The Zune isn’t all bad. First of all, there’s the Zune HD, which at least looks really good. And then there’s the ability to share music and other media content via Wi-Fi with your other Zune-toting friends (is there really a group of people where more than one member has a Zune?) so that they can check out what you’re into without making a purchase they might regret or getting your headphones all gross and earwaxy.

Apple looks to be thinking about borrowing a page from Microsoft’s playbook for once, in that if BusinessWeek is correct, the company is planning on doing a similar thing with apps downloaded from the iPhone and iPod touch’s App Store. According to BusinessWeek’s source, who is listed only as someone familiar with the technology, Apple has baked into iPhone 3.0 the ability for users to share software with one another.

The apparent intent behind the app-sharing service is that users will then be prompted to buy apps they enjoy that their friends have shown them. The source seems unsure whether Apple plans to flip the switch that would render the sharing services active. An Apple spokeswoman, when contacted, said only that the company has “made no announcements at this time.” I wish I was an Apple PR rep. You spend all day coming up with new ways to say “no comment.”

The ability to share apps via peer-to-peer connections helps Apple in two ways. First, it solves the problem of not offering try-before-you-buy limited versions of all apps for users to test out (“lite” and other duplicate apps released at the discretion of developers notwithstanding). Second, it builds a “street team” that’s millions of users strong, so to speak. Why pay for promotion when you can enlist your own users to do it for you?

Sharing will definitely be temporary, so don’t start imagining an app exchange community where you pool your resources and split the cost of, say, every major game release that comes out. Little else is mentioned about the program’s specifics, though. In a perfect world, you’d have the option to purchase right away following an instance of app sharing, and you’d be able to set strict privacy settings to prevent just anyone on the street from trying to share apps with you.

I agree with BusinessWeek that the future of the iPhone (and all smartphone devices) lies in more and improved P2P functions, and a way to share content directly between devices without any third-party intermediary definitely seems like the next logical step. Then again, opening those doors could also open the floodgates to more and improved piracy, too, which maybe explains why the tech is lying dormant for now.

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HD Radio

FM radio was touted in the original Zunes. Lots of music players added radio since it was considered a major feature the iPod lacked. Nope. Including FM didn’t make the devices more desirable than an iPod.

Now it’s HD radio, which is FM (and AM) with better quality because it’s digital (remember, the word “digital” makes everything better). So Microsoft is clinging to the belief that FM radio is still what every music device needs, it was obviously just the quality of the signal that was the problem.

HD Output

You’d think a device with “HD” in the name would play HD video on the device, but this one doesn’t. Not sure what the point of HD on a 3.3” display would be anyway. However, it does output HD via a special dock. Here’s the process:

1. Get an HD movie (four times the size of SD)
2. Get the special dock (no price is listed)
3. Hook it up to an HDTV
4. Enjoy movie!

Basically, you’re using your portable device as a source HD player. When it’s not being used as a source player (obviously not its primary purpose), it’s just a portable video player with files larger than they need to be, downscaled to fit the screen at 480 x 272.

Touchscreen

Two years after the iPod touch, Microsoft will have a touchscreen on their music player. To Microsoft’s credit, it’s an OLED display. Good, quality stuff. To Microsoft’s discredit, it’s a cheaper 16:9 ratio. Some people make a big deal out of this (as do PC makers) because it’s a “true” HD ratio, but the reality is that when you’re not watching a video it’s nothing but a smaller display (480 x 272 instead of the touch’s 480 x 320).

Wireless

With Wi-Fi you can download tunes from the Zune Marketplace. Nice, but functionality that’s old hat to an iPod touch user. You can also stream music from the marketplace if you’re a Zune Pass subscriber (which is also a feature of current Zunes). This is a use for Zune Pass that makes sense. Seriously, it’s one thing about the Zune I can give it credit for.

Web Browser

The web browser is a heavily customized version of Internet Explorer, so it’s probably bad. Go ahead, criticize me for bashing it when I haven’t even seen it yet, but then again no one’s seen it because the Zune HD is primarily just talk now anyway. What I have seen is IE in it’s best possible setting — IE 8 on Windows 7 — and it still falls behind Firefox, Safari, and Chrome. Heck, Opera, too.

Other Stuff

• OS is based on Windows CE. WinCE? Wince? That’s still around? Whatever, we don’t get to see much of that either.
• Accelerometer
• Software keyboard
• Check out the UI. Why would your stock photo clearly show that your UI guys can’t even fit one of the menu items on the screen? It’s that small 16:9 screen, I bet. Way to show off that deficiency, guys.

The bottom line: Unless you’re sucked in by “HD” in the name, the only thing that’ll grab you about this thing is the propaganda campaign Microsoft has going on for it.

I wrote about this before, but Microsoft is being “old school” lately. They’re partying like it’s 1999, pre-announcing months in advance and getting the tech press in high gear. We won’t know until September — assuming Microsoft is on time — what this thing is really like, but by then it will almost certainly have a new iPod touch with which to compete.

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Well, first the news. CNET’s Ina Fried reported yesterday that Microsoft has confirmed its long-rumored plans to launch an HD version of its portable music player in the fall. (Paul Thurrott says September 5.)

Microsoft has left no room for doubt in our minds as to how it views Zune HD. Chris Stephenson, general manager of global marketing for Microsoft Zune, said, “This device is created to go head to head with the iPod Touch.” Head to head, huh? OK, then.

That must surely mean Zune HD supports a multi-touch UI, OTA content delivery, a rich catalog of apps including games, a killer web browser, native personal information management functionality, world-class media management/playback software, and a rock-solid software foundation on the desktop. Right?

Well, it’s not really clear. It has the (admittedly beautiful) Zune UI, plus the Zune software on the desktop (which is way better than Windows Media player). News of a new Zune-branded video service on the Xbox also sounds promising and suggests potential interop between the handheld device and Microsoft’s console-based video on demand service. But we will have to wait for next week’s E3 trade show to get more information on that.

It will indeed have a web browser — sadly, a touch-enabled version of Mobile Internet Explorer. (It doesn’t matter how they tweak the control paradigm, Pocket IE is still inexcusably bad. Ask anyone who has used a Windows Mobile device to tell you about Microsoft’s mobile browser. You will see the pain in their eyes.)

But no word on games. Or storage capacity. Or choice of models. We also don’t know yet how much it will cost. But we do know that it sports an OLED (480×272) 16:9 widescreen display, spits out 720p HD content (via a dock, not included) and comes with HD Radio. Yeah, oooh, exciting.

The truth is, we know barely anything at all about this thing. Perhaps Microsoft hopes the early announcement will generate some useful speculation and buzz on the intertoobs before next month’s WWDC (and news of a new iPhone) steals headlines and column inches everywhere — some observers have suggested this was Palm’s strategy in announcing the upcoming Pre when it did.

Either way, what is there to say about the Zune HD that makes it stand out from an iPod-saturated market? HD video output? HD Radio? Err… retro ’90s design?

I’m pleased someone is trying to win a share of what has, clearly, become Apple’s market. But when the de-facto standard for portable digital media devices is the iPod Touch/iPhone, any serious competitor has to make its products at least as good as them. Right now, I don’t see anything particularly compelling about Zune HD. But that doesn’t mean the compelling features aren’t there — just that Microsoft is doing its usual unfocused marketing.

When most other companies would have counted their losses and scrapped it years ago, Microsoft has demonstrated a stubborn dedication to this product, so it’s probably worth keeping an eye on where the company takes it next. You never know, Redmond might just surprise us.

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Apple isn’t the only company enjoying a storm of recent hardware rumors. Its chief competitor, Microsoft, is also under scrutiny due to whispers concerning a new addition to its Zune line of portable media players. Early reports gave the device HD playback capabilities, but little else was known about what it might offer. A new report by Teamxbox adds more intriguing details, describing a device that is well-positioned to go toe-to-toe with Apple’s entertainment portables.

Citing sources in both Redmond and Santa Clara, Teamxbox describes a “digital entertainment handheld” nearing the final stages of preparation for release. Dubbed “xYz” internally at Microsoft, the new portable is meant to be positioned between the Xbox and the Zune in Microsoft’s line-up (x-Y-z, get it?). The idea is that it will offer gaming and media playback, and also Internet connectivity and related features. Sound familiar?

Apparently, the device’s software will be its defining feature. The OS is described as resembling a smartphone interface (even though the source stresses that this will not have cell phone capabilities), and will evidently not run a version of Windows Mobile. Tight integration with Xbox seems to be what will separate the xYz from competitors — and probably what will end up being its strongest selling point. All music, video, and Xbox Live Arcade content will be playable either at home on your console or on your device, with syncing capabilities that remember where you are, no matter which device you’re using to view content.

If these rumors are true, Microsoft has a couple advantages over Apple with this device: integration with the already massively successful Xbox platform, and lots of gaming experience. Apple has already established itself as the dominant player in this particular market, though, so Redmond will still have an uphill battle ahead of it. I think the only way that it can gain significant ground is by appealing to core, as well as casual, gamers and grab even more market share from Nintendo and Sony, rather than trying to convert Apple’s devoted user base.

I hope Microsoft does go ahead with this, because regardless of how the device fares, competition in this space would light a fire under Apple and, hopefully, force it to introduce significant hardware upgrades more often. Thus far, its main “competitors” have been Sony and Nintendo, both of which so far seem only interested in retaining their gaming supremancy. Another do-it-all device from a major player like Microsoft would force Apple to compete on all fronts, not just in the gaming arena. And when companies compete, customers win.

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Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, even better, it’s a super selection of fresh picks, plucked from the App Store, especially for you.

But that’s not all I’ve got in store for you this weekend: After perusing the week’s happenings right here at TheAppleBlog, I’ve prepared a swift run-down of Apple news from the past seven days.

The folks over at Amazon kicked off the week by dropping an update to the Kindle for iPhone app. A few weeks back, Amazon acquired the company behind Stanza, the free e-Book reader. It seems as if Amazon is still pushing forward with the Kindle for iPhone app, rather than, as I would have expected, focusing its efforts, and considerable resources, on rolling Stanza and Kindle into one.

TheAppleBlog’s Henry Balanon helped melt away those Monday blues with a new iPhone Dev Sessions tutorial. For coders and tech-minded musicians alike, this should be a particularly interesting one, as Henry’s latest article is all about creating a drum machine app for iPhone.

On Tuesday, Microsoft launched a shot across the bow of Apple’s iPod, with its latest Zune advertisement. The ad features Apprentice-losing certified financial adviser Wes Moss, explaining why a Zune is much more of an economically savvy purchase than the iPod.

Perhaps signaling the end of the line for the iPhone 3G, Apple has now made it possible to purchase the device online. It’s the latest in a long line of what seems to be inventory-clearing tactics from Apple, making way for the rumored iPhone refresh this summer. Potential buyers should consider holding out for a possible iPhone announcement in the coming weeks.

Also this week, David Klein posted an excellent tutorial on setting up Google Sync for Mac and iPhone. This is essential reading, both for Gmail users looking to integrate their iPhone more closely with their Google account and for MobileMe users looking for a free alternative to Apple’s service.

Moving on to the picks, this week I’ve been looking at When Sysadmins Ruled The Earth, Guru Meditation, Resident Evil: Degeneration and Peggle.

When Sysadmins Ruled The Earth (free)
Blogger, journalist, author and super-smart guy, Cory Doctorow, has had one of his excellent short stories brought to the iPhone, courtesy of Robot Comics. The story centers around a bunch of sysadmins as chance survivors of a global apocalypse. Although the comic book reader software is incredibly bare-bones, it doesn’t matter, as the story makes for incredibly compelling reading. For fans of short science-fiction stories, this is a must-have app for the iPhone and well worth checking out over the weekend.

Guru Meditation (free)
Whether you use your iPhone for work or play, it’s just as important to get away from the incessant flow of e-mails and PDFs, zombie apocalypses and pachinko-esque puzzles. If you want to relax but just can’t seem to break away from your iPhone, Guru Meditation could be just the app you need. Created as an homage to an old mythical Amiga game, Guru Meditation could be considered a game in the loosest sense; it’s more a tool for encouraging relaxation and calm, albeit with a retro Atari-style look. To play, you simply find a quiet place, sit in a comfortable meditative position and then hold the iPhone still for as long as possible.

Resident Evil: Degeneration ($6.99)
If meditating isn’t your bag, though, and you’re just on the lookout for another zombie head to pop, this may be just the app for you. Capcom’s Resident Evil: Degeneration is an incredibly faithful addition to the long-running series, featuring excellent 3D graphics, shake and tilt to fend off zombies or reload, and, of course, a panoply of disgruntled undead folk to unleash your sweet gunnishment upon. It’s a deep, action-packed experience, certainly ideal for fans of the series, and, at the moment, this is as close to console gaming as the iPhone can get.

Peggle ($4.99)
We’re finishing up this week with Peggle — a pachinko-style puzzler, which is a genre that seems to be all the rage on the iPhone at the moment. Arguably one of the titles at the forefront of this genre, at least in the online casual gaming space, is PopCap’s Peggle. The iPhone version is astonishingly good value for money and an example of just how much of a better experience a little polish and attention to detail can bring. The game packs in 55 levels, various game modes, loads of score-modifiers, replays, and even an array of weird characters, all of whom give it an Adult Swim-lite vibe. Just like Rockchinko, which I reviewed earlier this week, it’s a brilliant game, but it could still do with downloadable levels and online connectivity.

That’s all the picks for this week. I’ll be back in seven days with more news from the week and picks from the App Store.

In the meantime, what apps have you been using this week?

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Microsoft has lost its marbles regarding this whole “Apple is expensive” thing, which is clear with their latest “ad.” So far, they’ve only been running this ad online, which makes me wonder if even they know they’ve jumped the shark with this meme.

Their latest shot is a video with “certified financial adviser” Wes Moss. Wes explains that it takes $30K to fill Apple’s latest (120GB) iPod, but only $15 (a month) to fill a similar-sized Zune. Huh? It would appear that Wes is a “financial adviser” in the same way that Giampaulo is “technically savvy” and that Sheila will “cut video.” In other words, they may be these things, but if so, by no means are they good at what they do.

In Wes’ case, as a financial adviser — especially a certified one — I would think one should know what “renting” is. In fact, if your job title has the word “financial” anywhere in it, I would expect at least a reasonable grasp on borrowing vs. owning. Poor Wes, he thinks he got that Lamborghini for only $700, but at the end of his six hours he’ll find out exactly what renting is. For his sake, I hope the police aren’t involved.

Microsoft, this has been tried before. A company that at one time actually had a name in digital downloads tried this pitch. With a Super Bowl ad, no less. It didn’t work. Nobody bought (rented?) it then, and they won’t now.

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Some choice highlights:

The Zune is a breakthrough product, and we have the chance to “ride the lightning” and “shoot the curl” this holiday season,

If you always wait for the next price cut or to buy the new improved model, you’ll never buy any technology product. I mean, why should you? Truth is, you don’t really need any of this junk.

even though we are making the right decision to lower the price of the Zune, and even though the technology road is, like, this total Deathrace 2000-type scene, we need to do a better job taking care of our early Zune customers,

While some of the early iPhone adopters may not find this totally hilarious, I think it’s good for a laugh. And who knows, maybe you want a Zune for $129…

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So what better way to hide your iPod/iPhone in plain site than by sticking it inside a case that looks like Microsoft’s Zune? Clearly this should safeguard just about anything you wish to keep safe from would-be sticky fingers. I mean, who really wants a Zune???

Ok, so it’s just a silly joke…but we all know there’s truth behind every joke, right?

Via Uneasy Silence

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