pixels (iPod Touch is 480×320).

Well if the screen isn’t HD then what is? Well there are two things that merit the high definition attached to it’s name, HD Video Out and HD radio. If you buy the Zune HD AV Dock then you can hook it up to your HDTV and enjoy HD quality videos and movies in 720p. The HD radio however requires no further accessories. It is merely a free, high quality radio that plays all the stations you are used to and a few others in cd quality sound with no static or hissing.

To learn more about HD Radio visit HDRadio.com.

Zune HD’s Onscreen Keyboard And Web Browser

Kyle — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 19:25:57 +0000

Who would have guessed that Microsoft could make a good web browser? Well apparently they did according to people who got their hands on it early like CNET. It is said to be as good as Apple’s Mobile Safari. This is quite a compliment because Mobile Safari is one of the best mobile web browsers out there. One thing possibly worth mentioning is the default search provider is Bing. No word on if its possible to change it, but truly it will be nearly identical results to the other major search engines.

I have mixed feelings about the keyboard though. As you can see on the picture below, the portrait keyboard has a bubble effect when your finger is on a key. Personally I am not into that. Also the keys are not positioned like they are on a keyboard, but instead the rows are all aligned. This might not be a big deal for some, but it is something to keep in mind. There is a .com key which is a time saver when typing in urls, as well as a period and a backslash key.

Overall the keyboard is acceptable and the web browser looks superb. Definitely check this out when looking for your new mp3 player with up to 32 GB of storage.

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New Zune HD Video On The Web

Kyle — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 20:08:05 +0000

New peak at the Zune HD’s interface. The OLED screen looks very impressive and extremely responsive. Microsoft might just have a chance in the MP3 market now. Looks like we will see what the new iPod Touches will be like later this year. Continue for the video.

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Zune HD confirmed to have Tegra Processor

Jordan — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 23:21:25 +0000

In the official Zune Insider podcast, the speaker, Matt Akers, confirms the use of a Tegra processor. “So sick, so much better battery life, graphics acceleration. This thing is like a mini laptop in your hand, right, it’s so awesome.” I’m am excited by this news, and I can’t wait to get this in the fall.

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