Zune HD available for preorder, What about Australia?

September 10, 2009

The ZuneHD is one sexy piece of hardware but unfortunately if you live in Australia, don't expect to get your hands on it any time soon. Microsoft will be releasing the new HD version of the Zune media player in the Stateson September 15th with the Zune Marketplace becoming available on Xbox Live in the US, UK, France, Italy, Germany, Ireland and Spain.

A new Zune-branded video service for the Xbox and PC's will replace the current Xbox Live marketplace for TV and movies.

What about the specs?

3.3-inch 16:9, 480 x 272 OLED capacitive touchscreen display.
Built-in HD Radio receiver.
HD output through a premium HDMI A/V docking station direct to an HDTV in 720p
A full-screen internet browser optimised for multi-touch and Wi-Fi functionality - based off IE8.
Zune HD is Wi-Fi enabled, allowing for instant streaming to the device from the more than 5 million-track Zune music store.

Yes. We've got a tremendous device – this is a fantastic piece of hardware and absolutely it's going right up against iPod Touch; it's hyper competitive against that product. Built-in HD Radio receiver.
HD output through a premium HDMI A/V docking station direct to an HDTV in 720p.

Sources: The Guardian and Cnet. Also check the official Zune Web Press spotlight.
Zune HD arrives in the States on September 15th and is also available for pre-ordering. No details yet on an official Australia release.