Showing posts with label Zune HD. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Zune HD. Show all posts
Monday, June 29, 2009
According to an internal Microsoft tipster, the upcoming Zune HD will be available in 16GB and 32GB capacities, and be priced from $249 to $280 for the entry-level model. The company is considering a 64GB Zune HD later on in the model year, but the first of the PMPs will arrive in September; that tallies with previous rumors that fingered September 5th.
The source – a software engineer within Microsoft who claims that, while he chose to leak independently, his actions are known and unofficially sanctioned by the company – also suggests that movies are finally coming to the Zune Marketplace, and that the team are working on the final licensing agreements with the major studios. That content will be available in HD.
If that starting price turns out to be accurate, it will position the Zune HD above Apple’s rival iPod touch PMPs. The Zune’s Tegra HD-capable chipset, HDMI output and AMOLED multitouch-capable display are likely culprits for pushing up prices; it remains to be seen whether Microsoft can sufficiently persuade consumers that their platform is finally better than Apple’s.
The source – a software engineer within Microsoft who claims that, while he chose to leak independently, his actions are known and unofficially sanctioned by the company – also suggests that movies are finally coming to the Zune Marketplace, and that the team are working on the final licensing agreements with the major studios. That content will be available in HD.If that starting price turns out to be accurate, it will position the Zune HD above Apple’s rival iPod touch PMPs. The Zune’s Tegra HD-capable chipset, HDMI output and AMOLED multitouch-capable display are likely culprits for pushing up prices; it remains to be seen whether Microsoft can sufficiently persuade consumers that their platform is finally better than Apple’s.
Monday, June 22, 2009
We’ve been singularly cellularly obsessed here at SlashGear over the past seven days, and it’ll come as no surprise that the run-up to the iPhone 3G S has occupied much of our attention. The new Apple smartphone may not look much different to its predecessor, but if our hands-on first impressions are anything to go by, Cupertino have done their best to make the user-experience as polished as the casing. Still, it’s not just shiny Apple hardware that’s caught our eye this week; Novatel Wireless’ GSM MiFi 2352 piqued our interest when we talked to the company themselves on Monday, and then proceeded to impress us considerably in our full review.
Elsewhere, Nokia’s long-awaited N97 finally reached North American customers’ hands, ours included, and you can find our unboxing and first-impressions here. It’s a decent smartphone, and understandably the flagship of Nokia’s line, but can it hold up in the face of iPhone’s upgraded OS 3.0 software? We’ll have our full review this coming week.
If it’s a QWERTY keyboard you’re after, but you prefer your phones berry-flavored, then the news that both Verizon and Sprint would be offering the BlackBerry Tour 9630 in the near future will probably come as some relief. 3G, GPS, for all the specs check out the official RIM video. Finally, Samsung took the wraps off of the Omnia Pro B7610, complete with a glorious OLED touchscreen display and slide out ‘board.
It’s not all been smartphones, though. SlashGear sat in front of a small screen, in the shape of Fujitsu-Siemen’s Amilo Mini Ui 3520 netbook, and a big screen (albeit a virtual one) with the Q-London 3D 80″ Video Eyewear. Oh, and in the name of extreme destruction, we watched Lenovo’s ThinkPad T400s go head to head with a 26,000lb DOW truck. If you want to see whether a slender ultraportable notebook can cope with getting comfortable between rubber and gravel, check out the video.
Finally, Microsoft confirmed that the Zune HD PMP will use NVIDIA’s Tegra chipset, making us even more keen to see what this potential-iPod-killer (yes, we know, a cliché if ever there was one) brings to the table. And for your high-definition home entertainment, PopcornHour delivered their C200 Blu-ray ready media-streamer. If you’ve ever looked at your media collection and wished there was a set-top box that could handle it all without breaking a sweat, this is the gadget for you.
Elsewhere, Nokia’s long-awaited N97 finally reached North American customers’ hands, ours included, and you can find our unboxing and first-impressions here. It’s a decent smartphone, and understandably the flagship of Nokia’s line, but can it hold up in the face of iPhone’s upgraded OS 3.0 software? We’ll have our full review this coming week.
If it’s a QWERTY keyboard you’re after, but you prefer your phones berry-flavored, then the news that both Verizon and Sprint would be offering the BlackBerry Tour 9630 in the near future will probably come as some relief. 3G, GPS, for all the specs check out the official RIM video. Finally, Samsung took the wraps off of the Omnia Pro B7610, complete with a glorious OLED touchscreen display and slide out ‘board.
It’s not all been smartphones, though. SlashGear sat in front of a small screen, in the shape of Fujitsu-Siemen’s Amilo Mini Ui 3520 netbook, and a big screen (albeit a virtual one) with the Q-London 3D 80″ Video Eyewear. Oh, and in the name of extreme destruction, we watched Lenovo’s ThinkPad T400s go head to head with a 26,000lb DOW truck. If you want to see whether a slender ultraportable notebook can cope with getting comfortable between rubber and gravel, check out the video.
Finally, Microsoft confirmed that the Zune HD PMP will use NVIDIA’s Tegra chipset, making us even more keen to see what this potential-iPod-killer (yes, we know, a cliché if ever there was one) brings to the table. And for your high-definition home entertainment, PopcornHour delivered their C200 Blu-ray ready media-streamer. If you’ve ever looked at your media collection and wished there was a set-top box that could handle it all without breaking a sweat, this is the gadget for you.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Microsoft have confirmed that their upcoming Zune HD touchscreen PMP will use NVIDIA’s high-definition capable Tegra chipset. Speaking in the official Zune Insider podcast, product team member and show host Matt Akers revealed that the recent rumors about Tegra’s adoption were true, describing the Zune HD with the NVIDIA chipset as “like a mini laptop in your hand.”
Also tipped by Akers are “much better battery life” and graphics acceleration, both well publicized advantages of Tegra by NVIDIA. The chipset offers 1080p video output via an HDMI port, together with hardware graphics acceleration and multiple power-saving features; the Zune HD, meanwhile, will support 720p output to a connected high-def monitor and HD Radio.
The PMP will go up against Apple’s newly-boosted iPhone 3G S, which uses a PowerVR SGX video chipset that also promises HD support and improved graphical capabilities. We’ll have to wait until September, when the Microsoft Zune HD is tipped to launch, to find out which takes the top spot.
Also tipped by Akers are “much better battery life” and graphics acceleration, both well publicized advantages of Tegra by NVIDIA. The chipset offers 1080p video output via an HDMI port, together with hardware graphics acceleration and multiple power-saving features; the Zune HD, meanwhile, will support 720p output to a connected high-def monitor and HD Radio.The PMP will go up against Apple’s newly-boosted iPhone 3G S, which uses a PowerVR SGX video chipset that also promises HD support and improved graphical capabilities. We’ll have to wait until September, when the Microsoft Zune HD is tipped to launch, to find out which takes the top spot.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Microsoft and NVIDIA are working together to optimize Windows CE for Tegra-based Smartbooks, with NVIDIA exec Mike Rayfield describing Android as having a “rough user interface”. Windows CE, meanwhile, has a “low memory footprint and a good collection of apps” and “is a rock-solid operating system that has been shipped billions of times” claimed the general manager for NVIDIA’s mobile business unit.
Their work centers on best balancing Windows CE’s use of the 750MHz ARM11 processor and the 1080p high-definition capable graphics chipset that make up Tegra. The upshot will be longer battery life and improved graphical capabilities, such as 1080p output via HDMI. NVIDIA is still working with Google to develop a Tegra-friendly Android build, but it will be around a year before there’s a version suitable for Smartbooks he suggests.
One of the key drawbacks for Android in Tegra implementations is its lack of hardware graphics acceleration support. All video and graphics rendering is currently done in Java code, which Rayfield says is too slow for HD; Google would not comment on Rayfield’s statements.
Rayfield also declined to comment on recent claims that Microsoft have decided to use NVIDIA’s Tegra platform for their upcoming Zune HD PMP. “Microsoft hasn’t confirmed that,” he told Computerworld, “so until they comment, I can’t.” However he did confirm that NVIDIA are working to optimize Tegra for use with Windows Mobile, a fact which will likely reignite speculation that upcoming Microsoft smartphones might use the HD-capable platform.
Their work centers on best balancing Windows CE’s use of the 750MHz ARM11 processor and the 1080p high-definition capable graphics chipset that make up Tegra. The upshot will be longer battery life and improved graphical capabilities, such as 1080p output via HDMI. NVIDIA is still working with Google to develop a Tegra-friendly Android build, but it will be around a year before there’s a version suitable for Smartbooks he suggests.One of the key drawbacks for Android in Tegra implementations is its lack of hardware graphics acceleration support. All video and graphics rendering is currently done in Java code, which Rayfield says is too slow for HD; Google would not comment on Rayfield’s statements.
Rayfield also declined to comment on recent claims that Microsoft have decided to use NVIDIA’s Tegra platform for their upcoming Zune HD PMP. “Microsoft hasn’t confirmed that,” he told Computerworld, “so until they comment, I can’t.” However he did confirm that NVIDIA are working to optimize Tegra for use with Windows Mobile, a fact which will likely reignite speculation that upcoming Microsoft smartphones might use the HD-capable platform.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Rumors that Microsoft were eying up the NVIDIA Tegra platform for an upcoming smartphone have circulated for some time now, but it seems the company’s new PMP may have beaten the cellphones to it. According to PC Perspective, NVIDIA have confirmed that the Zune HD will use the Tegra chipset for its 3.3-inch OLED touchscreen and 720p HDMI output.
In fact, they’ve been sitting on the news since Computex, seemingly unaware of how “news worthy” it was. There’s no official confirmation from either NVIDIA or Microsoft, and we’re not really expecting them to discuss it until closer to the Zune HD’s launch, but it would certainly make sense given Tegra’s graphics prowess and low-power demands.
The Zune HD has a 480 x 272 display, HD Radio receiver, WiFi and an internet browser based on Mobile Internet Explorer. According to the most recent rumors, it will arrive in the US on September 5th.
In fact, they’ve been sitting on the news since Computex, seemingly unaware of how “news worthy” it was. There’s no official confirmation from either NVIDIA or Microsoft, and we’re not really expecting them to discuss it until closer to the Zune HD’s launch, but it would certainly make sense given Tegra’s graphics prowess and low-power demands.The Zune HD has a 480 x 272 display, HD Radio receiver, WiFi and an internet browser based on Mobile Internet Explorer. According to the most recent rumors, it will arrive in the US on September 5th.
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