Ask Dave (A Microsoft Employee)

[DaveMac-MS]

Yup, I get it locally at a Whole Foods store - but you can also get it (and other Aussie treats - I get my BBQ Shapes here) from www.simplyoz.com.

Cheers, Dave.

[copeys]

Originally Posted by DaveMac-MS

Yup, I get it locally at a Whole Foods store - but you can also get it (and other Aussie treats - I get my BBQ Shapes here) from www.simplyoz.com.

Cheers, Dave.

God, I love my shapes!! They have a new flavour out... woodfire Pizza! It's the best thing!

Anyway... we are way of the rails here :s

So... umm Dave... what sort of computer do you have?

[Olley]

Originally Posted by DaveMac-MS

Definitely. This is the kind of device I've been waiting to unleash against the competition. Cheers, Dave.

The Touch appears to be the only player out there with a 480 x 320 (1.5 ratio) screen. Right between 4:3 (1.33) and 16:9 (1.77). I've noticed that my touchscreen 16:9 players are great for wide screen video but suck at 4:3 video, and there is still plenty of that out there. They also suck with the typical 4:3 photo ratio my digital camera produces. The Touch on the other hand scales all videos and photos to fill it's screen with out any intolerable distortions. Can you share reflection of any debate that may have occured when selecting the screen to use on the ZuneHD?

[cubanresourceful]

Dave, can we expect more codec support in the ZuneHD and the Zune Software?

Secondly, will more labels jumpship and allow their music to be downloaded on the Zune Marketplace? Also, will there be more albums available to download? (Ultimate Dance Party 1997 comes to mind.)

Third, will an app store be added to the marketplace?

Lastly, why isn't the marketplace using WMA Pro codec? Just wondering.

[darkiv0ry]

Originally Posted by suffer1989

Would it be too much to have the zune client run on non-windows systems ?
I dont wanna create a dual-boot setup just to run a pmp client .

Try out virtualbox.

[DaveMac-MS]

Originally Posted by cubanresourceful

Dave, can we expect more codec support in the ZuneHD and the Zune Software?

Secondly, will more labels jumpship and allow their music to be downloaded on the Zune Marketplace? Also, will there be more albums available to download? (Ultimate Dance Party 1997 comes to mind.)

Third, will an app store be added to the marketplace?

Lastly, why isn't the marketplace using WMA Pro codec? Just wondering.

Three questions I'm not going to answer at this point, and the last one - I really don't know (but suspect that our research has shown that it doesn't qualify as a codec that would get much use from our users, and so other features have taken a higher priority - but that's just a guess).

Sorry I couldn't be more helpful.

Cheers, Dave.

[cubanresourceful]

That's quite all right. Let's see, some more questions. If you're able to answer of course lol. :P

First, will the battery life be a step up from the previous generation? Can we expect more than 30 hours of playback?

Secondly, since we all know the Zune is powered by NViDiA Tegra, and the audio is being decoded by the Tegra, can we expect a better or worse sound than say the Wolfson DAC? Will it sound better than the previous generation Zune?

Thirdly, should we be anticipating something new and fresh with the ZuneHD? Other than the Tegra? I mean, I read that software wise, there is going to be a different way of interacting with your music, something more intuitive, is that something you're able to elaborate?

Will there be movies in the Zune Marketplace? And will there be a Music + Video Zunepass?

Also, will the ZuneHD be running Windows CE 5.0 or 6.0? If it's running Windows CE 6.0, will it be running an exFAT filesystem? Because I was thinking, if the average 720p video running at minimum specifications is about what, 2.5GB per hour, than we are looking at for the standard movie at least 5GBs per file, which is over the limit of FAT32, rendering the HD moniker of the Zune useless, unless Microsoft came up with a way to store it, ie exFAT, or a splitting the file and linking them together? Can you elaborate on that?

Are you even going to be able to answer these questions?

If you were to ask your Magic 8 ball a question, what would it be?

What's your favorite type of food to eat?

Lastly, have you ever had a cuban sandwich?

[DaveMac-MS]

Originally Posted by cubanresourceful

Are you even going to be able to answer these questions?

Nope, but full marks for one of the most entertaining posts yet.

Originally Posted by cubanresourceful

If you were to ask your Magic 8 ball a question, what would it be?

I ask it a different question each day - and always get a good chuckle when it comes up with "Outlook not so good". Not sure how it always knows that!

Originally Posted by cubanresourceful

What's your favorite type of food to eat?

Either a top notch steak from an American steakhouse, or authentic Italian.

Originally Posted by cubanresourceful

Lastly, have you ever had a cuban sandwich?

Never have, but think I will have to now!

Cheers, Dave.

[Ike29]

I've been trolling here since they announce the Zune HD and wanted to commend
Dave for being a good sport on answering these questions.
I just have one question. How is the sound on the Zune HD, can you compare it
to any player out there now. I have a iriver H300 and have yet to find a player
to even come close to the sound of my beloved rockboxed player.

Ike

[DaveMac-MS]

Well, as much as I'd love to give the device an insanely glowing review here, not being the audiophile others in this group are, I really couldn't give a good answer. I think the sound is awesome, but I thought the Clix was awesome and the Creative Zen devices too.

I'm also the owner of a pair of Bose QC2's and QC3's and think they sound awesome too. Likewise my Ultimate Ears 10's, my Shure's and even my Zune Premium earbuds.

I can tell you what sounds bad - free headphones on airplanes for example - but I really have trouble distinguishing between awesome and really awesome.

That said, we used to have a VP at Microsoft who was a "golden ears", and we do very extensive testing of our audio products with people who really can tell the difference. The EQ in Windows Media Player for example was personally tuned by our VP since he had the ears required to "get it right".

I can't tell you what we do in Zune (I actually don't know - but I'm making a list of this kind of stuff to be able to post about after we've launched), but I cranked MJ at very high volume on Friday and sufficiently impressed my colleagues...

Does that help?

Cheers, Dave.

[Ike29]

Well, no but thanks anyway Dave. I guess i'll just have to wait for
the launch of Zune HD and test it out for myself @ Bestbuy or Target.
I'm on my way to the sony store to test out the new Sony touch player
during my lunch hour.

Thanks for your help Dave

Ike

Btw it's good to see a fellow MJ fan he will be miss but never ever forgotten

[cubanresourceful]

Thanks for replying back Dave, I've got more questions up my sleeve, but I really need to get to bed, (gotta wake up early for work tomorrow), so I'll save those when I log in from work. But here is a drive-by question.

What credentials, experience, criteria, etc. would I need to work at Microsoft as an engineer?

(If you are wondering, that's what I want to major in college, as a Computer Engineer! :P)

[DaveMac-MS]

Originally Posted by cubanresourceful

What credentials, experience, criteria, etc. would I need to work at Microsoft as an engineer?

Ahh, a question I can answer!

Most of the developers or test engineers in my team all have at least a 4 year college degree in computer science, computer systems engineering, or equivalent. This is true of program managers too, although they might have degrees in other fields instead.

I'm in business development and have a bachelor degree in electronic engineering and a masters degree in IT & Telecommunication. I'm a bit of an odd duck on my team (most have JDs and/or MBAs).

Cheers, Dave.

[Olley]

OK, is everyone on the Zune team an "engineer"? Any graphic designers? Any art majors? How about anyone else in design field such as Architecture or product design?

Just curious. Thanks for reading this

[cubanresourceful]

More questions for you Dave, of course, answer what you can.

Any comments on the build quality of the ZuneHD? Is there any flex, do things seem to fall apart or wear down considerably after moderate use, does it attract fingerprints like crazy, etc.?

What about the screen itself? Is it drop dead gorgeous? More importantly, can it be viewed in sunlight, or is the sun still reigns supreme?

Can the ZuneHD survive a day with a 2 year old?

Will Zune Originals still be available for the ZuneHD? Will the artwork also be available for the front of the Zune?

Will the Zune be able to double up as a toaser?

Speaking of the web browser, will is support Flash, Silverlight, both, or none?

Regarding applications, will Microsoft be as restrictive as Apple, which means we will not see Fennec anytime in the forseeable future?

Is it in the realms of possibility that we can modify the underlying firmware to a certain degree, or will the Zune team add more customization features, as in skinning, etc.?

Hardware wise, do you think that the insides of the Zune are more or less the same as the other Zunes, or is Microsoft upgrading those components too?

Is it possible that I can play Galaga on the ZuneHD??? :O

Will there be OTA updates for the Zune, or must we have to sync in order to update it?

Will there be background apps and processes in the Zune?

Can you cook?

What cellphone do you use and network?

Side note, is Microsoft offering any college scholarships right now?

Also, how can I get on one of those, Are You A PC commercials? I would love to choose a laptop of my choice under 2000$ and keep it. I'll do an "internet edition". I mean, who goes to the store and buys a consumer laptop?

[zedicus]

I HIGHLY doubt we will see Fennec unless it is user created, I think Microsoft will try to push IE instead of Firefox.

[DaveMac-MS]

Originally Posted by Olley

OK, is everyone on the Zune team an "engineer"? Any graphic designers? Any art majors? How about anyone else in design field such as Architecture or product design?

Nope, lots of other folks. I'm sure lots of art majors. Like I said, we had a bunch of people join us from the fashion and music industries when we kicked off the project back in 2006.

Originally Posted by cubanresourceful

Will the Zune be able to double up as a toaser?

I can confirm that we are not shipping toaster functionality in ZuneHD.

Originally Posted by cubanresourceful

Hardware wise, do you think that the insides of the Zune are more or less the same as the other Zunes, or is Microsoft upgrading those components too?

This is a completely new design from any previous generation of hardware.

Originally Posted by cubanresourceful

Can you cook?

Quite well in fact - I enjoy cooking in a mediterranean-fusion style, although I've become quite dab at gourmet grilling, following the recent purchase of an 800 degree outdoor searing grill.

Originally Posted by cubanresourceful

What cellphone do you use and network?

I have several, but my main phone is an iPhone 3GS on AT&T.

Originally Posted by cubanresourceful

Side note, is Microsoft offering any college scholarships right now?

Absolutely. See: http://www.microsoft.com/college/ss_overview.mspx

Originally Posted by cubanresourceful

Also, how can I get on one of those, Are You A PC commercials?

I think you camp outside a Seattle-area Best Buy until a truck drives up with a license plate reading "BINGPWNS" and a camera crew unloads as a Brinkman armoured truck drives up right behind. Good luck with that - let me know how it goes.

Cheers, Dave.

[cubanresourceful]

Thanks for your brilliant answers! I'll of course ask more questions as I think them, and as you can see, I can think them up real good lol. :P Cannot WAIT to get my hands on one of these, oh jeez. You've been very helpful, good to see someone from Microsoft helping out others and answering questions, should show people that Microsoft isn't all that evil. (Just kidding, now that I remember, I gotta find out where that link to try out Office 2010 went....)

[DaveMac-MS]

Originally Posted by cubanresourceful

You've been very helpful, good to see someone from Microsoft helping out others and answering questions, should show people that Microsoft is all that evil. (Just kidding, now that I remember, I gotta find out where that link to try out Office 2010 went....)

You mean "isn't", right?

Cheers, Dave.

[TwystedMonkey]

Dave can you comment on the Canadian release of the Zune HD? I would be pretty disapointed if we have to wait until the US has had it for 3 months before we see it. I understand if this is something you can't talk about.