Guess there's no goodies from MS this month

[bullseye]

Don't think google maps on a device with a screen this small would be useful. Calendar with notes is a nice idea.

I tried on my friend's itouch the google maps app and screen was too small to easily locate one's position, plus it would be helpful if you could connect to internet in the middle of the city but as it is not 3G nor anything similar you are better off with a paper map.

Regarding internet connection, today I went to my University and couldn't connect. The system there works by using an email direction (from the university) and your own password.
It would be really handy to check mails, read notices of forthcoming exams, notes added by the professors, etc.

An email app would be handy. With gmail account it works quite well, but hotmail becomes difficult to use, even in mobile version.

Finally, I don't know if this has been mentioned, but in the majority of youtube videos, people complain that the headphone jack at the right down side becomes annoying when playing games. Well, if when you see the add (not that annoying and worth having -if it is the picture type, as it is now- if games are free) you tilt the player so that the headphone jack stays at the left upper side you will be able to play any game without the cable nor the headphone jack getting in the way.

Already waiting for more updates on stuff.

By the way, thanks Dave for getting in contact with the users.

Originally Posted by Olley

I'll take a classic like, well, maybe.... email? Give me a good old-fashioned calendar. How about Google Maps?

[Curiouss]

lol I have no use for google maps. :P

Ebuddy would be nice. or a Windows Live messenger app

[DaveMac-MS]

All I can say is, have patience guys. Yes, perhaps you're "over the buzz", but I argue more has been delivered and more promise remains than with almost any other device out there. Heck, call me biased (cos I am!) but thats MHO.

Microsoft will not be the source of all future apps. That model isn't sustainable, and doesn't get us to Olley's "once a week" goal. Stay tuned for more - that's enough out of me for the time being on this topic.

Cheers, Dave.

[bullseye]

I have no problem being patient. That is why I bought this device. It has a lot of potential and it just arrived to the market.

[mtnmedic]

Originally Posted by lip

Personally I have no idea why facebook is wanted for this device...you cant really post anything unless you have wifi in the area...I can see this functionality for a phone but not for the zune HD...just my opinion...

The device rocks as a media player...I still cant understand why anyone would buy this device if this was not their prime use...

Hear, hear! I wholeheartedly agree!

This is what separates the Zune HD from iPod and the rest of the herd.

The iPod is nice...don't get me wrong. But I see it as just another APPLICATION DEVICE, like so many others that are out there (only it's better than the majority of them). I've already got an application device. It's called an HTC Touch Pro Windows Mobile Phone and it does a lot of really cool stuff.

While having some other capabilities is nice, all I really want is a device that is PRIMARILY (if not JUST) a solid, serious music and media player I can enjoy for hours on end.

If I want to do all that other stuff, well then...that's what I have my Touch Pro and Sony Vaio P530H UltraPortable for.

[Olley]

Originally Posted by DaveMac-MS

Microsoft will not be the source of all future apps. That model isn't sustainable, and doesn't get us to Olley's "once a week" goal. Stay tuned for more - that's enough out of me for the time being on this topic. Cheers, Dave.

MS doesn't need to be the source of all apps. I don't care where they come from, but if MS can't encourage 50 apps a year for the HD then it doesn't stand a chance.

[Joshnor713]

Originally Posted by DaveMac-MS

All I can say is, have patience guys. Yes, perhaps you're "over the buzz", but I argue more has been delivered and more promise remains than with almost any other device out there. Heck, call me biased (cos I am!) but thats MHO.

Microsoft will not be the source of all future apps. That model isn't sustainable, and doesn't get us to Olley's "once a week" goal. Stay tuned for more - that's enough out of me for the time being on this topic.

Cheers, Dave.

A lot of us don't have a problem being patient, but Microsoft should say something, similar to what you've said about it, to not leave Zune HD owners outside of this forum discouraged. I don't understand this being absolutely quiet about it thing. I want to see this product be successful.

[JoshRead]

I don't understand why they can't tell us when the Facebook and Twitter apps are coming out. Dave says it's so their competition (Apple) doesn't get a leg up, but, I mean, what's Apple going to do? They've already got plenty of Facebook and Twitter apps.

[DaveMac-MS]

Originally Posted by JoshRead

I don't understand why they can't tell us when the Facebook and Twitter apps are coming out. Dave says it's so their competition (Apple) doesn't get a leg up, but, I mean, what's Apple going to do? They've already got plenty of Facebook and Twitter apps.

No, I didn't say that - I said that we aren't going to pre-announce or disclose product plans too early so our competition doesn't use that info for their advantage.

I'll be able to tell you more about the Twitter and Facebook apps once they're out - in the meantime, there are a number of cogs in this wheel and we'd rather stick to a quality-driven release schedule, than a date-driven one.

Cheers, Dave.

[McDougal]

Originally Posted by DaveMac-MS

No, I didn't say that - I said that we aren't going to pre-announce or disclose product plans too early so our competition doesn't use that info for their advantage.

I'll be able to tell you more about the Twitter and Facebook apps once they're out - in the meantime, there are a number of cogs in this wheel and we'd rather stick to a quality-driven release schedule, than a date-driven one.

Cheers, Dave.

So you're saying that you aren't deciding on a specific date to release the apps, you're just releasing whenever they're finished?

[DaveMac-MS]

Originally Posted by McDougal

So you're saying that you aren't deciding on a specific date to release the apps, you're just releasing whenever they're finished?

Nope, we have plans - but quality trumps date, should it come down to that.

Cheers, Dave.

[Olley]

Originally Posted by DaveMac-MS

... we aren't going to pre-announce or disclose product plans too early so our competition doesn't use that info for their advantage. Cheers, Dave.

Who exactly do you think the Zune HD's competition is? From my point of view, it's the iPod Touch. Period. No one else has bothered to go so close to toe-to-toe with it as the HD does with WiFi, Browser, Music store, Apps store, multitouch, and the expected media playback. I'd be more worried about Apple adding music rental/streaming over Wifi to the Touch (via LaLa aquisition) than Apple getting an advantage from knowing when you'll be releasing a few more apps. I have a feeling they are already pretty confident with their own App store's content.

[bullseye]

And what's wrong with that?

I prefer to have a well worked not rushed application than something mediocre that doesn't do what it was intended. You guys have to think about how much work it takes to put something into a device like this. Problems come from development, direction, execution, etc...

If things were really easy to do, we would have seen hundreds of apps already, and apple would have millions of apps as well.

I don't want to end with some nonsense "lightsaber" app on my zune hd, or some really useless stuff that I play with for 5 minutes and later think "what a waste of time".

Just be patient, let them do their work and keep speaking your ideas out loud. If Dave is there to read them and bring them to the team we might end up with some really nice apps.

Originally Posted by McDougal

So you're saying that you aren't deciding on a specific date to release the apps, you're just releasing whenever they're finished?

[Pai]

Originally Posted by bullseye

And what's wrong with that?

I prefer to have a well worked not rushed application than something mediocre that doesn't do what it was intended. You guys have to think about how much work it takes to put something into a device like this. Problems come from development, direction, execution, etc...
.......

You argument is sound and I agreed whole hearted with you on quality over quantity. However, if Microsoft had open the app store like they are planning/are doing for Windows Mobile, we will see alot more apps for the HD. Now, the work is separate to multiple development group other than just Microsoft itself.

I will be straight up front, the reason I said the above is because I really want to see Opera Mobile or any other browser on ZuneHD. The internal one is an improvement over the "previous" generation of IE but it is still too limiting.

[DaveMac-MS]

Originally Posted by Pai

You argument is sound and I agreed whole hearted with you on quality over quantity. However, if Microsoft had open the app store like they are planning/are doing for Windows Mobile, we will see alot more apps for the HD. Now, the work is separate to multiple development group other than just Microsoft itself.

My point remains that implementing a fully open app store, with a full-featured SDK, submissions process, approval process, commerce, etc... is a massive undertaking. It took Apple some considerable time to get theirs in place, and they have a team much larger than we do.

We decided to put our resources into focussing the product and making it excel in the areas it focusses on. Apps and games are secondary features for us - we want to NAIL media consumption. We'll always have work to do in that area, but that's where our priority is.

Windows Mobile - different story, and you'll hear more from them in due course, but already you're seeing an open app environment from them. That's not our goal with Zune.

We'll keep bringing new apps to market, we'll work with key partners to deliver really high quality stuff - but we're not trying to get squillions of apps in the store, and we're not trying to compete in the app space with iPod Touch - simple as that.

Cheers, Dave.

[Olley]

"not trying to compete...". That's a sure way to be a winner. Please send me a refund for my Zune HD now.

How about this for marketing theory: Make a device that people will buy for whatever reason. Once everyone wants one and most people have them, guess how easy it will be to amaze them with your media prowess.

[McDougal]

Hi Dave,

Can you give us any hint at all on when this new stuff will be released? All I need to know is if it will be released this month or not. And I will understand if you can't.

Thanks!

-McDougal

[gamersat678]

I'm no business major but I figure it would be in the Zune's best interest if the Zune team came out with some new apps right before Christmas. Articles get written up on the apps and readers read about them. They then think about buying the device or talk about it to other people. Good publicity. Just my guess.

[McDougal]

Originally Posted by gamersat678

I'm no business major but I figure it would be in the Zune's best interest if the Zune team came out with some new apps right before Christmas. Articles get written up on the apps and readers read about them. They then think about buying the device or talk about it to other people. Good publicity. Just my guess.

I agree. I think that would be just a great idea. If only MS would give us some hint on weather or not it will be released this month.

[cmbtking]

I still don't understand the fuss about apps....I wont lie there are a handful of apps I would like to see....but in the end I got my zhd for what it was made...a media player...and I feel it is as close to perfect in that aspect as anything else out there

I completely agree with Dave and microsoft....I would much rather have very high quality apps over half the crap apple has out there