Bruguru's Full Review: Microsoft Zune Black (30 GB) MP3 Player
Why a Zune
Just why did I buy a Zune? Why not an ipod, after all? The Zune is, for all intents and purposes, Microsoft’s answer to the ipod. I’ve owned an ipod before albeit a few generations ago, and I really liked it. But I also owned a Windows Media based player, my 30GB Philips HDD6330 , for which I had digitized most of my extensive CD library into wma format files.
Wma files, of course, won’t play on an ipod, and that was probably the single biggest factor in my decision. The dreaded format wars took their toll on me, and I bowed to the dreaded Microsoft totem and bought a Zune.
But Wait! Why Won’t All My Songs Play???
But there’s one big problem: the Zune will play unprotected wma files, meaning songs you’ve ripped from CD yourself, It plays MP3s, too. But it won’t play any wma files you’ve purchased from online purveyors like Wal-Mart, Yahoo Music, and even Urge, from whom I had bought a number of tracks through Microsoft’s own Windows Media Player.
Fortunately, I didn’t have a huge investment in tracks bought online, and burning CDs with those tracks, then re-ripping to unprotected wma files solved the problem. But here’s the thing: Microsoft pushed its “Plays For Sure” technology on these online music stores, then deliberately chose not to make the Zune compatible with that technology. In effect, this forces you to buy tracks from their Zune store. And that’s not nice. Can you say lawsuit?
But I Did Buy One Anyway
I had read a few reviews here on Epinions about the Zune, and I was intrigued enough to give it a try. So, I bought one, knowing I could return it if I didn’t like it. The price was slightly lower ($20) than a comparable ipod, and frankly, it has more features.
Accessories
As with most MP3 players you shell out a few hundred bucks for, they don’t give you much. The Zune comes with software CD, USB connection cable (which allows you to transfer files from your PC and charges the battery), headphones, and a carrying pouch that will protect your player but can’t really be used while listening to your Zune. If you want a case for that you’ll have to shell out another $20 to $30.
Setting it Up
Setup was pretty much a snap. I simply installed the supplied Zune software and followed the instructions. I have a lot of music digitized, about 20 GB worth, and it took about an hour and a half for the ZUNE software to install, locate my music, and transfer it to the Zune. Once it did, though, I was up and ready to go. The Zune software allows for quick and easy file transfer and organization, too.
FM Radio
The ipod still does not have a built in radio, but the Zune does. You may wonder why anyone would need a radio when you can have 7500 songs at your fingertips, but really it’s good to be able to catch the news and talk radio and such. The Zune’s FM tuner does not have presets, but it does seek the strongest signals and plays them back clear as crystal.
Larger Display
The Zune’s display is another nice bonus. It’s larger and, to me, brighter than that of the ipod. It clearly displays album art and videos, and the widescreen format for videos is a nice touch. You can customize your display background, too, with any compatible image file you load on the device.
Controls
The controls are fairly simple and patterned to a degree after the ipod’s clickwheel. A central wheel is flanked by a back arrow to the left and a pause/play arrow to the right. The controls are fairly intuitive, and it didn’t take me long to learn them. The “wheel” doesn’t really turn, but a button in the center acts as a select function when depressed. Pushing the wheel up or down will increase or decrease volume while a track is playing. A quick push left or right will take you forward or backward through your song list, while holding the button down left or right will rewind of fast forward through your track or video.
A neat little feature for the control wheel is that when you flip the Zune sideways for videos, giving you a widescreen view, the control wheel changes orientation so that all of your functions are still in the same direction (i.e., you still press up/down for volume instead of left/right).
Navigation
Navigation won’t take you long to figure out, either. The main screen menu allows you access to the following:
Music
Videos
Pictures
Radio
Community
Settings
Selecting one will show you what you have in any of these categories. Once you’re in the music section, you can organize by song title, artist, genre, playlist, or album. Holding the wheel down or up will scroll through these. If you have a lot of tracks, holding the wheel for a few seconds will begin a quicker scroll, displaying the letter of the alphabet that you’re currently located in for easier search. When you choose a track, artist, or album you can play one song or all the songs by that artists or on that playlist or album. You can even send a track directly to another Zune user from this menu.
Community allows you to connect with other Zune users, see who is online nearby, and see any songs other users have sent you. Under the Settings header you can deactivate the online feature if you’re not interested in file sharing, select an equalizer choice, decide on wallpaper you like, and determine how much disk space remains.
Wireless Zune to Zune Connectivity
One of the more interesting features of the Zune is the prospect of a wireless “community” of Zune users. Basically, this allows you to share music with other Zune users, and also allows you to receive tracks that they send to you. This, I thought, was a pretty keen idea, even if the range is fairly limited and you only have a day or so and/or three plays to listen to shared music. Then, it’s assumed, you’ll want to buy it.
There’s just one problem: I can never seem to find any other Zune users in range of my player. I’ve tried at my apartment complex; no Zunes here. I’ve tried at the office tower where I work; no Zunes there. I’ve tried it out jogging along the well-traveled Chattahoochee river and out on the Silver Comet Trail. You guessed it. No Zunes in range.
I did, however, actually pick up another user once while riding the train. But for some reasons our Zunes failed to connect despite a few tries. Mores the pity; I so desperately wanted to share my track of William Shatner singing Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds. Nothing says community like a gift of that.
Sturdy Design
The Zune has a solid, hefty feel to it, and though I haven’t dropped it yet (and don’t plan to if I can help it), I suspect it should hold up to moderate shock well. The whole shebang is encased in clear plastic, which should help to protect it from sweat, dirt, and scratches.
Headphones
Surprise! The ear bud phones actually sound pretty good, delivering fairly decent bass and treble. But they do have the annoying tendency to fall out of the ears, especially during exercise. I find the Zune sounds better with a set of plug-style founds like the Philips HE-592s or the SHE-9500s .
Battery Life
Upon getting my Zune home, a full four hours was required to fully charge it. A full charge will yield you about 4 to 6 hours of play time for music, less for videos. Generally a few hours connected to your PC will bring you back to a full charge from a 25% level, but you can charge from any PC.
Sound
None of the features would really matter if the Zune didn’t sound great, but it does. Even without an equalizer active, I get full rich sound with decent bass and treble response. Certainly, track s will vary based on the quality they are recorded at, but the most popular setting, 128 K, sounds great.
Zune Store
One setback for the Zune is the fact that, aside from ripping tracks from CDs, you’re pretty much resigned to buying tracks from the Zune store due to the aforementioned format issues. That’s not much different than Apple’s itunes, of course, but it’s still annoying. Prices here aren’t much different, about 98.75 cents per track. You don’t buy tracks or albums one at a time, however; instead you buy Zune “points” for 1.25 cents each, at a minimum of 400 for $5. Most songs will then cost you 79 points each.
Video
One of the more attractive features of the ipod is its ability to play video. The Zune can do that too-if you can find compatible video to watch. Most video downloads will not play on the Zune, and the Zune Marketplace only offers music at this time-no video. About the only thing I have been able to watch on my Zune right now are downloads of NBC Nightly News and Meet the Press.
Overall
I really like my Zune, and it has become my digital audio player for the foreseeable future. I like many of the features it incorporates, especially the great sound and larger display. This would certainly be a five star product were it not for Microsoft’s decision to forgo their own “Plays For Sure” format with the Zune.
Still, if you’re in the market for a new audio player, give the Zune a look before you buy that ipod. You may just decide to buy one, Zuner than you think.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 199 Recommended for: Music Lovers - High Capacity Storage for an Entire Album Collection
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