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Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
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Microsoft releases new and updated Zune HD apps

By | August 3, 2011, 7:44am PDT

Summary: If you’re a proud owner of a Zune HD, then Microsoft has a surprise for you - a raft of new and updated apps!

If you’re a proud owner of a Zune HD, then Microsoft has a surprise for you - a raft of new and updated apps!

There are nine new apps in all:

  • Finger Paint
  • Calendar
  • Trash Throw
  • Slider Puzzle
  • ColorSpill
  • Splatter Bug
  • Vine Climb
  • Decoder Ring
  • Tug-O-War

Here are the updated apps:

  • Shuffle by Album
  • Zune Reader
  • Penalty! Flick Soccer
  • Email
  • Echoes

It’s interesting that Microsoft chooses to do this after being so silent about the Zune line for so long (some would say that Microsoft has replaced Zune with the Windows Phone lineup). That said, it’s a great gift for Zune HD owners.

Microsoft plans on porting Zune HD apps to Windows Phone platform at some point in the future, so perhaps this release it related to those plans.

You can still pick up a Zune HD if you want one … and why shouldn’t you. All in all, it’s a competent media player.

(via WinRumors - thanks to the Zune HD fans who sent this in!)

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Topics

Microsoft Zune, Microsoft Corp., Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes is an internationally published technology author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology.

Disclosure

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

All opinions expressed on Hardware 2.0 are those of Adrian Kingsley-Hughes. Every effort is made to ensure that the information posted is accurate. If you have any comments, queries or corrections, please contact Adrian via the email link here. Any possible conflicts of interest will be posted below. [Updated: February 23, 2010] - Adrian Kingsley-Hughes has no business relationships, affiliations, investments, or other actual/potential conflicts of interest relating to the content posted so far on this blog.

Biography

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes is an internationally published technology author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology -- whether that be by learning to program, building a PC from a pile of parts, or helping them get the most from their new MP3 player or digital camera.

Adrian has authored/co-authored technical books on a variety of topics, ranging from programming to building and maintaining PCs. His most recent books include "Build the Ultimate Custom PC", "Beginning Programming" and "The PC Doctor's Fix It Yourself Guide". He has also written training manuals that have been used by a number of Fortune 500 companies.

Adrian also runs a popular blog under the name The PC Doctor, where he covers a range of computer-related topics -- from security to repairing and upgrading.

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RE: Microsoft releases new and updated Zune HD apps
non-biased 9th Aug
@Cylon Centurion Who needs apps on a PMP?
If you want to put it that way, who needs a PMP at all? wink
View in thread
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Message has been deleted.
BallmerFail Updated - 3rd Aug
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RE: Microsoft releases new and updated Zune HD apps
dazzlingd Updated - 3rd Aug
@BallmerFail What's the matter? Worried it sold more than Apple TV or Google TV?
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RE: Microsoft releases new and updated Zune HD apps
statuskwo5 3rd Aug
@dazzlingd happy
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RE: Microsoft releases new and updated Zune HD apps
tangoactor 3rd Aug
@dazzlingd Dang. LOL!! It's easy to forget that all of the big 3 (Apple, Google and Microsoft) have had major failures. That's called marketing. (Or, as I stated in a different reply; fashion.)
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RE: Microsoft releases new and updated Zune HD apps
Rama.NET 3rd Aug
@dazzlingd
+1
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RE: Microsoft releases new and updated Zune HD apps
Droid101 3rd Aug
I have a Zune HD. Best music player I've ever messed around with. I don't get the hate.
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RE: Microsoft releases new and updated Zune HD apps
tangoactor 3rd Aug
@Droid101 In the eyes of many; High Sales = Better Product. It's all fashion to me.
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Not quite
mdemuth 3rd Aug
@tangoactor
Windows sells so much more that OSX? Meaningless.
iPod sells so much better than Zune? The definition of quality and success.
Apple folks move the goalposts to suit their bias. They pick them up and move them to wherever Apple happens to be.
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RE: Microsoft releases new and updated Zune HD apps
anono 3rd Aug
@mdemuth
iPod sells so much better than Zune? Meaningless.
Windows sells so much more that OSX? The definition of quality and success.
Microsoft folks move the goalposts to suit their bias. They pick them up and move them to wherever Microsoft happens to be.
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RE: Microsoft releases new and updated Zune HD apps
anono 3rd Aug
@mdemuth
I might add the ipod isn't forced down people's throats like Windows is for any low end computer.
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RE: Microsoft releases new and updated Zune HD apps
anono 3rd Aug
@tangoactor
You are incorrect. High sales = cover the needs of more people. There is no way to say one product is better than another. What people get is based on people's need. I would never get a zune because of it's lack of app selection. I don't watch movies on a 3.2" PMP so my only use would be Music and I don't spend that type of money for a music player.
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"Windows is forced on people"
Michael Alan Goff 3rd Aug
There was a time when Linux netbooks were selling more. Then they sold less than XP.

Now there are less Linux netbooks sold.
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RE: Microsoft releases new and updated Zune HD apps
tangoactor 3rd Aug
@anono To clarify, my text stated "In the eyes of many". I was not stating my personal belief or whether or not the product "covers the needs of more people". I was simply stating that many people look at high sales as an indicator of a "quality product". Your statement about determining the better product is, essentially, what I was trying to get across in very few words. As for app selection, that's not a big deal for me and I don't mind watching video podcasts and short videos on a small screen so the Zune works very well for me.
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Never again
mwidunn 4th Aug
@tangoactor As one who had two 30GB's and an 18GB (all of which broke) and NOW has a Sony Walkman (with no problems), I don't care how nice the Zune HD looks or works. MSFT lost a customer.
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RE: Microsoft releases new and updated Zune HD apps
partman1969@... 4th Aug
@Droid101
You see hate everyday, with Apple ownership. No hate here, but aren't you one of the hypocrites who goes off on anything Apple?
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RE: Microsoft releases new and updated Zune HD apps
non-biased 9th Aug
@Droid101 I don't get the hate.
That's pretty funny coming from one of the biggest Apple haters around.
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RE: Microsoft releases new and updated Zune HD apps
tangoactor 3rd Aug
I've tried most of these apps. I really like Vine Climb, Splatter Bug is mindless fun and the Calendar app is decent.

Decoder Ring looks very interesting but I haven't had the time to do anything but start it up. I look foward to learning it.

However, I can't get Slider Puzzle to do any more than one tile slide. When I run my finger over a tile in the direction I want it to go, I hear the sound of a slide but nothing moves and no move is tallied in the count shown in the upper right.

Also, I didn't see Tug-O-War in Zune Marketplace (that might be because I'm getting old or was in a hurry) and none of the "updated" apps were showing updated Release Dates.

I'm particularly interested in getting the updated Email app. It starts wigging out after about 3 weeks on my Zune.
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RE: Microsoft releases new and updated Zune HD apps
gotamd@... 3rd Aug
I wonder if this means that Microsoft hasn't completely given up on dedicated Zune hardware. It's an extremely good PMP.
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RE: Microsoft releases new and updated Zune HD apps
tangoactor 3rd Aug
@gotamd@... It tells me that MS has not given up on future Zune (or Zune-like) media devices. Whether future models will have dedicated hardware is up in the air but I can't really envision a situation where it wouldn't be dedicated hardware. Of course, that's not my area of expertise.
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RE: Microsoft releases new and updated Zune HD apps
Cylon Centurion 3rd Aug
@gotamd@...

I hope not. I don't get this craze where we all have to drain our smartphone batteries just to listen to music now.
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RE: Microsoft releases new and updated Zune HD apps
game4monster 3rd Aug
I hope MS will use Zune HD as a proof of concept (POC) of their vision of extended the mobile screen, back in 2009. Bing for Microsoft Vision 2019 HD.
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RE: Microsoft releases new and updated Zune HD apps
Cylon Centurion 3rd Aug
The ZuneHD is the best PMP I've ever had. Just because it doesn't have an 'i' in front of its name, doesn't mean it's crap. wink
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RE: Microsoft releases new and updated Zune HD apps
anono Updated - 3rd Aug
@Cylon Centurion
No, it's crap because it's an overpriced PMP. The reason people pay the kind of money they pay for an iPod touch is because of its large selection of apps. Without that, the few people who buy Zune HDs are paying way too much to be an MS fanboy.
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RE: Microsoft releases new and updated Zune HD apps
Cylon Centurion 3rd Aug
@anono

Who needs apps on a PMP?
0 Votes
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RE: Microsoft releases new and updated Zune HD apps
anono Updated - 3rd Aug
@anono
Based on the sales, apparently a lot of people. If you don't need apps then read my last sentence and it's not just for Zunes, I would argue the same with the new iPod nano.
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Yeah, duh
Michael Alan Goff 3rd Aug
It sells more, so it's better.

Didn't you read the memo that reads "OSX only slightly better than Linux, way worse than Windows".
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RE: Microsoft releases new and updated Zune HD apps
dazzlingd 3rd Aug
@anono If you like music and want to listen to it cheaply and legitimately, then Zune Pass and Zune HD makes way more sense.

No-one bought Zune for the apps.
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RE: Microsoft releases new and updated Zune HD apps
Cylon Centurion 3rd Aug
@anono

I bought my ZuneHD for the sole purpose of listening to music. Not to play Angry Birds or Fruit Ninja. It's a PMP not a smartphone.
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RE: Microsoft releases new and updated Zune HD apps
non-biased 9th Aug
@Cylon Centurion Who needs apps on a PMP?
If you want to put it that way, who needs a PMP at all? wink
0 Votes
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RE: Microsoft releases new and updated Zune HD apps
Rama.NET 3rd Aug
@Cylon Centurion
I own both iPod Touch 3rd Gen and Zune HD. I got Zune HD from Windows Phone 7 forums that Microsoft ran last year as gift and iPod touch I bought because my son wanted some games on it. I used to listen music on my laptop previously, but now on Zune HD. Even my kids want to listen on Zune HD not on iPod Touch. Of course iPod Touch has more games and apps, but the quality of sound is on Zune HD. Period.
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RE: Microsoft releases new and updated Zune HD apps
partman1969@... Updated - 4th Aug
@Rama.NET
I call BS. Try connecting your HD Zune to High quality dock (oh yeah what dock?) that bypasses the internal DAC and plays lossless or high quality FLAC files as well as an iPod Classic or iPod touch through a high quality receiver or separates with dedicated sabertooth DAC and tell me about quality. With high quality files through headphones their sound (both iPod and HD Zune) are so similar through better quality headphones. Blind tests through Sennheiser headphones at a local dealer proved this years ago and they were promoting Zunes at the time.
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RE: Microsoft releases new and updated Zune HD apps
Mosblest 3rd Aug
I wish that MS just focused on the real mobile platforms and stop crapping around to suit their egos. They got rich because they made software that was well organized to work on the hardware everyone else was making. Google is the modern version of that but Apple makes a far superior overall product. MS can make killer apps for both platforms and license apps from smaller firms to be a software beast. They should focus on software but they are to focused on getting into an OS battle. One word, fruitless.
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RE: Microsoft releases new and updated Zune HD apps
akacheshire 5th Aug
we luv zune over here.its awesome.with windows 7 and vista.and our zunes/pcs/laptop and windows phones.dont forget membership to zune too and sync them all together too cool.my teenage son listens to his favorites while i do chores and download and listen to music threw my pc.and or phones/zunes while away.also another little fact join graboid.and can even get more choices more sync.i love to be able to switch it all up so easily.and also keep tabs on my teenage son.and all he loads n unloads.i can delete anything on his zune.all sinced threw mine.and he gets acces to xbox also.it covers all areas.simply.

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