Apple Thoughts - News & Reviews on all things Apple

"Apple is reportedly developing an in-house radio application for the iPhone and iPod touch. According to 9to5mac, the nascent app will be capable of functioning "in the background" and is likely to offer the "same functionality" as the Nano FM radio."

The iPhone and iPod Touch have the FM functionality built in, they just haven't turned it on. And they are having some problems integrating it with the iTunes store, to allow tagging, purchasing, etc. I'm not big on listening to FM radio these days, since I fill that voice with XM Radio and podcasts, so this isn't a feature that I would normally use. However I can see the advantage of having it available, and it would be a nice addition to the iPhone/iPod Touch arsenal. On a side note, I do have to admit that I really like the looks of the Zune, but the iPhone has so much more functionality for my purposes so I won't be buying one anytime soon. If at all.  

"Because I'm sitting here watching the superb gdgt coverage of the Apple iPod event, I figured I might as well multi-task and jot down some point form reactions and thoughts on what I'm reading."

Image Credit: Woosk.com

There really isn't any controversy, I just like the comic. And since I'm suggesting you check out an article written from a Zune owners perspective, I thought it was appropriate, you know, feed the flame. But I digress! Jason from Digital Home Thoughts posted an article on his reactions to the Apple's "Its Only Rock and Roll" event yesterday. I think it is worth reading. I have the perspective of someone that has pretty much gone Apple, except for my Xbox at home and the PCs I use at work. I always enjoy these events and get excited about what Apple is coming out with next, but I don't think I'm a fanatic by any means. I think it is always good to see the other side, to get their perspective on things, and I thought it was an interesting article with some very good points. So head on over and jump into the fray if you haven't already!

"This is for all of you out there that enjoy using your iPhone as a music player. Well, you need to have a Zune pass too, but we’ll get to that. While this obviously is not an official way of doing things, the good people over at Gear Live have found a workaround that lets music from Zune stream on your iPhone. All you need is an application called Orb and a computer and you’re set."

There you have it. If for some reason you have the Zune software and an iPhone, you can use Orb to get your music on your iPhone. Not a bad idea if you have both, but who really does? Chances are if you're committed to Apple's platform you're probably not dabbling in the Zune.

That notwithstanding, this is kinda neat if you are.

"Microsoft Corp. today announced the evolution of Zune, the company’s end-to-end music and entertainment service, to a new platform and new markets. Zune will extend its video service to Xbox LIVE internationally this fall. This marks an important development in the Zune strategy and brings the Zune brand to more than 17 million international Xbox LIVE subscribers. In addition, Microsoft confirmed the next generation of the Zune portable media player, Zune HD. Available in the U.S. this fall, Zune HD is the first portable media player that combines a built-in HD Radio receiver, high-definition (HD) video output capabilities, organic light-emitting diode (OLED) touch screen, Wi-Fi and an Internet browser. “The Zune music player is an integral part of the overall Zune experience, and we’re proud to be growing and extending our offering beyond the device,” said Enrique Rodriguez, corporate vice president of the Microsoft TV, Video and Music Business Group. “Delivering on Microsoft’s connected entertainment vision, this news marks a turning point for Zune as it brings cross-platform experiences and premium video content to living rooms around the world.”"

If there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's not to worry too much about specs and wait until the device is in hand to test it out. Microsoft releasing their iPod Touch competitor (finally, after almost three years) doesn't impress me. Microsoft's labelling of it as "HD" doesn't impress me because there's nothing "HD" about it. The resolution on the screen isn't HD (Not even close), and for the most part, if radio stations are multicasting their "HD" station, the quality is nearly indistinquishable from standard FM radio. The only thing HD about the Zune HD is when you hook it up to a dock to play your HD content on an HD TV.

Oh yeah, and buying one locks you into one OS and, in the case of the marketplace, a very limited number of countries. In the year 2009. How quaint.

I'll wait until I see one in person because specs are specs and rarely translate into anything meaningful in the real world. I'm just disappointed that Microsoft went the "HD" route with it because the Zune HD has as much relevance to HD as the Radio Flyer has to radio.

Of course, if you're a fan or think you might be, our sister site Zune Thoughts will be providing exhaustive coverage so head over and check them out!

"Microsoft has put Wes Moss, Certified Financial Planner, to work in telling everyone why the Zune Pass makes more sense than purchases from the iTunes store."

Yep... Keep pimping those recurring bills in the down economy, Microsoft. I'm sure lots of people are looking to shell out another $15 a month for something they can't own. I don't know why I'm even bothering addressing this, though. Lots of defunct or little-used services have tried the rental model over the past few years and none of them have really caught on with customers. While I do think they have their place (please, spare me the crap in the comments; I'm really not interested in yet another lecture on why renting your music is such a great engine for discovery of blah blah blah), a vast majority of people want to actually own their music as evidenced by the fact that none of the rental services has been more than a niche blip on the MP3 market.

Oh yeah; did I mention that you're pretty much locked in to a Zune or Windows-based PC when you rent your music for $15 a month?

How quaint.

"When the topic of their children comes up, Mrs. Gates admits that world richest parents have banned iPods from their home, giving this irresistible quote: "There are very few things that are on the banned list in our household. But iPods and iPhones are two things we don’t get for our kids." When pressed on the topic Mrs. Gates admits that she’s been tempted by the iPhone, saying: "Every now and then I look at my friends and say ‘Ooh, I wouldn’t mind having that iPhone’."

I guess I wouldn't want a competitor's massive success rubbed in my face either. This shouldn't be too surprising, though. Remember the iPod Amnesty Bin that was stationed inside Zune HQ?

"The software maker plans to announce on Wednesday a price cut for its flash-based models. The 4GB version will drop to $99, the 8GB model will drop by $10 to $139, and the 16GB model will sell for $179, down from $199. Microsoft is also cutting prices for several of its Zune accessories. The cuts take effect on Wednesday in the U.S. and on Friday in Canada."

Our colleague over at Zune Thoughts, David Tucker, is excited about the price cuts that Microsoft announced yesterday, and even calls them "welcome news." You'd be hard-pressed to get me to agree with that statement. Microsoft has been playing catchup with the Zune since they rolled out the first version of it. While the iPod didn't launch as a great device (in fact, the first generation iPods were awful and expensive) it matured in a few years and took over the market. Microsoft's general attitude with the Zune has been "Hey! We have an MP3 player out on the market, too!" They underpowered the WiFi and embraced DRM in insane ways (except, of course, for their own DRM, Plays for Sure, which they abandoned) and tweaked the design a little at a time but made no major changes. The software interface is all well and good, but it's still, in the end, not an iPod which means you don't have access to the number one digital music retailer in the world.

I'm not writing this to bash the Zune, and you'll rarely see me write a post like this here, but this was one time where I just had to. The amount of desperation exhibited by Microsoft here is almost to the point of being embarassing and if they want people to think of the Zune as a first-class device, it's time they stopped acting like it was a second-class citizen.