Looks pretty cool but I like mega stotage so I will be sticking with my Zune 120 for now especially since it looks like I will be getting an iPhone next month.

My big questi0on is: Zune has always made their firmware backwards compatible for the older gen devices. I realize that this is new hardware and you can't upgrade stuff like HD by firmware but I WANT that interface so has anyone heard if this new firmware will work on older gen Zunes as well?

For those that were turned off by the original Zune software (myself included) it really has improved tremendously since then. Not bad at all now, IMO.

@moonshine, i would highly doubt it. It's not windows mobile or anything. you can just change themes. Could be wrong though.

How reliable are hard drives in portables these days? I've always gone with flash as I abuse my portable pretty badly

Well the new Zune HD is touchscreen also... I thought the older ones weren't.

The older ones aren't. Since Microsoft has always been big on backwards-compatibility hopefully they will make the new firmware for non-touchscreen models.

Now I'm waiting for Apple to revise its iPod Touch at around the same time of the HD's launch date. Some 3GS stuff is most likely going to trickle down into it. It never ends...

This looks like a pretty nice little gadget. It's too bad. I'm sure it will be all-but-useless on my Mac.

This looks like a pretty nice little gadget. It's too bad. I'm sure it will be all-but-useless on my Mac.

So, are you just going to post in every active thread so you seem like you are part of the community in order to get your sale threads unlocked?

I'll get the next gen Zune HD if it has Burr-Brown PCM1704U-K DAC chips in it, and a decent amplifier circuit in it.

In other words, you won't.

It has a Wolfson DAC, btw, the WM8350.

I'll get the next gen Zune HD if it has Burr-Brown PCM1704U-K DAC chips in it, and a decent amplifier circuit in it.

and a 20 minute battery life

So, are you just going to post in every active thread so you seem like you are part of the community in order to get your sale threads unlocked?

I would put the odds of that happening at 0.

If you jailbreak your iPod Touch, it's possible to upload files without using iTunes. Also, considering how bad Zune software is, I wouldn't put too much hope on the new software being better than iTunes.

MediaMonkey will sync iPods and iPhones without JB'ing.

and a 20 minute battery life

I want fully discrete so it can have a 2 minute battery life!

I want fully discrete so it can have a 2 minute battery life!

"Pig Destroyer Rig?"

I just got a Sprint Touch Pro 2. Really love it so far. It even has a 3.5mm headphone jack. But the audio quality fucking sucks monkey nuts. It has so much interference and noise, I'd only use it to privately listen to voicemail or YouTube videos.

Microsoft needs to integrate some Zune HD hardware into some Pocket PC phones, pronto.

But it's no big deal for me. I have a HifiMan HM-801 for tunes.

Word on the street is that the Zune software is basically WM7

I've had that problem with all the phone's I've had, the sidekick is the worst of them all. I'm resistant to getting an iPhone due to it's expensive plans with the data and texting services.

Microsoft should list not having speakers as a feature. I was on the metro the other day, and this old white dude in a suit whips out his iPhone and starts playing U Can't Touch This, laughing, dancing, and feeling like the shit. It's not Apple itself, it's the douchebag owners who sometimes really piss me off.

Word on the street is that the Zune software is basically WM7

Well, parts of it. I wouldn't be surprised. WinMo 6.5 has some UI design elements that looks a lot like the Zune HD's.

Well, now it looks like it's going to get DivX support. IMHO, this has potential to give it a new lease on life as a useful media device especially for use with the dock.

Now, all it needs is physical buttons for perfection