Gadgetell | Tech News, Reviews, and Interesting Things

Today, the Zune HD launched to very little fanfare.  Early in, Twitter was abuzz with talk of problems getting the thing to work out of the box.  This player was supposed to be the best Microsoft’s Zune unit could bring out and early pics on talk was that it could best the legendary iPod touch.

Today, the headlines are full of the exact opposite.  Things like:
“Microsoft Zune Team Launches Latest Exercise in Futility”
Microsoft Zune HD: Cool, but no iPod killer
Zune HD launches today with app strategy as scattered as ever

Even tech-man Joshua Topolsky of Engadget tweeted, “sort of wowed by the pure trouble of getting this Zune HD working properly. Poorly played.”  What is going on?

One of the biggest surprises is the lack of an app store.  MS is working with developers on specific titles that they’ll offer to Zune users for free.  But as for an application market, the company line is that is something the Mobiles Window team is working on and we don’t want to duplicate efforts.  Yes, because having a successful app store would be a total waste of time.  Either your device is worth the investment in an app store or it isn’t.  The Zune team seems to think they can sidestep the Apple App Store success by not competing with it.

The device already has had its guts displayed for all to see over at anythingbutipod.com.  According to that site, written inside the device is “for our princess”.  The site explains: “For those wondering why the inside cover says “for our princess”, one of the Zune team members passed away during the development so they decided to dedicate this device to her. A very cool memorial. ”  Otherwise the guts are small.

Maybe all those folks that thought the Zune HD would burst on the scene had their attention diverted by a little French wonder from ARCHOS.  Also available today, the ARCHOS 5 Android MID launched via Amazon.com.  The device runs on Google’s Android OS and is music, GPS, internet and lots more all in one.  This one is a bit thicker than similar devices from Apple and Microsoft but worthy of a look, none the less.  Check out PC World’s first look here.