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What I like: 30GB hard drive, built-in FM tuner, 3.0-inch screen (50% larger than the 5G iPod), and 802.11 wireless. It will also come in three colors, black, brown and white. With the ability to share songs with frinds via WiFi, The Zune supports communities like xBox Live and MySpace. Initially, any song sent to a friend will only be playable for 3x in 3 days, but we all know that will be hacked. Are these specs better than the iPod G5? I'll let you decide. I know there may be Apple haters out there who want anything but an iPod or nano, and Microsoft will get their share, but an iPod killer? I mean come on! Seriously, do they think a brown mp3 player will catch on. Maybe, for me to poop on! PROS: The Microsoft Zune has very good playback performance of audio, video, and photos; intuitive and colorful interface; good FM radio with RDS; works well with Zune Marketplace software; integrated wireless allows sharing of songs (limited) and photos; many accessories available at launch. CONS: The Microsoft Zune is not backward compatible with WMA-DRM9; weak native video support (cannot play protected content) and no video offerings from Zune Marketplace; cannot be used as a hard drive (and no UMS support); proprietary USB; cannot use Wi-Fi to sync, stream, or purchase content; minimal bundled accessories; no podcast directory; maximum capacity is 30GB; larger overall size than the iPod video. For all the tech specs, click on 'More Information' above. If this review was helpful, please click 'Yes' below to let others know!Read full review
Lots of people out there are going to answer that question with a definitive NO. The Ipod has become so set in the culture that it will be nigh impossible for any company to put a dent in the Apple MP3 market. However, I feel that Microsoft has something good here that wll in fact give some hope to those of us who have not drank the Apple Kool-Aid The Zune offers many of the same facets that the Ipod does. It has a nice 30GB hard drive, sleek design, and it's own marketplace service for people to get their hands on legit music titles. However, it also offers some things not available in the Ipod: larger screen that has side-positioning technology, a subscription service for those who just want to "borrow" music, and a built in FM radio receiver. Those are some pretty big points of sale for this item. There are of course some drawbacks. Microsoft's Zune Marketplace does not offer the selection that the ITunes store does currently. No movies or TV shows are available to download currently as well. Plus, the Zune only comes in one size and 2 colors, where Ipods come in many shapes and sizes and colors. As you can see there are many pros and cons for the Zune. Hopefully, as time goes on, the Zune will only get better. It is great piece of hardware to have right now. I have one and love it. Goes with me everywhere. Even gave my Ipod away (ok..it was old and beat up, but doesn't change the fact :P)Read full review
This actually my second 30 GB Zune. I still have my first one as I use it at work for when i work out during lunch. I prefer the Micrsoft Zune's software for organizing my music. I have owned my first Zune for over 6 years and have never had a problem. It may not have HD video and all the cool applications like a Apple touch. But it does do the one thing I want it to. it plays music, the hardware is reliable and you can drop the player and it will keep working. There are great alternatives with Creative and Apple. I have found my Zune to be more reliable software wise when compared to my creative mp3 player. And the Zune holds more than the flash creative drives I looked at. It might be an old design and it definitely is not a device with a lot of apps; however, it is sturdy and I will not have to re-organize my windows playlist structures with its included software.Read full review
I wanted something to replace the old iPod I had years ago. I was sick of how iTunes worked and wanted a more flexible software. Apple just has too many copyright restrictions as far as music goes. After purchasing the Zune, I was quite surprised at all of the features on it. Compared to a Zune, and iPod is relatively...plain. The display on the Zune is gorgeous, with customizable backgrounds and such. Plus the screen is about twice the size of the iPod so you can actually see what you're watching. As far as the software goes, it takes a little while to get used to (like all things from microsoft. thats where apple wins) but once you do its very flexible and is much easier to manage than iTunes. One feature I especially liked was being able to just unplug it from the computer when you wanted to, instead of having to wait for the device to tell you it was ok to connect. I've had some problems with that from iTunes. Overall I'd give it an 8/10.Read full review
I have owned a Zune for about 2 months. I downloaded my 163 CDs to the Zune and love that I can listen to any of that music anywhere I am. The FM plug-in transmitter works okay in the car and look forward to getting a new car with an aux plug. I purchased a set of BOSE headphones and they help the music sound good. The Zune software works fine for me, and the Zune Online Marketplace offers many individual songs that can be automatically downloaded to my PC. But there are also many albums that cannot be accessed through the Zune marketplace for whatever reason. The feature for which I purchased the Zune was its video potential---the screen is large, beautiful and crisp. But finding a video to put on the Zune is not easy. All I could locate online are designed for the IPOD---no video from ITunes, Yahoo, Napster, AOL, or MTV will play on the Zune. Given the vast storehouse of music videos from the 1980s, you would think Microsoft would help Zune owners to access them. I am willing to pay for the videos if I could find them. The only videos I have on my Zune are those that I copied from a couple of DVDs I already own.Read full review
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