Microsoft Zune HD 4.5 Update is Live

I have it on good authority that the Zune interface will soon be matched with magical hardware to produce a truly game-changing tablet device.

This post was mentioned on Twitter by thurrott: Microsoft Zune HD 4.5 Update is Live: Microsoft reports that the Zune HD 4.5 firmware update is now available. (No... http://bit.ly/bcSXIs

@Logjamming - "A software-update for those 10 people that still use your device." Kind of like this - http://news.yahoo.com/s/zd/20100329/tc_zd/249626 See, how that works? Everyone can be as much of an @$$hole as you are! --tayme

http://umangdokey.com/documents/tabletconcept.html http://mashable.com/2010/03/18/windows-phone-7-tablet/ I would love to see it. Bring on the competition and make it a horse race. The April 12th announcement from MS is probably a Zune/MS branded phone. Can you say "Play 4 Sure"???

@tayme: Awesome! :-) +1

@rr0de74: See, that's something that strikes me as strange because I have heard Paul's podcasts and read his articles on other sites... I don't see this much snide remarks there... I wonder if it is the comments on this blog that prompt him to include those remarks here or being a personal blog (and not a paid site), he is able to vent his annoyance at the apple-fawning that hides (almost) all of Apple's flaws and gives them a clean chit... Well, it is his blog, and a lot of his comments and observations are spot-on... I can always weed out what I don't want and appreciate the other aspects of his review.

@Logjamming: "you're a low-life, low-IQ, no-life McDonald's cashier. Or its equivalent." That's wrong at so many levels, I do not know where to start :-). The only excuse can be immaturity ;-)

@Logjamming - No worries here. I use Macs at home for the most part(except for my Vista Media Center PC, which is currenly sitting idle due to a hardware issue that I haven't gotten around to fixing yet) and the company that I work for is still on XP on the desktop for the most part. The W7 PCs that we do have are managed well, and we have not had any security or performance issues. We will be rolling the rest of our 200,000+ users to 7 this year. As far as your opinion of me - no worries there, either. I think it is evident who has decades of experience in IT and who is posting crap because they have drank the iKoolAid. Were you first in line for an iPad this past weekend, even though you have no use for one? I wasn't. My MBP, Palm Pre, and Kindle meet all of my needs when I travel, plus I can read the Kindle at the beach with no glare issues. Enjoy! --tayme

"(hoping it will be mroe balanced than the reviews by the Apple-fawning usual suspects)" This one is balanced: http://jkontherun.com/2010/04/03/thoughts-on-the-ipad-day-one/

The Wow Starts Now.

@Ocean: That seems to be a more down-to-earth review of the iPad than all the ones that I was able to find... I agree that when it comes to battery life, Apple has almost nailed it! However, the lack of camera, usb ports, direct/managed common file system access, not associating a document to a single application only but instead allowing it to be shared among applications etc. are very necessary if I can drop my laptop at home and use this tablet... Anyways, a better review than the ones I have read thus far... Gen 2 or Gen 3? Or probably iPhone OS 4+ might take care of some of these issues... Until then, I will wait and watch...

@Logjammin Please explain to me in an intellignet and articulate manner, why the iPad is a "Magical and Revolutionary Product At an Unbelivable Price." I am still waiting to hear why it is. I want your highly thought out rational. I would also like for you to explain why you feel it is nessecary to spam every blog Thurrott makes with your iPad banter, if it is that special of a device, please educate us as to why, otherwise I am going back to thinking your just a pansy troll.

@log, way to leap off the deep end and use a slur to describe someone. And you talk of tayme being a McDonalds cashier? Look in the mirror. You've just proved yourself to be the stupid one. "has Microsoft shipped a tablet yet?" Yeah. Nearly 10 years ago they released some tablet aware software. Thanks for playing.

@Logjamming - You really are an easy mark. You are now ranting frenziedly, all because your little jab at Microsoft backfired on you. That is the Wow that Dr. Dan is talking about, I am guessing. May peace come to you, brother. It will get better! --tayme

@Tayme It's come to my attention that whenever you're all out of arguments you - start swearing (see above) - start downplaying other people (simpletons; an easy mark) You're or either very stupid or took the same course 'Selective Argumenting 1.0' that Waethorn and Paul took too. Does McDonalds pay for that course btw?

"However, the lack of camera, usb ports, direct/managed common file system access, not associating a document to a single application only but instead allowing it to be shared among applications etc. are very necessary" You really should play around with one to see if those will really harm your ability to use it the way you want to, instead of deciding it from afar based on specs and stats.

Hey, I don't care if you buy one or not: I don't own any Apple stock. Like I said, I am not sure if I am going to buy one either. I don't have an iPod Touch. I have an iPhone 2G and 3GS and, together with my MBA, is pretty sufficient for music on the road. What is more interesting is to ask questions about Paul's selective argumenting, where he dismisses features Apple already has and praises the same features that Microsoft promises, but has not yet delivered.

"Fair enough, now why should I buy one? " As the review posted above states: "You’re probably wondering if all is perfect on the iPad, and if not where does it fail? That’s going to vary from person to person. This is highly personal technology and as everyone’s needs are different..."

@Dipsh t Admin "has Microsoft shipped a tablet yet?" "Yeah. Nearly 10 years ago they released some tablet aware software. Thanks for playing." - Microsoft: we have invented square wheels. - Apple: we have made them round. - Microsoft: hey, but we made them first. Too easy.

@Tayme is easy for most people to understand that this blog site, while owned by Penton, does not represent the magazine. Its also very clear that Paul will state things here that he does not on magazine site, like calling Apple liars or slamming other tech journalists.

@Ocean: Yeah, I see your point about playing with one, but here's what I am thinking... My phone with a matrix of icons where each app does its own thing, doesn't talk to the other apps or share documents etc. might be ok, but if I have to find a use for a table and replace my laptop, it must do more... I might edit a document in quick office and then I should be able to open the same document in iWork (without mailing it, something that I can do with pics in any pic application by picking it from the picture browser, working on it and saving it back so it is ready to be used elsewhere)... I want to be able to do this with any file format... the security issue is almost non-existent so I do not understand this walled garden approach... A front facing camera for skype chats is very important for me, but not a deal breaker (anyways, we will have it in gen 2, so no worries)... I want it to be easy to get my pics off my camera... i do not want a separate accessory that I need to pay another 30$ for, when it can be included in the same flat package (any company wants to make profits, but come on, this is fleecing)... i want to plug in my usb port, open the documents in that usb drive and work on them and save them back... just being able to do most of the stuff I can in a cheaper, light (not lighter, but light enough) laptop/netbook will definitely motivate me to buy one of these... i am a big proponent of tablets and have really enjoyed all the hp tablets I have purchased in the past... currently a happy camper with lenovo laptops and am looking forward to buying a good tablet in the future... i wish the iPad was it, but sadly, for my purposes, it is not... The same old staid interface that do not make much sense in a device of this dimensions and it has the (almost) same limitations as my iPhone... (Even though this post as longer than I intended to make it, the gripes are real... and I believe apple should have "really" tried to give us a good tablet and not an apple's version of a netbook)

There's no pro-iPad talk in any of my comments. I had you confused with that moron, I was arguing with a couple days ago, my apologies.

So much for the Windows Phone 7 Tablet.... http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-20001772-56.html?tag=newsEditorsPicksA...

I really like the Zune software, its a much better UI than itunes. I would like the chance to get hold of a Zune HD but still no word if they will be available in Australia. I noted Grannyville's comments above that they are not even available in the UK.

@ Backup77 @Dr. Daniel Jackson I also prefer using the Zune Software. It's my media player of choice on Windows. I only use iTunes to manage media on my iPhone and download podcasts. I especially like the rating mechanic for music on the Zune Software that boils down to just like,dislike and neutral. I never liked using the star rated mechanic and with the Zune Software, I can easily build up a quick playlist of the music that are my favourites.