Will ZuneHD Be a Game Changer?

I am a big fan of Apple products, but I am not too fanatic about them. I have tried giving other companies a chance to prove themselves, and that includes Microsoft. As someone who owns 2 Zunes, I can tell you that I have never written off Microsoft products without testing them out. The 2nd generation Zune was a decent improvement over its predecessor. The device is solid, and I still use it from time to time to listen to music or radio. But Zune 2.0 was not an iPod killer. It could hold up its own against iPod classic but had almost no chance of beating iPod Touch in its game.

Zune HD is the latest mp3 player by Microsoft that aims to compete with the best of them in the mp3 player market. It has been improved in many areas to go head to head with iPod and iPod Touch. For starters, you get a HD radio on your Zune. That’s certainly very tempting and something you won’t see on an iPod. The device is now based on Flash. In other words, Zune no longer uses those good old hard drives to store your music.

Zune HD is certainly impressive when it comes to connectivity features. You can now connect your gadget to your HDTV, XBox, or your entertainment system and watch your videos or listen to music on those devices. The screen has been dramatically improved as well, making watching videos on Zune much more fun. And who can forget about Microsoft’s music store and all the free games that you can download for your Zune.

Zune HD sounds like a very capable mp3 player. It does come with a few features that are not offered on the iPod. But I am still not sure Zune is going anywhere. It still can’t hold up its own against iPod Touch, and the addition of HD Radio won’t be enough to push Zune HD to the next level. The device will be great for people who hate Apple products for one reason or another, but if you have an iPod Touch, you already have a killer mp3 player that can’t be matched by Zune HD. There are better ways to spend a couple of hundred dollars these days.

Nice job Microsoft, but no thanks!

Your take: will you give Zune HD a chance?