Zune HD 32GB – platinum

The Zune HD measures 4-inches tall by 2-inches wide by 0.3 inch thick, making it slightly more compact than the iPod Touch. It also weighs 1.5 ounces less, helped in part by the use of aluminum instead of the chromed steel of the iPod.
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Supports: JPEG, WMV , MPEG-4, MP3 , WMA , CBR , VBR , AAC
Product type: Digital player / radio
PC interfaces: supported Wi-Fi , Hi-Speed USB
Flash memory installed 32 GB Integrated
Weight: 2.6 oz
Audio system built-in display: OLED
Diagonal size: 3.3 in
Resolution: 480 x 272
Mfr estimated battery life: 33 hours
Recharge time: 2 hours
Radio : FM

Packaged with the Zune HD are a proprietary sync cable and a pair of earbuds with colorful foam tips. The earbuds look much cooler than Apple’s, but its sound quality is equally poor.

Battery hours are nice, but video quality is really where the Zune HD hit it out of the park. Everything from standard-definition video podcasts to HD Zune Marketplace movie rentals looks fantastic on the 16:9 wide-screen OLED display. And while the screen resolution taps out at 480×272 pixels, the Zune HD’s video processor is capable of decoding videos as large as 1,280×720 pixels at 30 frames per second, provided that the video is routed to your TV using the optional Zune AV dock accessory. We still wish some of that video horsepower could be applied to a greater range of video formats, but with a screen this good, we’ll take what we can get.

You can display the Zune HD’s music, video, photos, and HD Radio tuner to your television using Microsoft’s $89 AV Dock. The package includes a remote control, charging adapter, HDMI cable, and composite video cable. It also unlocks the Zune’s capability to output high-definition (720p) video.

Advantages: 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.
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Disadvantages: 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.