MP3 Insider

New 3D games are available for Zune HD owners, and they're all free.

(Credit: Microsoft)

Zune HD owners have something to smile about today. The latest firmware update, version 4.3, not only brings a handful of general fixes (including accurate playcounts), but also ushers the Zune HD into a proper 3D gaming device.

To celebrate the new capability, six new games have been added to the Zune Marketplace software, which users can download to their updated Zune HD at no cost. Games include PGR: Ferrari Edition, Lucky Lane Bowling, Vans Sk8: Pool Service, Piano, Checkers, and Audiosurf: Tilt. We're not exactly jumping out of our seat over Piano and Checkers, but the rest of the titles look genuinely fun--and did we mention they're free?.

Just like the existing games available for the Zune HD, the new titles also show a brief advertisement upon start-up.

A news release e-mailed to us from Microsoft also states "we will be delivering additional applications for Zune HD including Facebook and Twitter in the future."

The Apple iPod clinched an early success over the MP3 player market by making it dead-simple to load and manage music onto a portable device. Ease of use still defines Apple's products, but when you're talking about a do-it-all device like the iPod Touch, there's only so much you can do to keep things simple.

As Apple's hottest-selling iPod, there are a lot of newcomers to the iPod Touch who may be a little surprised at its complexity. Compared with the iPods of yesteryear, the Touch is practically a handheld computer.

Last week I gave you an overview of setting up an iPod Nano. This week, we're giving the third-generation iPod Touch the same video and slideshow treatment.

If you have your own tips to share, feel free to add them in the comments section.

How to set up an iPod Touch--photos

Update: CNET's full review of the Archos 5 is now available.

I've had my hands on the Archos 5 Android internet tablet for more than seven days now, and to be honest, I'm still not sure what to make of it. What's hanging up the review isn't the price (which starts at $249), or capacity (up to 500GB), or the impressive selection of features; it's the devices spotty performance. So far, some stuff just doesn't work as advertised.

GPS reception on the Archos 5 takes several minutes to lock-on to a valid signal. Frankly, I don't often use GPS, but if Archos is going to promise it, then I want it to work.

(Credit: Donald Bell/CNET)

If this were Apple or Microsoft, these performance glitches would probably have me spitting venom right now, but Archos is a relatively small company. Chalk it up to looking out for the little guy, but I'm going to give Archos the benefit of the doubt that many of the issues I'm experiencing will be fixed quickly with firmware updates and swept under the rug. In fact, a firmware update earlier this week (v1.1.01) already addressed a problem I had accessing content from microSD cards. In a perfect world, products wouldn't leave the warehouse half-baked--but every company is guilty of it to some degree.

My contact at Archos says there will be another firmware update available next week. Assuming this next round will iron out the kinks, I'm going to hold off on a formal review until then. Of course, I'm also advising that potential buyers wait until our rated review is up before investing in an Archos 5. Considering that Amazon recently froze sales of the 160GB model of the Archos 5, I think it's safe to assume that I'm not the only one having some issues.

Now, true to the title of this piece, my time with the Archos 5 has had its share of bright spots too. Most notably, its video player is one of the best I've used on any device. Unlike previous versions of Archos PVPs, the Archos 5 ships with all the critical video codecs installed, instead of requiring users to purchase codec plug-ins individually. My HD video podcasts, XviD torrents, AVIs, and WMVs all play flawlessly. Videos look great on it too, with the 4.8-inch 800x480-pixel resolution LCD that gives a rich and razor-sharp picture that holds up well, even in daylight. By extension, photos also look great on the Archos 5--although thumbnail previews and transitions aren't nearly as fast and fluid as on the iPod Touch.

Archos 5 Internet Tablet--photos

If you ask me, the Archos 5's video player alone is worth the price of the whole device, assuming that digital video is really your cup of tea. Unfortunately, as a company, I think Archos is a little tired of being cast as a portable video player manufacturer. Looking at the packaging for the Archos 5, you'd hardly know the device played videos at all. According to the box, this is an "Internet tablet," a term Archos has whittled down from the "Internet media tablet" we saw last year. The choice of phrasing seems particularly odd considering that the device's media features are stronger than ever. I assume Archos wants people to understand in no uncertain terms that they are in the tablet business, in spite of seven years spent manufacturing media players.

The CNET Prizefight you've been waiting for is here: Zune HD vs. iPod Touch. Just like the Thunderdome (minus Tina Turner and the post-apocalyptic wasteland), two portable media players will enter the ring, but only one may leave.

And for the first time, dear CNET readers, our Prizefight page has been redesigned to allow comments. That's right, now all your catty flames, insightful objections, or outright whining can be preserved forever, right on the Prizefight page. Another upshot of the page redesign: it looks soooo much better than the old version.

So head on over to the iPod Touch vs. Zune HD Prizefight and dump all your disappointment/elation into that newfangled comments box. You'll feel better, really.

With Jasmine out on vacation, Donald brings CNET Labs' Eric Franklin into the studio for an epic nerd session on audio quality measurements, including recent test data from the Zune HD and iPod Touch. We've got charts, folks!

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Jasmine and Donald are terribly tired of the Zune HD and iPod Touch, but there's nothing else to talk about (besides the wonders of fried food), so consider yourself warned. On the plus side, a cranky Jasmine is an entertaining one as she expounds upon the objectivity of spec-to-spec comparisons. Also up: Donald calls out some worthy Zune HD accessories, and several loyal listeners get to hear their musings read on the air.

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(Credit: CNET)

If the MP3 player market was a fault line, we'd have a boatload of busy seismographs on our hands. Certainly, two of the most exciting releases of the past couple weeks are the new iPod Touch and the Zune HD. Now, if you're curious how the two devices compare with one another, you could always read the deluge of articles available on CNET and around the Web, but we can certainly see how that might be a bit overwhelming. Soon enough, we'll pit the two players head-to-head in a knock-down, drag-out brawl (aka Prizefight). In the meantime, we've created a purely technical spec-to-spec comparison chart to tide you over.

(Credit: Archos)

Far be it for Archos to sit idly by and watch Apple, Microsoft, and Creative have all the fun. Today, the company announced its next-generation Archos 5 device, which is perhaps the most fully featured "portable media player" we've seen. In fact, the unit is being marketed as an Internet tablet rather than as a PMP, and that's entirely accurate. The new Archos 5 is running the Android platform, which the device uses for nearly every function besides media playback (that's still handled by Linux). And you know what that means: apps!

There is an interesting caveat here, however. Since the Archos 5 is running at the HD-friendly 720p resolution, which is not approved for Android Cupcake, the selection of apps at start-up will be limited to about 300 (with that number increasing to at least 1,000 by the end of the year), and they are only accessible via the Archos app store. Still, the chances are you'll have the full selection of Android apps by early next year, and we're willing to wait if it means high-res video on the device, something to be fully-appreciated when outputting to a TV (see the gallery for an example).

Archos 5 Internet Tablet--photos