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| Brand: Zune
Category: CE
List Price: $199.99
Buy Used: $155.00
You Save: $44.99 (22%)
New (5) Used (12) Refurbished (2) from $155.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  1522 reviews
Sales Rank: 1853
Color: Black
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Display Size: 3
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 1 x 1 x 1
Warranty: 1 year warranty
MPN: JS8-00001
Model: JS8-00001
UPC: 840356622149
EAN: 0840356622149
Release Date: November 14, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Excellent MP3 Player - Review from 17 Year Old High School Music Lover February 4, 2007
24 out of 30 found this review helpful
I bought the Zune shortly after the Holiday season after living off my friends 5.5g iPods or my Ipod minis (which had far too short of a battery life for me to enjoy). My Zune is already loaded with 7000 songs and a few videos (and it runs quite smoothly). After having used both the players I can say without a doubt that the Zune is a better device than the rivaling 30gb 5.5g ipod. My friend who has the iPod I would use sometimes is now waiting for it to break so he can buy a Zune and we can share music.
HARDWARE
Zune Versus Ipod
-The Zune's 3" screen size is noticeably larger than ipod's 2.5" screen which makes movie watching far more pleasurable. (I'm ripping Season One of the Boondocks to it right now)
-To add to that the Zune comes preloaded with about 10 music videos and 3 extreme sports clips whereas the Ipod comes with nothing (and from what I see in school, kids never actually do put video on their ipods)
-The Zune's "D-Pad" touch is actually a lot easier to manipulate than the iPod's scroll wheel once you become accustomed. With iPod's scroll wheel I found myself passing songs and artists all the time and having to slowly scroll back. Witht he Zune you can just click one-space at a time if you need.
-The Zune's interface blows the Ipod's away. You use the left-right controls to switch between artists, playlists, songs, etc. and the up-down controls to scroll. With the iPod you need to actually pree back and then scroll down to the menu you want and then load that menu.
-You can customize Zune's background which is actually one of the reasons I choose to buy the Zune instead of the iPod. This makes my iPod using friends pretty jealous.
-The style of the players are equally cool in my opinion but target different audiences. The Zune looks and feels very laidback with it's soft-plastic casing whereas the iPod has that shiney, sleek, and thin appeal. I happen to be a kind of grungy teenager though so the laid-back style suited me fine.
-The Zune's wi-fi is more cool than it is practical. I've used it with one person in one of my classes at school and it was fun, but I only got to listen to one of the songs he sent me before I ran out of time. Even still, Zune has wi-fi, iPod doesn't. Even if it isn't strong it's still a one up.
-The Zune has a radio-tuner that shows you details of the station and what you're listening to which is pretty cool (and I don't usually even listen to the radio)
-Battery life is at least that of the iPod. I haven't really tested it but for what I need it's perfect. I use it in the car going to school, for about half the day, and on the drive home and it still has half it's charge. For video it could probably play about two full videos before dying. If you're looking for extended battery life the Belkin battery pack should work (although I can't say I have it).
-Playback is smooth and transition time between menus is shorter than that of the iPod.
-The Zune feels much more sturdy than the iPod and it's soft neoprene type plastic shell is far more scratch resistant than the iPod's shiney metalic finish (and what good is that finish if it's all scratched up?).
-One annoying downside to the Zune is that it doesn't show you the time like iPod does. I find myself checking my Zune to see what time it is but then realize I can't. This isn't too bad though since I have a cellphone anyways with the time. I feel like most people do. Firmware updates may eventually bring a clock to the Zune
-The Zune doesn't have games available like the iPod which is a little upsetting. I used to play Solitaire on my iPod mini's more than I listened to music. Maybe firmware updates will bring games about eventually too.
-You can't listen to music while viewing pictures which is a little strange. Again, firmware updates are needed.
SOFTWARE
Zune versus Itunes
-The biggest fault of the Zune is that the Zune software itself is horrible. I still use itunes to play my music and I only use the Zune software to sync my Zune up. The Zune software has it's few upsides like keeping a universal playcount among music players and automatically uploading new music when it comes to your computer, but overall it seriously lacks what iTunes is capable of.
-Zune software is horrifically slow next to iTunes.
-Sync speed is about the same between Ipod and Zune.
-The Zune store is pretty weak next to iTunes. It has a smaller music selection and movies are still not yet available for download. On the upside though, songs are 20 cents cheaper ($0.79) and you can get a "Zune Pass" that works somewhat like Rhapsody where you can download as much as you want to your Zune for a monthly fee of about $15 I think.
-Although the Zune software is weak, it's important to keep in mind that Itunes software is on it's 7th version whereas the Zune software is still on versions 1.1. Updates to the software will come and eventually the Zune software won't be as weak.
OVERALL
I give this five stars when really it's probably more of a 4.5 due to a few features that are lacking and weak software. The 5 stars are really to compensate for people's underrating of this device. This whole Apple craze took over and people forgot that Mac almost dissappeared fromt he market at one point and the iPod is what saved them. Microsoft has been the giant of computers for years and is obviously a trustworthly brand. The Zune and it's software are still devloping though and if that bothers you it may be wise to avoid the device. But overall I think that the device is still better than the 5.5g iPods and that firmware + software updates will eventually make the Zune the number one MP3 player if you don't already think it is.
never a problem November 20, 2007
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
I've had my Zune for 7 months and I've NEVER had a problem with it. Not once!! The software works and has worked perfectly for me (including the brand new update!)
It's an amazing device to bring on vacations because with proper applications, DVD movies, and tv shows recorded from my computer can be put onto the Zune.
It's fantastic. I treat my electronics wonderfully and take care of them so I never have any problems. Some of the people who have troubles with the Zune are not doing something right. It's easy to blame an electronic device when it's really the users fault...think about it ;)
Examine merits, not focus on brands January 1, 2007
32 out of 42 found this review helpful
Brand loyalty isn't always a bad thing - but putting it above the merits of the actual products can be a mistake.
As some background - the Zune is not my first MP3 player. I started with one of the original Zen Jukeboxes, then an iPod Nano, chosen for their merits rather than the brand. Apple, Microsoft, and Creative all make good products! I bought a Zen Vision M very recently, but wound up exchanging it after trying a friend's Zune.
The Zune is a very good player. Unfortunately, it's starting at a real disadvantage, and it's 99% to do with the company name. Microsoft have come out with an excellent first model - and if the player were made by anyone else, I believe reviews would be much more favorable.
The hardware and the feature set are solid. You aren't buying into the equivalent of a 1st generation iPod here; thanks to Apple, Creative, and others, media player technology has stabilized considerably, and it's clear Microsoft have studied other brands and invested a lot of time into developing the Zune.
Pros:
- The screen is very large, bright, and clear. I've enjoyed watching videos on here much more than on the Zen Vision M or the iPod video.
- There's no scrollwheel, but the controls are very intuitive. I do miss the wheel sometimes, but equally I don't find myself accidentally slamming the volume up to max.
- The Windows software is actually pretty good. Much better than the Creative software bundled with the Zen, not as good as iTunes though.
- Swapping music is neat! Tried it out and a whole album transferred in about 2 minutes. The downside: the person receiving the song can only play it three times before it expires. This is kind of inevitable though; unrestricted music exchange doesn't fit the current business model.
- I really like the interface. Looks more professional than the Zen Vision (no comic sans style font!), large and easy to read, and it's easy to navigate. The icon display of album covers is terrific. However, they need to alter the full screen display of album art - the software just stretches thumbnail size pictures to fill the screen and it's very pixelated.
- The built-in radio is a really nice touch, and I've had no problems with reception. Rumor is that XM radio will be integrated, which would be an awesome addition.
- Stylish design. Not sure why they picked brown as a launching colour - but the player itself is sleek, and the matte finish doesn't show fingerprints (the iPod, though gorgeous, made me feel like a clumsy greasy human). The Zune is on the large side, but comparable with other 30GB players, and most of the space is taken up by the screen.
- Support. This is Microsoft, they won't vanish overnight - and as a software company, they'll be releasing regular updates.
Cons:
- Only works with Windows right now. My Macbook in OSX mode doesn't even recognise it - so if you're just using OSX, you should definitely wait. There's a third party program that currently supports reading the Zune filesystem, but that's about it. Linux support probably won't take too long though. Creative players have the same problem, as I found out with the Zen Vision!
- Syncing sucks. Unforunately it seems pretty much standard; the iPod does the same thing, though in both cases there are ways to circumvent it. I suspect it's a DRM related thing, but I don't understand why both Apple and MS believe I need to keep the full contents of my MP3 player on my computer.
- DRM, DRM, DRM. Again, though, this is not just a Zune issue. Music from iTunes only works on iPods, music from MS Marketplace only works on Zune, and if you buy your songs elsewhere it probably won't work on either. Horribly confusing. If you have a large library of bought tracks, stick with whatever brand you're using. Personally I rip most of my music from my CDs; no DRM and it works on any player.
- No support for using the Zune as a hard drive. There's an easy hack available, but native support should have been there (the Zen has it!)
- No native podcast support. Maybe this will be added later, but it should have been there at the start. You can download podcasts via iTunes or third party programs, and just transfer the files across, but it shouldn't have to be that complicated.
- The software is still new and needs work. Microsoft are at heart a software company though, so I expect frequent updates. I suspect they'll be better on this front than Creative.
- File formats - I seem to have this problem with other players too. I'm never quite sure which player supports what video format. The Zune uses WMV and MP4 exclusively for video, but it's been easy to convert most of my videos with the built-in software. However, there are a few it just can't do.
- Not many accessories yet, and what's out there is far too expensive! The iPod has many more cool toys and skins. Then again, I don't need an iDog right now :-)
Generally, I'm very impressed with the Zune. It does everything I need out of the box - music and video playback, viewing photos, FM radio, music swapping, etc. The lack of cross-platform support is a problem for non-Windows users, and I'm not sure if that will ever be fixed. However, expect the Windows support to get better and better with new software releases. Also, I suspect (and hope) that the Zune won't fall prey to the endless variations and hardware updates of the iPod. I would rather see new firmware and software updates than have to buy a whole new player, and I have a feeling this is the route Microsoft will follow.
iPod and Creative fans - if you're looking for a new player, and don't have too much DRM protected music, see if you can put aside brand loyalty and give the Zune a try. To new buyers with Windows PCs - the Zune is an excellent choice, and I doubt you'll be disappointed.
Zune: A Comprehensive Review January 4, 2007
42 out of 56 found this review helpful
Alright, I've been using my Zune for well over a week now. I did research to ensure that my digital content would work with the Zune, and considered it relative to the 30gb Ipod, the rival to the Zune (as opposed to music only Ipods). When it comes down to it, you have to consider what you want to use it for. If you want *only music* then you might be better off with an Ipod. If you want video too, then the Zune is probably a better choice.
Digital Content:
Started with my music and video collection. I converted my Itunes songs to MP3 version. There are a variety of conversion programs that enable mass conversion. These programs also convert Itunes based video content such as TV shows or movies you might have purchased.
But for those who prefer free conversion methods, there is the option of ripping your music to CD and then burning to the hard drive to create MP3 files. Windows Media Player will assist you with this.
The key here is that you should be free to use your songs on whichever player you want. Apple has refused to open up the Itunes format to other hardware devices, effectively locking Itunes users in unless they go through one of the above mentioned methods of conversion (which can either cost money to do or can be very time consuming if you have a large collection).
Zune Software:
The biggest issue with the Zune has been the software. Microsoft (MS) released a number of fixes in a recent software update, including support for Windows Vista, which releases at the end of the month. One of the main goals of this release was to support smoother installation of the Zune software. This was a common problem mentioned in the earlier reviews of the Zune that has been addressed somewhat.
Because the software is new, there are some compatability issues still. I had a Windows XP Media Center 2002 PC, as mentioned by another user, and Zune will NOT install on that OS. It will work with most XP operating systems, but not that version. I'm currently running a Windows XP MCE 2005 right now, and the Zune software installed easily on here. If you purchased a PC in the last two years, you should be fine. In addition, it is worth noting that the Zune software shares media content with the XBOX 360. Essentially, your PC can act as an extended hard drive by storing hundreds of songs and videos which stream (wirelessly, assuming you have a router) to the 360 and play off of it, but don't need to actually be stored on the 360 hard drive. This is great if you like playing music during games or even just to play off of your TV stereo system.
The Zune software has a good number of options you can select, incouding what to stream to the 360 and how to handle the importing of videos and music. It will convert a small handful of video file formats into WMV, but the Zune itself, although it accepts some of these other formats (like MP4), again, will only actually play WMV format for video. There are a number of converters to asssit you with this online. They also have DVD burners which set up your DVD collection for viewing on your Zune screen. They set at the optimal 320X240 resolution and in WMV format.
The Zune Hardware:
This is by far the strength of the Zune. For those who are knowledgeable enough to manage their file content, they can take advantage of what is probably the best hardware on the market. It offers more than any other single player. Here are the key reasons:
-Customizeable backgrounds
-Simple to use D-pad with an enter button in the center (why would you want a click wheel when you can use the D-pad that most users have been using on controllers for the last two decades).
-LARGER SCREEN (Common sense move for MS here. Why does the Ipod have all that extra room on the bottom to support the click wheel? MS took the extra space and turned it into space that can be used to watch movies and display album art)
-FM Radio (The Creative Zen M comes with an FM radio also. The Ipod charges you extra for it. What's really cool is that it displays the genre and song information if the station supports that.)
The "doubleshot" design of the Zune is very cool too. It's best viewed in a daylight situation. For me, I have the Brown Zune which lets off a green glow around it. It's like a transparent outer case, in a sense. It is NOT an LED light, as some people have understood it. The Black Zune comes with the blue doubleshot, which I'm sure is really cool too.
Bonus Round:
Two things that allow users to try out music without making any commitment. One is the WIFI sharing feature of the Zune. As you probably know, you get up to 3 plays in up to 3 days. People complain about the restriction, but it's something that no one else even offers. This can only be a positive for MS relative to other developers like Apple. The second would be the Zune Subscription service. Many users enjoy a subscription, and this serves them well. MS currently offers a 14 day trial for the marketplace with the purchase of a Zune. Be aware that once a subscription is cancelled, any music taken under that subscription will no longer be useable. If you intend to keep an active subscription, then you have nothing to worry about.
Future outlook:
Software problems are the only issues to point out. And as we all know, software can be upgraded and fixed over time. In fact, MS is known for supporting their products well after release. The WIFI possibilities in particular are especially interesting, as MS might add WIFI purchases or adjust the restrictions on WIFI sharing between Zunes or WIFI synching with the PC.
Overall, it offers more on a per dollar basis than the equivalent Ipod. The softrware requires some getting used to and a bit of patience and technical experience at times. But in the end, even if MS never again updated the Zune software, it beats the current Itunes players on the market with the larger screen alone.
Feel free to ask some quesitons or assistane if you have or are considering buying one. As I actually own a Zune, unlike some other reviewers on here, I don't mind to assist.
The Zune is the MP3 Player of Choice November 11, 2007
13 out of 16 found this review helpful
I bought my Zune on December 31, 2006. I gave some time before the review.
When I got my Zune I bought it in the color brown for $250.00. I will say the brown is very unique and complete, with the green finish.
For the Zune's external, it is beyond 5 stars. It never gets scratches, looks great, and is comfortable in the hand or pocket. I have dropped it many times and I don't have a case. It's still in great condition.
Now, for the internal, I will admit I am still astonished to this day. Browsing through the music library is easier on the Zune than any other player. The battery has to be charged around one or twice a week, and I use it daily. With 30 gigs of storage, you can hold all the videos and music you want.
My sister had a Zune in black so I have experienced file sharing. A whole CD of music (13 songs) is sent and recieved in around 15 seconds.
Overall, I am most pleased with this device. Only now my eyes are even more fascinated by the 80 GB Zune.
Hmm, the negative things about the Zune...
All I have experienced is if you have 4000 songs it might take a little bit to get through the list.
Negative hardware... maybe if you have a Mac there is a problem.
Here is something funny:
my Zune has not frozen (it's been over 10 months) so I am yet to need to reset it.
My sister had to reset her iPod video the day she opened it, and continues to reset it quite often. The iTouch looks neat, but I will stick to my beloved Zune.
P.S.: some very neat things happen when connected with a XBox 360 :-)
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