Zune 80 GB Digital Media Player, Red (2nd Generation) | 
| Brand: Zune
List Price: $249.00
Buy New: $199.99
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Rating:  481 reviews
Sales Rank: 24
Color: Red
Media: Electronics
Display Size: 3.2
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 3.5 x 1.8
Warranty: 1 year warranty
MPN: HPA-00010
Model: HPA-00010
UPC: 882224692304
EAN: 0882224692304
ASIN: B00176AX6W
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| Features:
| • | 80 GB digital media player stores up to 20,000 songs, 25,000 pictures or 250 hours of video | | • | Features wireless Zune-to-Zune sharing so you can swap tracks and other media | | • | Big, bright, 3.2-inch color LCD | | • | Compatible with Zune Marketplace for media downloads and subscription services | | • | Automatically imports your existing music, pictures, and videos form iTunes and Windows Media Player in a variety of formats | | • | Premium Earphones included |
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| Accessories:
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Product Description
Music and entertainment, your way. That's what the Zune 80 GB Digital Media Player is designed to deliver. The Zune easily connects you with your music, videos, and pictures wherever and whenever you want, and unlike the iPod, it even has a built-in FM tuner so you can keep up with local news and sports. Your Zune gives you the power to wirelessly share full-length tracks, playlists, pictures and podcasts with your other Zune-wielding friends. And when you receive songs that you just can't get out of your head, you can easily tag the songs and buy them the next time you sync up. Whether you're listening to music, radio, or rocking out to the latest music videos on the bright, roomy screen, the Zune allows you to tailor your entertainment, right in the palm of your hand. Watch a demo on Zune. 
The Zune easily connects you with your music, videos, and pictures wherever and whenever you want. | 
Share full-length tracks of your favorite songs, albums, playlists, pictures, and even audio podcasts with other Zune users. (Black Zune shown here with Dock Pack v2 with remote, sold separately.) | 
Store up to 20,000 songs, 25,000 pictures, or 250 hours of video. | 
Get all your favorite music at the Zune Marketplace. | Simple, Innovative Controls
The Zune is a breeze to use with new, intuitive touch controls. Don't subject yourself to cumbersome, slow scrolling. The innovative new Zune pad makes browsing your music, video and picture collections fun and effortless. You'll fly through your favorites and get to just what you're looking for in no time flat. This powerhouse device stores up to 20,000 songs, 25,000 pictures, or 250 hours of video. (Please note that music estimates are based on 128 kbps WMA files, with length of 4 minutes each; pictures transferred to Zune will be optimized for Zune screen size; and video estimates are based on 500 kbps WMV files with 128 kbps WMA audio tracks.) That's a lot of entertainment, and you'll appreciate it even more with the Zune's awesome screen. The big, beautiful, 3.2-inch color screen provides uncompromising portable video viewing. This Zune also comes equipped with premium earphones. Designed to block out external noise, these earphones provide superior sound and bass response, and leave your ears with nothing but your favorite tunes. Your favorite music, videos, and pictures have never looked and sounded better. FM Radio
The Zune also features a built-in FM radio tuner so that you can listen to local FM stations or tune-in programming while you're at the gym. Advanced tuning capabilities allow you to see the name of the song that's currently playing on select frequencies. Wireless Sync
We're all exhausted by the cables and wires that tangle up our lives. Luckily, the Zune is one device that doesn't require another cord. You can easily connect to your home wireless network and sync your Zune with your PC collection of digital goodies. You can also sync using the dock, AC adapter, or speaker dock accessory (not included). The Zune Community and Marketplace
Zune is all about sharing and community. At the Zune Online Community, you'll discover, share, and leave your musical mark. Create a Zune card and Zune profile page to reflect your musical identity. From the Zune Online Community, you can invite friends, share song recommendations, post comments, and browse member pages to unearth new tunes and connect to others who share your musical tastes. When you're ready to purchase music and load your device with new tunes, turn to Zune Marketplace. With more than 3 million songs, DRM-free MP3s, music videos, audio/video podcasts, and more content added every day, you'll certainly get your fill. The store is always open and just a mouse click away. You also can choose between the download or subscription packages--buy individual songs and albums, or snag a Zune Pass subscription with all you can eat access to discover and explore the nooks and crannies of artists and genres. Zune-to-Zune Sharing
Once your Zune is loaded with good stuff, you'll be ready to embrace wireless Zune-to-Zune sharing. Share full-length tracks of your favorite songs, albums, playlists, pictures, and even audio podcasts. You can listen to the full track of any song you receive up to three times, and you can even pass along songs that are shared with you to other friends. If you find a song you really love, you can easily add it to your wishlist and buy it later when you sync to your PC. When it comes to syncing and importing your music, the Zune makes it easy. Zune software can automatically import your existing music, pictures, and videos from iTunes and Windows Media Player in a variety of formats, including your existing playlists and song ratings. Recorded TV or Movies to Go
The Zune will also automatically import TV shows or movies recorded using a PC running Windows Media Center in Windows Vista. Record all your favorites, sync to your Zune, and hit the road with your favorite TV shows right in your pocket. Your Games. Your Music. Your Way.
Another awesome feature is the Zune's compatibility with the Xbox 360. Plug your Zune into your Xbox 360 to customize the soundtrack in supported games. You also can stream music, pictures, and videos from the Zune software on your PC to your Xbox 360 console using a wireless connection. Whether you're staying in or going out, travelling or working, the Zune can be right there with you, providing loads of entertainment direct from your pocket.
What's in the Box
Zune 80 GB Digital Media Player (red), premium headphones, sync cable, and three sizes of ear sleeves.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 476 more reviews...
 Outstanding. November 13, 2007
L. Gonzalez (NC)
775 out of 848 found this review helpful
I've owned 5 different kinds of iPods, as well as the original Zune, and I must say, that this product is by far the best of the group. I spent the day trying to return my iPod Classic (80GB) so that I could get my hands on one of these---and I had to look just about everywhere in town to find one.
Is this better than the iPod Classic? Undoubtedly. I can make a fair comparison, as I have been toying with the Classic for the last two weeks. I've had iPod Nanos (first and third generations), 3 iPod Videos (5G), and an iPod Classic (80GB). The iPod is a fine product line, but I had too many bad experiences with the 5G video to want to keep them. I heard that the Z80 came out so I went and bought that one instead.
I'm going to spend most of my time here discussing how the Zune 80 compares to its predecessor, the Zune 30, as well as the iPod line--as it has set the standard for mp3 players for the last few years.
Screen- The glass screen looks much better than the original Zune's plastic one. The 320X240 resolution looks great. It looks far better than the Classic's screen. You can turn it sideways to take full advantage of it while watching videos. The iPod Classic's screen can only be viewed from one direction, and it has for the most part remained the same since the fifth generation. The video quality is great. Although this is technically the same resolution as the ipod Classic, nano, and Zune 4 and 8, it still manages to look great because of its size and clarity. You will notice that the quality on the smaller Zune appears sharper, but that's only because there are more pixels per square inch on them, due to the smaller size. Still looks awesome. This screen is slightly larger than the 1G Zune, but overall it is still smaller in both thinness and height. The glass screen is far more durable than the plastic one, and after a few months of testing it now I can say that it does not scratch easily, if at all.
Build- This thing is built to last. It feels a lot denser and sturdier than the last year's model. The first generation Zune couldn't win a beauty contest by a long shot--but I think this one's a winner. Aluminum back reminds me of the iPod line, although it's much better because it is brushed metal. (Meaning you don't have to keep it in a glass case, and bring out gloves when you want to handle it, like you did with the iPods). The paint, believe it or not, is actually very difficult to scratch. I've put it in my pocket with my keys, and the screen nor the paint scratches. I wouldn't want purposefully subject it to such tests, but it happened, and it's still in pristine condition. I scratched the back of my iPod Classic the first day I got it because of the glossy metal back. Scratching the back of your iPod is inevitable. I really don't see a need for a case.
Zunepad- The iPod's scroll wheel was a nice piece of work when it first came out. The Zunepad is better. Bold statement? Maybe. But I can now navigate via touch controls in four different directions as opposed to two with the iPod. And it is very easy to do so. I was skeptical at first, but Microsoft nailed it. You can choose if you want to flick your fingers across the "squirqle" to play your music, or you can just press the buttons to navigate. Nothing against Apple, but the scrollwheel on the Classic wasn't nearly as sensitive as the 5th generation iPod video's. Aren't you supposed to make progress when you release new hardware? I had problems with my Classic's scrollwheel's sensitivity. I can definitely see myself navigating menus much faster using the Zunepad.
A few things that I've noticed: Zunepad doesn't work with gloves of any sort (most of the time). Not that big of a problem, but I have noticed something interesting. Even the analog buttons underneath the Zunepad do not work if you are wearing gloves. It must sense that your skin is actually touching it to work correctly. I found that rather odd. I get some response out of it, but it usually doesn't respond the way you want it to. This is a big deal for me, as it is getting cold. Taking off your gloves to change a song is a burden, although I still enjoy using it more than I did the scrollwheel (which worked with gloves.) I've tried cotton, leather, and suede. This sounds crazy, but it is my biggest gripe with the Zune 80.
Firmware- Not too much different from the original, aside from aesthetics. It just looks pretty. Oversized letters are nice to look at, in addition to some decent animations. You can set your own backgrounds, as opposed to having the iPod Classic automatically flowing album art in the back (I hated that). The "twist" interface is much easier to use than that of the Ipod. I'm pretty sure I can get to a song much faster than someone with an Ipod. It works similar to a spreadsheet, as you have artist, songs, albums etc. listed at the top, with the contents of the respective categories listed below. A simple f lick to the right or left immediately changes categories. Microsoft definitely wins in this department.
Radio- You'd have to pay for this if you bought an Ipod Classic. Although I don't use it, it is still nice to have.
Zune Software- I'll be honest, I've been using itunes for a few years now, and I hate it. When I bought the original Zune, I thought that escaping itunes would be a good thing. I was wrong. The original software was abysmal. BUT, the new software is a vast improvement. It's almost too simple. And it's also easy on the eyes. I may consider using this as my default player from now on---something that I would have never done with the original software. The reason why I got rid of my original Zune in favor of the iPod classic was the software. I was tired of using it. Now I have more reason to keep my Zune.
After using it for awhile, I have noticed a few quirks with this software, mainly that it seems to sync a small group of songs over and over again. I see this being fixed by Microsoft's next update. I've been using it for awhile now, and I am not entirely as optimistic about it as when I wrote this review. It is STILL superior to itunes, and definitely the original software, but they need to fix a few issues with it. Namely the syncing options. The software recognizes some of the videos in the mpeg 4 format, but not all. I am thinking that this might have been a problem with the conversion software (Xvid->mpeg4).
The sound quality, which is probably the most important part of this review, is great. One problem is that they removed the equalizer, so what you hear is what you get. That wasn't a smart move on Microsoft's part. I think it sounds louder than an iPod, but I'm not an audiophile by any means.
Premium earbuds. These are alot nicer than most other stock headphones. They're the in-ear type, and they will take some getting used to if you've never used them. Bass response is a plus. I tried them earlier and they are comparable to my more expensive Sony's.
DRM- I don't know alot about this category, so look at the comments that people have left at the end of this review. I don't use this type of content. I do understand that anything downloaded from itunes will not work on the Zune. So if your entire library was downloaded on itunes, don't get this MP3 player. It's their way of making sure you continue to buy their products, as well as preventing piracy.
Wireless sync. I really can't use this. I hear it works nicely though. I can't really imagine using it, so take this one as you will. I really don't see the big deal about this. If I'm syncing my music, I want my Zune to charge as well. Maybe this feature is for lazy people, but I don't see it as useful.
Drive usage. You can't put anything on here that doesn't run through the Zune software. In other words--You won't be using this as a portable hard drive, even though most of us will not fill it up with music. You can do whatever you please with an iPod. There ARE hacks online that require you to alter your registry available online. Google is your friend. Try it at your own risk.
Battery life- Okay, the battery life isn't too shabby when just playing mp3's. I went a weekend with reasonable use without having to recharge it (forgot usb chord in the car). Battery life with video isn't good at all, but I don't think it was too far off from that of the Classic iPod. I'd prefer the large screen and lesser battery life over that of the Classic any day.
Conclusion-
I'm not a Micro$oft fanboy, contrary to what this review might look like. I've owned nothing but ipods before owning the 1G Zune. I must say that this seems to be the best one I've owned, and I don't regret returning my Classic.
It's easier to use, has a nicer screen, very generous capacity, great sound and video playback, a built in radio, and sleek design.
If the iPod Classic can earn four stars, this definitely gets five, as it is the superior mp3 player---by a longshot. It's not without its shortcomings, but they are forgivable, considering we've been under "ipod control" for the last few years.
That's about all I can think of. Hope this helps.
 Hardware improved, software lagged behind November 16, 2007
Hordus (Champaign, IL)
413 out of 557 found this review helpful
I got this new Zune 80GB. The player looks and feels very nice. The material looks very quality and futuristic.
The sound quality of the player is neither better nor worse than the first generation. It was generally good with the first player. But actually, they have removed the EQ option altogether in the second generation. So, you are left with the standard sound that comes with it. But, I found the sound quality very good, way better than other very popular mp3 players, which was the primary reason for me to go with Zune. Its screen is large and very clear. Picture and video quality are very good.
In terms of the software: There were issues that are fixed with two updates by the Zune team. Please see the end of each paragraph to see if they were fixed.
Keep in mind that I am not an Ipod owner. The review is not a comparison of Zune with an Ipod, except in the scroll wheel part below. Here are the facts that you need to be aware of before purchasing Zune:
1. If you were waiting for a drag-and-drop feature where you would just drag the songs from a particular location on your computer straight to your device, you will be disappointed again. Apparently, Zune team does not want to give you that convenience. What I, personally, would have liked to see is this: I drag a group of songs to a playlist in the Zune device which updates it immediately, then the playlist on the library automatically updates (or not, depending on the choice) and my library playlist updates (or not) accordingly without a whole process of syncing of my entire library to Zune just because I want to add a picture or a song to a playlist. I am sure a lot of users have told Microsoft that they would have liked to have this feature. But, you won't get it this time either. Instead, Zune team makes you go through first adding the songs to the library, pulling those songs to the playlists, which is itself a pain because of the separated views of playlists and the music library.
2. The categories on the main interface, such as music, playlists are separated from each other and adding songs to your playlists is unnecessarily very difficult. You don't see your playlists from your song collection interface, unless you switch to other views in order to see one or the other. Very unwise way of organizing and programming since the music and the playlists are quite related to each other.
3. There are inconsistencies between the playlists in the software and the device. For example, let's say you created a playlist in the software and decided to sync it to the device (manual or automatic, it does not matter). However, if you disconnect your device after syncing and browse through that playlist (if it's there), you will see that song list for that playlist is not correct; you are missing a number of songs even though you synced the whole thing. This is very annoying if you counted on this sync and now you are out of home. The real frustration is there is no way to correct this problem even if you synced over and over again! Also, the alphabetical order of the playlists is also different in the software than the one in the device. Zune device ignores "The" in front of playlists (or artists, words, etc.), but software does not, resulting in the incorrect placement of the playlists. FIXED by the second update.
As of June 2008: If you delete a song from your library, the playlist that has that song does NOT update automatically. Therefore, you need to do it manually. Quite annoying if you deleted many songs and those songs are in multiple playlists. This should be fixed with the next update.
4. Zune software has very important syncing problems. In other words, it incorrectly communicates with your device to put songs, videos, pictures, and update the information there, etc. For example, I noticed one very important thing. The software syncs a particular group of songs over and over again each time you plug the device in, even though these songs are already in there. Interestingly, the software lists these songs only once when you search for them, but if you plugin the Zune device 10 times, the same group is synced 10 times! However, the device shows these multiples. For example, you would have 10 copies of the same song visible to you under the artist that one of those songs that keep being copied. These syncs eat up storage on the player and after a couple of syncs you will run out of space on your Zune for this reason. FIXED.
5. Let's say you have 10 albums for a particular artist. And you want to add this artist's songs in a playlist you created by album names. The newest album first, the older one second, and so on. When you select all the albums and then carry it over to the playlist section, it will NOT add the songs according to album year, name, etc. It will add them all in a disorganized way and you cannot sort them unless you do them yourself by dragging each song. Considering the number of songs in all these albums, this would take forever. And, most importantly, you will NOT be able to sort them by albums in the playlist that contains all these songs. All the sorting options from the playlists are absent. It would have been nice if we could sort in the playlists.
6. The option to sync automatically or manually is simply not working. So, every time you connect your device and want to sync a single picture, it will start syncing everything in your collection automatically even if you choose to sync by selecting "let me choose". This is quite frustrating because it creates a so-called "sync group" for your entire song collection and deadly-slows down the operation on the zune device. The software sometimes crashes or stops responding. FIXED.
7. Many useful features, such as the EQ, have been removed from the software, even though their functionality have been somewhat questioned. In addition, editing tags is no longer available. In the software, you cannot see how many songs you have in a playlist. It's just very inconvenient.
8. Album names, song lists, artists classifications, album arts are all wrong in the Zune software. There are many albums that show under wrong artists or vice versa. I had Bjork showed under Arcangelo Corelli, despite these two share not a single album name at all. There are many other examples like this. The bad news is that there is no way to fix this annoying problem by editing in the software; it simply does not work. As of June 6th 2008, there are still problems with this feature. The software still finds some album information wrong and gets them wrong.
9. When you have many songs, like around 8000 or more, the screen animations and the responsiveness of the device software declines. The transition animations between menus on the Zune device responds slowly as you add more songs. FIXED.
10. If you are using manual sync, trouble awaits you. Let's say that you decided to sync a particular song by manual sync. You happily did that by right clicking the song and selecting "sync". Now, you want to listen to it. If you search for that song by the artist under artists or album under albums menu on the device, you will not be able to see that artist or the album that song belongs to. You will only be able to find the song you just added by using the song names menu because you decided to sync via song. Interestingly, and of course incompetently, when the software adds the song to the device, it does not update the artist or album fields. Similarly, if you choose to sync through album, you might not be able to see those songs by going through artists or song names. The common sense is when you add a song via the individual song, album, or artists, all fields should be updated, right? But, no. Zune is quite different. You find the song only through the method you chose to sync it. Sensational job. FIXED :)
11. This point is very important. The Zune support team is pretty much useless. The help section of the software is like a bad joke. Download and you'll see. If you buy the device and you cannot figure out something or you do not understand why it does a particular thing even though you did not ask for it, you will be on your own. They are uncoordinated with each other, every time you ask for help for the same problem, each agent will try to give you a different work-around. I had to teach one of the guys there about an update with particular KB (stands for "knowledge base") article at Microsoft because just couple hours ago, it was suggested by his colleague for my problem and which did not help. The only consistency the support team has is to ask you if you have upgraded your firmware and software. If you answer positively, they will ask you to erase everything in the Zune device and resync, not a good option if you have already done it after talking to one of them, it failed to solve the problem, and you have many songs in your library. If they luckily understand your problem and the steps you have already taken, they will put you on hold and "look in" to your issue. After minutes, they will say that they've got nothing in the knowledge base for you. In fact, they will even go as far as to say that it is the first time they hear such a complaint as yours. THIS IS STILL A PROBLEM. THE ZUNE SUPPORT TEAM IS STILL USELESS, UNFORTUNATELY.
12. With regard to battery, the music performance is good, though not excellent. Cnet reported the music performance to be 22 hours. Microsoft claimed it was 30 hours. The judgement is yours. Certainly it is better than the first generations of course, though there are considerable number of people who have problems with batteries (search for this problem on the forums of Zune). And, for video I was able to watch videos for little over two and a half hours. The earbuds are also a lot better than the ones that come with other popular mp3 players. They are much more quality, we need to give credit to Microsoft for this.
13. You still cannot use it as an external hard drive. It would have been really convenient to have this feature. There are hacks for using it as a hard drive though. But, officially, you still cannot do that.
14. The wireless sync option is really handy if you have a home wireless network. This is a very nice idea. But, it would have been a lot better if one could actually connect to Marketplace and buy songs.
15. The scrollwheel is still not similar to iPods. I am not saying this is better or worse, since this depends on what a particular person finds more comfortable. Its functionality has improved though. Personally, I found the Zune device control more functional. But, it depends on the person using it.
16. The Zune software has a serious number of playlist problems. For example, if you accidentally delete a playlist, you will not be able to recreate the same playlist because the software will say that it does exist even though you just deleted it and it does not show up on your screen.
Also, if you select marketplace to browse songs, the page does not load for a considerable number of people, especially for some . It shows every image on the page black. For the playlist, marketplace, and the problem # 4 above, I have talked to the Zune support team and the expected happened. The first person I talked to asked me to restart and reconnect which, needless to say, did not help (see # 11 above). Then she transferred me to a more experienced technical support member. This is what they call "escalation". The experienced technical person told me that Zune software has a lot of issues, it is still in "Beta", and they were getting a lot of calls. The result is I was not able to find a solution from the support team to the problems I experienced. I hear you ask: "It has been a year since the first software was developed. Why is the software still rough and has a lot of issues? Why does Microsoft want us to beta-test it?" Very good question. If you are anxious about Zune, I strongly suggest you do not buy it because you'll try to find work-around to the problems that the programming team should have solved long ago. The product is still not good. The problems are not that advanced (does the playlist problem look that advanced to you?). They are the type of problems that an ordinary computer user would notice easily. We need to admit: Microsoft is very sluggish in this and apparently still thinks that we'll use whatever they release. Their strategy is to wait until the very last minute of holiday season, release whichever unpolished and bug-full version of the software and hope to catch up by "updates" which do not help at all.
There are people who post replies to my review that the problems and/or inconveniences I have experienced are specific to me because my computer was not "up-to-date" or because of some other reason. This is not true, I have an up-to-date computer. Even so, if I am one of those many people who experience this, you could be one of them as well. It is the proportion of those who are unsatisfied compared to those who are. I observed, in the case of Zune (I have no idea about Ipods), that the proportion of those who are unsatisfied is too much. Also, some problems I have indicated here are completely objective. For example, how can the problem of very weak help documentation of the software be specific to me? You can download and see it yourself. Or the absence of drag-and-drop, playlist sorting, wrong album art (tag problems that results in multiple song syncing)? Also, many readers disregard my original disclaimer that I am not an Ipod owner, and think this review serves the purpose of boasting Ipod. This is not true either. I have never used an Ipod and will not buy one because of their poor sound quality (this is my personal opinion about Ipods). I do not know whether or not their performance is satisfactory. This is not the scope of this review.
Overall, with two updates the software became much more useful and competent. There are still a few problems that need to be fixed. Yet, the Zune has become a much better product than other mp3 players.
Dangerously Close to PERFECTION! November 14, 2007
Always Samsung (New York, NY)
233 out of 311 found this review helpful
Dangerously Close to PERFECTION!
Dangerously Close to PERFECTION! I always wanted to buy the original Zune but didn't bother due to the fact it was only 30GB and at that time I was already on my 80GB iPod. When I was on my 80GB I was already on the borderline of a shortage in GB so I was ecstatic when Apple released the 160GB. I have so much videos and that's what takes up all my memory space. After purchasing the 160GB I realized how disappointed I was. I hated the new cheap plastic cover they used; the screen didn't get any bigger, the user interface was spotty and slow (because it takes time to load album art), the scroll wheel was AWFUL and very unresponsive. In short, I was disappointed. The only plus was the memory space. Now the only way I would have enjoyed the iPod was if the 160GB was released in the body of the iPod touch. Instead Apple decided to only utilize 8GB or 16GB as some sort of test drive before the bigger drives get released. I called everywhere in Manhattan yesterday for the Zune & nobody had it. They either had it or their 6 dollar an hour minimum wage employee refused to check if the item was in stock when I called. Anyways I called Circuit City and or course the 18 year old kid that answered said they had tons of Zune's & that he unloaded it off the truck himself the night before the release date but at the same time he refused to put one on hold for me. I go out of my way to go to Brooklyn and of course when I got there they didn't have any. Lucky for me while I was at the store a customer was returning his Zune because he hated the user interface and he thought the device was too big so he exchanged it for an iPod Nano classic. Ok let's get to device. Overall I am very pleased with the device. Like I stated it's dangerously close to perfection, but not quite their yet. I love the design; its very sleek, sexy, futuristic, and very heroine sheik (Wish other colors were available). I've been using iPods for years so I am use to iTunes and the iPod structure menu. So it took a quick second to get use to the Zune interface. The scroll wheel is nicely designed and can be used in 2 ways. Like the original Zune you can hit to select or touch the scroll wheel to browse. The best of both worlds and you get to turn off the touch feature if you want as well. I like the menu setup and I like the fact that you can customize the backgrounds with what's included or with your own pictures unlike the iPod. The pictures look nice & crisp on the 3.2 inch LCD screen. The only thing that was a disappointment was that the album art when a song is being played isn't the clearest image. I guess in order to save memory space the resolution was toned down. I love the fact it has a radio. After having an iPod for so long I realized how many years it was that I didn't get to listen to the radio due to the fact one wasn't built in. Zune also has updated software so that was a nice change even though I didn't see anything wrong with their original design. Last compliant is I wish with all the technology we had that syncing songs would be at faster speeds. I clocked myself last night & it took 3 hours to port all my songs which was about 6500 songs & just a few movies & TV shows onto the Zune. Please note to all teckies out their lets build a better way of syncing songs so it doesn't operate at the speed of a crawling turtle. Bottom line is I am so pleased with my Zune. It really has done what the iPod hasn't been able to do and that's called EVOLVE. Having both devices I really prefer the Zune over the iPod. It's the best of the bunch and with some more advertising people will actually pay attention to this device. Bye Bye iPod Nation, Hello Zune Nation.
Better than iPod Classic, but could be better November 13, 2007
H. S. Jawanda (Seattle, WA, USA)
70 out of 77 found this review helpful
[UPDATE 4]
The rating is actually 4.5/5, but since Amazon doesn't allow fractions, I put down 4 stars.
[Disclaimer]I work for Microsoft. I think I have been objective in this review--you can draw your own conclusions.[/Disclaimer] Also know that I do not work in the division that makes the Zune, so I have no insider information.
Let's start with my likes and dislikes of the Zune 80:
THE GOOD
* Beautiful, bright, large, glass (not plastic) screen. The size (3.2") is so much better for viewing videos and pictures.
* Size and weight (lighter than iPod Classic).
* Capacity (80 GB).
* Built-in Wi-Fi and associated wireless sync.
* ZunePad.
* UI (both of the device and the PC software).
* FM radio.
* Ability to rent music (allowing one to listen to whole songs before deciding whether to buy or not).
* Build quality.
* Customizable backgrounds.
THE NEUTRAL
* Wi-Fi sharing--if there aren't enough Zuners around you, this is not of much use.
* Simplification of the 5-point song rating scale to a 2-point (like/dislike) scale.
THE BAD
* None of the Zunes work as mass storage devices (portable hard drives)--every other player on the market has this ability, so why not the Zunes?
* Automatic playlists are no more.
Now for a more detailed review of some features...
SYNC-ING: USB OR WIRELESS?
Here's the deal: Over-The-Air (OTA, aka wireless) syncing is going to be slower that USB syncing, but more convenient. So use USB sync for bulk transfers (e.g., when you sync your Zune 80 for the first time ), and OTA sync for smaller, incremental transfers (e.g., nightly updates). To realize the usefulness of wireless syncing, consider this setup: keep the Zune dock connected to your Home Theater (HT) receiver in the living room, then when you put your Zune in the dock, the player gets charged, the music gets synced and you can play your Zune's music through your HT setup! I think the wireless sync is a very useful feature and finally MS is beginning to realize the potential of the on-board Wi-Fi (though more is possible).
MUSIC: RENT OR BUY?
Both. Renting music allows me to try out unlimited number of songs an unlimited number of times. Buying allows me to not worry about keeping up a subscription--I know that my favorite songs will always be with me. Renting also works well for "in" or "hip" music--this type of music typically gets overplayed and becomes boring before long. The subscription model allows me to fill up my Zune with the latest music for (say) a party, while keeping my options open for permanently acquiring some songs. The Zune Marketplace supports both models.
ZUNEPAD
The ZunePad is a great combination of D-pad (Directional-pad) and a trackpad. It took me all of 30 seconds to get used to it. Scrolling through long lists of songs is a breeze and fun too ;-). You swipe up, down, left or right to navigate the Zune. A quick flick of your thumb will send a long list of songs scrolling in the intended direction, and a touch on the ZunePad will stop the scrolling (the scroll will come to a natural rest too). The whole action is very intuitive and works as expected--for example, the speed of list scrolling is proportional to the speed of your upward or downward swipe.
COMPARISON
It is inevitable to compare any new entrant in the Digital Audio Player (DAP)/Personal Music Player (PMP)/MP3 Player market to the corresponding iPod--the Zune 80's natural competitor is the iPod Classic 80 GB. To compare the Zune 80 to any other device in the iPod family would be like comparing bananas and oranges ;-).
How the Zune 80 is better:
* Larger, better screen (screen size vital when watching video)
* Wi-Fi and associated wireless sync (possibility of new features via firmware updates)
* FM radio with RDBS display (a saving of approximately 50 bucks vs. iPod Classic)
* Sound quality
* The UI is far more visually pleasing, both on the computer and on the device
* Subscription-based access to entire Zune Marketplace song catalog
* Zune marketplace has a well-developed social aspect to it (not such a big draw for me personally, but others will like it more).
* ZunePad. Thumb motions on the ZunePad are simpler than on iPod's clickwheel (or so says my right thumb, still recuperating from a serious, though unrelated, injury).
How the iPod Classic is better:
* Mass storage device capability (aka portable hard disk)
* iTunes store has bigger song collection, and has videos too
* Cover Flow (while visually snazzy, CoverFlow isn't very useful for people like me who have mostly individual tracks, not albums).
SUGGESTED IMPROVEMENTS
1. Enable mass storage device mode/capability (aka portable hard drive functionality).
2. Use built-in Wi-Fi to enable direct download/purchase/rental of songs from/to the device (I hope this is already in the works).
3. Bring back automated playlists.
4. Let users choose 2-point or 5-point rating scale.
I will add more to the review as I keep using the device...
Great media player November 14, 2007
O. Durojaiye (Bellevue, WA United States)
63 out of 78 found this review helpful
I got this device yesterday and I haven't been able to keep my hands off it. I was one of many people who made fun of the v1 zune but this device is a huge improvement.
The interface of the desktop software is very clean and easy to navigate. The software on the zune works really well. The Zune pad is a big surprise. I wasn't so sure when I saw pictures of it but this touch sensitive pad is great. It makes navigating your media very effortless.
Setting up and using wireless synching was incredibly easy too.
Now for the down side:
1. Getting help when using the desktop software could use a little "help".
2. Every once in a while there's some distortion on the headphones
3. Increasing the volume while playing video isn't as easy as it is for audio
Overall, this is a great device and it's going to be my buddy for a long time.
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