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Average customer review 
(based on 599 reviews)
 The One
Written by catalyst from MN
Dec 19, 2007
Before I start talking about the Zune I have to say that I've had several mp3 players in the past, from flash-based to HD-based. My newest one is this 8GB Zune. I got my Zune about a week ago, after getting rid of my 3G 8GB Nano, that I was not happy with. So this is why I'm more satisfied with the Zune vs. the Nano...
Hardware
-Shape is easier to hold and use than WS Nano
-LCD is glass, more durable and sharper than plastic on Nano
-Zune Touch Pad is more responsive and precise vs. click wheel
-Wireless sharing/syncing option
-Built-in FM Tuner
-Better sound quality even without EQ...I just hated how bad the Nano sounds even with Shure headphones
Software
-Very simple and easy
-Asthetically better than iTunes
User Interface
-No Coverflow but interface is more organized and intuitive
-Customizable background, not an option on Nano
-Easier to read
I have not tested the battery life but it's rated close to the Nano so I'll live with whatever it really is. One thing I haven't checked on but someone else wrote about was the Zune not being a UMS Device when plugged in. Hopefully that's something Microsoft can/will change so that you can store other files on it. Overall, I'm must more satisfied with this player than the Nano.
(110 of 113 people found this review helpful)
Zune- bye, bye Zen and Windows Media too
Written by R. L. Lewis from Tacoma, WA United States
Nov 14, 2007
I have a couple of Zen MP3 players that have worked well for me for a couple of years now, but both have begun to have problems and I decided to take a chance on the new V2 Zune. It was a good decision. This is a great product. All that comes in the box is the Zune, a sync cord, earphones, and brief documentation. You need to go online and download the Zune software to a PC and then hook up the player before you can get it to do anything. This doesn't take too long and the Zune will provide you with some sample content to try out as part of this process. The Zune sounds great, with plenty of volume and a decent set of earphones. The click wheel is intuitive and masterable in just a few minutes use.
As nice as the Zune is, a pleasant surprise is the Zune software. This is really more than just a tool to sync your tunes with your Zune. It is an attractive, intuitive, easy to use full fledged media player as well. It can easily replace Windows Media Player and is better looking than any other offering out there- Apple included.
(286 of 309 people found this review helpful)
This is a great device
Written by Arnold Larson from Seattle, WA
Nov 21, 2007
This is my first mp3 player. I'd always thought I might like a small device that could be used while exercising, but I've hesitated to buy one because I wasn't sure how much I'd actually use it. The Zune feature that pushed me over the edge is the FM radio, which made the device too attractive not to try out. I'm extremely happy that I made the plunge and bought the Zune. I now take it everywhere and listen to music or the radio at work, on the bus, at the gym, everywhere. It has easily surpassed my bar of usefulness and utility. I'm not a big gadget person and I don't like the time and energy it takes to figure out how to use a new program or game, but the Zune user experience has been everything that I could have hoped for. The controls are simple and a pleasure to use. Right out of the box I was able to get it figured out and working. This is a great device.
(146 of 160 people found this review helpful)
3rd Generation Zune 16GB rocks!
Written by ken in the city from
Sep 17, 2008
I just picked this up yesterday and I am very impressed. Move over Apple!
Pros:
- Great user interface. It's elegantly designed and very easy to navigate. I like the button touch volume control which allows me to change volume through a cover or through my pockets (something you can't do on the ipod). The player itself is beautiful too.
- Lightweight and easy to use device. The actual device is basically the same as the 4GB and 8GB 2nd generation models. LCD, weight, and hardware functionality is basically identical as far as I can tell. Of course, here you get 16GB of memory.
- Love the FM radio and new Zune 3.0 features. You can easily add songs you like while listening to the radio to your cart (on your device) and then download them either when you connect to your computer later or immediately through a wifi network. You also have the wifi marketplace which allows easy download of songs with Zunepass and I like now that there is a clock on the device.
- The software PC interface is slick and intuitive. You can easily drag and drop songs to reorganize them and I the interface is far more slick than iTunes. There are helpful features to get album art or even missing tag information on music as well. MixView is a very cool feature that enables you to see related artists with a simple click of the mouse. There's also a user rating system for songs though the classification is binary - either like or don't like.
- Great sound fidelity, although there is again no equalizer
- Superfast download/sync speeds. Downloaded about 3,000 songs in minutes!
Cons:
- You need Zunepass to get the most out of the marketplace, and it's expensive at $15/ month. But for that, you can wirelessly (through wifi) preview songs and download them (and most songs/artists are available on Zunepass). And if you ever stop your subscription, you lose your music. If that's unappealing, you can always download and pay for songs individually.
- Online marketplace interface can be a little vexing and still a work in progress. The music is there, but not the easiest to get to it.
- Earbuds that come with the device are so so. To get full sound fidelity, probably will need to upgrade them.
- 1.8" screen is great for navigation and music, but only adequate for video. If you want primarily a video device, I'd get the 120GB 3rd generation video player. The screen is much bigger (3.2") though the overall device is bigger and heavier (4.5 ounces vs. 1.7 for the 16GB)
- 16GB model only available in black and like previous versions, scratches/smudges show up easily.
All in all, I am psyched they came up with a 16GB version without increasing the size. I primarily use this as a music player and couldn't be happier with my purchase!
(26 of 27 people found this review helpful)
Cool as an iPod? No way. More loved? Yes!
Written by K. Rule from Beaverton, OR USA
Jul 10, 2008
We have 4 in our family (myself, my wife and 2 kids). Over the years we've had several iPods and recently we have a mix of Zunes and iPods.
IPods are great. My wife has an iPod Touch and we've had several previous iPods over the years. However, our Zunes get far more use than the iPods these days.
Here's why:
1) Subscription Service - Microsoft's all you can eat subscription service costs about $16/month. It supports up to three devices. That covers, me and my kids (my wife insists on using only her iPod). The kids and I get gobs a new music as it comes out.
2) Easier to use software - Surprisingly, the Zune software is easier to use than iTunes. Hard to believe, but my wife has no end of problems syncing her iPod and finding stuff she wants to download. My kids (11 and 7) don't have this problem with the Zune software.
3) It works with Tivo2Go. If you have a Series 2 or 3 Tivo connected to a home network you can download TV shows to the Zune. Yes, this is also true for the iPod, but it works very will with the Zune too. My kids have been watching old movies (The Adventures of Robin Hood w/Errol Flynn and Captains Courageous w/Spencer Tracy are their favorites from the TiVo - not to mention Mythbusters).
4) Microsoft has good customer service with the Zunes. I had a HD version die and they replaced it promptly after providing proof of purchase. The warranty is for 1 year I believe.
The big wins at our house is the subscription service. Lot's of great choices (including currently released albums) for 3 devices for about the price of one CD a month. That's hard to bet and makes us very happy.
This particular Zune model is especially nice. It's nice and small, but with the same interface as the large Zunes. Movies play very well on this device. The battery life seems quite a bit better than the HD Zune I have, especially when playing movies. Hopefully it will be a bit more robust than the HD media players. I had problems with both iPod and Zune HD units dying (or is it wearing out). I'm very happy to make the transition to solid state storage with this unit. 8G seems reasonably large for my needs - I don't really need to store my entire music collection on my media player. I currently have 4 full length movies, about 30 albums and several Zune recommended playlists with room to spare.
Granted it's not a iPod Touch, but to be frank, all my wife does is fiddle with her iPod Touch. She doesn't really use it to watch video's or listen to music. I think the iPod Touch is really targeted to folks with a short attention span -folks who'd rather be reading their email or browsing the web than enjoying good music or a classic movie.
This Zune might not be as cool as an iPod Touch (or an iPhone for that matter). But it's an excellent media player with a great subscription service. That makes the Zunes far more used in our house than our iPods.
So don't let your smug iPod owning friends tell you their iPods are better. Just smile and enjoy all of the new music you've downloaded legally for a pittance.
(30 of 32 people found this review helpful)
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