Microsoft has thrown down the gauntlet to challenge Apple’s dominance of the portable media player market. On Tuesday, they released information regarding an updated Zune HD—a total revamp of the previous-generation media player.

Features for the Zune include the new Windows CE operating system, which may or may not be a selling point. The new Zune has larger display (3.3 inches) with touch screen, widescreen-capable movie watching, Internet browsing capability, and integration with the Xbox 360. It operates off of flash memory, but details of the memory capacity have not yet been disclosed.
The question is, does the Zune offer anything that the Apple’s iPod or Touch doesn’t? The answer is, yes. The Zune HD’s standout feature is precisely what its title indicates: it is a portable HD radio. Not even Apple has a device with a radio receiver, although reports indicate that the next-generation iPod will have such a capability. Stephenson, the marketing manager for the new Zune, explains, “It’s really one of the first portable HD radio receivers out there. It’s going to be important for us to communicate the value of HD radio since it is a fairly nascent technology.”
Not only does the device receive and play HD radio, but it can also output to TVs, using a separate dock. This is one of the device’s most-sellable features. It has been designed not only to integrate with Microsoft’s gaming ware, but also with any HDTV. True to its moniker, it will be able to output high-res video to HDTVs—at least 1280×720, according to the reports. Stephenson’s strategy regarding the Zune was this: “[The Zune is] absolutely about music as it is about video. As we prioritize the things we need to get to market, video was the thing that really lit up. The Xbox experience is a living room experience. So it’s important to think of this as a first step.”

No reliable information is available regarding the cost of the new device, but Microsoft should be releasing the new Zune HD during the fall season, perhaps in September.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!