Customer Reviews

Zune 30 GB Digital Media Player (Red)

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1 star:		(256)

 

 

I own a 5th generation iPod and bought a Zune last week. Why? Primarily because I am a gadget-freak and I like the idea of a bigger screen and WiFi sharing of songs.

The Zune comes in a very nice package and with clear installation instructions. I didn't run into any problems on Windows XP SP2 so I cannot comment on some of the problems other people have encountered.

After using it for a week this is how the Zune stacks up against the iPod:

iPod has the advantage in:

-Size: Zune is slightly longer and thicker than the iPod but it's not that noticable. Slight advantage for iPod.

-Software: Zune software is nice and works but iPod's software is more straightforward and easier to use. Yes, even my iPod software occasionally crashes but overall I like it better.

-Applications & Games: no games and apps on Zune yet, some nice apps on the iPod but the games on iPod are pathetic. That's what my Nintendo DS is for.

-Many more accessories! It took me a while to find a nice case for the Zune but I assume this will get better over time. Still iPod rules the accessory market.

-External USB Device: I can use my iPod as a giant "memory stick", the Zune has this function disabled - although there is way to enable that (do a Google search).

Zune and iPod are even:

-Battery Life: Zune (WiFi turned off) and iPod are about the same, 13 1/2 to 14 hours with screen off.

-Interface: I liked Zune's menu structure much better than iPod's but I miss the iPod's great click-wheel. Also interface responds quicker on the Zune.

-Sound Quality: listening to music with my Sony headphones I could not hear any difference in sound quality.

-Headphones: the included headphones with the iPod and the Zune are equally crappy. The first accessory you buy should be new headphones.

Zune has the advantage in:

-Screen: ZUNE WINS by a huge margin, screen is bigger and brighter, absolutely stunning!

-Materials: iPod's sensitive chrome shell always bugged me and the screen on my iPod is horribly scratched despite a protective case, Zune's black/blue shell looks very nice and it seems to be impervious to finger prints, Zune's screen seems much more scratch resistent too.

-Video: Forget the iPod! I converted some DVDs to WM9 and watched them on my Zune, it's a delight! The screen, the landscape mode, the brightness - wonderful. On a high quality setting I was able to fit around 60h of video onto the Zune.

-Pictures: again thanks to the screen the Zune beats the iPod. Finally I can show off some baby pictures without people squinting.

-WiFi: yeah, I like it. Granted the 3-day/3-play limitation is annoying but I have received a few cool songs so far. Problem is: there aren't too many Zune owners yet.

-Radio: HUGE advantage for the Zune. I am at the gym, watching TV and tuning in to the sounds on my Zune. Why Apple hasn't included this yet in the iPod is beyond me.

-Song purchase: I love the option of the "all you can eat" for $15/month. Granted most of my music is ripped from CDs but $15 per month for all the music I want is pretty compelling.

OVERALL VERDICT: I love my iPod, I LOVE MY ZUNE EVEN MORE. If Microsoft can write some applications and games and improve the Zune PC software they'll have a perfect consumer device.

To be fair: if you already have an iPod and have no need for radio and better video capabilities then there is no need to upgrade to a Zune. If you want better video, like the idea of radio and WiFi then the Zune is the way to go. If you are in the market for a new MP3 player in the $250 price range the Zune should be on the top of your shopping research list.

Most important: ignore all the fanboy garbage of "Microsoft is evil" and "Apple sucks" and stick with the facts. Reading some of the very loud "reviews" below I can only wonder how many of these writers actually own any of these devices.

I got my Zune just after Christmas this year when everyone was showing up at work with their new iPods, Creative Zens, and other personal media players. Feeling left out, I decided to go check out the market to see if I could find a product that would meet my needs as a consumer. After a week of research and checking out the store displays, I decided to purchase the Zune player and I've been very satisfied with the product overall.

During my research, I found some bad reviews about syncing issues and battery life for the Zune player. However, as I researched further into other products I found this was not uncommon for almost every player on the market, especially the iPod. Although it stands to reason that the iPod would have more issues posted on the internet since it is the most popular personal media player.

So it came down to 3 players from which I decided to choose: Apple iPod (30 gig), Creative Zen Vision M, and the Zune. Each of these products had the feature set I was looking for and each was within a few dollars of the others in price. So now it was time for the "taste test".

I went to my local electronics store where all 3 products were displayed and asked a sales associate to assist me. As I handled each of the players, my first impression was that the Zune felt sturdy and well made. It's thicker than the iPod and not quite as wide as the Zen, which felt just right in my hand. I also preferred the flat black finish on the Zune player to the glossy black Zen or the "kitchen appliance" white of the iPod.

The OS and navigation on all of the players was easy to figure out with only a few differences between them. While I like the wheel control of the iPod (probably it's best feature), both the Zune and Zen offered compensatory navigation methods to locate media within a large list of files. The display on the iPod was a bit small compared to the other 2 players, but it was still quite readable.

Finally, with all things being even, it came down to the sound. I plugged in a set of of inexpensive lightweight Sony headphones that I had brought to the store with me and listened to each product with the sample content on different preset EQ settings. To me, the Zune had the best sound overall, which was the selling point. The high end was crisp and clear while the low end was deep and rich, even on my cheap headphones.

Final thoughts:

So far I've been quite happy with the Zune player. The battery life is good when listening to music but a bit short when viewing video content. I like the album art display when browsing my music content and when playing. The picture slide show features are a nice touch as well and provide a way for me to share my photos in a portable manner.

Also, Microsoft is working to update the features of the Zune through firmware updates. So the feature set you see now could well get better as the product development progresses. I'm personally hoping that Microsoft decides to support their own Plays-For-Sure technology to open the available online content and make it more competitive with the Zen.

Finally, if you purchase a Zune player, get a decent set of headphones. The headphones shipped with the product do not do it justice. This is Especially true if you're like me and you rip your CD collection to your player at a quality bit rate.

Pros:

- Full rich sound

- Easy content navigation

- Large display

- Photo slide show feature

- Good battery life for playing music

Cons:

- Headphones shipped with the product are substandard

- Battery life severely shortened when viewing video content

- Not currently Plays-For-Sure compatible

It's impossible to not compare the Zune to the iPod so I'm not even going to try, but let's get one thing out of the way right quick: Anyone who calls the Zune an iPod killer needs to have their head examined. Let's not forget that there are many people who have invested hundreds or thousands of dollars into iTunes music, so they're pretty much iPod customers for life(as Zune customers will be if they choose to use the Zune marketplace, but more on that later). And in case you haven't noticed, the iPod is a pretty darn good device. The Zune doesn't really offer anything that should have iPod+iTunes users jumping ship, but it does offer a compelling option for those looking to purchase a product like this for the first time or iPod users who have chosen to continue to buy CDs instead of digital albums.

The first thing you'll notice after purchasing the Zune is that if they ever gave away some type of award for product packaging, the Zune would probably win it. The brown portion of the Zune box slips off to reveal a compartmentalized box inside that includes the Zune, the docking cable, stock earbuds, the Zune software, the token cheap felt case, and the documentation.

Onto the Zune itself. Even at 30 gigs it's a bit longer and thicker than the 80 gig iPod. It is substantially heavier but not to a fault. Those looking to use an MP3 player for active use will probably want a flash player anyway. Where the Zune holds a big advantage over the iPod however is the rubbery-plastic finish. Whereas the iPod's glossy finish is a magnet for fingerprints, the Zune's rubbery plastic feel attracts virtually no fingerprints, and when it does they simply wipe off. The screen accumulates them quickly, and while a thin plastic film coating is included, it has some large text on it, so you might have to invest in a third-party screen protector. Bummer. The control pad has been often maligned for not being a scroll wheel, but I don't understand why. Is moving your thumb around in circles really THAT intuitive?

Onto the software. It's a bit dissapointing that the Zune doesn't simply intergrate seamlessly with Windows Media Player 11 like most MP3 players now do. Instead you'll have to install the dedicated Zune software, which is essentially Windows Media Player 11 in some new clothing and with the Zune Marketplace built in. There have been many reports of hiccups installing the new software, so beware. It seems I was lucky. Once you do get the software going, syncing your music library to your player is a breeze, with a transfer speed of about two seconds per song.

As I said, the Zune software is essentially WMP11 with the Zune Marketplace included. The first time you enter the marketplace the software will ask you for your Windows Live ID. This is where one very cool perk comes into play if you are an XBox Live user. When you login with your ID, your Zune Marketplace account automatically links up with your XBox Live account, so you can share your Microsoft Points you already have across both services! Very very convienent.

Unfortunately, that may be the highlight of the Zune Marketplace. Graphically, it can't hold a candle to iTunes and is pretty darn ugly. Users can't review albums, and it as of yet doesn't offer anything besides music(this is probably going to change very very soon). I don't even use an iPod and I like browsing the iTunes store to see what's new and read user reviews. I couldn't imagine using the Zune Marketplace for anything except buying an album. But even that wouldn't be advisable, since the music you purchase on the Zune marketplace will work ONLY on the Microsoft Zune and nothing else. So until it starts offering TV Shows and movies, the Zune Marketplace is a major dud.

This is where the real treat comes in, once you get your music onto the Zune and fire it up for the first time, many of your initial doubts will vanish. The screen is large, bright, and the background is fully customizable. The interface is a huge breath of fresh air after using the stale Artist>Album>Song system on iPods and Creative players for so many years. Instead, Artist, Album, and Song are listed horizontally at the top of the screen, and as you move the cursor over each option all of the items spill out down the substantial screen, with thumbnail album art included! When you do choose a song, the album art for that song dominates the screen, and the sound quality is excellent. You can easily adjust the volume by pressing up-and-down on the control pad, and scroll through the song by pushing left and right.

So music playback is a huge "hit", but how about the video? The format support is pretty limited, and while the Zune software will convert just about anything, the playback format of converted videos is pretty poor. It was also a puzzling move for the Zune to have a 16x9 screen but only support 4:3 resolution. The stretching of the picture doesn't really take that much away, but it seems a bit pointless. One handy feature is that the control pad will re-orient the controls for the Zune when you hold the player sideways.

One last thing, you might have noticed I haven't even mentioned the much-hyped wi-fi feature. Why? Because it's practically useless. Songs received via wi-fi transfer can only be played three times within a three day period, and songs by some artists(such as the Rolling Stones) won't even transfer at all! The wi-fi capabilities of the Zune certainly offers exciting possibilities for future firmware updates, but they're certainly not present now.

So that's it. The Zune offers nothing that will have seasoned iPod+iTunes users jumping ship, and it certainly' won't kill the iPod, but the exceptional physical design, vastly superior user interface, and wi-fi possiblities in the future warrant a serious look by shoppers.

I'm an Asian geek who loves electronics, so I had to try this thing out. Like many, I also own an iPod... but mine is a 40GB 4th gen WITHOUT video. I've been craving a video and music player for a long time... So after a few weeks of research, I finally saw that Best Buy had the Zune on sale for $199 ($50 less than a 30GB 5th gen iPod). "Let's give it a shot" I thought, and with a total of $25 in Best Buy coupons, I went for it. I figured for $175 before taxes, trying out the Zune was a no-brainer.

And after one week, I really like it. Granted, I can't say that I've actually done a true Zune/iPod "taste test" because I don't have a video iPod with which to compare the Zune. But I really love the larger screen (despite having to turn it sideways).

I'm not a big fan of how easily it is to scuff or scratch the metal backing and the plastic face of my iPod. Even if placed in a case or silicone jacket (I've tried both) the darn thing still gets scuffed up because even the soft protective case can scuff it up up. So with the Zune, I'm glad the case is fairly scuff-and-scratch-free (I went on eBay to get a dirt-cheap scratch-proof cover for the scratchable screen).

I dig the Zune's buttons. After owning an iPod for over 3 years, I was so used to a scrolling touchwheel that I initially didn't like the Zune buttons. But with the Zune there's less overshooting selections... and if you hold the circular button down, your selection scrolls faster and without that arthritis-inducing spinning of your thumb!

With the lovely program DVDFab, I can convert DVDs to mp4s to watch on my new Zune! I love it!

In terms of sound quality, the Zune headphones sound much better than the iPod headphones. Granted, I have Bose Triport headphones that I use with both, but if you're not a geek who spends over $100 on a better set of headphones than what comes with your player, then the spiffy Zune earbuds will please you more than the iPod tinny whites.

Do I still love my iPod? Yes. Do I love my new Zune? Yes. Am I nerd for owning 2 music players? No. I'm actually a nerd that owns 3 music players (since I also have an iPod Shuffle for when I exercise/run). But when it comes to watching videos on a portable player that I take to work, I think the Zune has been a splendid choice.

I had no problems with loading the software. I had read previously that it takes a long time for the program and music on your computer to sync. So just be patient with your Microsoft software. In hindsight, I don't feel that it took much longer for the Zune to load and sync than it took the iPod and iTunes to load and sync. Most of the complaints of the Zune software were made in November of 2006 with the initial firmware and Zune software versions. Microsoft released better firmware and updates since then.

If you are thinking about getting a Zune, I say go for it! I've had a great time with it so far. If you like a really slick-looking player that you want to look shiny and scuff-free for a few days, then get an iPod -- but be ready to be bummed about your scuffed up player in a few days (or weeks if you're really careful). I love the nigh-scuff-free Zune. I love my old video-less 4th gen iPod, too, but I think love my Zune more. (At least until something better comes along and I buy that too.) (I'm an addict -- I know.)

By the way, I only gave the Zune 4 stars -- but I'd probably give the same to a 5th gen iPod, too. The Zune needs more work definitely, but it's fairly good-looking... the interface and menus are more artsy-looking and you can change the backgrounds to personalize it, and the video screen is bigger. Plus, I like listening to the radio sometimes, so this player is all right with me.

I'm a serious gadget junkie. I have more mp3 players than I care to admit - iPod, iRiver, even a Rio. You name a player, I probably have it. I was very interested in Zune, and the fact that I now have one here in Switzerland where it officially can't be bought yet shows to what length I was prepared to go to get it.

First the good:

+ Zune's sound quality is good (I did not use the earphones that come with it, though),

+ Browsing your music is simple. The transitions between menus is slick, and the user interface is quite intuitive.

+ It feels solid, and does not pick up scratches or fingerprints as easy as it's direct competitor, the iPod.

+ Purchasing songs is simple, and can be done worldwide.

+ Large color display is bright, colors are vivid. Good playback of videos. So-so display of images.

+ Plays my unencrypted (DRM'd) WMA, MP3, AAC files

The bad:

- Zune's software (the part you install on your PC) was a mess to install, and did not install on the Vista beta (This will hopefully change with the final release of Vista).

- It looks nice, but the marketplace experience does not hold a candle against iTunes Music Store (neither does the selection). Also, you purchase using 'MS points' that can only be purchased in chunks of 5 USD or more, and it's not easy to convert the points to my local currency. There currently is no video selection, nor can you easily subscribe to podcasts

- Zune can't load my previously purchased (DRM'd) WMA files (Plays-for-Sure). Zune, from MS does not conform to 'Plays for sure' by MS. This means you must re-purchase all your songs.

- Zune songs can't be played by other players. In this regard Zune is as bad (a closed system) as the iPod. Wasn't Bill Gates on the record saying that 'People want choice'? Well, not if you own Zune - at least for now.

- Does not play video formats other than WMV (i.e. no m4v, mov)

- You can't use Zune as an external hard drive. I couldn't believe it myself either. Why???

- I must physically connect Zune to my PC to load songs - Zune currently can't sync wirelessly.

- You can't use Windows media player to manager your Zune's content

- For some reason I am unable to listen to Zune while it's charging. This may be a fault of mine, though.

- The scroll wheel is not a scroll wheel. It integrates well with Zune's interface, but is not as efficient as the iPod's wheel it obviously resembles

- The color display's resolution is the same as the iPod's, just bigger. Side-to-side comparison between a video played on the iPod and Zune shows a distinct advantage for the iPod, because the image (even though smaller) looks much sharper. It would have been better if Zune had a higher resolution.

I was unable to try the song sharing feature (for obvious reasons - no-one else has it here).

All in all I am seriously disappointed by Zune. The player itself is nice - the whole package (player, software, experience), however, is riddled with half-baked features, or intentional restrictions that make no sense. Comparing it directly to the other closed-system competitor, the iPod, shows that Zune has a long way to go just to catch up. It fares OK when compared with other mp3-players - until you realize that you'll have to re-purchase your music. If you are prepared to take that step you might as well go with the iPod, which is clearly the better package.

First off, I do not work for Microsoft, I do not work for Apple. This is a competely unbiased review, and I do actually own the product.

PROS:

-Bright, vivid screen - A 3" Screen makes it the largest screen of a device this size. Can be viewed in portait or landscape, this very clear screen has good viewing angles and rivals very nicely with the iPod.

-Great Sound - This is what REALLY matters right?

-Design - With a durable rubberized surface, no fingerprints or scratches will be obvious, and feels safer to carry around in more rugged locations. Also, all three colors look really great.

-Wi-Fi - Connect to fellow Zunesters to view what their listening to, share music, and all while not drastically reducing battery life.

-Great Interface - The internal software interface of the Zune is great. It is actually built on the Windows Mobile CE OS, and the PC Software is built on the Windows Media Player 11 Software. Great performance and quick menus.

-Plays Movies: H.264 (Quicktime/HD), MPEG-4, and WMV (native)

-Plays Music: MP3, AAC, and WMA (native)

-Views JPEGS

CONS:

-Mediocre Battery - Music ranges from 10-13 hours, and video ranges from 2.5-3.5 hours. Very poor compared to the iPod.

-3 Plays, 3 Days - Absolute bull. When you transfer a song, it only plays 3 times, or you only get 3 days (whatever comes first). That is not near long enough to enjoy a song.

-LACK OF SUPPORT: DivX and Xvid don't play, Lossless music doesn't play, and only JPEGs are viewable. Everything else has to be converted in some form of the other. Previous subscription and protected music won't work on this device, and you are restricted to the Zune Marketplace for music.

-Zune Marketplace - Although a great start, you can't buy movies on it yet, and you have to buy everything in points, which is a pain, because 79 points is $.99.

-Wi-Fi restrictions - No wireless computer synching, transfering, or web browsing.

-5 Click Wheel - Nothing innovative. Quite annoying actually; although responsive, it is nothing like the iPod.

-Propietary USB - USB to USB-A(Mini USB) cords won't fly, you have to use what comes in the box to connect. It does charge relatively quickly though.

BOTTOM LINE: No, iPod killer, but a great step in the right direction. Microsoft's transition from Software to Hardware will continue to improve and this might be a tough competitor for the iPod this holiday season due to its large amount of hype. Unless you are really keen on getting the device, wait until the next generation. As an MP3 player, it is great; at the top of its class in sound, but still pails in comparison to the might iPod.

I have had my Zune now for just over two weeks now and am really enjoying it. Here are some of my thoughts. I am a PC user and have had an iPod mini for over two years now that I used constantly. Many of you are probably considering upgrading from an iPod to a Zune so I'll compare my experience of the two. To be fair, I realize that the iPod mini is old technology now and not comparable to the Zune.

Brown Color: You either love or hate the brown zune. I love it. The green double shot is really attractive and the dark metal border around the screen and center button offer beautiful contrast.

Screen: The screen is absolutely gorgeous! It is very big, very bright, and the first thing everyone asks me about when they see it.

Controls: The center wheel is a four direction button with a center button and not a touch wheel like the iPod. My first instinct was to spin the wheel like apple devices and the lack of response was a bit of a let down... at first. iPod users will no doubt be familiar with trying to navigate menus with the spin wheel and way overshooting what you're looking for or endlessly spinning the wheel to get to the end of your list. Within an hour or so, I was very much enjoying the simplicity of changing volume and tracks by a single button instead of sliding.

MP3s: Sound great as you would expect. Great organization. Love the cover art!

Radio: I actually find myself using it quite a bit. The tuner picks up digital information from many stations and lists the station name, genre, and song artist and title. It's a really nice feature.

Video: The Zune comes preloaded with some videos which are fun. My digital camera (Fuji V10) takes beautiful video that looks great on the Zune. I have been using free Microsoft software (PhotoStory and MovieMaker) to splice music, video, and pictures into videos that I can carry around in my Zune. This promises to be huge fun in the future. Also, with a bit of searching, you can find great products that let you put DVDs and Tivo recordings on your player as well.

Zune Navigation: The menus take a few seconds to get used to, but are very intuitive and easy to navigate. I love that I can put one of my pictures and make it my background. It looks very personal.

WIFI: I can't find any other Zunes out there to share with yet. I'll be searching for them at the gym and work after Christmas.

Battery Life: They say 14 hours, I think it's closer to 12. Definitly last more than a full day of use. If you are watching video, it will be less of course. No complaints here.

Zune Software: Wow, does it feel like a beta version! Install required a reboot and managed to crash what I thought was a fairly crash proof PC. The software seems to want to be the only thing running. Any other software seems to make it hang for long periods of time. It looks and feels very much like Windows Media Player 11 which also tends to hang a bit on my computer. As for usability, it has a lot of good features: auto playlists (right click on `create playlist'), stacked album cover display, video and picture tabs, built in burning, etc. Hopefully, they will get this thing running better with updates in the very near future.

Zune Marketplace: I find it a joke to buy MP3s from services like this. DRM (digital rights management) protected music is quickly showing its limitations. Microsoft is a terrible example of the problem and here is why. The Microsoft Zune will NOT play Microsoft `Plays for Sure' files purchased in the past! Nor, will it play iTunes purchased files or anything other than Zune Marketplace DRM files. I WILL NOT purchase DRM music. All of my music is ripped directly from CDs. It sounds better, can be used however I want and I will never be locked into a specific media provider for my music. You get a free 14 day pass with your Zune, but I wont' be trying it.

Carrying case: While not often in the description, the Zune comes with a soft form fitting faux-suede pouch for your Zune. I love it! It looks great, lets the player slide smoothly into my pocket, protects the screen and allows me to feel and operate the buttons through the case. I know already that I will eventually lose it, but that will be a sad day.

Headphones: They are magnetic to try and prevent tangles, but the magnets aren't strong enough to keep them connected. They are earbuds which many people don't like, but they happen to nestle perfectly in my ears and I'll use them for the time being.

Size and Weight: It's a little bigger and a little heavier than my iPod mini, but the added features easily make up for the slight increase in size. I use it at the gym, slide it in the pocket of my jeans at work and sometimes just hold it to watch videos. Its smaller than it looks in pictures.

What I miss from the iPod: In general, not much. I'm giving my mini to my little brother. One thing is podcasts. You can put podcasts on the Zune, but right now, it's a pain in the rear.

The future: Microsoft will no doubt be releasing upgrades for the Zune player and software in the very near future. This was a feature sorely lacking from my iPod. It did the same thing from the day I got it out of the box to today. There are a tons of possibilities that promise to make the Zune grow better with age. Wireless syncing over your home network, internet radio, podcasting, radio recording, contacts and calendar options, better synchronizing options, and much more.

The Zune has been a great upgrade for my needs and I can't wait to see how Microsoft makes it better in the future.

Since it's a very short list, here are the failings of the Zune...

1. Podcasting! I don't give a flying fig about them, but honestly even though it won't "seamlessly update" like itunes. It can be done. In fact some more tech savy folks can tell you exactly how to do it. Just search the net, many Zune users have accomplished it just fine. The audio file doesn't care which player is playing it.

2. Accessories!! No, you can't go into any store or autodealer and find a home or car/car stero likely to seamlessly hook up to Zune. Ipods have cornered the market on current "Accessory" availability. But with a "line in" feature you can damn near hook any player up to a car or whatever. The "Zune stuff" you can find is proably a little more pricey just because it isn't as readily available as "ipod made" stuff.

3. The wireless music sharing feature is useless to me. Even though I actually know two Zune users one of us already like the same music and the other one's taste are tottally opposed to mine. Basically (as has been said a thousand times) this much hyped feature is more useless than useful. But the fact that it has Wi-Fi in it creates a big possiblitly for extenability in the future. Plus Xbox fans have Xbox connectivity, but at the time that's useless to me as well.

Basically, there are very little negatives in the negatives.

Long list of positives....

1. I RARELY purchase itunes music and I certainly have no intention of using Zune's marketplace. The only time I did use itunes music was when I had that gift card my sis gave me to go with my new ipod. All my itunes music I CD ripped is on my Zune. Despite what has been said to the contrary, Zune will convert any itunes tracks (acc files I believe?) that WEREN'T purchased through itunes store quite easily. The "DRM free" ones as they're called. I.E. if you ripped 25 CDs in itunes and grabbed a few music files off of some other DRM free music source and have them in you itunes music folder, Zune WILL play them. Converting the other music is perfectly possible too.

2. Zune video kicks almost any other digital music video out of the water (maybe the ipod touch can compete, but the ipod video can't). Sorry, but the widescreen display is AWESOME. You have to adjust yourself to the controls being flipped, but even my mother (who has no particular gaget affection) was blow away when I showed her one of her favorite music videos on the Zune. The screen's display just kicks ipod video's away. And while I did need third party software to convert some videos/dvds, I considered it a very small price to pay to be able to convert a whole DVD into a file I can use on my beautiful Zune.

3. Just like video, pictures look AWESOME on my Zune. I had pics on my nano and sorry, the zune display blows it away in spades.

5. Sorry for all the people who find it useless, but I LIKE the FM radio. I'm quite sure the Zune could have added FM recording, but they don't want the music companies to hate them. That's basically admiting to the Music big wigs that they give away music. It's the reason most big music stores (like Itunes and Zune Marketplace aren't DRM free with the tracks that they sell). Which is why I don't mind buying the darn CD- The Artist/Music CEOs get there cut and I get to rip my CD and store it on any bloody player I want. And I also have a hard copy of my music.

6. Multiple Aritist on a track - I always had a problem with this on itunes/ipod, but by simply having a "contributing artist" listed (first) that was different from my album artist. I love it, so I go to artist A and I see their albums listed along with random track from artist B's album where they were featured and the song is jointly in the list for Artist B's albums. The only stupid thing is while the Zune "computer copy" will list multiple "contributing artist", the actual Zune device will only accept one along with the album artist. But oh well, I couldn't even have a song linked to two artist in my ipod so it's a blessing for me.

7. The software was no problem to install, even with me having to go online for a windows vista update for it and it works almost like Windows Media Player so I pretty much could use it with very little headache.

8. I use to have two copies of almost all my music the "general file" that I used for Windows Media Player and the itunes files, well now that I don't need itunes... bye bye itunes. Bye Bye duplicate libary. Even though Zune does have it's own bulky software (as did itunes) at least I only need one copy of the music to list it in both Zune's software and Windows Media Player.

9. You can listen to Zune while it's charging. Close the Zune software and hook it up to headphones or speakers and boom, music while charging.

10. They call it bulk and ugly, I call it perfect for a clutz. Here I have this pretty pink color in a shell that (maybe is not as cute and lil as my pink nano) but is less likely to scratch. I like the plastic casing or whatever it is the thing is made of. I'm less scared of hurting the thing and it seems to be pretty physically durrable. If I had an ipod touch I know it would be full of ugly fingerprints all the time, but that's not a worry with my Zune.The occassional wipe of the surface keeps it looking nice and it doesn't have an accidental scratch or dent on it (unlike my ipod). And even though some have said you notice a bulkier look in the thing, most people "off the street" thought I had the bloody ipod. The size isn't really that different and while noticably heavier than ipod video, it's not like I feel a rock is in my pocket I just know the zune is there and I actually like that.

11. Zune DOES NOT delete content just because you switch from auto to manuel sync. Yes, it will modify files it's synced to in your computer, but if you switch between manual and auto sync, it does NOT delete all the files on the player YAY!! I pod will kill your whole music list on the player if you switch between the two.

The Mixxed bag...

1. Pre-loaded content: The good of that was I got to see exactly how all of Zune's functions worked right out of the box, but getting rid of it all to put my stuff in was a headache.

2. The software, it's not trouble it's just stupid for Microsoft (father of Windows) to make a Digital Music Player that needs a peice of software that does EXACTLY what Windows Media Player does. Just let the darn player used Windows Media Player.

3. I almost wish it didn't grab the itunes files, as, like I said, I have a double libary and it had some songs listed twice and I had to go back and delete some of my own files just because it had the windows Media copy and the itunes copy.

4. I like manually syncing. Just like itunes, sometimes Zune thinks it knows what I want better than I do so I wish Zune would give you the OPTION of auto sync or manual before it automatically did it on the first hook up.

5. Earbuds by anyone (Apple, Microsoft, Sony) SUCK!!! 1st accessory in any personal Music Player buy, DECENT headphones.

Havivng owned and ipod I had to adjust myself to a lack of a click-wheel, but that was just something born of habit. I'm pretty use to navigating my Zune now and absolutly love it. Unlike my ipod, I haven't had the Zune suddenly freeze and have to be reset. I trust no device though (ipod, Zune, creative) to never die on me and my ipod had to be reset ALOT. It was relatively easy to do, but still annoying. I wish I had another player to compare it to, but as much as I LOVE my gagets my experience has been limited to ipod (my own and others) and the Zune. But let the podders love their pods, my zune is beautiful to me.

First off, I do not work for Microsoft, I do not work for Apple. This is a competely unbiased review, and I do actually own the product.

PROS:

-Bright, vivid screen - A 3" Screen makes it the largest screen of a device this size. Can be viewed in portait or landscape, this very clear screen has good viewing angles and rivals very nicely with the iPod.

-Great Sound - This is what REALLY matters right?

-Design - With a durable rubberized surface, no fingerprints or scratches will be obvious, and feels safer to carry around in more rugged locations. Also, all three colors look really great.

-Wi-Fi - Connect to fellow Zunesters to view what their listening to, share music, and all while not drastically reducing battery life.

-Great Interface - The internal software interface of the Zune is great. It is actually built on the Windows Mobile CE OS, and the PC Software is built on the Windows Media Player 11 Software. Great performance and quick menus.

-Plays Movies: H.264 (Quicktime/HD), MPEG-4, and WMV (native)

-Plays Music: MP3, AAC, and WMA (native)

-Views JPEGS

CONS:

-Mediocre Battery - Music ranges from 10-13 hours, and video ranges from 2.5-3.5 hours. Very poor compared to the iPod.

-3 Plays, 3 Days - Absolute bull. When you transfer a song, it only plays 3 times, or you only get 3 days (whatever comes first). That is not near long enough to enjoy a song.

-LACK OF SUPPORT: DivX and Xvid don't play, Lossless music doesn't play, and only JPEGs are viewable. Everything else has to be converted in some form of the other. Previous subscription and protected music won't work on this device, and you are restricted to the Zune Marketplace for music.

-Zune Marketplace - Although a great start, you can't buy movies on it yet, and you have to buy everything in points, which is a pain, because 79 points is $.99.

-Wi-Fi restrictions - No wireless computer synching, transfering, or web browsing.

-5 Click Wheel - Nothing innovative. Quite annoying actually; although responsive, it is nothing like the iPod.

-Propietary USB - USB to USB-A(Mini USB) cords won't fly, you have to use what comes in the box to connect. It does charge relatively quickly though.

BOTTOM LINE: No, iPod killer, but a great step in the right direction. Microsoft's transition from Software to Hardware will continue to improve and this might be a tough competitor for the iPod this holiday season due to its large amount of hype. Unless you are really keen on getting the device, wait until the next generation. As an MP3 player, it is great; at the top of its class in sound, but still pails in comparison to the might iPod.

Length:: 7:25 Mins

How to Do Everything with Your Zune (How to Do Everything)The Zune Pocket GuideZune 80 GB Digital Media Player Black (2nd Generation)Zune 30 GB Digital Media Player (Brown)Zune 30 GB Digital Media Player (Red)Apple 80 GB iPod classic (Black)Apple 8 GB iPod nano AAC/MP3 Player Black (3rd Generation)