There's not much excitement over portable MP3 music players anymore. A gigantic electronics store we recently visited showcased a couple of lonely iPod players on the shelf where tens of different models had been shining two years ago. We believe mobile phones with MP3 player and video viewing capability have managed to take the place of an entry-level MP3 player in the markets. Only media players with additional functionality, like Internet access via Wi-Fi seem to survive the attack of the smartphones. Advanced media players can provide storage capacity, audio quality and screen size that mobile phones rarely can match.

Microsoft has introduced the Zune HD media player which is a worthy competitor to the Apple iPod Touch. The Zune HD provides access to the Internet via in-built Wi-Fi. You can wirelessly download tracks from the Zune music store and view web pages with the included browser application. The Zune HD comes with touch screen that's built on bright OLED technology. The screen is composed of 480x272 pixels, making it a 16:9 widescreen-format display. It is possible to view higher resolution videos on the device, because they are scaled down to fit the screen. The HD (High Definition) label is justified because it is possible to play HD movies from the Zune HD on a HD TV via a AV cable. The Zune HD can only output HD-resolution (the lower resolution 720p) images, not display them on its own screen.

The Zune HD also has HD radio receiver for listening to music chosen by other people. Xbox Live service will feature Zune HD integration. Microsoft's first Zune MP3 player model raised strong feelings because of its design, Wi-Fi capability and recommendation system. Now, the Zune HD has better chances of succeeding because of its wireless Internet access, web browser and TV connectivity.

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