Microsoft has finally released a device that could possibly compete with the iPod Touch, they have dubbed it the Zune HD.  The Zune HD came out on September 15th and is competing very well with the iPod.  In comparing the two, they are very similer, but the Zune HD does have several areas that it is superior to apples device.  Here is a list I have compiled comparing the two mp3 players.

Zune HD

• 16GB/32GB
• $219/$289
• 33 hours of audio playback
• 8.5 hours of video playback
• 3.3 inch display
• requires a $15 monthly fee for unlimited downloading
• HD radio
• 2.6 oz

zune-hd

iPod Touch

• 8GB/32GB/64GB
• $199/$299/$399
• 30 hours of audio playback
• 6 hours of video playback
• 3.5 inch display
• No required monthly fee, but cost per download
• radio only with external attachment
• 4 oz

32gb_ipod_touch

Take this as you will, use this to choose whatever device is better for you.  On another note, the iPod has over 75K apps and the Zune, a limited 10.  So decide what is more important for you, music, apps, or overall size.

The Consumer Electronic  Show is where most of the new gadgets coming out during the coming year are announced. It is held in Las Vegas every January. Ending on the tenth some of the devices announced already are multiple Sling Player devices, multiple netbooks, and USb 3.0 harddrives. Multitouch devices are a big part of CES this year. Microsoft announced their multitouch tablet, a multitouch 22″ monitor and an HP tablet PC.

As many of you have heard, Windows 7 and Snow Leopard have been out for a while now. From what I have heard, the initial launches of both products are pretty much over, I feel that a review should be written on their effect thus far. One important thing I would like to mention, I am both a Mac and PC user. Any quirks I may find in an operating system are strictly personal preference and should be treated as such.

First let’s talk about Windows 7, Microsoft’s latest addition to the Windows family. Compared to Windows Vista, 7 was designed to be faster, cleaner, and more functional. It certainly shows. From the moment you boot up a computer with Windows 7 installed, you get a sense of “this is just… right”. Boot-ups are faster than ever, programs open flawlessly, and little features allow you to be more productive. One of these features I have really grown fond of is the ability to put two windows side-by-side as shown below:

Windows 7: Windows Side-By-Side

The only feature about Windows 7 I struggle with is the new taskbar. I might just be used to the feel of Vista and XP with text labels next to the application icons.

Apple also released OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, which promised the same as Windows 7. A large part of OS X was rebuilt for this newest version so that it could incorporate modern technologies such as multiprocessing and 64 bit. Nothing visually is too different between Snow Leopard and it’s older counterpart Leopard, except for minor tweaks such as Quicktime and stacks found on the dock. I personally found boot up times to be the thing I hated the most about Leopard, but that was improved greatly upon by Snow Leopard (my last boot was about 37 seconds from a full shut down).

My Snow Leopard Desktop

Snow Leopard isn’t as full featured as I wanted it to be, but the speed alone was definitely worth the upgrade. I also wished it had the side-by-side feature built in, although you can download an application that does practically the same thing.

All in all, both operating systems are a great improvement compared to their predecessors. I highly recommend upgrading as with either software you will see a significant boost in speed, allowing you to fully harness the power of your PC or Mac.

Everyone has been going crazy about the new Zune HD and its capabilities, but does it stand a chance versus the iPod Touch? Obviously the Touch has been out for quite some time now and has over 1,000 apps, internet access, and much more. Lets look at the statistics:

Microsoft Zune HD

The Price:

The 8GB iPod touch sells for roughly 199$ brand new, the 16GB Zune HD, however, sells for only 20$ more at 220$. So that’s more space for less cash.

The Battery:

Apple has bragged with a hefty 30 hour battery life and 6 hours of video playback, but once again, Microsoft has shined through with a whopping 33 hours of battery and 8.5 hours of video playback. In addition, Microsoft claims the HD will charge faster as well, only 2 hours from a wall charger. Apple, on the other hand, says it charges fast to 80% but takes an additional 2 hours to reach full life.

Apple iPod Touch

Size/Weight

With the 2nd generation iPod Touch, it seemed as if nothing could be thinner, at a microscopic 8.5mm profile. Granted the Zune HD hasn’t been able to beat this incredible thin physique, it makes up for it in every other dimension. 2.1in wide to Apples 2.4in, and 4.0in tall to Apples 4.3 in. Also, the Zune HD takes the cake once again by weighing in at a feathery 74 grams,  36% less than the 115 gram iPod Touch.

Apps:

No doubt, the iPod Touch has almost limitless app capabilities. The Zune HD could not compare one way or another to 75,000 apps and counting. Granted the HD’s apps are all free, the abundance of apps the Touch has says it all.

In my opinion, I have been a Microsoft fan for a long time, I think that the Zune HD has really stepped up their game as far as competition with Apple. The Zune HD is very innovative and supports video playback, Internet access, as well as listening to your favorite tunes just as good, if not better than the Touch. Most people are loving the size and weight of the Zune HD because it is so small and compact, most people dont want to carry around a bigger portable media player. Most if not all of the polls on the Internet have voted in favor of the Zune HD, for example, a poll from Polladium.com, 53% of people (94 voters) have voted for the Zune, and 46%(82 voters) voted against.

Microsoft has a program to give free software to students. The Dreamspark programs gives students access to the server operating systems, Visual Studio, and the Expression Studio. Expression studio includes a web design program and a program to create images for use in websites and other projects.

To sign up for the program go to Journey Ed’s website and order the Dreamspark Verification key. Use your school email to sign up for the account and when it asks for school identification scan in a picture or take a picture of you school id. Go to the Dreamspark website and sign in with a Microsoft Live ID. Once you are signed in click go (see image)

After you have clicked go you enter your country and state. Once you have your verification code emailed to you that can be entered at step 3. Once you are verified you can begin downloading software.

Three of Mr. Wetzel’s students have recently received the title of “Microsoft Certified Application Specialist” after they complete a 50 minute exam which tests their skills in Microsoft Word. Cara Dowell, Dillon Walsh, and Jessica Walsh are MCAS for the Word application. Walsh & Walsh both plan to take another exam to receive the MCAS title for PowerPoint

Students that take Word, PowerPoint, Publisher 2007 with Mr. Wetzel, or Excel & Access with Mr. Kerkhoff can take the MCAS exams. To learn more about MCAS click here.