Microsoft's Zune HD, scheduled for release this fall, is getting some positive buzz today after bloggers for CNet got some hands-on time with the device. After about an hour with the Zune HD, CNet's Donald Bell declares that it has tentatively reaffirmed his faith in the product.
"Mind you, it's not going to crush the iPod Touch -- a product that for all intents and purposes is more mobile computer than media player -- but it's safe to say that the Zune finally has the power to make good on the promise of delivering one of the richest music experiences on a portable device," Bell writes, referring to features including the OLED touch screen, high-def video, and the built-in browser.
Matt Rosoff, an analyst at Directions on Microsoft who also blogs for CNet, highlights elements including the user interface in this post.
"Here, Microsoft has done a solid job, taking the mixture of horizontal and vertical menus used on the current Zunes and adding particular tweaks for the touch screen," Rosoff writes. "You can scroll horizontally or vertically simply by swiping your finger along, and there are multiple "ways in" to and "ways out" of the various menus and screens, which encourages exploration."
The hands-on reviews follow leaked photos of a black Zune HD model earlier this week. Microsoft is now confirming the existence of that black model, and the image above is from a company representative.
See our previous coverage for more on the Zune HD.
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