Will the Zune's battery life continue to suck?
Please, just stay charged.
Update: Microsoft has updated their previous figures to a more admirable 33 hours of music playback and 8.5 hours of video, with Wi-Fi off. Charge time is approximately 3 hours. I've officially stopped fuming.
Microsoft has finally come out with its battery life estimates for the Zune HD, and the numbers may surprise you. With Wi-Fi turned off, the
Zune HD is expected to deliver 24 hours of music and 4 hours of video.
The numbers aren't shabby, but they're not great--and certainly nothing that will make Apple tremble. In fact, last year's flagship Zune--the Zune 120--was rated at 30 hours of audio and 4 hours of video. The second-generation iPod Touch, by comparison, boasts 36 hours of audio playback and 6 hours of video.
What happened, Microsoft? The Zune HD is packing a power-conserving OLED screen and one of the most impressive and efficient mobile processors on the market.
OK, at this point I know I need to file this post in the "unhinged rant" category, but this is genuinely disappointing. For Microsoft's sake, let's pray we're looking at a typo (Update: it was!), because when Apple drops a new iPod Touch in September, you can bet its battery life won't be going backwards.
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Donald Bell is CNET Reviews' senior editor for MP3 players and portable audio, and one half of the MP3 Insider blog and weekly podcast. He also likes getting his hands dirty with digital audio tools for musicians and DJs.
Donald Bell is an electronic musician, a veteran record store employee, and a fearless hardware hacker. He's also CNET's Senior Editor for MP3 and digital audio.
Jasmine France is CNET's resident digital audio doyenne, writing and editing product reviews, crave blogs, and feature stories on all things MP3. And if you need advice on headphones, she's your girl.
http://gizmodo.com/5336903/zune-hd-spec-sheet-reveals-video-format-support-battery-life-updated
[CNET editors' note: Personal attack deleted.]
I had a Sansa View previously and it had an incredible battery life... in fact even after it sat unused and uncharged for 4 months after I cracked the screen it still had a full charge.
It would also be nice if it the Zune had a delayed auto shut off feature when a song is paused or an play set is finished.... And if the previously played positon is the default after turning the unit back on from the off position.
Conversation 1: Hey what can your iPod Touch do? We it can play mucis, podcasts, movies, music video, play really good video games, download apps, surf the internet, watch YouTube videos, use google maps, take notes, setup a calendar, listen to audio books. And download all of this via the portable device.
Conversation 2: Hey what can your do Zune do? Play music and watch movies and surf the internet. Oh and there is thing called the social, but there is never any one around with another Zune to actually use it.
Yeah, MS has a winner on their hands. /sarcasm Look reality is this, the Zune is a failure on a grand scheme. MS is only keeping it afloat with money from other sources to keep it going to not risk the embarrasment of failing at failing like they always do.
There will be Apps support later, but not at launch, as far as I know.
You're incredibly ignorant. As a consumer, you should applaud Microsoft's efforts in the PMP/MP3 sector. (competition/innovation is good :) Even though profits/sales have been somewhat dissapointing, the devices themselves are superb (and the Zune software has made huge strides).
It's not up to us to tell Microsoft when to quit. The market handles that. If people really care about features actually relevant to playing media, the Zune HD ought to do quite well (HD radio, HD video output, wireless downloads, etc...)
Also, you're missing half the point of the "Social." Yes, it sucks that there is often nobody around to share tunes wirelessly with, but you can always access Zune Social features on the computer (ie finding artists that people with similar tastes are discovering)
Don't get me wrong, the apps are cool - but if it's all about the apps, then the whole industry has become kind of perverted. Apple originally carved out a huge swath of market share by making music accessible and fun to discover. Microsoft is continuing that tradition, and I applaud their efforts. (For the record, I'm not a Microsoft fanboy; I just believe that they have done some good things with this product)
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- Apps were not available from day one on the Ipod so to start with no apps or limited ones will not kill it. Also, debatable on how useful most of those available apps really are. -
"Conversation 1: Hey what can your iPod Touch do? We it can play mucis, podcasts, movies, music video, play really good video games, download apps, surf the internet, watch YouTube videos, use google maps, take notes, setup a calendar, listen to audio books. And download all of this via the portable device."
- Conversation 1: music (Zune can), podcasts (Zune can), movies (Zune can and at HD resolution out to your HD display), music video (? its video doesnt matter if its of my back yard , Zune can), play really good video games (? debatable if any available games on the touch, is really, that good, Zune can play games) download apps (as it is stated in many talks with developers, apps are coming, they are not a main forcus, but they will be coming), surf the internet (Zune can), watch YouTube videos (Zune can, it has a full browser), use google maps(Zune can, via internet browser), take notes (? not sure, all that is a note feature, would be a simple app, but at this time Zune can not), set up a calender (see take notes), listen to audio books (Zune can) , download all via portable device (? Zune can, it has WiFi) -
"Yeah, MS has a winner on their hands. /sarcasm Look reality is this, the Zune is a failure on a grand scheme. MS is only keeping it afloat with money from other sources to keep it going to not risk the embarrasment of failing at failing like they always do. "
- Not sure if MS has a winner or not. Its not even out yet. However, it is not a failure or an embarrasment, its not out. One thing you can bet on, it will do what the Zune always has done. Perform very well in the audio/video area. Something that the Ipod/Iphone fails to do. My cheap Sansa has better audio then the Touch and Iphone.
Apple uses money earned from high prices of all of its hardware to funnel into R+D of all kinds of products , some of which never make it out of the lab. Just like MS, Toshiba, Samsung, etc. Taking profit from one area to develop or enter into another market is nothing new. Sony took millions from its studios to develop a game system (PS1). How did that work out? Sony also spent millions on R+D of BluRay and the PS3. How is that working out? -
yeah the ipod touch didnt have apps at launch but you cant look at the zune the same way, now that people have gotten used to the features they won't want to have to give it up. much like all these touch screen phones that are on the market yeah they would have been 'cool' pre-iphone but now that its out everything seems cheaper in comparison. People want the most bang for their buck. I'm not saying its a failure but its already put itself behind the competition by not having apps at launch, I'm not downplaying the Zunes other features either i think its great and exactly what it needs to pull itself ahead, but right now what people want are apps.
Currently Zune is niche product for audiophiles and PMP user, yes but their trying to make this a mainstream product so @quikboy2 your argument is no longer valid.
i personally use mine as an alarm clock every morning.
Still the Tegra 650 seems good, based on the videos we've seen of the Zune HD in action. Anyway, Zunited wrote a post about the different Tegra chip: http://www.zune.net/en-us/software/download/default.htm
These are tests done to any electronics that output sound. CD players, DVD players, stereo receivers ...etc.
Remember, even with the same MP3 file manufacturers have different parts suppliers, different software/firmware developers, different factories and assembly employees, different engineering and design agendas. With so many variables, it shouldn't be a surprise that players can sound better (or worse). It just happens that there are a number of PMP/DAP manufacturers who place a greater emphasis on audio performance than Apple does (or at least as they have in the past), MSFT being one in this group.
Neither my Zune 30 or my Zune 80 EVER came close to getting anywhere near to their "rated" battery charge life when I use them, conserving on screen activity and with Wi-Fi firmly shut off. I know it isn't because of their batteries wearing down, because it was always this way from when they were NIB and the first full charge was subsequently applied. Shame too, because otherwise I really like both players.
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by maretard
September 23, 2009 10:43 AM PDT
- I own a 32-gigabyte Zune HD named Buttercup.
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(32 Comments)I've played music for over twenty-four straight hours with wifi ON and browsing the internet, and been left with about 1/4 battery.
I've played games for over 6 hours (yes, interactive games) and still been left with 1/4 battery.
I've watched three feature-length movies in a row (that's about two to two-and-a-half hours per movie) and still been left with 1/4 battery.
The only time I ever got a low-battery warning was after I listened to music nonstop for a straight day, played about an hour of games in the evening, and was watching a movie way past midnight when I finally got to sleep. (Yes, I'm a college student.)
So yes, these numbers are accurate. If they aren't for you, you have a defective unit.