Zune Thoughts: Engadget Takes On Zune HD. Verdict: Major Leap Forward

"Finally the much-anticipated, heavily lusted after micro-slab has been brought to market -- and it's not just the unit itself. Along with the release, we're seeing new desktop software, the Zune brand move towards a connected experience for Windows computers, and the expansion of the Zune Marketplace and ecosystem -- replete with applications designed just for the Zune HD interface."

Engadget's review of the Zune HD is pretty fair in its own right and mostly what you'd expect from the renowned gadget blog. They praise the clarity of the OLED screen in darkened locales, while simultaneously ridiculing the screen's inability to display text in bright light ("pretend it's Dracula or something.") The speed and usefulness of Zune 4.0 software get a nod, as does the build quality of the device itself. Josh singles out the Zune Pass as essential and the HD out dock as a nicety, but at $90 on top of the cost of the player itself, an extra luxury. Some very good points, and things I hope Microsoft will keep in mind for the future.