The Zune display may be bigger but it's the same resolution as the iPod - 320x240. It's just that they've stretched it out into a weird aspect ratio on the Zune.
WiFi strikes me as an oddity for what they're doing. For transferring songs to your friends, I'd have thought Bluetooth would be better - less power and fast enough for casual use - but maybe they put wifi in for something else as you surmise. I can guess why they didn't put Bluetooth in - Windows Mobile doesn't support Bluetooth 2.0 yet but it does do WiFi. Then again, you don't see many people browsing the net on their Nintendos and PSPs which have WiFi in too.
Dunno. Opening shots yet in the war. Both have plenty of time yet. It'll come down to marketing not features IMHO anyway and I know who I'm betting on in that contest.
Marketing will win unless the zune has much better features than the ipod. If it is only a marginal improvement ( like wifi is right now ) or a slightly larger screen at same display ratio ( like zune ) than it isn't enough. Maybe the Zune Marketplace and software will be that extra feature, or maybe they have already pulled out all their big guns.
Let's just hope they don't have to resort to advertising. The 360 commercials ( jump in ) has always left a sour taste in my mouth. Although I do actually like the 2nd zune advertisment. ( the bird one that everyone hates )
The Zune display may be bigger but it's the same resolution as the iPod - 320x240. It's just that they've stretched it out into a weird aspect ratio on the Zune...
Yeah, it's really fracking bizzare. It means that 320x240 files are encoded anamorphic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anamorphic#DVD_video) and somehow de-anamorphosed when playing back in the dodgy stretched Zune screen.
Yeah, it's really fracking bizzare. It means that 320x240 files are encoded anamorphic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anamorphic#DVD_video) and somehow de-anamorphosed when playing back in the dodgy stretched Zune screen.
I'm not sure if it really is that shape or it's an artifact of the image. One article said that it was 4:3.
I also measured several pictures of the screen, and it comes to 4:3.
What would be the point to having wide pixels? Everything would simply look stretched.
Taking our favourite iPod widescreen video mockup, it's aspect ratio is 1.683, resolution looks to be 640x380 in this case below.
that looks so cool.8)
Man I hope Apple's PMP looks like that. ( or knowing apple, they will make something totally different but even better than any dreamed up photoshop ) ( e.g. Shuffle )
It just hit me -- What if the front is a beautiful non-touch widescreen 640x380 widescreen. Now, the back of it is the full wide touchscreen. Think of it as a trackpad of sorts on the back, a big wide one. That way whichever way you are gripping it and if you are left or right handed, as you scroll around on the back part with your left or right hand fingers, the overlay controls come on the viewable front wide non-touchscreen. This sounds plausible, but the iPod video widescreen from the mockup would need a slight redesign - a kind of grippable-handle, as subtle as possible, on both sides of the iPod widescreen video. This way, with one hand, in widescreen aspect ratio, you hold the iPod widevideo and view the front, and without having to turn it around, you can control the scrollwheel by moving your fingers around the back - again, without having to flip the iPod widevideo around, still watching the front, and it works for both right- and left-handers. *DING* *Light Bulb*
It just hit me -- What if the front is a beautiful non-touch widescreen 640x380 widescreen. Now, the back of it is the full wide touchscreen. Think of it as a trackpad of sorts on the back, a big wide one. That way whichever way you are gripping it and if you are left or right handed, as you scroll around on the back part with your left or right hand fingers, the overlay controls come on the viewable front wide non-touchscreen. This sounds plausible, but the iPod video widescreen from the mockup would need a slight redesign - a kind of grippable-handle, as subtle as possible, on both sides of the iPod widescreen video. This way, with one hand, in widescreen aspect ratio, you hold the iPod widevideo and view the front, and without having to turn it around, you can control the scrollwheel by moving your fingers around the back - again, without having to flip the iPod widevideo around, still watching the front, and it works for both right- and left-handers. *DING* *Light Bulb*
Seriously though, take a wallet-sized thing* about 1/4 inch thick, and play around with it. The thumb holds the front (iPod wide videoscreen), and yeah, it's interesting, after a while one would have an idea of the type of movements you could make on the back (the iPod Video back-side-"trackpad") that could trigger various iPod actions.
*A passport is just nice, though I hear not many Americans have one
...The middle finger (no jokes!) seems to work best.
Yeah, it has the most leverage somehow. Do this test: put your right or left hand flat on the table. Lift your thumb only, ok. 2nd finger, ok. 3rd finger, ok. Last finger, ok. 4th finger: for me, I can't lift it high at all while keeping all other fingers and my palm flat on the table.
Quote:
Originally Posted by melgross
Of course, the thing could be flipped 180° for left handed people, if required.
A setting in the iPod widescreen would be set so that it would know how to interpret the touchings.
Comments
The Zune display may be bigger but it's the same resolution as the iPod - 320x240. It's just that they've stretched it out into a weird aspect ratio on the Zune.
WiFi strikes me as an oddity for what they're doing. For transferring songs to your friends, I'd have thought Bluetooth would be better - less power and fast enough for casual use - but maybe they put wifi in for something else as you surmise. I can guess why they didn't put Bluetooth in - Windows Mobile doesn't support Bluetooth 2.0 yet but it does do WiFi. Then again, you don't see many people browsing the net on their Nintendos and PSPs which have WiFi in too.
Dunno. Opening shots yet in the war. Both have plenty of time yet. It'll come down to marketing not features IMHO anyway and I know who I'm betting on in that contest.
Marketing will win unless the zune has much better features than the ipod. If it is only a marginal improvement ( like wifi is right now ) or a slightly larger screen at same display ratio ( like zune ) than it isn't enough. Maybe the Zune Marketplace and software will be that extra feature, or maybe they have already pulled out all their big guns.
Let's just hope they don't have to resort to advertising. The 360 commercials ( jump in ) has always left a sour taste in my mouth. Although I do actually like the 2nd zune advertisment. ( the bird one that everyone hates
The Zune display may be bigger but it's the same resolution as the iPod - 320x240. It's just that they've stretched it out into a weird aspect ratio on the Zune...
Yeah, it's really fracking bizzare. It means that 320x240 files are encoded anamorphic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anamorphic#DVD_video) and somehow de-anamorphosed when playing back in the dodgy stretched Zune screen.
Yeah, it's really fracking bizzare. It means that 320x240 files are encoded anamorphic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anamorphic#DVD_video) and somehow de-anamorphosed when playing back in the dodgy stretched Zune screen.
I'm not sure if it really is that shape or it's an artifact of the image. One article said that it was 4:3.
I also measured several pictures of the screen, and it comes to 4:3.
What would be the point to having wide pixels? Everything would simply look stretched.
1.331, 1.317, 1.299, ... average is 1.316. 320x240 is 1.333recurring. 16:9 true aspect is 1.777recurring. (image of screens below)
edit2: confirmed, it must be some weird optical illusion.
The Zune WILL BE 4:3 aspect ratio 320x240 native resolution. No anamorphic issues.
Taking our favourite iPod widescreen video mockup, it's aspect ratio is 1.683, resolution looks to be 640x380 in this case below.
that looks so cool.8)
Man I hope Apple's PMP looks like that. ( or knowing apple, they will make something totally different but even better than any dreamed up photoshop ) ( e.g. Shuffle )
Yup this is a very nice mockup that has been making the rounds for quite some while. It seems to originate on http://homepage.mac.com/pabloportilla (http://homepage.mac.com/pabloportilla/ipodvideo.jpg)
sweet. better than alot of the other ones I have seen.I still don't know if I would like the idea of a virtual scroll wheel.
It just hit me -- What if the front is a beautiful non-touch widescreen 640x380 widescreen. Now, the back of it is the full wide touchscreen. Think of it as a trackpad of sorts on the back, a big wide one. That way whichever way you are gripping it and if you are left or right handed, as you scroll around on the back part with your left or right hand fingers, the overlay controls come on the viewable front wide non-touchscreen. This sounds plausible, but the iPod video widescreen from the mockup would need a slight redesign - a kind of grippable-handle, as subtle as possible, on both sides of the iPod widescreen video. This way, with one hand, in widescreen aspect ratio, you hold the iPod widevideo and view the front, and without having to turn it around, you can control the scrollwheel by moving your fingers around the back - again, without having to flip the iPod widevideo around, still watching the front, and it works for both right- and left-handers. *DING* *Light Bulb*
I think that's the best idea you've had so far.
The only issue is the thumb really works well with scrollwheel action. In my idea above the "trackpad" responses would have to be different somehow
I've been playing with the idea.
The middle finger (no jokes!) seems to work best.
Of course, the thing could be flipped 180° for left handed people, if required.
Kind of tap-tap not moving around actions on the back side of the iPod widevideo with your 2nd to 4th fingers...
The moving around works fine once you try it.
Hmmm... Product design is not as easy at it seems!!!
That's why there's big bucks in the field.
Maybe you should try it. You seem to have a lot of ideas.
*A passport is just nice, though I hear not many Americans have one
...The middle finger (no jokes!) seems to work best.
Yeah, it has the most leverage somehow. Do this test: put your right or left hand flat on the table. Lift your thumb only, ok. 2nd finger, ok. 3rd finger, ok. Last finger, ok. 4th finger: for me, I can't lift it high at all while keeping all other fingers and my palm flat on the table.
Of course, the thing could be flipped 180° for left handed people, if required.
A setting in the iPod widescreen would be set so that it would know how to interpret the touchings.