Zune HD reviews are in and things look good for the new touchscreen mp3 player from Microsoft. Most major gadget sites have certified it a great device but most still feel it falls short of enough to take over rival iPod touch which offers so much more in the way of apps and accessories.

Zune HD scores lots of points from everyone and Matt Rosoff from Cnet feels it has at least 5 features Apple should steal and Joe Wilcox from Beta News feels it may be “The best portable media player you may never buy” and the Zune forums are alive with chatter on how zippy the Tegra processor is and what a pleasure Games for Zune are.

What this means to Zune and the success they have selling portable media players in this economy remains to be seen but we do know that it’s not the device specs holding it back. The Zune HD is one high performance medie device and a far improvement over previous Zune players.

Discuss this in the Zune Message Boards.

The full Zune HD review from Cnet is up and they have listed all the pros and cons to the device with a pretty sweet video as well. The Zune HD is a touch screen mp3 player from Microsoft that was released on September 15th and has been getting rave reviews from most major gadget sites online.

Check out the Zune HD review video for more details on the new mp3 player with internet access and web browser.

Zune HD (32GB – platinum) MP3 player reviews – CNET Reviews

The good: The Zune HD’s brilliant OLED display, HD Radio tuner, long battery life, movie rentals, and subscription music integration finally give iPod expatriates something to shout about.

The bad: You still can’t use the Zune with a Mac, Marketplace purchases require “Microsoft Points,” video format support is limited, audio quality lacks advanced controls, you’ll need to purchase a dock accessory for HD video output, application and game selection stinks, and the recommended music subscription plan puts the real-world cost higher than the iPod.

Technorati Tags: zune, zuyne hd, zune hd review

Here is a Zune review that compares the Zune 120 to the iPod Touch. I guess in price they are only about $20 in difference but the two devices are very different indeed. The touch interface sounds super cool but there have been some issues and it’s not so cool as to make up for the huge differences in hardware specs and music playing ability.

his Zune User and the reviewer seem to feel you get more with the Zune. If we can only get another few million people to see that then the Zune may catch on.

iPod Touch versus Zune

Having given my disclosures, here’s my verdict: The Zune is pretty nifty. The Touch, however, is a superfluous addition to Apple’s iPod roster.

Discuss this in the Zune Message Boards.

CNET released their latest prizefight gadget clash which pits our favorite the Microsoft Zune 120 against the iPod Classic. Last year the same match-up ended in a tie with the Zune almost catching some respect. This year things seem to have changed. Maybe it has more to do with the fact that Apple has made few changes in the Classic lineup and the new and continuously improving Zune are simply more modernized. Maybe Apple has big plans or even other and better devices but whatever the reason the Zune is finally getting a little respect.

CNET calls the Zune 120 the winner in a match versus the iPod Classic and we could not be more proud. It’s just great to see the Zune win such a thorough review by such a respected group as the Cnet team. Maybe things are starting to change in America and it’s out with the old and in with the Zune.

It’s a great review so I suggest you head over there and check it out now.

CNET Prizefight: Apple iPod Classic vs. Microsoft Zune 120 – CNET Reviews

Last year, our Zune vs. Classic Prizefight ended in a tie. This year, Microsoft’s underdog MP3 player finally inches ahead of the iPod Classic, taking some strong blows in our Compatibility round, but scoring a big victory with its Sound and science score. As Microsoft continues to aggressively update its high-capacity Zune MP3 player with new features, Apple seems all too content leaving its Classic alone and focusing on its Flash memory models: the iPod Touch and iPod Nano.

Here is your Zune review for today from Technroll.com. This Zune owner has also owned a total of 5 iPods and he calls the Zune a better player.

Zune Review

I’ve owned 5 different kinds of iPods, as well as the original Zune, and I must say, that this product is by far the best of the group. I spent the day trying to return my iPod Classic (80GB)so that I could get my hands on one of these—and I had to look just about everywhere in town to find one. Is this better than the iPod Classic? Undoubtedly. I can make a fair comparison, as I have been toying with the Classic for the last two weeks.

Here is a review of the Zune flash players from a Zune 30 user. He goes over many of the differences between first and second generation devices including the navigation and firmware upgrades.

Flash Zune review – Video Games, Gadgets and Technology – The X Button – MLive.com

Out of the box the device was running the v. 2.5 firmware and upon connecting to my laptop I was prompted to download the 3.0 software update. The first time I tried to install it the Zuneware encountered some sort of error and prompted me to try again, which I did without fault this time.

Once I the firmware installed I was able to transfer some music over. I chose to sync lossless versions of Nine Inch Nails’ digital release The Slip, Katy Perry’s One of the Boys, and Slipknot’s All Hope is Gone which took up all of 500 megabytes.

I was anxious to try out the most glaring difference between my Zune and the test unit: the touch pad. Dragging your thumb up, down, left, and right doesn’t always yield the expected results and the device sometimes took a few seconds to register my touch. Thankfully, I was still able to click my way through the menus like on my old Zune.

Other differences from previous models are Back and Play buttons that no longer lie flush with the surface and what looks to be an IR port on the top of the unit. Also the placement of the headphone jack is slightly askew and now resides on the bottom of the device next to the sync cable input. Speaking of the sync cable port, my old car charger snaps right into place, but does not charge the device. You will have to buy new power accessories for your new device if you are a returning Zune customer. Way to get us to shell out extra cash for accessories by making our old ones incompatible Microsoft.

Microsoft Zune 120GB (third generation, glossy black) MP3 player reviews – CNET Reviews

The bottom line: The Zune 120, with a unique focus on music discovery, is a fierce competitor to the iPod Classic. The Zune’s substantial storage capacity combined with its Zune Pass music subscription makes it an ideal solution for restless music fans with large appetites.

Technorati Tags: zune, zune pass, zune marketplace, zune 120