Microsoft Zune Black (30 GB) MP3 Player

Pros: Wonderful 3-inch LCD screen that works in portrait or landscape mode.
Cons: Cannot play protected content and no UMS support.

This review is going to cover the Zune's sound, ease of use, durability, portability and battery life and a few product specifications. I got the Zune as a Christmas gift from my lovely wife on December 25, 2006. For those who might or might not follow ...

Pros: Large display, sturdy, great sound, wireless capable, easy navigation.
Cons: Does not play wma files from other stores, hard to find wireless partners.

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 i pod before albeit a few generations ago, and ...

Pros: Easy to use, good out-of-box experience, good sound, good display
Cons: Limited playable codecs, limited sharing, can only use Zune software and store

Proof that Marketing is the Key It's true - marketing is key. If it wasn't for in-your-face marketing, the Zune would have never been considered as a serious contender to the iPod. My brother's 2nd generation iPod 10 GB player finally died, and he ...

Pros: Logical controls, great sound quality, large screen.
Cons: A few problems with the software, no external volume control, a bit bulky.

When it comes to MP3 players, the world is divided into two camps - there's iPod, and there's "everything else".   But as two Microsoft Zune 30's joined my household last year, I find myself in the "everything else" camp, trying to piece ...

Pros: Large quality display screen, good sound, durable, excellent customer service support.
Cons: Might be heavy to wear running.

Several months ago, I signed up at club.live.com. Club Live is an on-line search club that has interesting brain games that offer tickets as points for winning games. I like the crossword puzzles, which give 25 tickets per win. 800 games later, I had ...

Pros: Screen and audio quality, interface, sturdily built
Cons: Too heavy, default ear buds, battery-life, horrible software, didn't age well

Last summer while jogging I stupidly dropped my trust 30GB iPod and it smashed upon the ground with such force that it couldn't stutter back to life. Needless to say I walked those two miles back home clutching my broken MP3 player and morale for running ...

Pros: Wifi sharing.RADIO. MORE "BANG FOR BUCK" THAN IPOD
Cons: Limited WiFi.Can't synchronize wirelessly. No Bluetooth OBEX or A2DP

I promised myself I would never buy an Ipod. Years ago, I worked at Best Buy while I was still in college and was shocked at how much money people were willing to pay for Ipods considering their high return rate. The major problem? If you ...

Pros: Large video screen, good resolution. WiFi gives plenty of potential. FM radio player, Zune Marketplace
Cons: WiFi potential remains untapped. Somewhat large, heavy build. Lack of accessories, selection.

iPod. It's a word and a product that everyone knows about. It's set the standard for every mp3 player that came after it. It started a music listening and purchasing revolution. Heck, it even started a trend of companies putting "i" before everything. ...

Pros: endless feature possiblities, battery life, ease of operation, storage
Cons: the little headphones, time consuming downloading processes

I held it off for as long as I possibly could, but I finally took the plunge and purchased one of these things. For way too long, I've been repeating this sequence of events over and over and over again. Burn cd, lose cd, burn cd lose cd...etc. I tried ...

Pros: Elegant display, intuitive menu navigation, solid build, nice screen size
Cons: No AC adapter included, wireless capability worthless right now, won't play videos downloaded from iTunes

As an iPod user for the last few years, I've been waiting for the new version of the iPod to be released so I could upgrade. When I found out that Apple simply took the iPhone, removed the phone capability, and then called it the iPod touch, I was ...

Pros: Very Fun, Big Screen, Great Sound, Many Features & Options, Product of Future
Cons: Slightly Expensive

I always have liked Microsoft company for their electronic products more than the Apple company for theirs. I should have realized that it was only a matter of time before what seemed to be unbeatable would be overtaken. Now the only thing that I really ...

Pros: 3 colors, Wifi options, FM radio, Larger screen than iPod, Customizable user interface
Cons: Less battery life than iPod, larger physical size, 30GB max capacity

Physical Differences First up, and maybe most important, is size. The 60GB iPod video is currently (well until they came out with the new 80GB) the thickest 5G iPod there is - and it's not very thick at all. They managed to cram a lot of stuff in to a ...

Pros: Screen size, tactile feedback, crisp interface, supported by new firmware
Cons: Lackluster exterior, somewhat large, battery life, outdated

With the new Zune 2.0's dropping soon the Zune 30 is being sent to the back of the line. Microsoft is trying to push these things out to make room for its new stuff and I can't blame them. But that means great deals for customers. I got this black ...

Pros: Huge Screen, great size, great organization, wireless potential is tremendous, VIDEO VIDEO VIDEO
Cons: So new that accessories are still scarce

My wife has owned an iPod video for about 6 months, but I wanted the Zune and I held out because I was weary from past experiences about the reliability of Apple products. I was also concerned about the multiple class-action lawsuits against them for ...

Pros: Large Screen, 30GB memory, Ease of Navigation
Cons: Battery Life

Introduction Like many other customers out there, I was torn in half. It felt like a Life Changing Decision. I had to choose between a Microsoft Zune, or an Apple Ipod Video. I ended up going for the Zune, and am very thankful I did. At ...