Zune HD now in Canada

[Big Bear]

Listen. I thought the Zune ecosystem had left Canada for ever. Now the Zune HD is sold in Canada. Therefore its good news, no? If you think it sucks, don't get it, but stop treating this as if it was horribly bad news. If the Zune randomly lose functionality then by all means yes we can complain. But if its made more available, then I don't see any bad news. Please stop being mad, thank you.

Originally Posted by DaveMac-MS

Yes - to be clear, this wasn't me "scolding" the group for not jumping up and down and dancing around... rather just me pointing it out.

Sorry if I offended anyone.

Cheers, Dave.

'nuff said, don't you think?

[CrowdAds]

[RagingDaemon]

Originally Posted by Maxis

Zune HD released in late 2009 ..the hype fizzed out like a cheap soda and you expect the people to jump up and down over a product BARELY getting introduced in Canada of all places ?? Not even a sea to cross .. we speak the same language (for the most part) .. its a major trading partner with us and NOW your just getting a 1 year old end of life product to Canada without the marketplace??

And we are supposed to recieve this news as being positive ?
Should we have been more impressed ?
Seriously ?

Who gives a toss if its a media device ?? Media devices dont stand still my dear they require development too. I have never wanted an app machine ... However ..MS opened a pandoras box with the apps thing. They should have focused on getting more MEDIA centric functionality to the device BEFORE messing around with apps . They caused the apps uproar to themselves ... But that argument is for a different time.

for now .. Yeah! .. zuneHD is in canada ... With no marketplace support ... Yeaaah ... er .. oops .. i Yeaahed out of turn ..

This.

[The DarkSide]

PFFT!!! Too little too late. What, a Zune pass subscription possibly becoming available in Canada makes up for all the lack of support everyone has experienced up until now??? The legal sale of a 2yo device makes up for no FW updates or real OS improvements of the device itself???

Gimme a friggin' break. I owned every Zune but the older flash models - this is a crap announcement. Whoever says otherwise is either lying, or a blind fanboi!!! I'm a recovering Sony fanboi - I owe allegiance to no company - and I wanna see how many are blinded by this "monumental" announcement.

[Darkhyperchaos]

Microsoft is only over a year late. I agree with the post that said it's probably just to get rid of the excess stock in the US that nobody wanted.

I don't know why it's so hard to release a product like this worldwide from day one. It's a no-brainer, and it strengthens the claim that MS either really doesn't know how, or isn't willing to make a competitive device. Because if it was a competitive device, it would have been available worldwide from the start.

I guess this shows how low the brand has gotten, as the only announcements lately are either a couple new apps being released (thanks MS for giving the consumers a good and thriving app store...), or how the Zune HD is being released in a country that it should have been in over a year ago.

Until MS actually makes a competitive device, they will not get my money.

[Darkhyperchaos]

Originally Posted by glove4

This childish hostility is ridiculous. You do know that all previous Zunes were MP3 players, and thus used primarily for music and video? Has it never occurred to those on here with a personal agenda that the Zune HD is used for the exact same purposes? I have owned the HD twice, and it is an awesome mp3 player ... don't give a damn about apps, not why I bought it. Yes, the hardware is dated -- when compared with recent competition. That doesn't mean the Zune HD is obsolete as an MP3 player though. Please don't confuse your own lack of interest for everyone else who actually might be.

I agree. But these days, making an awesome MP3 player, or even an awesome music + video player doesn't cut it. That's fine if all you're looking for is a good music player, but as evident in the sales, that's not nearly enough, and that's not fine with many, if not most of the current consumers.

It's great the MS can make a great player for music and video, but if it can't even compare to the leading competition, then there's really no point to it. It's one thing to make a device that a thinning group of people like, but it's another to make a device that does well against the competition, and that is positively accepted by the general public.

The Zune brand only gets weaker and weaker as time goes on.

[Deathscythe]

Damn people are extremely hostile towards something like this. Yes it is late, but it is better than having no Canada release. Don't like zune. Fine, choose what you are looking for and not waste your time bashing something you won't like. Just like how people waste their time comparing shitty pop acts to their favorite bands or saying how Band A is better than Band B and your opinion is total fact because it is your holy opinion, right?

[Curiouss]

Originally Posted by Marvin the Martian

=_= goddamit man!. my sony walkman = lost my charger (trying to find it) and i need a seperate PMP cuz i can never go through the day with the iphone's battery

[bikertrash]

Man everyone is so pessimistic. I was thinking the Canadian release was proof that MS wasn't quitting on the HD. Afterall it would be silly to finally offer it and then six months later drop it. My Zen still works great but now I will get an HD just for the rebellion. I've become a believer, ya don't need no eq when you have great phones. And the HD sounds great, just like it sounded great in 2009.
Actually I'll probably get the HD later this year, got cash tied up trying to get my bicycle ready for the thaw.

[compuok]

Wow now that ms can no longer sell this outdated zune hd in the us is releasing to other countries to see if it sells the leftovers. Good thinking ms job well done

[Olley]

The rest of the cell-phone using world will get "Zune HD" eventually. Why? Because MS and the phone companies want their phone7 phones to be sold there. The HD uses the same PC or Mac sync app as the phones do, so it is a relatively easy thing to add. Any country phone7s are sold in might as well sell the Zune HD too.

[berklon]

Originally Posted by bikertrash

Man everyone is so pessimistic. I was thinking the Canadian release was proof that MS wasn't quitting on the HD. Afterall it would be silly to finally offer it and then six months later drop it.

Not if they're clearing out unsold inventory. It's not the first time a company released something only to drop it shortly afterwards.

[steinburger1109]

Hahaha this site should be anythingbutzune there are so many people that flame against them more than Apple! =/

Originally Posted by Uberman5000

Though between this and a Windows Phone 7, I'm not sure. There probably isn't a screen on any Canadian WP7 that could match it, or any one that has an HDMI out, and if I'm honest, I'd rather have an Android phone. One thing I do with my Zune a lot is I use it to lug my video collection around, so I can plug it into my friend's TV and watch a movie. It's kind of annoying that it wouldn't be able to store my whole music and my whole video collection, but the videos can probably circulate a bit. Wish I could get that 32GB one while it's $70 off, but I'm entirely skint. Hope the sale will be on for a while...

Well, from what I've heard, the ZuneHD's music experience beats WP7's, but if you can't afford two devices, you've got a tough decision. Then again I have limited personal experience with both Android and WP7...

Much luck,

[McGyyver]

still not europe... while I gotta say, me PC is officialy in the USA now, or at least Zune thinks so

[Darkhyperchaos]

As I already said, there's no reason the Zune HD shouldn't have been available worldwide at launch. Not meaning to beat MS down, but there's reason to question why MS waited over a year to do the bare minimum that should be the standard right now. And because it's only to Canada, and not a list of countries, there's a very good chance it is indeed only to get rid of the excess stock from the US.

I want the Zune brand to succeed and be competitive, I really do. But I'm pissed that MS is both driving the brand into the ground, and practically dropping support for a device that is only over a year old. I really thought this time they would at least release regular firmware updates with all the features that the consumers wanted. Sorry, but I'm not about to defend MS for almost abandoning its own users, and at least lately, just sitting back and doing nothing with the Zune brand.

Some may argue that the Zune HD is not dead, as there's still a few apps being developed here and there, but first off, if you want apps, there's a way better device for that. And second, many of the Zune users said that one of the reasons they picked the Zune HD was because they didn't care about apps. I could see getting a lot of flack for saying this, but I'm just stating the reality, because if apps really were so meaningful and important, then there's better options with an iOS or Android device.

I can already see the people on here typing their dissatisfaction with my post, and calling me an anti-Zune Apple-fanboy. I'm not an Apple-fanboy, and I'm really hopeful for a Zune HD2 that finally has the specs to be competitive with the iPod Touch. But looking at the reality right now, MS seems to have no intention of putting much effort into the Zune, they don't seem at all interested in making a competitive successor, they are moving farther and farther away from their Zune brand, and the Zune HD did poorly because of their decisions.

I'm just not one to blindly follow a company because I can (not at all saying people of these forums do), I follow who will give continuous support to a device (successors, regular firmware updates, regular improvement, Etc), who makes smart competitive choices, and who is always supporting and improving their brand. Based on this, it's not hard to see that MS dropped the ball.

[Uberman5000]

Originally Posted by steinburger1109

Hahaha this site should be anythingbutzune there are so many people that flame against them more than Apple! =/

You should have heard them lambaste the Sansa Fuze+ when it came out.

[StephenPT]

As far as the comments go in regards to MS doing this to dump Zune stock, I think there's a lot of validity to that.

As some of you might remember right before Christmas, Costco was seen with large stacks of Zune HDs (the display was a cardboard panel which you took to the register and they had a stock boy pull it from the electronics vault).

Costco's business model is to find good deals on bulk items/quantities and in a lot of cases they are discontinued or soon to be by the manufacturer. Not all products they sell fit that category, but as far as clothing, electronics, home appliances... many of them are discontinued models and you won't find them at the other major retail stores.

I bought both of my Dyson vacuums (handheld and upright) at Costco at a great price, but the particular models I purchased were nowhere to be found at the other major retailers. The same goes for my Canon Vixia HF200 video camera. Great price, but could only find a few other retailers that still had it in stock.

Costco use to sell I-Pods, but pulled those when they started displaying the Zune HD. I'd assume they'll bring back Apple products once they exhaust their Zune HD inventory.

[RagingDaemon]

Originally Posted by Darkhyperchaos

As I already said, there's no reason the Zune HD shouldn't have been available worldwide at launch. Not meaning to beat MS down, but there's reason to question why MS waited over a year to do the bare minimum that should be the standard right now. And because it's only to Canada, and not a list of countries, there's a very good chance it is indeed only to get rid of the excess stock from the US.

I want the Zune brand to succeed and be competitive, I really do. But I'm pissed that MS is both driving the brand into the ground, and practically dropping support for a device that is only over a year old. I really thought this time they would at least release regular firmware updates with all the features that the consumers wanted. Sorry, but I'm not about to defend MS for almost abandoning its own users, and for at least lately, just sitting back and doing nothing with the Zune brand.

Some may argue that the Zune HD is not dead, as there's still a few apps being developed here and there, but first, if you want apps, there's a way better device for that, and many of the Zune users said that one of the reasons they picked the Zune HD was because they don't care about apps. I could see getting a lot of flack for saying this, but I'm just stating the reality, because if apps really were so meaningful and important, then there's better options with an iOS or Android device.

I can already see the people on here typing their dissatisfaction with my post, and calling me an anti-Zune Apple-fanboy. I'm not an Apple-fanboy, and I'm really hopeful for a Zune HD2 that finally has the specs to be competitive with the iPod Touch. But looking at the reality right now, MS seems to have no intention of putting much effort into the Zune, they don't seem at all interested in making a competitive successor, they are moving farther and farther away from their Zune brand, and the Zune HD did poorly because of their decisions.

I'm just not one to blindly follow a company because I can (not at all saying people of these forums do), I follow who will give continuous support to a device (successors, regular firmware updates, regular improvement, Etc), who makes smart competitive choices, and who is always supporting and improving their brand. Based on this, it's not hard to see that MS dropped the ball.

This. Well said. Your 2nd to last paragraph is a fact. And I agree on the last one, too.

emphasis mine.

[FreeZ5]

Originally Posted by StephenPT

Costco use to sell I-Pods, but pulled those when they started displaying the Zune HD. I'd assume they'll bring back Apple products once they exhaust their Zune HD inventory.

So you think Costco Canada sold out their remaining stock of iPods back in late Nov/early Dec so that they could sell Zunes in March. Personally I don't thnk so. It was rumoured that Costco dropped the iPods because Apple wouldn't let them sell the iPad.

FYI, the local Costco Canada has the Sony Walkman E354 now.

Steve

[Deathscythe]

Originally Posted by The DarkSide

Gimme a friggin' break. I owned every Zune but the older flash models - this is a crap announcement. Whoever says otherwise is either lying, or a blind fanboi!!! I'm a recovering Sony fanboi - I owe allegiance to no company - and I wanna see how many are blinded by this "monumental" announcement.

Wait you say you pledge no allegiance to a company, but say your an sony fanboy. That just seems like a huge contradiction. Seriously if somebody doesn't agree with your statement they are an automatic fanboy or lying from what fact? I could tell that you don't like zune anymore. Fine, there is cowon, sansa, Android and stuff other than zune that is pretty good that could suit your needs(I don't know you so yeah)

Originally Posted by steinburger1109

Hahaha this site should be anythingbutzune there are so many people that flame against them more than Apple! =/

I question why this site is even called anythingbutipod. Now I don't have a problem with criticism, especially with this device, cus it has negatives that are mentioned and valid at times. But I don't see how can somebody say something that has no support, when clearly there has been support shown recently, True it is late for a device like this to be finally sold. If ms didn't care for this they would've never gave the zhd mac support recently and a Canadian release, or hell ask for beta testers for apps that are coming(no the device is not an app machine and it was marketed to not be one, yet they still would continue dishing out apps). The problem is that none of these statements about zune is being dead and forgotten by ms has no actual proof, but probably some angry fanboy that wouldn't buy a zune in the first place.

Show me evidence that they are not supporting the device. heres a little qoute "There is a line you must draw between your dream world and reality......The Philosopher, You know so much about nothing at all"(Look up Death-The Philosopher lyrics if you want the full thing).

Sorry if I wen't too far or offended anybody, even though how can you get offended over a little device. It's like being offended if apple did something positive towards them(since this is a anti-apple site), If I don't care for a company and don't like their products, then why bother.

[steinburger1109]

Originally Posted by Deathscythe

I question why this site is even called anythingbutipod. Now I don't have a problem with criticism, especially with this device, cus it has negatives that are mentioned and valid at times. But I don't see how can somebody say something that has no support, when clearly there has been support shown recently, True it is late for a device like this to be finally sold. If ms didn't care for this they would've never gave the zhd mac support recently and a Canadian release, or hell ask for beta testers for apps that are coming(no the device is not an app machine and it was marketed to not be one, yet they still would continue dishing out apps). The problem is that none of these statements about zune is being dead and forgotten by ms has no actual proof, but probably some angry fanboy that wouldn't buy a zune in the first place.

Well, just so you know, it's called anythingbutipod because it's designed to promote non-iPod PMPs... But anyway, yes, Zune's got its flaws. No player's perfect, however. But I agree with your defense of ZuneHD's support.

Originally Posted by Deathscythe

Show me evidence that they are not supporting the device. heres a little qoute "There is a line you must draw between your dream world and reality......The Philosopher, You know so much about nothing at all"(Look up Death-The Philosopher lyrics if you want the full thing).

I agree here, as well. Although, I don't really consider wild speculation philosophy

Originally Posted by Deathscythe

Sorry if I wen't too far or offended anybody, even though how can you get offended over a little device. It's like being offended if apple did something positive towards them(since this is a anti-apple site), If I don't care for a company and don't like their products, then why bother.

As long as you don't make unjustified attacks on someone, they shouldn't take offense. As long as everyone keeps it civil and understanding of the others' views, we should all be good.