Zune HD Success Depends On Microsoft Steering The Conversation
But in that time, Microsoft hasn't offered much in the way of reassurance: The Zune HD looks and feels like an improvement over the discontinued original Zune and does have some impressive features, but with no true hook to bait users away from the wildly popular iPod line, it's hard to imagine Zune HD as anything more than an also-ran.
In other words, Microsoft has improved its own media player, but not much more -- there's not much about the Zune HD, at least in its present form, that screams "game changer." That is, if the "game" in question is the one currently being dominated by Apple. Zune HD's a new challenger in an iPod world, and that won't change until Microsoft can direct the conversation to what Zune HD can offer instead of what Zune HD can offer compared to iPod.
Granted, Microsoft's been tweaking its new player in time for launch, and as a Microsoft blog post confirmed Tuesday, it's not only shipping Zune HD but has also released updated Zune 4.0 software that includes Windows 7 optimization and new features such as Quickplay, Smart DJ and Mini Player Mode that give users more options on how to access and customize their Zune HD content. Microsoft also confirmed Zune HD has TV show and movie rental capabilities through Zune Pass.
Will it be enough? Not to change the conversation.
For starters, the Zune HD 16 GB comes in at $219, with its larger, 32-GB brother at $289. A comparable, 32-GB, recently refreshed iPod Touch costs $299 -- hardly the type of large price difference that's going to cause users to put down their iPods because they can get a snazzy, high definition-ready media player for much, much cheaper.
There's no doubt the Zune HD packs a punch -- with those HD capabilities, support for HD video playback with an HDMI docking station, lovely OLED display, touch screen and snappy Nvidia Tegra System-On-Chip processing among other features, it's unfair to call it a garden-variety device.
But speculation on Zune HD shifted quickly away from what it has to what it doesn't have -- an app store. Sure, Microsoft's promised Facebook, Twitter and other applications for Zune HD by the end of the year -- and is said to be working on games aplenty -- but there's no app store at present to tie to the Zune HD at launch. That's a problem, especially given how much Microsoft's been said to be luring iPhone developers to its stead and also urging Windows Mobile app developers in general to price offerings aggressively.
The Zune HD has whetted our appetites enough that we'll pay attention, Microsoft. But you're going to have to do a lot more to convince us we should be talking about it.