Here’s the thing: you have to ship the system to company to have the firmware installed. But if you bought the ZK500 after the Zune HD was released, you’re good. The company will pay the necessary shipping cost to have the update completed.

However if you bought it before, you’re going to have to pay $40 to have the firmware installed. Ridiculous? Yeah, it kind of is.

Either way though, the system will not output high-def from the Zune HD because of the older dock connector used. But I guess if you spent the cash on the new Zune HD, you may as well spend another $40 to make your older speaker dock compatible.

As of next Tuesday, November 17, you’ll be able to access Twitter and Facebook on your Xbox 360. The software update is free, like previous updates, and also includes Last.fm and Zune video compatibility. “What are you doing?” “Losing to 12-year-olds in Modern Warfare 2 over and over again! Not fun.”

The idea, I guess, is that you’ll be able let your friends know just how much fun you’re having while playing the latest game, or streaming the latest Netflix release, without having to go through the trouble of whipping out your phone or walking over to your computer. I see it as a convenience and nothing more. It may also mean that there’s nothing you can to do stop Twitter’s worldwide dominance.

This is what the Twitter interface looks like in motion:

Note that the Xbox 360 isn’t the only video game console whence you can tweet or alter your Facebook status. The PS3 and Wii come with a built-in Web browser, and a stand-alone Facebook interface for the PS3 was leaked just yesterday.

And while the Twitter and Facebook support will get the most attention, I think it’s the Zune HD support that’s most interesting. Say what you will about the Zune HD—Devin liked it, and I went out and bought it I was so impressed—but the idea of an instant-on, HD, 5.1 surround system movie service certainly intrigues me. Of course, its success now depends on what type of movies are released for it.

Somehow I missed the skating game, but I already shot and rendered my video before even seeing it, so if you’re waiting on that one, best look elsewhere. But I checked out Audiosurf Tilt, Project Gotham Racing, Checkers, Lucky Lanes Bowling, and Goo Splat. I skipped Chess, Sudoku, and for some reason Space Battle 2, which sounds right up my alley.

The games are all free, and they all display an ad beforehand. That’s a bit ugly, but we knew it was coming, and I have to stick to my guns — the ad-supported world is coming and we’d better get used to it.

Own a Zune HD like Devin and I, the two hippest cats here at CrunchGear? Best to connect it to your PC right now so you can upgrade its firmware to version 4.3. Go, now!

Straight from the Zune message board:

Zune HD firmware update: Today we released the v4.3 firmware update for Zune HD players; this update adds support for upcoming 3d games and applications, as well as an auto-suggest feature for better text input, and other minor improvements. Enjoy!

Let it be known that I have installed zero applications on my Zune HD. I didn’t even know applications existed for the thing until a colleague over at Laptop Magazine pointed it out to me at a meeting several weeks ago. Simple apps, like Weather and whatnot.

I think a hands-on would be appropriate when Microsoft launches, I don’t know, a Twitter or Facebook app, if it ever does.

Flickr

You probably know by now that at least some of us here at pretty high on the Zune HD—look at the lengths I went to get it up and running!—but I recognize that not every Mac owner is going to jump through hoops just to be able to use the device. But maybe, just maybe, Microsoft is finally ready to do what so many people have asked it to do: make a Mac version of the Zune software, thereby enabling all the Mac owners out there to use the portable media player a little more easily.

The deal is that Microsoft is “evaluating a lot of options in terms of platforms.” So it told ZDNet at some sort of open house it hosted yesterday. (I was gonna go, but I stayed home and watched Dream 11. I’m not joking.) In plain English that means, yeah, Microsoft is looking to make it so that you can the Zune HD without having to be tethered to Windows.

And if that happens, you can kiss the iPod’s hegemony over.

What’s the top of the line iPod these days, the iPod touch? Yeah, it’s a neat device, I guess, but I think it’s safe to say that most people gravitate that-a-way because of all those damn Apps. That is to say, people aren’t necessarily flocking toward the iPod touch because it’s the better portable media player, just that it so happens to have FitBuilder or City Transit on there.

I remember, back when the iPod was still newish (2003/04), people would defend the iPod’s high price as saying, “Yeah, maybe it’s more expensive than Random MP3 Player, but its user interface is so good. That’s what I’m paying for.” And, if you were a Mac user, you also had the iTunes Music Store.

Today? I dare you to compare the iPod touch’s user interface to the Zune HD’s. It’s just night and day better. I often just flip through my Zune HD while at my desk because 1) it’s fun to do so, given the amazing UI and 2) I’m a huge dork.

Both players have music stores, yes, but if the future of the Internet is all about social this, social that, then the Zune HD’s store wins again. I can see what songs my dumb friends have been playing right from the device, preview said songs, and, if I have a Zune HD music subscription (I don’t because, well, I really have no use for it). The days of “squirting” music are long gone. (And really: who the hell thought “squirting” was a good word to use? I can almost hear Steve Jobs’ laughter.)

I don’t know, I just think that, given a fair shot, a heck of a lot of people would pick up a Zune HD. If you’re an iPhone user, well then that’s a totally different story.

Then again, both Apple and Microsoft could go bankrupt tomorrow, making all of this moot.

UPDATE – Congrats to Aaron for winning the Zune. He’s currently running with an RCA Lyrica. I don’t even think RCA is in business anymore.

I want this to go to a good home so I need you to describe your current, janky music/media player in comments and I’ll pick one lucky winner at random. If you own an iPod or iPod Touch, you’re automagically disqualified. We’ll close the contest on Wednesday at Noon Eastern.

Image from this lady

Sometime in the past two weeks I decided, with some thought being put into is, to buy a Zune HD. Why, I don’t know; I thought it looked neat, and I was thoroughly unimpressed with the new iPods Apple showed off at that Rock and Roll event. For the most part the Zune HD is, indeed, neat. Its user interface is miles ahead of the iPod’s, and, with a little forethought, can be used rather effectively with a dual-booting Mac. There’s just one small thing: you absolutely cannot read the display in direct sunlight. Don’t try to because you can’t.

Photos probably can’t do this justice, but I can assure you that the Zune HD is fully turned out right here, showing a really colorful photo from the built-in photo library. This isn’t really a problem for me, since, again, I bought the Zune HD to listen to music, and not watch video or look at photos. I’m also not too often shuffling around the device trying to find a new song to play, since it’s either always playing a long playlist, or an album, or a podcast.

Now, why is that? Is it because Microsoft went with an OLED screen, versus the iPhone’s plain ol’ backlit LCD? Maybe, probably. I’m not a scientist.

But in essence, not being able to read the screen in direct sunlight isn’t huge deal for me, but I know it’ll strike a chord with some of you.

Of course, indoors, this isn’t a problem at all (rubbish camera alert!):

Even given all of that, I’d still prefer a Zune HD to a boring ol’ iPod.

That is all.

But what did he see in the clear stream below? His own image; no longer a dark, gray bird, ugly and disagreeable to look at, but a graceful and beautiful swan. —The Ugly Duckling

It’s been a long, brown trip for the Zune: from its early days (mocked and abject) to its awkward years (deemed a dead end and money pit) it’s been embattled and criticized, and rightly so. After all, here was an unpopular company with a frankly ridiculous brand it had pulled out of thin air, attempting to compete with the guys who defined the market. We’ve always been champions of the devices, despite their quirks, and of the service, despite its growing pains — and Microsoft occasionally made it pretty hard for us to stand by our favorite little misfit media player. Well, for once they just made it really easy.

Let’s not beat around the bush, now: this thing is going head-on with the iPod touch, one of the most versatile and well-liked devices on the planet. There are other PMPs, sure, but the caliber of these two devices is well beyond the best offerings from Creative, Samsung, or Sony. To make it easy on the Apple fans who are impatient to comment on this story, let me just state it right now for the record: the Zune HD is not an iPod-killer, but it’s the only player out there that can go up against it and not be annihilated in the process. It’s good enough that everyone owes it to themselves to give it a look — unless you’re afraid of just how good it might be.

Now let’s take a look at this thing. This will be a long review, but at least we aren’t splitting it into multiple pages like half those other sites.

The Hardware

I’d say that at this moment, the Zune HD is the best-looking media player on the market. It beats the iPod touch handily in terms of sheer sexiness, and it appears to hold its own in build quality and materials.

I won’t waste words describing the device; you’ve probably already seen a hundred pictures of it, but just take a second and look at this thing:

Give me a break. They’ve outdone themselves. The slimmer profile means it feels tiny in your hand, and although it’s not much flatter than an iPod or other comparable players, it’s far lighter, at only 2.6 ounces. You wouldn’t think a difference of an ounce and a half would be that noticeable, but it really is. It goes into any pocket like a champ.

Yet it’s extremely solidly constructed; the metal build gives it a solid and sturdy feel, unlike many players and phones (even with metal bits) which seem to just have a shell around them. Torquing it didn’t seem to bother it at all, and a few light bangs on the table (hey, if I didn’t, you would have) suggested I could use it to hammer nails.

The buttons are integrated well with the outer layer, and there are hardly any gaps. I have yet to use it for more than a few days, but it doesn’t feel like anything will be getting loose for quite a while, and the cracks in between the screen and lower section are minuscule and do not seem likely to admit any crumbs or dust of significance.

The one hardware-based complaint I have is the charging cable. The original Zunes had locking plugs, with tiny levers on the side that you squeezed to release the lock. The new one goes in and you have to pull quite hard to get it out; I’m sure the plug is rated for a million of these actions, but it still feels like you’re getting rough with it.

Battery life has been excellent for me: the OLED+SSD combo is rated for 33 hours of music and 8 of video, which after a fair amount of use I can easily believe. Mixed use plus wireless stuff will probably put your average battery life at 13-15 hours by my guess. It’s a squirrelly statistic to nail down, so we’ll keep an eye on customer reviews.

The Screen

Much has been said about the OLED screen already, and much of it is true. It really is an excellent little display, the primary cause of which being the deep blacks possible with a non-backlit screen. Right off the bat, due to the top menu’s minimal design, you see how contrast is markedly improved. It’s difficult to photograph, so just use your imagination on this shot:

The colors are vibrant and motion shows no trace of blur, lag, or ghosting. I didn’t experience what people seemed to preemptively criticize the device for, namely a screen that’s not bright enough. The backlit displays of iPods are certainly brighter, but firstly they’re not so much brighter that they’re usable in broad daylight, only in other marginal circumstances, and secondly the improved contrast of the OLED screen makes up for the lower brightness.

The touchscreen is very good. I would rate it second in class after the touch and iPhone’s, but it doesn’t lose by much. It’s responsive and precise — and that’s all she wrote.

Like every other glossy little device, the screen does get smudged easily, but it was easily cleaned by a microfiber cloth. The brushed metal back and bottom part of the front show no fingerprints at all.

The Sound

The sound is high quality, like the old Zunes, with the added bonus of an equalizer. There are no custom settings, but the usual suspects are there for you to choose from on the fly. The default setting sounds just fine, though. People will argue back and forth about the sound quality of different devices, but honestly there’s almost always going to be more quality variation in the encoding and your headphones than in the device. Do yourself a favor and stay away from the included earbuds.

The Interface

Many of you checked out the video of the interface I put up earlier, but for those of you who skipped it:

The interface in motion says more than I can in words (or at least, it says it more succinctly), but I’ll summarize. It’s gorgeous, and once you get the hang of the few things that aren’t immediately obvious (what does that icon mean, how come there’s no back button on this screen and so on), it really is very intuitive. The iPod touch interface is still functional, but it lacks the style of this one, and the media-specific additions like the quick launch section of the main screen. There’s nothing worse than having to drill down through layers of interface to get to something, and while the Zune UI makes drilling down as painless (and pretty) as possible, it also lets you skip it via the Pins and recent items on the main screen.

Zune’s UI is designed to do two things: first, to direct you as quickly as possible to the content you’re looking for, and then to envelop you in it. Album art or a sort of screen saver monopolize the screen space, which is an unfamiliar thing to me; I don’t tend to look at my MP3 player while I’m listening to it, though I certainly have a good reason to now. I neglected to include the excellent ability to display the artist’s bio, pictures from shows and such, and related artists, to which you can jump directly if you feel like it.

Unfortunately, this leads to some sacrifices in the now-playing screen. The old Zunes had controls always at the ready thanks to their little Zune Pad (RIP), and since that’s obviously no longer an option, I’m surprised that the Zune doesn’t have pause and volume controls at the ready. Having to tap the screen before doing that isn’t exactly a lot of work, but when the most frequently used controls are hidden and more esoteric ones (send to a friend, add to playlist) shown prominently, it can rankle one.

I found the keyboard to be pretty damn good for a first try; typing in “crunchgear” in the video up there was the first time I used it, and I didn’t have a single typo. The narrowness of the display makes for difficult two-fingered typing, but as yet there isn’t much of a need for writing more than a web address or artist name. That will probably change but I think the keyboard is up to the task.

The Browser

While it doesn’t surpass the iPhone and iPod touch’s excellent Safari-based browser, the Zune’s browser is actually very good. It doesn’t support Flash, of course, and being based on IE6 being a version of the IE mobile browser seen in WinMo phones, it does break on more creatively-coded sites, but by and large it rendered things correctly and was reasonably fast. Text is readable at most reasonable zoom levels and scrolling is easy and smooth. The accelerometer response is fantastic; no delay at all when switching from portrait to landscape. (This paragraph updated with better information after speaking to Microsoft people. It’s not based on the desktop IE6)

The Marketplace

The ability to browse the marketplace on the device is fantastic, and they’ve really made it easy to do. You can see it in action towards the end of the video above, so I won’t go into too much detail here. Basically, on the device, the Marketplace is simplified but you still have access to all its music, and searching was fast and accurate. Previewing music was instant, as was buying (none of the delay I have with the Windows client), and the download was fast (about three or four minutes to get a 50-minute album). If you have a Zune pass you can listen to your heart’s delight.

Critics are rightly pointing out that there are hardly any apps available (and those that are there are basic and slow to load), which is indeed a disappointment. There will be more available in time; after all, they’re not just launching a player but a new platform. Still, while it explains the lack of apps, it doesn’t make everything all right. The iPod touch absolutely kills the Zune in this respect, but in a few months you’ll have a lot of serious apps available that will close that gap somewhat: Facebook, YouTube, and so on.

Don’t get me start on the “showing ads before games” thing. That’s garbage and with luck Microsoft will realize it and pull the plug.

The Client

I’ve never really liked fancy media clients, but I do prefer Zune’s over iTunes. I think one of their taglines is “browse your music, not a spreadsheet,” or something, which is applicable if you don’t want to use the clumsy album art views in iTunes or the impractical but pretty Coverflow. Zune does give you more of your music front and center, especially in quickplay mode.

The main part of the client hasn’t changed noticeably since version 3, but they have added an entire new way to browse your music. The quickplay view (as opposed to the collection view) has the bio and pictures of whatever artist you’re listening to displayed attractively, with an ever-changing array of albums behind it. Nice for parties or HTPCs, or just as a break from the busy collection view with all its type.

(click to embiggen)

The Marketplace is as it was, for the most part, and until they get more content in the movies and HDTV sections it’s hard to pass judgment. The iTunes store is better-integrated with iTunes than the Marketplace is with Zune, in my opinion, and honestly looking for music on the device was faster and more pleasant than the desktop client.

The new “Smart DJ” playlist is exactly what it sounds like, basically a Genius clone. Difference here is you start it by just feeding it a track, which it analyzes for genre data, related artists and so on. I’ve never liked these things, but the Smart DJ has one up on Genius in that if you have a Zune Pass it’ll bring in a ton of tracks from the store to augment your own collection. Then of course, you can choose to keep them. If you don’t have a pass, it’ll display the tracks it’s selected but skip them, though you’ll have the option to buy them.

It’s sad as hell that there isn’t an OS X client, but maybe Microsoft figures that Mac users still aren’t a big market, since Apple herds them so effectively into the iTunes ecosystem. Still, I know plenty of people (and commenters) whose only objection to the Zune is the lack of a client for their favored OS. Keep requesting it, and hopefully the port fairy will leave a native client under your pillow.

The Radio

Works fine. HD radio stations are easy to navigate and favorite, and they sound great. You can pause and resume, buy tracks directly if the information is in the broadcast, or just… listen to the radio.

The TV interface

It’s been shown here and there, but here’s a rundown I baked just for you:

I like it a lot. It’s a pain that you have to use a dock all the time, though. I was looking forward to just carrying a cable and being able to blast out an HDMI signal from the device itself. Maybe they’ll come up with something that addresses this. To be honest, though it works great, I’d hold off on buying the dock for a bit to see if something more portable comes out.

In the meantime, the video looks fantastic; no sign of stutter or lag. I had some issues getting some videos to play, and the formats the device supports are pretty limited — no more so than other players, but it’s still annoying.

The Conclusion

It’s nearly impossible to recommend something without any reservations, but I think I can get by with only one: if you don’t want to buy Apple, buy Zune. The iPod touch still stands as the one device to rule them all, but it’s saddled with an increasingly punishing Apple architecture, something which the Zune is refreshingly free from. At the $220 point, the 16GB Zune HD undercuts Apple significantly, and at $290 is competitive. The Zune Pass sweetens the deal; subscription music still sounds weird to me, but like Pringles, once you start, you can’t stop.

It’s a beautiful, intuitive, fun-to-use PMP, and while it will soon have some extra capabilities in the form of nice apps and games (hopefully without ads, for the love of god), the Zune’s primary purpose is and has always been delivering (and expanding) your collection with style and gusto.

Seriously, people — this is a fantastic media player. Don’t take my word for it, though. Go to your local electronics store and see for yourself how good the screen is, how intuitive the interface is, and how right it feels in your pocket — you may not want to put it back when you’re done.

The bottom line is that the Zune HD is just as good as everyone wanted it to be, and way better than some people would have liked it to be.

Last Christmas I got my 14-year old sister-in-law a Zune 80 over an iPod touch or classic. She got the Zune because it offered more storage than the flash-based touch, but had a bigger screen than the iPod classic. Plus I’ve never had a Zune act funky or die on me, which is something I can’t say that about an iPod. But then her birthday rolled around and we wanted to get her a speaker dock. Yeah, there are five speaker docks on the market and either they sound like poo, or they are made by Kicker and therefore out of our price range. She ended up getting a 2.1 computer speaker set with a y-cable.

The issue I have is that I like all the extras you can do with these devices. I have an Onkyo iPod dock along with a Belkin RF car dock that I used to use all the time with the iPod Mini. I expect to have the same capabilities with my new purchase, but I don’t think I can get that with the Zune HD.

Right now the Zune HD has a $90 docking kit that includes a remote, cables, and of course a dock. That’s cool, but will A/V companies produce their own dock that utilize digital transport for the audio and controlled by the receiver’s remote? Or will car audio companies make head-units that can control the Zune HD? Or even when will the first speaker dock be available because the five for the older Zunes aren’t 100% compatible. All these unknowns and are holding back my Zune HD purchase.

But really the same concern about 3rd party accessories for the device can be translated into the App world as well. Right now there isn’t a clear-cut way for developers to release applications for the Zune Marketplace. But there are billions of apps waiting for me Apple’s App Store. To be honest I don’t care that much about this facade, but it’s still on my mind.

If I lived a headphone life, I would have already purchased the Zune HD. I’m sure of that. But I sit at my desk where I have wonderful Polk Audio RTi150 speakers hooked up to an Onkyo receiver. I only breakout headphones during my kid’s naptime and even then, they are used via the receiver. I want the new portable device primarily for around the house with my various A/V setups (I’m an audio nerd), for in-the-car music listening, to entertain my 2 year-old son with classic Donald Duck shorts, and for the occasional plane ride.

I still don’t know which one I’m going to purchase. Available accessories are an important feature in my mind and the iPod wins that point by a mile, but the Zune HD is just so eff’n cool. IDK.

The Zune HD has only been out for a day, but apps are already filtering into the Marketplace. So far there are some free apps like weather, a calculator, and a few games available. What do you have to lose, Zune HD owners? Download ‘em like you just don’t care!

It will be interesting to see the type of apps developers make for the Zune HD. Sure, the Zune HD is as powerful as Sauron, but will there be a wide range of apps and games that will tap the power? The answer probably correlates whether the Zune HD is a success. The App Store took off so quickly because there were already millions of iPhones around the world. Devs may very well watch the Zune HD from afar for a while.

But why would an app developer spend time and money coding for the Zune HD when Apple’s App Store reaches tens of millions of iDevices? A few smart ones might jump on the bandwagon right away with the goal of cornering the market early and there is likely going to be ports of existing apps and games. Some companies will develop for the Zune HD right of the bat, but probably only out of love for the platform and not with the hope of instant riches.

I admit, it was a poor choice of words when I stated that the Zune HD might not have the gaming capabilities of the new iPod touch. It does, in fact, have more capabilities and potential, but so does the Creative Zii powered by Android and others. That’s not to say other PMPs cannot exist in the same market, but don’t get your hopes up about future apps. I know, it’s not fair, but we live in an iPod world, folks. Domination kills innovation.

If you don’t mind paying full price for the Zune HD, you should head over to Microsoft’s site and order yours with one of the rad Zune Originals designs. These backside etches were a staple for the original Zunes and now you can do the same for the new model. The selection isn’t nearly as vast as before, but they are still free and you can still have custom wording added above the artwork. Feel free to show your love for us too. All the cool kids are doing it.

In the meantime, I’m sure a lot of people have been waiting on a decent walkthrough of the Zune HD’s interface. I’ve got just that for you, in HD no less, so click that play button and get an in-depth tour of the music and video navigation, browser, and marketplace.

For the record, I didn’t choose the thumbnail. I’ll get a YouTube version up for the review since the HD matters for readability. I’ve tried to strike a balance between brevity and completeness, but it ended up being over 10 minutes long anyway. Well, what else have you got going on? Look at these pictures while I talk talk talk in the background.

I didn’t have time for the dock and HDMI out, video of that and the TV UI will be in the full review. It’s nice, but you’re not missing out on much — if you really must see it right away, there’s a video with no explanation or sound hereabouts.

Update: Honestly, guys? Eight links to Apple Insider? We’re happy to have alternate points of view, but if you want to share a link please just do it once.

A comment from earlier in the day sparked a bit of a conversation in the official CrunchGear chat room: what’s to stop someone from ditching the iTunes-iPod “universe” and switching to the Zune HD? (We’re all pretty keen on the Zune HD for whatever reason.) Those of you with iPhones are pretty much stuck using iTunes, but what’s to stop someone from saying, “You know, I’ve used an iPod in one form or another for the past five years, so I think I’m gonna try something new for a change.”? Let’s see what’s up.

I don’t think the excuse that you have a Mac is valid anymore. Any Mac bought within the past three years can run Windows, so whether you poney up the money for the operating system or acquire some other way (I don’t care what you do, and that’s not relevant right now anyway), you can run whatever software the Zune HD comes with. And what does your iTunes library consist of: a couple (thousand) MP3s? Those will play just fine on the Zune HD, and you can easily set it up so that all your music syncing is done within Windows. How often do you really need to sync your music library with your portable player?

I know in my case, what I’d do is continue to use Mac as my everyday operating system—I’m not switching to Windows full time just to use a portable device—then boot into Windows like once a week just to sync the library, download updates, etc. Thanks to things like Spotify, I don’t really need to have a huge library of songs constantly on my computer. So, host my library on the Windows partition, then keep a smaller one/use spotify for when I’m in Mac OS X. I get to use the Zune HD and my preferred OS.

Again, iPhone users are pretty much stuck with iTunes, but if you have an iPhone then you probably have little need for a Zune.

All I’m saying is, it’s probably not as hard to switch from an iPod-iTunes combo as you might think. This only refers to music, of course, because if you’re buying movies and TV shows from iTunes you’ve pretty much committed yourself to iTunes.

Gallery ahoy!

If we’re being honest—and we always are here on CrunchGear, if nothing else—then I do have to admit that the Zune HD looks pretty spiffy. Apple’s event came and went, and I’m absolutely burned out on the iPod. (The last one I bought was the fat nano, back in 2007.) With my fancy new Windows installation all set up, though, there’s nothing stopping me from jumping on board the Zune HD bandwagon. I may well might, maybe as a Christmas gift to myself.

That said, would I be interested in the Xbox Series Zune HD? I’m thinking no. The Zune HD looks spiffy because it’s quite clean—adding, say, a Left 4 Dead 2 logo to the back just kills the mood.

Still, if the idea of having the Fable logo on your Zune doesn’t bother you, then at least there’s that option for you.