Zune review

Ok, we had a bit of a rough start after getting open the box and all, but we've given the Zune, and its software, sharing, wireless, etc. as good a looking over as we could hope to. We've got things we like, and things we don't; rough edges to go right along with the well thought-out niceties. We came away underwhelmed and not at all surprised -- and why? The expectations were for Microsoft to deliver a "Microsoft" player and system; maybe not too shabby looking, but not very usable, and definitely bug-ridden. But everyone hoped Microsoft had got it right this time, eschewed patterns of old and gotten a fresh start with new blood willing to think about things from outside the staid Microsoft culture. But that just wasn't the case. It's a Microsoft product (in the vernacular sense) through and through. Click on to find out why in our full review of the Zune, Zune player, and Zune marketplace. (And we do mean full.)

The hardware

Obviously the first thing you'll notice about any device is, of course, the hardware. We're all well acquainted with it by now; it's about as wide as a 5G iPod, but taller, heavier, and thicker than even the 80GB version. What do you get for that extra space? A larger 3-inch display -- which, like the iPod, is also QVGA -- and WiFi (802.11b/g). You lose battery life by comparison, which is saying something considering the 5G iPod isn't exactly known for its battery performance. The device layout is simple: static five way d-pad (that, of course, looks like a scroll wheel -- more on that in a bit), dedicated back and play / pause buttons, a dock connector and audio-out port, and hold switch. Since Microsoft didn't have the luxury of an extra dimension of input that Apple has in the clickwheel, and since the device changes orientation, their buttons are a little mixed up and wonky. A dedicated play / pause button is always nice to have, but many times we were left wondering whether things might have been done right another way. If the interface were arranged properly, the back button might not be necessary. Still, no matter what it was you intended to do with your Zune (except engage hold), it can be done with one hand (specifically, one thumb).

The device is eminently pocketable. Though it's fairly squarish in its lines, compared to the HTC Hermes we've been toting around it's not too hard to forget it's in your pocket. The hard plastic exterior has a soft-touch matte finish, which makes it very comfortable to hold and feel. The display and the exterior didn't scratch nearly as easily as we thought it might, which is a good sign. The doubleshot -- that green, blue, or translucent rim around the exterior of the device -- is something of a small delight. It gives the player an easily recognizable visual feature, something consumers can see and instantly recognize, something to remind them to pull out their Zune. It's no pair of white headphones in terms of iconography, but it's a start.

The Zune does also has a few useful additions that you can't help but like. The headphones, as we know, are magnetic, so they're easy to wind around the player when necessary, and don't fly all over the place. When you pull them out of the jack, your music pauses, just like Steve's player. Opposite the d-pad is a small, locationally-correlated indentation of the same circular shape. It kind of helps orient the hand when in landscape mode; not too shabby.

The screen is bright and clear, although album art downloaded was often not of a decent enough resolution to look even passable. Our Zune marketplace-acquired Lady Sovereign album art was, for example, only 200 x 200. Upon download it was already fuzzy to look at in an image view, but scaled up 40 pixels on the Zune -- where album art is king of the display in terms of real estate -- it looked just awful. The same followed for many of the covers the Zune software downloaded.

What's an audio player, though, without at least passable audio fidelity? Not much, and thankfully, the Zune delivers here. Though we lack the discerning ears of a card-carrying audiophile, sound quality was definitely up to snuff. Audio was loud enough at 20 (of 20 points) that our aging, deaf ears could hear it well enough in some pretty loud places, like on a really busy street or in a very crowded cafe.

The battery life was as expected. We got 11 hours and 37 minutes of continuous play with the following options:

• WiFi enabled
• Moderate usage of the display
• 30 second backlight
• A couple scans for nearby Zunes, but no actual transfers
• Volume at or around half (or 10 of 20)

If you're not cool with a player that won't ever go longer than 12 hours in a worst case forgot-to-turn-off-wireless scenario, sorry. But 12-14 straight hours of music should be plenty to get you to work, to the gym for a bit, and then back home again.

The wireless

We're not going to linger too long here; we've seen the wireless, we know by now what it's capable of: sending tracks to any Zune player in the vicinity, which are then placed in an "inbox," and restricted to 3 plays or 3 days (whichever comes first). We all think it's lame, but apparently it's the best Microsoft could do in terms of sharing. We wish they'd taken a page out of MusicGremlin's book by allowing Zune Pass (unlimited download) members the ability to trade files wirelessly without restriction, but maybe they'll add that in the future. Then again, maybe not -- they're not saying. Whatever, either way we're pretty clear on our feelings about the wireless feature as it stands today; but if we had to make good on our promise to Mom to say something nice or nothing at all, we would definitely mention that sending and receiving music and photos is totally seamless. No configuration was required, no menus traversed. You're prompted to accept a file, and boom, it's done.

For the purposes of this review, we did not scientifically test wireless transfer speeds, but our use was about as expected. Zune transferred an average-sized song in a few seconds; small batches of pictures took about the same amount of time because of the file overhead. Interesting note: when your device is not yet registered with a Zune Tag through setup, the wireless options are totally disabled. (See above for the WiFi-free Zune; note the lack of Community menu item and wireless settings.) We guess they absolutely must keep track of who's transferring what!

The interface

If you want to see the Zune interface in its entirety, we've got you covered. But basically anyone familiar with the Toshiba Gigabeat S, or any other Portable Media Center 2 device will instantly feel at home with the Zune. Just as the Zune device is a custom-built Toshiba player that amounts in many ways to a Gigabeat, the Zune's UI is a hacked variant of Portable Media Center 2 -- and that's not a bad thing. The Gigabeat S, for all its niggles, is in terms of both hardware and software one of our favorite devices on the market. And the Zune adds to that experience; the album listing, for example, shows off cover art icons. Nice! Generally speaking, however, you've got to get yourself used to the way the the "twist interface" (the Zune team's name for PMC2) works. You've got categories up top (albums, artists, genres, songs, etc.), and moving left or right drops down a selection; up and down scrolls you here and there. This is generally a faster method of navigating large amounts of media, as the iPod, for example, requires you to back all the way out of your hierarchy to access your media from a different angle (say, switching from song view to artist view).

Adding songs to a playlist, selecting tracks to send to another Zune, going from music to video, all these things are relatively easy. Getting used to the actual player interface is a little more difficult, however. The play / pause button does what it should, but your label-free d-pad (which must remain as such because it expects to be re-oriented to landscape mode when watching video) can cause learning-curve issues. In the twist interface you move from list to list by moving left to right, and vice versa. In the player interface, left and right represent track forward / reverse (and holding represents fast forward and rewind); to switch to another player view or access the player menu, you press the center button. We often found ourselves going to the next or previous track after hitting left or right as our thumbs attempted to instruct the player to show the menu or current track list. It got to the point where we were unnerved to actually hit left or right for fear of skipping the song we were listening to. If your user is scared to push a button for fear of what might happen, that's bad UI design.

What's more, that left / right / center issue isn't only inconsistent in the player screen. You must select menus and menu items with a center click instead of a left or right, even though they might serve the same purpose. For example, to enter settings, one cursors over the menu item and center clicks; hitting left or right does not work, does not take you into the menu. Center click takes you inside; once at an item, you must scroll through the options one by one with your center click as well. Miss your option? Left doesn't take you back one. Left and right are poorly implemented in this player, and can be unnecessarily confusing to use. Not a deal breaker, just an annoyance.

Videos likewise share the same interface as audio, although your content is broken down into music videos and movies, as specified by we're-not-sure-how. We couldn't find any way to specify whether our clips were videos or movies, but that's not a huge deal. Currently videos cannot be sent via WiFi, although Ballmer has stated that's a feature they're looking to add -- probably also with the 3x3 restriction, we'd guess. Also unfortunately, the same "we'll go where the customer is" philosophy that brought the player AAC support didn't carry over to the video. The Zune supports WMV only, no DivX, no XviD, no H.264 -- basically nothing we use. Yes, the software will supposedly convert for you, but seriously, that shouldn't have be a part of the game. We're not saying the iPod is innocent here or anything, but we'll take H.264 as a standard over WMV any day.

And again, in video we have some interface oddities. Overlaying the video information (center click) is a nice feature. Getting rid of it isn't. One would think a second center click would rid them of the overlay. It's a back click. When your info is overlayed, center clicking again does nothing. We clicked over and over until we realized it wasn't going to happen. This kind of basic user interface flub is exactly what's going to keep the device from the sought-after perception that it's a well thought out piece of equipment.

Photos are simple enough. One can twist through by date, or by folder. Sorting by date had some load issues for whatever reason; perhaps the index wasn't updated properly, or perhaps it just didn't have one, but it went a bit slower than most of the otherwise near-instant interface.

The radio interface does use left and right, but again, not as one would expect. Left and right scan to the next station with clear reception -- but do not advance the FM radio by individual frequencies. Radio users are long used to single clicks moving one station, and hold-clicks for a signal seek. Adding a station to your favorites is, however, simple (center button again). And you get RBDS station and track info, which is a nice new trick to teach an old dog.

The community interface is fairly straightforward; from here you have your "inbox" (where people send you things), "nearby" (where you can browse the detailed or simple information other Zune users with WiFi on have chosen to broadcast), and "me" (where you can see what info you're broadcasting via WiFi). For reference, "detailed broadcasting" shows off what video you're watching or what music you're listening to; basic shows that you're online, nothing more.

The settings were, thankfully, pretty straight forward. Not a lot to get messy with here, except for the shuffle setting. Setting the shuffle mode in your settings menu acts as a total override. That is to say, if you set shuffle in your main menu, and then disable it in your player menu, the next time you load a new set of tracks it will be set back to shuffle. It took us a little while to remember that we set that first option and disable it (read: redundant options are bad and unnecessarily confusing).

The software and marketplace

This is where things got really ugly. 50% of the magic is in the player, but the other 50% is in how that player works with your host machine. We know you probably read our horrific install story. (Just to catch you up, after a successful re-install 4.5 hours later, other members of our staff were still able to replicate many of the issues on other machines.) But we're going to put that past us now and review off a clean working install. Was it still buggy? Yes. Did it still crash? Absolutely. For example, syncing video for us crashed the app twice, and then stalled the third time at 38%. Even though the video was transferred in full that third time, it still didn't show up the next time we reconnected. Attempting to change the sync options crashed the app consistently. Our only hope was to stop the sync upon plug-in before it got to the crash-threshold -- that, or kill the files in the list. When the sync did work right, we clocked an average upload speed to the player of 5.89MBps, or about 80 minutes to load the thing up from empty. The usual. Even that, though, was a resource hog. Moving data consumed between 10 and 35% of our 3.0GHz Pentium 4's cycles.

To its credit, however, the player software does load rather speedily upon connection. Unfortunately it's not light on memory resources, either. The Zune software consists of a trifecta of applications, two of which are a bit piggish. Our Zune player software (Zune.exe) sucks up over 144MB of memory under normal usage with a relatively small library of tunes; the ZuneLauncher.exe app hovered around 3.4MB, but the ZuneNss.exe program (Zune Network Share Service) uses another 25MB or so -- just to share your Zune media with your Xbox 360.

Never before have we done so much device plugging and unplugging. When you finish adding files to your Zune, you can't go back and drop in more. You cannot interact with your player until you unplug it, and plug it back in. While it's plugged in you can't interact with it; with the Zune there's no such thing as listening to music out of the player and charging via the sync cable at the same time. We couldn't play music off the device through the application, either. When your Zune is plugged in, your Zune is absolutely nothing but plugged in.

The storefront itself is easy enough to navigate. It's not quite as nice as some storefronts we've browsed, but it definitely does the job. Anyone familiar with a PlaysForSure store like Napster will recognize the look and feel. Actually, while we're on the topic, can we just say it's a little too much like Urge? Because it is. It didn't take long to discover not much the Zune brings to the table isn't straight off the shelf.

There were a few things we liked about the software. Like other implementations, importing your library (and presumably also ripping) grants you access to automated cover art lookup. Unfortunately, unless that album is in its own directory, you won't get proper organization and a folder.jpg, you'll get a mess of files named like AlbumArt_{C04A1652-2DBE-48AB-A4D8-CA3822CC2945}_Large.jpg; classic Media Player. Hell, even if your media is in its own directory you'll get both the AlbumArt jibberish file, as well as the folder.jpg.

The Zune Pass subscription was easy enough to set up, and functioned like any other PlaysForSure store. It saves files in WMA, and these files play in Windows Media Player 10. Something tells us this mysterious Zune DRM is really just some PlaysForSure variant, and it won't be long before that too is cracked. But until then, sorry, no FairUse4WM. Yeah, so what if we tried it out, we're thorough! Downloads came up to five at a time for us, and were very speedy. Music is dropped in its own directory with album art ready to go. Why they'd ever let albums get through with 200 x 200 art files, however, is beyond us. Microsoft, the player has a 240 pixel wide screen, remember?

Otherwise, there were a few nice things about the player software. You can create instant playlists or sync lists by dragging artist, songs, genre, even year; it's auto-sorted and added according to your selection. Your library narrows down entries with each letter as you search, and if you don't have anything that matches your string, it automatically searches the store and returns those results. But that's countered by another interface issue: if you search for an artist and only one entry is in the store, you still have to click through on that artist to get to their page (instead of just going straight that lone entry -- see above). One step forward, two steps back.

Sending media to the Xbox wasn't too difficult, however, there was a little skittishness with Windows Media Connect. You have to make sure to disconnect your current WMC connection with your 360 before you can add the Zune. (Above shows both Zune and WMC shares.) Of course, if you're sharing the same library of folders with the Zune software, there's really no point, it's going to look about the same. And yes, getting the Xbox streaming working just right crashed our software at least once. It's also worth mentioning that the only music the Zune software will stream off your PC is music you downloaded from the Zune marketplace. Try as we did, all the music we imported into the library on our host machine just wouldn't even show up in the Zune Xbox 360 share. It was at this point we were beginning to wonder when Microsoft was going to really nail something with this player.

Finally, though, we have to address two things. First: Mac support. Yes, we know Apple users make up between 4-10+% of users in the US (depending who you ask), but not launching with Mac support is a Bad Thing. Microsoft expects Zune users to be Windows users. That's unreasonable. This was intended to be a product for people who love music, first and foremost, and more than just Windows users love music. Perhaps Microsoft wasn't prepared or inclined to fight Apple on its home turf. Microsoft has a Mac unit, believe it or not -- maybe they could have developed Zune for that platform in tandem with the PC Zune dev team. But they didn't. They're taking on the iPod -- the number one converter of PC users to Apple -- without a version for OS X. Don't they want to get some of those users back? We still hold that the smartest single thing Steve ever did with the iPod was to eventually give it Windows support. (If you'll recall, it didn't launch with Windows support.) Granted, the marketshare isn't exactly turned around on the Zune; the incentive isn't the same as Apple making their precious iPod PC-compatible. But if Zune wants users, Zune needs to find them where they're most likely living right now. And one of the more likely customers is the Mac user with an aging or dying iPod they're considering replacing. We're long past the days where a product launch like the Zune's can skate by without at least acknowledging the Apple crowd.

The second thing we have to address: the Universal deal. The Zune's initial launch takeaway is fashioned loosely around the concept of the "connected" discovery of unearthed indie music gems. The player comes packed with obscure (but awesome) acts like CSS and Band of Horses, and the marketplace has all kinds of hitherto unheard of acts all up in lights. We get that. So why did Microsoft cave at the last minute to Universal's demands to fork over a cut of its Zune hardware sales? Well, it was something Universal wanted for a long time from Apple, so this time they decided to take it from Microsoft. They obviously held the power; Microsoft needed that major label support to take on the iPod with mass-market consumers. But what about all the indie labels and artists -- do they also get a cut of Zune hardware sales? Well, "no further announcements have been made," as they say. We guess it's cool for indie to be indie and broke n' stuff so long as the big labels are allowed to get whatever they want -- while at the same time terrorizing legitimate consumers doing legitimate things with their digital media. Microsoft really wanted to convince everybody that this time they'd changed, this time they were starting from the ground up, working for the consumer, working for the artist. Well, no one's buying that story anymore. But really, that much is only peripheral to the device, what it does, and how well it works. So let's finish this off.

So, is it fair to have all these concerns with the Zune? It is, after all, a version one product; the player is the first in a series of forthcoming devices, and the software is just out of the gate. Our answer: yes, it's totally fair. Sure, the iPod wasn't that good going out the door (hell, we still don't really like it that much), but that's hardly the point. It's 2006, this is Microsoft's answer to Apple's flagship product, and yet here we are battling buggy software and basic user interface issues. Wireless nags aside, the Zune doesn't aggregate media and podcasts from the internet, another device-defining option Apple's opted-in on. It's open on audio with AAC, but it doesn't play the new video standard, H.264, or even anything else besides WMV. The platform is touted for its growth potential and ability to add features as the market determines, but we have no clue what these are, or when we'll get them. Ever hear the phrase go big or go home? The only thing big about the Zune right now is the marketing campaign.

The Zune is a player riddled with a lot of small issues -- death by a thousand cuts. Do we think any particular one is a deal breaker? Well, even given our nightmarish software issues, not really. Do we think they should have worked out the kinks and sat out this holiday season? Probably, yeah. Do we think there's potential for betterment of the platform and especially the player through software updates? Given enough time, absolutely. Would we recommend the product for purchase, like, right now? Not a chance.

People wonder whether Microsoft's underdog will overtake Cupertino's reigning juggernaut this holiday season. To be honest, we wish it could, since we too are getting kind of sick of seeing the iPod on top. A one man show is only entertaining for so long. But this buying season if the question is iPod, we're afraid the answer sure isn't Zune.

And now for some more pictures

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 2:17PM]

Oh my dear god, stop plugging your fanboy rubbish.

The Zune does suck. But so does the iPod. Style over substance, and unfortunately MS have copied that badly.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 2:28PM]

"Only time will tell. We have two more revisions to go until Microsoft overtakes the world with Zune (at least if you go by past history)."

reminds me of the germans. People realized what was going on and rose up to squash it.

Microsoft got away with it the first time because there wasn't anything to compare their product to - noone really understood what an os was, or should be.

Today people know what a portable device should be cause they've been there.

Your windows itunes experience sucked? wah

my mac zune install was awesome! check the install pics here:

http://www.web.mac.com/dorseycoe

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 4:05PM]

WMA is a crappy format. And the new iTunes updates work fine. True iTunes 7 version 1 was terrible, but they corrected that.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 8:17PM]

WMA is an awful format.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 5:50PM]

Please say you didn't, just please say you didn't, please please please say you didn't use the 80GB iPod in those photos at the end of the review. I'm convincined Engadget is in love with Bill Gates, and that was a cheap move. Take down those pics and replace them with the 30GB, then we all can get a nice laugh out of it.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 8:28PM]

you did lose any credibility when you asserted that WMA is a better audio format...

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 13th 2008 9:20PM]

Can I delete my Zune Temporary Conversion Files? I found these while doing a disk clean up (+ 1GB). I don't want to loose my music. But I figured temporary means temporary....right?

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 28th 2008 1:52PM]

Would I be able to use the music I already bought form Napster?

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 12th 2008 4:52PM]

i have an 80gig zune and i am not happy. on my first one the front screen came loose and dirt got behind the screen. so i sent it in to be repaired and i was told that i would be sent a new zune. guess what i got in the mail 2 weeks later a use zune with a scratch on the screen and a scratch on the center button. well worth $250 huh. the biggest waist of money and the worst service ever.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 12th 2008 4:44PM]

after getting a replacement zune that was scratched microsoft told me to deal with it.

[(Unverified) Posted May 13th 2008 4:02PM]

what are so bad about zunes they are like the same thing as ipods or mabey better but whatever

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 27th 2008 10:41AM]

I bought one about two months ago and love it. I figured out the interface within about 30 seconds. Install was flawless and never has crashed. I will complain about the sync function, but I am sure someone will come up with a new interface that will treat it like a hard drive. That is why I like Microsoft products. Someone will create a new user interfaces that are better than what Microsoft came up with.

I guess everyone freaked out about how big it is probably is under the age of 21. Does anyone remember carrying around a Sony Walkman with a tape cassette in it. Everyone is missing the point that the Zune and the iPod are amazing pieces of technology. I never dreamed that devices like this would exist when I was a kid with a tape player.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 21st 2008 8:40PM]

I bought the 80GB zune and i have to say it is an annoying piece of crap when i started synching it to my comp the application kept freezing. I did like the video quality very much as well as the pictures. I believe its pretty heavy for an mp3 player and its gets pretty annoying to carry around. Having the radio is a plus considering you don't have to buy an FM transmitter and it tells you the name of the radio station as well on some stations it tells you what song is playing. I am angry with the product because my mp3 just froze and it doesn't look like it will resume any time soon. Microsoft needs to recall the product and fix it but i'm not that suprised that i've already found so many problems with the zune after all it did come from microsoft and lately the majority of its products have had a lot of problems especially vista which i have and hate. In conclusion i will probably return the zune and find another mp3 player that won't give me such a hard time.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 1st 2009 9:57PM]

"Microsoft needs to recall the product and fix it but i'm not that suprised that i've already found so many problems with the zune after all it did come from microsoft and lately the majority of its products have had a lot of problems especially vista which i have and hate."

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the longest, not to mention one of the most biased, run on sentences the human race has ever seen.
Aside from that, the Zune is buggy, but good Lord people, its only a few years old. If your 3 year old child breaks a bone, you don't say, "WELL JESUS. THIS ONE IS DEFECTIVE. LOOKS LIKE ALL THE BABIES THAT CAME FROM THAT HOSPITAL ARE BROKEN. GUESS WE'LL JUST TAKE IT BACK AND HOPE THEY DO BETTER." You say, "Hey! No! Thats a very bad child!" Then the problem is corrected. No need to freak out over little bugs. The mostly likely reason their system couldn't handle the Zune software was because is was on a WORK computer. Not a computer designed for media. Geez. Take a deep, soothing breath and relax.

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 27th 2009 2:07PM]

This review is biased. I installed my Zune on 2 computers! Flawlessly and under 3 minutes each. I love how they did not ention that the you can have your music library on 2 different computers.

On the first computer, you can manage songs on the Zune itself, adding, deleting, editing etc. On the second computer you can only add, but whatever you add you can take off. And you can also copy your entire library from the Zune onto the 2nd computer.

So if you do get a new computer, you don't have the hastle like you do with an Ipod, having to download extra programs to carry songs over.

Not alot of people care about the Zune radio, but unless you update your songs everyday, you won't have everything, not to mantion certain radio shows you can listen to on the train.

*Get off Apples lap and be fair. The zune is better. All this talk about Wifi browser,lol. I got my PHONE for that. And I laugh at people who have the iphone and itouch...(you really need two web browsers?)

[(Unverified) Posted May 4th 2009 3:36PM]

My zune lasted 4 days. . .I did a google search and discovered that there are way too many defective zunes out there. I wish somebody warned me be4 investing so much money. Dont believe me check out the official zune support page. When you take into account all the time you put into building your playlist, syncing what you want into the zune just to end up having to ship it back for a replacement that gets to you way too late its just not worth it IMO.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 11th 2009 9:51PM]

I bought an 120g Zune about a year ago and still regret it to this day. It freezes regularly and I can't even register it or get my own user account because it's "not supported in my area." The software rejects almost a third of my songs unless the artist and song info is absolutely perfect, and I have to convert all my video files over to a specific format.

And it gets better, the stupid thing can't play the digital copies that you get in DVDs now, even though it claims to support wmv. I tried, tried, tried to get my digital official copy of Coraline to work and it didn't.

Should have bought an iPod.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 12:35PM]

Congratulations, this is the 7th time I've read the same information about Mr. Zune on here. Can we have some alternative stories now?

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 12:35PM]

I agree with you Ryan. Very good review, good job.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 12:37PM]

Haha.. Yeah I got to play with one at my store for a few minutes. It seemed all right.. too big for me tho. I'll stick with my 4G 40GB monochrome iPod for now.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 12:41PM]

Excellent review, although the Zune doesent quite fit my needs it looks real nice. Just that comparason of the front sides of both Zune and Ipod, the ipod looks realy horrible, with its small screen and large wasted space for the click wheel. I would buy the Zune anyday, shame im a fan of Cowon and waiting...still..waiting for their X5 successor.

:)

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 12:44PM]

Microsoft Zune is bound to be doomed!

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 12:44PM]

I don't know why you guys had so much trouble with the software. I installed it on my home and work computers today and didn't have any trouble neither with installation nor loading music and videos into the device.

Maybe I was lucky, or you were unlucky... lets give it some more time.

I am really liking mine so far.

My iPod Nano ===> eBay
My brown Zune ===> Gym bag

:)

[ryan Posted Nov 15th 2006 12:48PM]

We tried 4 installs on 3 machines, and two of those installs were borked. Trust me, we did everything right -- as you well know, there's nothing to screw up with that installation, no options or places to trip. They need to iron out the kinks.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 2:02PM]

"My brown Zune ===> Gym bag"

That a great plan, because the Zune sure won't fit in your pocket. In fact, Microsoft could piggyback on Apple's tag line, "Zune, 1000 songs in your gym bag!"

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 4:00PM]

same here i did an install first try and it worked abseloutly flawlessly!

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 20th 2006 5:44PM]

Ok, I have a question. I run all my music on Windows Media Player and Im curious If I would be able to sync my music straight to my zune.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 12:54PM]

As I said, I may have gotten lucky. How big of files were the video files you tried uploading?

Anyways, I am enjoying mine so far... odd but even though I work in our corporate accountibility deparment, we are on the same floor as another unit's IT department and some of the geeks there must have also purchased Zunes. I can see their Zunes on my community. They are full of trance & techno music =)

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 4:25PM]

trying to get it to work on vista i noticed that the zunesetup.exe itself is "drm'd" in that if you try to run it in compatibility in vista and remove it from data execution protection is says that this program cannot be removed from dep. were all the machines that you ran it on dep capable procs?

just a thought.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 2:58PM]

LOL its histerical how much that screen size crushes the ipod lol

and im sorry from the thickness and weight difference its not that big a deal i mean give me a break lol

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 12:49PM]

DRM WILL be hacked, ftw.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 12:52PM]

Wondering why it seems so much like Urge? Do an nslookup of origin.store.zune.net

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 1:02PM]

Why dont you guys just start a Zune fanclub?

[ryan Posted Nov 15th 2006 1:04PM]

All under 30MB, no reason for those issues!

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 5:22PM]

I installed the Zune software yesterday (was disappointed to see it does not work with Windows 2003 Server, but then again iTunes won't either without a good bit of work) but I can't say I've run into any problems yet.

I think it is a nice device, though I have to say the advertisements on TV make me feel that I am not a member of their target audience :-(.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 12:56PM]

How about the earbuds? Are they white, black, purple? Nowhere on any Zune picture I've seen earbuds or wires. No comment on the quality of earphones, lenght of wires. It looks like the earphones are non-existant. Does Zune stream audio straight to the brain or what?

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 10:32PM]

Indeed, you can stream to your brain thanks to the wifi, but you must first install a software to let your brain handle DRMed files. Also, when you accept the software's EULA, you agree to let Microsoft and Universal scan your brain for pirated content and take $1.50 from your bank account for every illegal file the find. So you better think twice before listening to this song you just downloaded from your p2p network...

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 12:56PM]

Very good and detailled review of the Zune.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 1:33PM]

Good review, thanks. Only thing that feels out of place is the rant on whether indie bands get a cut of hardware sales - no offense, but they will get a cut when they have the negotiating power of a big label -- welcome to the real world. If you use that as a criteria for supporting a device you will have a long wait.

Sounds like it is a good attempt but not ready for prime time. If the Xbox is a model, it should get better and better over time. Maybe by this time next year I'll give it a go.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 1:01PM]

Well, must say you did make a complete and objective review even thought MS has definitely done their pr works. Cheers, great job lads! :D

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 1:04PM]

Very good review. I am not an iPod owner (I don't own any MP3 player) but this Zune platform interests me. I am going to wait until at least the second revision before I buy. Actually, they would have my $ in a heart beat if they launch a xbox portable/zune combo that tied into my 360.

One thing to point out though (and I don't believe I saw much mention of this in the review): THIS THING IS GOING TO GET FEATURES ENABLED LIKE CRAZY VIA FIRMWARE UPGRADES.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 1:06PM]

My post got cut off. Here was the rest:

One thing to point out though (and I don't believe I saw much mention of this in the review): THIS THING IS GOING TO GET FEATURES ENABLED LIKE CRAZY VIA FIRMWARE UPGRADES. This is a major competitive advantage over iPods/other MP3 players. MS has done a great job upgrading the 360 (see Video marketplace, etc) and the Zune will follow in the path.

12 months from now, the Zune will be a VERY viable platform.

Believe it!!!

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 3:52PM]

Apple, Creative, and Cowon all have had firmware updates this year.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 1:07PM]

Probably the least biased or bashing Zune review I've read to date. And unlike 99.9% of the 'trash the Zune' reviews I've read it actually comes after the player is out.

To me the software woes isn't too much of a worry. A friends attempt to get itunes to work on my machines was all but a sign of the apocalypse.

I live in the SF Bay Area so there's no shortage of iPod users in a constant 'fishermen of souls' mode so the conversations on the train are pretty entertaining at times.

Hipster - "And the Zune has this cripppled wifi sharing thing where you can only listen to a song for 3 days then it evaporates."

Middle-aged woman - "I didn't know that, so how does the iPod wifi work?"

[daveo Posted Nov 15th 2006 3:07PM]

haha... zing!

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 16th 2006 7:47AM]

What does 'Fisherman Of Souls' mean?

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 3:09PM]

I wish Microsoft the best of luck, but I just can't see this thing succeeding.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 1:10PM]

Waiting for the 2nd gen. Hopefully we'll see all the bugs and kinks worked out, useful wireless, and an overall lighter package.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 1:10PM]

After saying the zune wouldn't support video at launch, Microsoft now says
Zune software supports the following formats and codecs:

* Windows Media video (.wmv)
* MPEG4 video (m4v, .mp4, or .mov)
* H.264 video (.m4v, .mp4, or .mov)

(source: http://www.zune.net/en-US/support/howto/play/enjoyvideo.htm_

What's the truth..?

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 4:47PM]

Zune always supported video. What Microsoft said was that the Zune *Marketplace* doesn't offer videos for sale at launch. iPod fanboys spread the "Zune doesn't support video!!" in their FUD campaign.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 1:13PM]

Ryan can the Zune act as a portable storage device?

[ryan Posted Nov 15th 2006 2:00PM]

Nope! It's accessible via player only!

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 3:47PM]

surely you should be able to browse the device just like any usb hdd?

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 1:13PM]

I can understand buying this as a first MP3 player, but does it really justify the switch from a perfectly good iPod? Would you really make the change on the off chance that you'll someday share a song with some random stranger? Also, when the true video iPod comes out, it's going to be funny to see inane comments like...

Zune----eBay
Widescreen Video iPod-----gym bag

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 1:13PM]

Give me avi - divx or xvid playback, some more battery life and im sold.

[anonymouspimp Posted Nov 15th 2006 1:16PM]

Not a bad review... seemed fair.

I bought a zune yesterday and really like it... one of the things that makes me feel more comfortable about the Zune, is that just about everything negative about this player (other than its physical size, which yeah, it is a little big, but why would I wanna watch a movie on anything smaller?) can be fixed with updates, over WiFi (or i guess you could download an update the old fashioned way too heh).

I also had no "real" experience with the "twist interface" before using my Zune (I admit I handled a Gigabeat for like 10 seconds about a month ago... but this is the first time I got to REALLY play with it)... and all I gotsta say about it, is I really like it. If you can't get over the "learning curve" of this interface in 30 seconds, you probably ate too many lead paint chips when you were a kid.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 1:18PM]

add drag and drop for that reason, ive never like sync for some reason. i feel like im not in control

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 1:18PM]

Sheeet, you nailed it - another Microsoft product out the door too early [read inferior].
Hold out for the iPhone!

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 1:32PM]

I don't think you understand firmware and upgradability (b/c it is something the iPod does not do). The Zune you buy today will continue to be upgraded via firmware. Advantage: Zune.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 1:19PM]

i would love to see the zune be more of a PDA/MP3 player.. i think since it has wifi already it should be able to surf the internet. They should of did a more efficient PDA/MP3 player :)

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 1:22PM]

How's the equalizer? Is it better than the iPod's shitty EQ?

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 3:04PM]

"How's the equalizer? Is it better than the iPod's shitty EQ?"

There is no equalizer.

Also I don't get these "nano out of gym bag, zune in" type of comments. They aren't even competing products o-O. The zune's a harddrive based device while the nano's a flash product. Why would you want to put that kind of shock wear on a harddrive when you own a flash device (no moving parts = no problem)? Also, why would you switch from a nano to something over 5 times the weight and three times the width? This isn't gym gear.

Finally... why does everybody pose converting from WMA to be a bad thing? WMA is an aged ugly codec. It was never more efficient then MP3 and makes larger and more lossy audiofiles then similar bitrate AAC (Which isn't an Apple codec but an MPEG developed codec designed to replace MP3 also known as MPEG-4 Part 2 or MPEG-4 Advanced Audio Coding). WMA 10 pro's the first real competition to AAC (which, guess what, is not what most of your old WMAs are encoded in) and finally supports 96kHz 24 bit sound 7.1 channels (still not AAC's 48 channels... or 192kHz 32bit ability).

BTW... nobody's mentioned if the Zune can playback WMA lossless (all indications point towards no...) or WAV (which would be hilarious since it's Microsoft's competition to AIFF, both of which are supposed by the iPod. )

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 1:23PM]

Another thing, it's obv. they stole the cover art from somewhere else otherwise it'd be scaled for the Zune screen.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 1:26PM]

Well written article on the new Zune guys!

Basically Microsoft Corp made the unholy trinity of mistakes on this one.

1. They pre-bashed a beloved brand (I-Pod) out of the gate and called their yet un-tested, un-marketed, un-available product "The I-Pod Killer".

2. They came to the market with a product that rebuilt an entire system from the ground up, in an area that was already dominated by the I-Pod. Instead of focusing on a product that was cheaper, lighter and more stylish that might have worked in tandem with the I-Pod.

3. They made it in "National Park Bench-Brown", which is to say the unholiest of colors. Brown is not the new black, it is brown, plain and simple.

Just based on the color alone I see this product as DOA. Fortuntely Microsoft Corp has lots of money so they can refocus on other products they can also color brown...good Christ, what were they thinking!?

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 18th 2006 9:14PM]

Come on now. Don't flaunt your ignorance.
1. MS never referred to the Zune as an 'iPod killer.' The media did.
2. They didn't create anything new. They revised the Gigabeat.
3. You think it will fail based on one of three color options? Cadillacs come in Mary Kay pink, but that doesn't stop Snoop from driving a black one.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 2:05PM]

Hahaha PJ, what the hell are iPod updates if the iPod doesn't support firmware? I'll be the first to state that PJ is a viral plant. Its one thing to like a product, its another to outright lie and give misinformation. Thanks for playing.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 1:32PM]

What is sad is that the Zune is the best Microsoft could do to try to yank consumers away from Apple. People who haven't been paying attention to the PMP game, for whatever reason that may be, have been introduced to the upcoming war between iPod and Zune. This compounds considerably when you add that to the general war between Windows and OSX, PC and Mac, whatever.

As a potentially new PMP customer, you are gonna ask questions. Even if you know absolutely nothing about either player, they will be looking for advice from someone. And, depending on which store they are in when they start asking questions, they are going to be bombarded with fanboy responses, mostly from the sales staff and employees, but also from the nosy, noisy, and hotheaded fanboys (and girls), that just want to make sure that their preference becomes the dominant force.

Having said that, what is truly sad about this whole Zune vs. iPod war is the fact that the genuinely wonderful pieces of warez are getting left to rot in their respective, marketing-limited corners. Anything from iRiver, the Zen lineups, the Gigabeat series, and the Archos PMPs are truly superior devices in all regards, whether it is usability, audio quality, format compatibility, battery life, it doesn't matter. People are so quick to forget those still very modern and state-of-the-art devices that simply don't have release dates that match current headlines. When did the world trade quality for the bling factor? More importantly, WTF is "bling" anyway, besides onomatopoeia for striking metal? I remember a decade ago when someone mentioned an item or event that happened "back in the day" it meant at least 15-20 years. Now, people accept that same phrase as something that could potentially have occurred earlier that week and it's still considered by nearly all to be ancient, archaic, and obsolete.

I use a Zen Vision:M. It does exactly what i want it to do. It plays music, it allows for custom EQ's so I can switch based on the output, (my car thumps a lot more than my headphones, obviously) It holds 30GB of storage, I use 11GB of it with 2100 songs, which is my entire collection of about 185 albums. And, aside from those of us who try to use Bose surround sound headphones for lossless formats on a PMP, why in the world would you need 30GB of music? You can't seriously expect to hear it all at once, the battery simply will not let you, and if you are carrying around the travel charger for it to extend the usage you can get out of it, why not just bring your laptop? I understand the necessity for removable storage, I use Photoshop and Lightwave routinely at work. But, if you are going to need 80GB of storage for files of that nature, why not simply invest in a Firefly drive or something? It's cheaper.

Sorry, I am tired of the bitching. Ryan, it was a thorough review, and very much needed as an end-all for what it actually does, I appreciate it.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 1:53PM]

"why in the world would you need 30GB of music?"

is that a joke?

i had a hard time selecting which 20 gig portion of my music library i wanted to carry around with me. It's not about listening to it all straight through, it's about having a huge selection. On shuffle, or selecting tracks, i don't want to be limited to only a small portion of the music i've purchased.

Not to mention video... for which 30gb isn't that much.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 1:33PM]

Mmmm... The Fall.

Microsoft's first attempt isn't bad, but I'm sure future Zunes will be even better. After all, the first iPod wasn't really all that from what I remember. I'll be sticking with the iPod for a long while -- especially since it works wonderfully with my Mac.

Fishes,
narco.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 1:38PM]

I have had a lot of problems with my iPod on my PC as well. And I hope that MS works the bugs out of the Zune and makes a PC friendly pmp that really workds. ANd I wish they would untie the device from the Zune Marketplace. Cause I truely hate iTunes.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 1:39PM]

Patrick,

I don't recall Microsoft ever calling Zune an
iPod-killer. The press called it that, not MS. MS has always said this was a first step on a long road.

Also, while you may not like brown, I somehow don't think your distaste for ONE of THREE colors available at launch will doom the device.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 2:02PM]

"I don't think you understand firmware and upgradability (b/c it is something the iPod does not do). The Zune you buy today will continue to be upgraded via firmware. Advantage: Zune."

I don't think you realize that iPods have upgradable firmware too.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 1:41PM]

If desperate is beautiful then the Zune will surely be the top seller this holiday season.

The Zune is pretty much the worst thing to ever happen to the MP3 player market. It is like a great big brown (or black or white) Christmas present from Microsoft. I predict it will actually increase Apple�s dominance in the long run and here is why:

(1) Zune completes directly against Microsoft�s partners. They are stealing business from MP3 player manufactures with one hand and stealing business from online music stores with the other. This should pretty much upset everyone involved with the exception of Toshiba who is making the Zune.

(2) Your existing music won�t �Play For Sure� � in fact it surely won�t play as Zune is not compatible with previous DRM efforts.

(3) The initial release was premature. (I know the holiday season is important but you only get one change to make a first impression.) Zune is not compatible with Vista and it is hard to get the software to install even on XP. I have heard nothing but complaints about this.

(4) The Zune is not a compelling replacement for the iPod. With the exception of the �Social� WiFi sharing (which again I have heard nothing but complaints about) it is really just a run of the mill MP3 player. This is a huge problem because Microsoft needs to steal Apple�s customers and just another MP3 player won�t do it. Instead Microsoft will likely lock down the �anything but iPod� market which should definitely mean bad news for their partners (as previously noted) but should have little to no effect on Apple�s market share.

(5) To get Universal they really had to sell their souls. This point deserves the most thought. Universal was willing to hold out � they were willing to risk not having their library on the Zune service at all � to the point where Microsoft had to offer them a share of Zune sales. Wow. Not to mention Microsoft has now opened Pandora�s box. Unless the Zune flops all record labels are going to demand this deal from all MP3 player manufacturers. This is simply going to raise prices. The only company that has a chance of avoiding this is Apple.

Simply put I don�t understand it. The Zune is not an iPod killer, it is just another MP3 player with an iTunes-like music service. It is Microsoft�s take on the iPod. It will sell but at the expense of Microsoft�s partners.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 10:54PM]

You got my vote, cause you making a lot of sense. I saw a video on cNet earlier where one guy said when interviewed in a store: "I have an iPod, but I said I'd take a look at the Zune for video as it has a bigger screen." In the end he didn't seem at all convinced, and if I remeber correctly he mentioned something about the true video iPod, for video. I'm mean the Zune marketplace doesn't have a video store yet. If Apple has the product finished, and have the time to get the "true video iPod" out before Christmas then the Zune wont even be in anyones sub-conscience.

-Too little, too late.

[Korpil Posted Nov 15th 2006 1:48PM]

I don't own a Zune and I don't plan to in the near future, but yesterday I downloaded the software just for the kicks... it connected to the Internet to "search for updates" and since it found none, then it closed! Dude! Where's my install??? I want to play with the software and check the store just the way I can do with iTunes without owning an iPod, right?

Besides, other point that COULD help it kill the iPod is the opening of International stores... what's the deal here? Does Zune Marketplace work only on the US?

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 6:16PM]

It really makes me sick how many Microsoft employees leave their comments here at engadged.

As a regular reader I can say that the comments differ very much from the normal bashing whenever there is a zune article... coincidence?

don't be fooled by the astroturf.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 1:50PM]

Isn't that an 80gb iPod in the pictures?

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 1:51PM]

Just came back from Best Buy. Actually, I wasn't so dissapointed in the Zune as I thought I would be, but I did buy an 80G video ipod instead since I had $50.00 off certificate and the screen looked so much crisper and brighter on the ipod. Though I'm sure it is there I couldn't find the equilizer on the Zune how do you get to it? Also, I didn't realize that you could transfer photos not only music over your Zune, pretty cool. Side by side the fit and finish of the ipod and zune is worlds apart. I can see the Zune selling big time to 12 to 25 year olds but most people with at least a little class will probably still buy the ipod. It's just like the old MAC/PC debate Ipod just has so much more software, accessories and music available to it. Also I noticed that the Zune blocked about 50% of the songs that some kids were trying to transfer to it. I guess certain Artists don't want there songs shared in that fashion.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 2:18PM]

Apple can't be on top forever. There will come a day when something else will replace the iPod as the hot must have item.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 1:54PM]

I have owned an iPod for at least 3 years, upgrading from the mono 4g to the photo, to the new video. I bought a Zune yesterday, and I can definitely say that I like it a ton more than my 3 previous iPods. One reason being I am not scared that I am going to break it because the Zune is definitely built tougher. I also had no problems at all installing the software.

One note of advice: Don't knock it until you try it.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 2:09PM]

Question: given that much of the sentiment here is anti-iPod, how is the Zune suddenly the best alternative? Why one earth would you want one of these, when Archos and Sansa both offer much better alternatives. Seriously, is this WiFi sharing really so important to you?

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 10:05PM]

popstand, Blair is what we call an astroturfer. He is paid by Microsoft to say these things. Don't mind him.

"One reason being I am not scared that I am going to break it because the Zune is definitely built tougher."

Blair, the iPod case is mostly metal. The Zune case is all plastic.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 1:58PM]

To clarify a point or two:

It's "iPod" not I-Pod or IPod...

And the iPod is most certainly firmware upgradable. Apple has added codecs as part of their upgrade process. However, it is true that it's rare that Apple has ever added a significant feature upgrade via firmware.

And as several people have asked - one thing missing from the review is a note about whether or not the Zune can be used as an external drive.

To me, this is an essential feature.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 2:07PM]

"However, it is true that it's rare that Apple has ever added a significant feature upgrade via firmware."

A recent firmware update for the iPod 5G added gapless playback, screen brightness control (that should have been in there from the start, though), that floating letter thing when scrolling through a long list, etc. I consider those, especially gapless playback, significant upgrades, but YMMV.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 2:09PM]

"one thing missing from the review is a note about whether or not the Zune can be used as an external drive."

Microsoft has confirmed that the Zune cannot be used as an external drive.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 1:58PM]

I bought a Zune yesterday, and I'm returning it today- there are too many things that SHOULD be on the player that aren't, and that I'm not willing to wait for firmware updates to correct.

� No ability to bookmark files for later resume. You're in the middle of a 2-hour radio show and you stop to listen to something else- you have to start the other track back at the beginning and fast forward. complete deal breaker for me. Oddly enough, they DID include this in videos.

� No ability to delete files from the player itself- you have to go back to your computer and delete them through the interface.

� No drag-and-drop ability. Sorry, MS. I don't want to build a library on my system. I just want to rip CDs or download netcasts and drag them over to the Zune. Their whole software package unnecessarily complicates what should be a simple process.

I'll check later revisions, but as of now I'm looking at an archos.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 2:00PM]

One question I have, is it possible and easy to watch TV shows recorded in Windows Media Center on the Zune?
That's the deciding factor for me, and I can't find an answer anywhere.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 2:06PM]

Great review. I purchased my Zune yesterday and so far I haven't had any crashes with the software. Yes downloading video does take a while but it is transcoding the files on the fly.

I haven't purchased any music but have downloaded most of my music collection last night. The transfers were flawless.

The UI does need some work. But just like other devices future firmware should correct these issues.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 2:06PM]

This has been bothering me. Why is everyone using the 80gb ipod to compare to the 30gb zune for size? Wouldn't it make more sense to compare it to the 30gb ipod since that's much thinner?

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 11:12PM]

I replied to the first comment out of context, because that was bothering me so much too, but no response from Ryan Block yet. He'll probably say that that's the only one they had at the time, but that's not an excuse. It's down right false and misleading to compare the Zune to the 80GB iPod. This will confuse some, and convince other that the Zune actually isn't chunky, when it is. If you're reading this Ryan I strongly suggest you take the pics down and post the proper ones with the two 30GB players that are the same price. Just my views. p.s. I just know the images will never get taken down or replaced, but that's bull I think!!

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 2:11PM]

though microsoft zune is a good product but i dont think it will be a match for apple's ipod and microsoft image in public is also not so encouraging as compared to apple.

http://blog2good.blogspot.com
an akshay blog

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 2:16PM]

What a surprise ...another Zune Engadget article and another invasion of Microsoft employees pretending to be satisfied Zune consumers. You can spot them a mile away.

[ryan Posted Nov 15th 2006 2:34PM]

We monitor our comments, and trust me, we would let the world know if there was shadyness going on.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 2:57PM]

Christ, could morons like Sy POSSIBLY give it up with the "hurrrrrrrrr any positive comments must be Microsoft plants" comments? So only the negative comments from people who have neither touched nor owned a Zune are genuine?Is it so inconceivable that there are people out there who actually bought a Zune and actually like it?

Guess what, I'm one of them. My Zune is sitting in my desk drawer here at work waiting to be used once I'm off. I got it last night, brought it home, installed it, sync'd existing media, entered my 14-day subscription code, and downloaded a bunch of stuff from the Marketplace.

I haven't had a chance to use it extensively, but the time I did spend with it was good. I can't tell whether it's new-gadget-happiness or whether I really am satisfied, but time will tell. My biggest problem is that I have owned PMPs in the past and all of them were underused. I'm sure this one will be as well, especially given its size. I currently have a 4 gig Nano and a 1 gig 1st-gen shuffle, and the shuffle gets the most use since it's simple, sturdy, and great for going running.

One thing I want to check out is how much interoperability it has with my Xbox 360. I'm guessing it'll be underwhelming, but hoping that the 360's video download capabilities will be Zune integrated in some way.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 2:19PM]

the bottom line. Does Microsoft ever get anything right the first time? or second. Its usually the third update around when things are normal. By the way I like my Zune but the software leaves alot to be desired. Why not just have WMP 11 to work with instead of a brand new suite?

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 2:30PM]

Why doesn't someone come out with a device that's actually an improvement? For example, if you have wi-fi capabilities, why now allow people to actually "podcast" by letting other people in the area pick up their musical broadcast if the user wishes. Why not actually allow wireless file transfer instead of stupid limits? Surely it can't be illegal to allow wireless file transfer, even if the transfer in question is an MP3. Considering I can share using wires with other MP3 players already without these restrictions, it seems a little ridiculous that wireless wouldn't take this to the next level.

If the wifi could broadcast, imagine the ability to walk around your house and have your speakers automatically pick up the stream. This stuff is all possible, but people are so afraid of the RIAA that they hold back on innovating. Chooseable audio streams that follow you around your house are already possible.... Whatever.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 2:33PM]

ok, how 'bout without the www

http://web.mac.com/dorseycoe

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 2:34PM]

When are we ever going to stop comparing the 30GB Zune to the 80GB iPod in pictures?

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 11:21PM]

The real question on all our minds now is: When is Ryan going to respond to all the people who have asked just that question in this thread??

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 15th 2006 2:36PM]

Sorry, but I refuse to buy any player that does not support MSC/UMS mode. Maybe next time.