Zune 4 GB Digital Media Player Red

I love my pink Zune!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
It’s a wonderful machine and it’s pink! It’s easy to load up, easy to sort and group music, and I love that there’s a radio as well.

Better than an Ipod
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
For starters I love the software. One of the coolest features to me is the “now playing” feature. The software pulls pictures of the band you’re listening to off the internet for you to view while you listen instead of a “visualizer.”

Aside from that it’s a pretty good mp3 player. It looks sleek and classy, holds a quite a bit of music even if you rip it at a higher quality, and has a sweet touch pad. Personally I think that scroll wheels are a pain in the butt for any man with normal sized thumbs. The Zune pad reminds me of a videogame D-pad, so it should feel natural to gamers out there.

Should be more user friendly
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
The software used to transfer files kind of sucks. Even though it’s a Microsoft product, you can’t use windows explorer to move files back and forth from the device. Instead, you have to learn to use the proprietary program, which isn’t that user friendly. And unless you’re committed to dedicating a large amount of time to learning how to use the software (which I’m not), you’re probably going to see reloading the device as a chore.

Great Workout MP3
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Being a solid state memory device, this is perfect for running or biking (not that you’re supposed to, but who cares about one ear…)

I have this and use it predominately for listening to music while running or listening to audiobooks while biking to and from work. Amazing product, couldn’t ask for more. Oh, I converted from Nano to 30GB Zune, then to this, and now I have a 120GB Gears of War Special Edition Zune. With my girlfriend having one, that totals out at 5 Zunes, and 2 MyVu video glasses. In case you’re wondering, I kinda hot tubbed my 30GB so it doesn’t work as well anymore, my Nano has been gone for about 4 years, I use my 8GB for running and biking, and my 120 GB for auto and travel (movies with the MyVu video glasses).

BUY IT! Join the Social.

A digital media player for Generation iPod
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
It seems that, since the iPod really caught on, modern media players have gone for style over substance, and the Zune is no exception. I have had no interest in the iPod or Zune, but then I heard about the Zune Marketplace, which is an ‘all you can eat’ sort of music ‘rental’ service. I’ve known about it for awhile, but they just started giving out 10 free tracks a month for a monthly $15 fee. Ok, I kind of like the idea of a service like this, and with the 10 monthly free tracks, I decided to pull the trigger. The only problem is that if I want to take music from the Zune Marketplace on the go, I would need a Zune for that. Now, I knew the Zune was going to suck, but I thought I would at least be able to tolerate it so I could have ZM tunes on the road. I was wrong.

So, what exactly is wrong with the Zune? Geez, it’s hard to even know where to begin. In many ways, the iAudio players that I own (U2/G3) blow the Zune out of the water, and those are over 4 years old. The Zune lacks many features found in these older players.. tools for audiobooks (such as bookmarking/track skipping disable), voice recording, line in EQ, support for OGG format, etc are nowhere to be found on the Zune. While the iAudios had a very easy to deal with joystick navigation system, the Zune has a touch pad which is just a nightmare to deal with. Many times I ended up skipping to the next/previous track when I meant to adjust the volume. Plus, I would end up selecting the wrong item in a menu because the touch pad is so sensitive. At least they give you the option of disabling it, but you’ve still only got the one huge button, so selecting items can still be a chore.

And then there’s the software. It seems that in the past several years, both Microsoft and Apple have been in a race with each other to see who can write and even worse media player than what Real Networks managed to come up with. And I think the Zune software has the edge in this category. While iTunes is certainly horrible, the Zune software brings the suckage to a whole new level. First of all, when you try to install it, it says you have to go to Windows Update and update your machine. WTF? This is software for a MEDIA PLAYER, so why is this even needed? Besides, I’m already running service pack 3. Anyway, there’s a download on the MS website where you can get the entire package in one executable, which is over 300MB. In case anybody missed that part, I’ll say it again… the entire package is **** OVER 300MB!!!!! **** FOR A MEDIA PLAYER!?!?!?!?! If anybody at Microsoft is reading this, please get in contact with me, because I would like you to FedEx me whatever it is that you guys are smoking in Redmond. Once you get this beast up and running, you will see that it consumes nearly 100MB just to do nothing but play an mp3! I think the worst part of this is, when I want to transfer files to the Zune, why do I need this bloated piece of s*** of an application to do what amounts to a simple drag and drop operation? With the iAudios, when you plug them in, they just show up as a drive letter and you can drag files over to them like a USB thumb drive. Apparently though, this is just too complex for people to handle, so device makers have introduced monstrosities such as iTunes and the Zune software. But for the love of all that is holy… if you need the hand-holding that a program like the Zune software provides, check out a media manager that doesn’t suck, such as MediaMonkey. It’s a shame that a handful of developers can create a much better piece of software in this category than a billion dollar corporation. It’s just too bad that software like this is not OPTIONAL for these modern players, as it should be.

And last but not least, the Zune software/hardware forces you to organize your music by artist/album/genre. This is alright for most people, but the newer iAudio players ALSO give you the option to organize your music by FOLDERS, but the Zune software (and all of its ilk, such as the iPod) take this decision out of the hands of the end user. And it sucks too, because when you put a bunch of music you own on the player, and then add a bunch of music from the Zune Marketplace to sample, how are you supposed to seperate them? On your hard drive, it puts all of the ZM music in a folder called ‘Subscriptions’, which would be really handy to be able to pull up on the player. But nope!!!

All in all, the Zune Marketplace service was just not worth enduring the suckage of the Zune hardware. This is just another example of how technology is being dumbed down for a generation of people who are more concerned with how many colors it comes in and how ’sexy’ it is than how much control and functionality it’s taking away from you.

Fortunately I found out that there are serveral programs out there that can decrypt the ZM tunes… my favorite being a program called MuvAudio2. Even if you’re not into piracy (I’m not either), it’s nice to be able to decrypt these songs and play them on whatever you want. I guess it goes without saying, but I have since returned the Zune.

Anyway, I apologize for my long-winded rant. Hopefully the information was useful to some of you out there

Great Purchase
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I purchased this item for my 14 year old son for Christmas. He absolutely loves it. We are surprised at how many uses he can get from it and the quality is great. It was a little confusing to set up, but I have a friend that owns a Zune that walked him through it. Amazon had the best price on this item. It was well worth it and I like it better than the Ipod.

I Hate This Thing
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Now, my idea of a great product is one that you pull out of the box, plug in and use. Not so with the Zune. I had a Meizu, but they don’t take well to being submerged. I needed an MP3 player quick, so ponied up for a Zune. I’m on vacation. At Yellowstone. I bought the Zune in nearby Jackson Hole and returned to the campground hoping I could click and drag some music into the Zune using Windows explorer like I can the Meizu. No. Does it come with the software I need? No. Can I download the software from a campground? No. Is it charged out of the box? No. Does it come half full of sample music, photos and videos? No. Will the store in Jackson Hole take back a Zune after I threw the original packaging into a bear-proof dumpster? No. Is the Zune just the right size for drop-kicking? Yes. Is the Meizu a far superior product? YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! I’m ordering another one just as soon as I finish this review. It’ll be waiting for me at home when I return. The Zune is garbage.

Great MP3 Player
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Software is easy to use and configuring the Zune is not a pain at all. Great for MP3s since the storage is huge. I can’t hold my full library, but almost 16GB worth of music is plenty for me when I’m on the go. Watching videos are OK, but not something I prefer to do with this unit.

Great Features
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The Zune is perfect, i like all the features. only downside is that sometimes the buttons get stuck.

Better than an ipod
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This zune is incredible. The touch pad is awesome, its got radio, you can buy and download songs straight to it, sync wirelessly with your computer, and send a song to a nearby zune. Overall: so much better than an ipod.

Search on Zune before you buy, read all the WONT TURN ON articles
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I received my Zune today. It powered on, I put it on the computer, it turns off. It hasn’t turned back on since. If you just do a simple search you will find that the WONT TURN ON issue plagues the Zune and owners. Microsoft response is to let it sit for days until the battery drains fully then try again, my response is this thing is a P.O.S.

It is made in China. Feels cheap to the touch. Buttons feel like they will break. The screen resolution was fine, but the actual screen I think is some cheap plastic unlike the glass screen on ‘other’ players.

I would highly suggest you do not buy. I am tech geek and I love new toys, this will be going back.

excellent
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This has exceeded my expectations! It has done all that I wanted it to do and is very easy to use. I highly recommend it for anyone. I believe that it is even better than the ipod. I myself do not own an ipod but my daughter does and I have put music on them, this is easier to use.

love it
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
i really like the zune. plenty of space, plus the wireless sync feature is sweet. no complaints other then the lack of a good silicon skin for it.

Better than ipod, Sansa.
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I constantly hear how great iPod is and Zune doesn’t come close. But none of those people mention the fact that iPod does not work with any subscription services. With Zune, you can listen to practically anything by paying only the $15 monthly fee, instead of paying a whopping $1 for one song.

Pros: Updates wirelessly, can play Zune’s radio channels, and software easily integrates your existing collection.

Cons: The touch-pad looks like something that will break. Fortunately, you can turn it off and click it like most players. Also, it only works with Zune and Audible, so if you use Rhapsody, you’re out of luck. Rhapsody’s radio channels are better than Zune’s.

Better Than and Ipod
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have had an Ipod for a couple of years now and I have had so many problems with it. For example the files not loading up right, and we had to reformat it several times. I haven’t had my Zune that long yet but it is miles above the Ipod. First it is very user friendly all the playlist options and the touch pad is very nice. I use it mostly for the gym and having the arm strap is great. It is easy to go through songs and turn the volume up and down just by sliding your finger along the pad. The upload for songs is much faster as well. Not to mention all the different file types you can put on it. It is a great product and I wouldn’t go back to my Ipod for anything.

One of the best mp3 player out in the market. With some flaw.
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I received my Zune yesterday in the mail and I was really excited to open it and test it out. The packaging was nice and I really like their unique graphic designs, really different from the majority. The earphone has a nice magnetic design but I doubt it will be too much helpful in organizing the headphones. Everyone has said the good things about this mp3 player: nice interface (almost, as ill explain later), cool touchpad, small, lightweight, a change from the iPods. But mostly today I wanna explain some of the dissatisfaction that I have with this little device.

First, although the interface is nice, it sometimes make you go around in a loop when you are trying to select songs or viewing photographs. If you have a photo that you buried deep in your jungle of photo collections. Selecting the photo in Zune will take you down to the sub-folder, then another sub-folder, and another till you finally reached it. When you finally done with view it, you have to press back button the same amount of times as you did when you tried to look for the picture.

The size of Zune is good, but not good enough, the thickness of the Zune is about the same as the thickness of my gf’s iPod 2G with the silicone case on. I ordered a silicone case and I hope my Zune won’t feel too bulky with the case on.

Another peev I have is the software, yes it’s cool and easy too use to some people, I feel it’s really frustrating that the syncing is no where near as smooth as iTunes. Sometimes it would start another batch just randomly so if your syncing 600 songs, it would end at 50% with 300 songs left and then the software would start from the remainging 300 songs at 0% and all the way till the end.

The most annoy thing in the Zune is that it barely has any foreign language support, so all I see when I upload my Asian music collection is an array of boxes for the titles, not so attractive.

All in all, the Zune 8GB is a cool little device with some flaws. 4 Stars!

overpriced
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I read a review that said this product was far too overpriced, and I’m so glad I listened! Here they want $300 and I found it for $166 elsewhere. So look somewhere else.

Overall great product
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This isn’t much of a review… but I have to say I recommend this product over the Apple iPod. The Zune Marketplace with ZunePass is an awesome addition to the Zune… the design is feels solid and works great. I can’t wait to see what the next patch will offer!

Very Disappointed
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
A friend of mine bought a V1 Zune and enjoyed its ease of use: simply plugging it into a computer, and dragging over songs to add to the player.

Unfortunately, the V2 Zunes use a “special” software package to sync up with your computer collection – ultimately an iPod-esque program that is as useless and annoying as it is stupid.

Not to mention, the Zune broke within 2 weeks of having it – the back light only comes on when it wants to, sometimes it’s prompted by shoving in the headphone jack/power cable in really tight.

I have a flash version, and while it charges up in about 45 min, it charges down in about 2hrs – simply unacceptable for a little flash player these days.

There’s literally nothing good to say about this – it’s annoying to use, crappy-cheap, and way to expensive for what it is. Go off and buy some cheapo MP3 player instead of this ripoff. Actually, I guess the FM radio is okay when it actually gets a signal-which never happens indoors, but whatever, I’ve gotten used to being BF’d by this MS junk-piece.

Also, I bought the car-charger/FM transmitter device – complete piece of junk – only buy if you need the car charger and live where radio towers don’t exist.

Fabulous
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Everyone has an iPod. I wanted something that I knew would be compatible with my Vistas operating system. The iPod may be, but I just guessed the Zune would be for sure. I also liked that it has FM radio. So I bought it!

The first one I ordered would not turn on. I returned it within 24 hours and within 24 hours Amazon shipped a replacement. This one works and is fabulous. It came with some preloaded music and videos I discarded.

The Zune software is a snap to download. Purchasing songs and videos from the Zune Marketplace is a snap as well. I love it. Best $92 I’ve ever spent.

Make lawful use of this great device and enjoy! Do get an AC adapter to charge without the use of a USB hub on your computer. Do get a case to hold it (the Incipio is cute–I have one in white).

Microsoft Zune 4gb
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Pros

Nice design

Good easy controls

Good battery life

Easy connect to PC

Cons

Zune software is not friendly

Hold button not built very well

Not Impressed
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I bought this for my teenage daughter for Christmas and thought it would better than the i-pod she used to have. Boy was I wrong! First you must install the software from their website and create an account. That went ok, but then the website was having issues and wouldn’t let us log in after creating an account. We did get it figured out, but not until days later. She does like it, but it is kind of a pain to have to use the Zune Marketplace ($14.99 per month) to put music on it. You would think that Microsoft would make it compatible with Windows Media Player. My other kids received the Sansa Fuse by SanDisk and it is SO user friendly and half the cost!! Although my daughter likes it I’m not impressed.

Nice when it’s not being fixed
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I’ve owned the Zune 8 for less than a year and I’m just about to send it off to the Zune people for a second round of repairs. First time the Zune died and wouldn’t turn on. This time around it keeps rebooting and the back button has stopped working. I’d chuck the thing in the garbage but I’ve invested a lot in Zune accessories like cables and a sync station. When it works, it’s a great player. Ideal for those who want to spend $200 on something that you have to send in for repairs twice a year.

Update: Well, the Zune is now out of warranty and has stopped working for the 4th time. I only just got the thing from the Zune hospital a month ago. iPod Touch here I come. Congrats Microsoft, you just turned your last fan into an Apple consumer. Sigh.

Wish I’d gotten an i-pod
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I guess I didn’t do enough research on this thing before I bought it, but I didn’t realize you could not use the Zune with any third-party software. I really, really hate the zune software. It’s clunky and slow and unintuitive. And there is NO alternative. Other than that, it’s pretty good. It turns on too easily–push any button just once and it’s on, running down the battery. But the crappy software will keep me from buying any other zune in the future.

Proud To Call It Mine
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
When I first received my Zune mp3 player as a Christmas gift over a year ago, I was a little disappointed because I hadn’t heard much about the Zune. I obviously hadn’t been looking in the right places, because now I’d like to upgrade to the 16 GB for more space.

With the Zune Pass, you pay 14.99 a month for a nearly endless access of music for you to download, and you receive 10 songs for you to keep. It’s like buying a CD but also “borrowing” as many songs that will fit on your Zune to listen to. You also have access to TV shows you can buy for about $2 per episode and podcasts you can get for free. Just these features make the Zune well worth its price.

The other Zune features are icing on the cake. With channels you can listen to the top songs on Zune Marketplace, the songs on the billboard, or a collection of the top Hip Hop songs. The wireless features let you download songs at hotspots quickly and easily. You can even “buy from FM” by adding the song a radio station is playing to your cart.

I am very pleased with my Zune, and would (and do) recommend it to anyone looking for an mp3 player. I don’t think it even compares to mp3 players I’ve had or the ones my friends have (that includes ipods).

Not as great as it seems
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I got the 8 GB Zune for my son for Christmas, along with the dock and a case, which was quite an investment. He loved it. But after a few weeks, he plugged it into the dock and the bottom fell apart. It was replaced without a problem. As for the second Zune, after the “return policy window” expired, to THIS DAY does NOT WORK properly. It will not stay connected to the computer and we keep getting a message about malfunction. We tried and tried to get it up and going. FRUSTRATING. I refuse to spend my valuable time with tech support. Finally I called and cancelled our subscription, which is expensive too! It looks like a nice little system, but we cringe when we see the word ZUNE. NO LUCK FOR US WITH THE ZUNE. He bought a PSP instead.

Quick shipment. Great product.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The product arrived on time and in great condition. The Zune has all sorts of great features from a radio tuner to fun games. The ease of use is wonderful. I highly recommend.

awesome
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
great product and interface, no clutter.

8gigs is plenty for music

great for working out/active people

very light and portable

awesome sound quality

Can’t Live Without It
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
That’s right, can’t live without it. It’s the best toy I’ve ever had next only to my laptop. I got the 120g unit and after all hundreds of pictures, over 10 music videos, personal videos, over 100 cd albums and counting (from 88 artists), several podcasts including NBC Today and Nightly News(which I get for free from [...]) downloaded, only 1/3 of my zune is filled. I am addicted to it, from my home, to the car, to work, waiting in doctor’s office, it’s my constant companion. It has FM radio that the ipods don’t have. Just love, love, love it. The earphones that come with it is excellent, the best! I tried my son’s Nano, it was pitiful compared to the sound quality of Zune.

Zune
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I really like the zune, it has everything an i pod does, in a smaller more useful package. The Zune software is also so much better than itunes it just doesn’t compare. I would strongly suggest this product

Best MP3 player out there
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is by far much better than Ipod Nano.

Pros:

Glossy front to make it look stylish

Aluminum back so it leaves no fingerprints

Scratch-Resistant Screen

Touch Wheel that works much better than Ipod

Radio that sounds crystal clear

Great Free Games

Video/Picture quality is Extreme HQ, extreme…

Awesome earphones that it comes with

Very, very easy to put/remove files on the Zune software

Zune software doesnt freeze up on you like iTunes, nor does it keep asking for updates

Very nice battery life for music

Sound quality is excellent, 10x better and louder than iPod

Easy Wireless sync feature+Marketplace

Cons:

Took awhile for it to sync up the first time i used it (20-30 minutes)

Battery life for Video is short, only around 8 hours oppsed to the 22-24 hours for music

Thats it, so Im pretty sure that the Pros win over the Cons by a long shot.

This product is by far, better than iPod Nano.

I am very satisfied with this purchase.

Pretty much works
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
You have been looking for a quality mp3 player? Its true that Ipod comes first in mind but Zune is the best alternative against that monopolizing contraption.

Zune has all the basic functions (videos, games, pictures, music) but also has the capability for radio tuning and its own social sharing – hence a wireless connection for online connection to its marketplace or connecting with other immediate Zune users around you.

The controls are similar to a laptop’s touch pad and with additional two buttons. Its easy to adjust volumes or choose song with just a swipe of your finger on the touch pad.

Personalize your Zune by choosing any background pictures (like destop wallpaper) you want. Furthermore, for the more advanced users, you can make programs and games with XNA for your Zune (similar to C language) to even add more customization to it.

Its true it has some flaws,(turning on wireless consumes a lot of battery for example) but not everything is perfect. Regardless, if you want a good mp3 player – Zune fits the bill for a unique choice against the mainstream Ipod.

Zune Gift for My Wife
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Purchased this Zune as a gift for my wife

she loves it, it is easy to use and works well with Windows Vista

better than IPOD Better price alsoZune 16 GB Video MP3 Player (Black)

Not so good Zune
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Purchased the Zune 4gb as a gift for my son. About three months of use the battery starts to drain fast until it stopped working completely. I registered the device for warranty service only to find the 1 year warranty is over… on a device I purchased three months ago from Amazon.

Contacted Microsoft Support on this and spoke with someone in India, I think. They are sending (well actually emailing) a packing label so I can print it out and tape it to a box that I have to provide and mail to them. I was also advised that if there are any kind of scratches at all on this device that warranty service will not be made. So that’s just peachy. Hoping that they will actually fix it but there is the tiniest of scratches on the back. I will never buy another Microsoft device again that’s for sure. Not to mention the out of warranty items that Amazon is passing off.

my zune
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
i think the zune is a good mp3 player,it was easy to setup and it’s very user friendly, although i only use it to listen to a language that i am studying.

Microsoft Zune 16 GB Rocks!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
So far, I love my new Zune. I have had it for about a little over a week now. Good sound quality and easy to use. It holds a ton of songs, videos, etc.

Excellent MP3 Player
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
For the price this is an excellent MP3 player. 4 GB may have been too little capacity. The compact size, styling, color, and ease of use make the Zune very attractive. I have an IPOD, but will probably, for variety purposes, purchase a larger capacity Zune.

Zunetastic!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Looking to upgrade storage capacity from my 4g nano, I decided to give the Zune a try. I am very glad I did.

First, the pros:

Excellent sound. Way better than my ipod. But to be fair, it was a 2nd gen.

The touch pad is miles better than the click wheel.

Better display. Yes even better than the NEW nano. (a friend has one)

No useless ’shake it to change the song’ feature. Is that really necessary?

Now the cons:

Itunes is more user friendly and runs much faster than the Zune software.

Battery life is shorter.

Bottom Line: If good sounding music is your reason for purchasing an mp3 player, go with a Zune.

After having this for a while, I have to add something. One of the best features of the Zune is also one of the worst. The screen is glass. I had it in my pocket and mistakenly put my keys in with it. Yes, the glass shattered. Would I still get a Zune? Absolutely. But I would invest in a protective case for it as well. Ipod definitely wins out in the durability department. But for me Zune still wins over all.

Disappointed
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Purchased this for my husband in October, his first MP3 player. We were very excited, as my son has a Zune (older model). Everything was fine, somewhat, initially. The battery didn’t seem to hold a charge from the beginning. But we kept trying different things to make it work. Eventually, after about two weeks the player didn’t work for more than 20 minutes at a time and was constantly rebooting. Also, our software didn’t recognize the player when plugged into the usb port. We tried everything and since we already had another Zune in the household that worked fine, we knew it wasn’t the computer or software.

Zune website for troubleshooting is worthless. Eventually had to return the item and we are still shopping around for the perfect mp3 player.

Softwar problems are NOT resolved!
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I’m sure the Zune is a great product although I wouldn’t know because I WAS NEVER ABLE TO USE THE ONE I PURCHASED!!! After hours of attempting to install the software, re-installing the software, installing patches, downloading updates, troubleshooting and following Microsoft technical difficulties suggestions I could NEVER get the software to recognize my Zune. I can’t think of a more worthless product that forces you to go through hours of work just to use it for the first time. This was pathetic. I returned it after 3 days. I was a long time I-pod user but was annoyed at Apple’s user/song restrictions so was very excited by the specs and functionality of the Zune – especially the FM radio and song identification features. But all the cool features mean nothing if you can’t get the product to work! I was more than happy to leave my Apple days behind me. But no explanation can possibly justify the hours I had to spend just getting the device up and running There is simply no excuse for this. As usual, Microsoft should be ashamed of the quality of their software. Unfortunately, I’m going back to Apple.

Sex in plastic
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Very sleek and stylish MP3 player. The first one came DOA, but Amazon rushed a replacement so it would be here for Christmas (given as a gift). DOA aside, it seems to be a very solid unit. 16GB is great, although I also like my Sansa Fuze because it has the mircoSD expansion slot to make it as big as you want, or have a library of itty bitty “CDs.” The interface is much more intuitive and less annoying than the iPod (watch the MacBook Wheel video if you haven’t yet!). $15/month instead of $1/song seems like a great way to build a library and explore new artists too. Haven’t witnessed the benefit of the community feature (connecting to other Zunes in network range), but being able to connect to your computer/home network with wifi is pretty awesome. Can’t wait to see how it works with the roommate’s XBox 360 as well. A great player. I might actually get one for myself too now!

The device is absolutely phenomenal !
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
After having had an endless story of issues with installing the Zune Software (the helpline could NOT help me, I figured the fix out myself..), I must say that the Zune 16 GB is by far better than the iPod, if only because of the built-in radio. I love it !

Such a disappointment
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I was really looking forward to this player. I downloaded the program before I even received it and looking forward to hearing all this great music, not to mention downloading my 10 free songs every month to keep. I bought a bunch of MS Points so I would be ready to get songs and videos for my new player. And then, I got my Zune and the headphone jack was bad so there was no sound. Rats. I sent it back with no problems and Amazon sent me another one immediately. I got it the same day I sent the bad one back. This turned on once. Then, it stayed dead. Black screen. Forget this. Like my favorite clown once said, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice…shame on…shame…well, we won’t get fooled again.”

I sent it back. I don’t want an Ipod. I already had a SanDisk. Guess, I’ll just use my phone as a player.

Thanks Microsoft. Not.

The ZUNE 8G and 120G gave me nothing but problems.
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I avoided purchasing an IPOD for years. I bought a Zune 8G and it started giving me problems after 3 months. It started stalling and the screen would just freeze up for no reason. I then upgraded to a ZUNE 120 and it started giving me problems after about a week. It would take an hour to sync a handful of songs….SAVE YOUR TIME & MONEY. I returned my ZUNE 120 and got an IPod 120. Best move ever!! Apple IPod is by far a superior product. They’ve already discountinued some models of the ZUNE.

Zune 4 GB MP3 player
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I am more than pleased with my refurbished player. Ease of use, user-friendly software, display and sound quality, all excellent.

Great MP3 player!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Wow, I was very surprised with this product! I was very iffy to try it after reading all the reviews, but ended up with getting it. At first I owned an iPod shuffle. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good mp3 player. But the Zune… wow!!! You will seriously love this. The scroll pad is perfect, and I loved the way you can change your background. It has a radio receiver in it for the radio, and you can watch movies on it, too. If you hear anyone being nippy about the battery life, there’s a way around it: just holding down the play/pause button puts it into sleep mode! To actualy turn it off, you have to hold down the back button and the down area of the touch pad. It saves a ton of power this way. I’m glad I made the switch from Apple to Microsoft!

Great device
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I’m really happy with my new Zune. I’ve had it for a few weeks now and it stores my music and pics and even videos. It’s great. Only a few prob’s, when I plug into computer to sync sometimes it needs to be restarted or my computer won’t recognize the device, but it’s a fixable issue. Also, some of my songs – that I purchased – are DRM protected and Zune software won’t let u add that music to the player – that sucks. Other than those minor issues. It’s a great player I’m very happy with it so far.

Threw it away!
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
After about 4 months of usage I started having little problems with this device little related mainly to the hardware. Wouldn’t turn off. Wouldn’t turn on! Hold down 2 buttons then will turn on! Today I got a notice that the device software was updated. Loaded the new software. Now it won’t work at all. Threw it in the garbage.

Great player
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve been using my Zune for a bit over a year, and I’ve been consistently impressed by it. I use it in the gym, I use it at work, and I use it at home. At work and in the gym, it’s hooked up to headphones, and at home speakers. I typically use it as the radio in the house, and use it as an MP3 player everywhere else.

In my year of use, it hasn’t crashed on me (which is something I cannot say for the apple or creative players I’ve used), and the interface on the device itself it easy to use and in particular usable while jogging, through an armband (not the nice touch scrolling, of course; it’s nice that you can click the touchpad too).

The Zune desktop software I have mixed feelings about… it’s fast and generally okay as an interface (especially for setting up auto-playlists and other such tasks), but I’d really like a more normal file explorer sort of interface to the setting up of collection directories to sync. The new update that contains channels and auto playlists (which include songs that match criteria, such as tagged with ‘rock’ as the genre, or added to the collection in the last 24 hours, or on specific artist, or combinations of the various criteria) has been very nice, and means I can set up different mixes of songs for different things I’m doing without having to actually go through the collection to add each to the list.

In a year of use, this has absolutely earned it’s five stars.

great gift
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
bought this for my gf. i have 80gb zune and $15 per month zune pass which can be used on up to 3 zunes. she loves hers and uses it all the time; probably more than i use mine.

solid, quality product
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The Zune is a really nice, sleek looking, and very compact mp3 player. The interface is very intuitive and functional and the whole unit is very well designed. The software works well for what it is, and has become my main media player, even if only because it is required to get music on the Zune. That said, there are actually many features of the software which allow you to really nicely categorize and organize music. For example, all song and album info (artist, year, composer, track number, etc.) can be altered directly through the software, so at least in the Zune library, that is the info that will be recognized, and thusly on the unit itself.

So, my only real complaint at all would be the lack of an EQ, and this is the only reason I gave it four instead of five stars. There is no EQ whatsoever with the software, whether listening to music directly from the Zune media player or the mp3 player. I have read this is because of battery life issues – I think Microsoft just wanted to get the product on the Market. It would be really nice though, because even with nicer headphones (the package ear buds are worth upgrading), the improved sound cannot be truly taken advantage of.

All in all, I am very very happy with it. You can carry as many songs, pics, videos, and games with you as your unit space allows.

Groovin to the Tunes
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I love my Zune. I got it a couple years ago when they were fresh off the market. The hardest thing about owning a Zune is the lack of accessories for it. Despite this, though, my Zune is holding up really well. It has survived the gambit of a University student. It’s been shoved into a bookbag, my purse, my pocket. I’ve left it in my car accidentally in freezing weather and warm weather, not to mention dropped more than a couple times. It continues to play my songs flawlessly.

Even better than the Zune itself is the SOFTWARE. I’m not joking – it’s awesome. The fact that you can download it means that I don’t have to tote a CD to my dorm and back home. I can use it on any computer. The software makes it really easy to sync up with your Zune and then to transfer entire albums or single songs. Afterwards, it gives you a list of what was uploaded. I really love that it automatically checks the folders you specify for new music every time you start it up.

The social option, however, is better spent elsewhere. I can never find another Zune owner to sync up with (Though funnily enough one of my room mates owns one). Plus it drains the battery. Oh well, it was an awesome idea. Perhaps it is better executed in the later versions of this product.

I love the touch pad too, though it is really sensitive. The fact that I can click it, not just run my finger over it, is nice too. I don’t have to sit there, trying to get it to work. However, when you have gloves on, it’s hard to get the touchpad to work (I don’t know anything about touchpads, though, so this might be common to all touchpads).

…the PLAYER is awesome, but its all the other little things…
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I borrowed a 4gb Zune from my friend to test before getting a new mp3 player. The rivalry of Zune vs. Ipod is still head-to-head.

Ipod nano is sexy/sleek yet classic in design. It is colorful. It has a more clean/simplistic interface. Clickwheel is almost too tiny for navigation purposes however.

Zune is more rugged/modern in design, barely noticably thicker. It comes in black. Its interface is unique and customizable, more interesting.

Buttons on Zune make it easier and more fun to navigate, despite looking second best to ipods lone clickwheel. Zune has a good radio. No EQ setting changes however.

Both players are similar in size, shape and weight. Zune is more fun to navigate with even if the Ipod is also easy to use. Both have many gimmicky extras. Radio and ’social’ capability help bring bussiness to the Zune. Nano has a cool lap timer for runners and specially designed accesories for the cardio-inclined people.

For me, the tie-breaker was the software.

For this reason, I choose the ipod because itunes library is so much easier to navigate and organize. Itunes is cleaner, more straigtforward.

Zune interface is ‘interesting.’ It looks pleasing but you do not get the amount of information presented to you within one screen as you would with itunes.

Zune software on my XP system was delayed and lagged behind my scrolling/mouse which was irritating.

Download Zune software online and see it for yourself! Its free!

Because I cannot stand the Zunes software for organizing music, I will choose the nano. Organizing my music quicker and easier is more important than the capability of a radio in my mp3 player, i rarely ever use it and usually want it just to have it. However, I really like the zune…if only the software was as top notch as its mp3 player!!!

If only itunes could be used with the Zune!

If you like the Zune software, you are in luck.

The zune itself is Awesome!

Love it!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I had asked my 19 year old son what type of MP3 player he recommended and he said a Zune was what he has. It holds all the music I could possibly want, plus I have pictures and videos on it as well!! It’s easy to use and fits in my pocket when I am doing housework. I recommend it to anyone wanting an easy to use MP3 player.

Love the Zune
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Better then Ipod because it works with everything.

Only downside is no equalizer like on full size

Wife loves it
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I got a green Zune for Xmas, and the wife was jealous, so I bought her one, and she loves it for working out, and listening to it around campus. The scroll pad works well, as does the software. Video quality is actually watchable on such a small screen.

Overall a great product
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I got the 8gb red zune for Christmas 5 months ago. I haven’t had any problems with it other than running out of memory because of my thousand some songs. The Zune Pass they offer is a steal. Practically unlimited downloads for 14.99/month with only a few artists not supported. I have yet to have any problems with my device, just the accessories. The headphones they give you are ok, but you can get better for ten bucks at wal-mart. My USB connector had one of the parts fall off so for me to be able to remove my Zune from the cord I have to use a pen or something small. But overall the Zune is a great product, comes with 5 games, limitless downloads for $15, and just a lot of great music.

Thank goodness for Amazon
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I tried to order this product from Zune Originals. After a long round and round with customer service I never received my order. I ordered this from Amazon and it came on time and I saved money. The Zune is great, but my service from Amazon was really what impressed me.

I have never owned an ipod, I did not like the software used to sync but I like the Zune software a lot. Easy to use and browse music and other media. I love the color and small design. I have connected with my daughters to play games against each other, which was great. The product ties into Media Center which I use a lot so it is nice to be able to use the two in conjunction.

Life After Zune
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I absolutely LOVE This product i am amazed at all it does! i can’t imagine life without my Zune i take my music everywhere I Love It!

Multiple Malfunctions – Doesn’t Last
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I bought this Zune as an anniversary present for my wife – what a mistake! I gave it to her in late October. She loved it – until December when it stopped working properly. (One of the buttons didn’t work.) Called Microsoft. They arranged for ground shipping to the repair center in Texas (we live in NY). It took one week to get the there. They kept it for one week and then it took one week to get it back. So, she didn’t get it back until January. It worked find until March, when it stopped working completely. It wouldn’t turn on. Again, Microsoft only allowed ground shipping. Again it took three weeks to get it back. She got it back today. She took it out of the box and plugged it in. Surprise! It doesn’t work. It’s as dead as a doornail. It doesn’t recharge, and the computer doesn’t even acknowledge that it is plugged in. To say my wife is frustrated is an understatement. She has been on the phone with Microsoft for the last hour. All she wants is for them to pay for air shipping back and forth to the repair center so it doesn’t take three weeks again. They refuse to do even that. At this point, we just wish we could get our money back. It has been in the shop and in transit for just about as long as it has been working. What was supposed to be a pleasure device has turned into a major headache. Never again. Don’t make the same mistake we did.

zune revival
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Bought zune at Amazon and got prompt delivery. Unit did not perform properly right from the start and weeks later it totally shut down. Amazon shipped me a replacement upon notification and it works great. really appreciate good products and the great service!

overall a good product.
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
overall this mp3 player is an awesome piece of equipment. My only gripe is with the software, not the player. While 15$ a month for unlimited downloads is awesome, being only able to sync them with a Zune is a little disappointing. another item is only able to sync marketplace music while being online.

Luv my Zune
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I like the fact that the Zune is slim, I love the color of blue they used, the only thing I didn’t really care about was I had to go on line to get the software load to my computer. I feel it should have came with a disk. The instrution book left a lot to be desired. didn’t tell much on how to do some of the downloading. Had a friend help me on some of the down loading. Other than that I love it. Rhonda

Get an Ipod!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
It serves its purpose well but for a few bucks more an ipod would be a better buy!

Amazing customer service
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
There was an issue with the shipping and it kept getting bounced around weird states, but Kittywater was very helpful throughout the whole ordeal and the Zune works great. I would definitely purchase more items in the future.

iPod user new to Zune
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I ordered the 4GB 2nd Gen Zune as a Christmas gift for my father and loaded it with some of his favourite songs. I was a bit concerned by some reviews that said the Zune would “randomly restart” however after testing it on an 18 hr drive it had no such problems.

I must say it’s easier to use than my iPod Video and I’m quite impressed by the features and overall ease of use. If I were going to replace my iPod, I would probably go with a Zune myself.

Zune trumps IPOD…. Sorry Apple
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Well I have a couple of Zunes(30GB,80GB), and I decided to buy one for my Mom as a present for Mother’s day. She had a look of trouble using her IPOD shuffle and just left it in her desk unused. It took me about 2 minutes to show her how to set up the Zune and download her CD collection and she was up and running. The interface is easy to use and understand. The CDs download fast and it is easy to find the CD information automatically. My Mom is very happy with her Zune. Now she always has it with her and is looking for new music to add to her collection. Overall I got a good price from Amazon and it was shipped fast and got here in plenty of time for Mother’s Day. Overall a great product and great experience at Amazon.

High hopes – but turned out to be standard Microsoft garbage
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I really liked the idea of the Zune service with the “all you can eat” subscription. I downloaded the software, and it worked ok on my laptop, but crashed frequently, as one expects with Microsoft software. I persevered and bought a Zune player from Amazon. Three different Windows XP machines couldn’t recognize the player (code 1 and code 18 in device manager), so I tried a second and third Zune. None worked. I spent 10 hours total on the phone with multiple “level 2″ tech support reps. Uninstall/reinstall… No luck. I’ve installed dozens of devices from iPods to Treos to Blackberries over the years on Windows machines and, ironically, the Microsoft Zune device is the only one that can’t work with the Microsoft Operating System. I should have known. After it took them 7 years to get out the flop that is Vista, Microsoft is just too big and dumb to innovate any longer. They know it too, since “Microsoft” can barely be found on the service and device. Cool name, cool looking device, same Microsoft garbage. Now going to try Rhapsody.

Think twice
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I have a Zune & an Ipod touch. Go with the Ipod touch, more features & costs less since you have to pay $15.00 plus every month for your music. I returned the Zune just the other day. My son was so excited to get the Zune, then was very disappointed compared to my other sons Ipod touch! Just skip the Zune, plus microsoft will mess up your billing every month & you will spend 20 minutes every week getting charges reversed becuase their auto billing charges you 2 times in one month. What a head ache!!

I love my Zune!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have a little 2 gb mp3 player that I use for running but wanted something with a larger capacity for my everyday listening. I set out without any real concrete ideas of what I wanted, other than not wanting an iPod. I looked around in local stores, read reviews here at Amazon, looked some more, and finally settled on the Zune.

I’ve been using mine for about 2 weeks now and have been very happy with it. I’ve read lots of complaints about the Zune software but it’s really not that bad. It takes a little bit of getting used to, but what doesn’t? Just play around with it a bit and it gets easier. It recognizes any previously-loaded music – like music in Windows Media Player – and has it available to add to the Zune…no need to re-burn all those CD’s. And it’s easy to drag and drop individual songs or whole albums to the Zune.

The Zune Marketplace is easy as well. I actually really like the Marketplace because I’ve been able to find some songs that I’ve been looking for for a LONG time. You do have to buy points in order to buy songs, but it can be done online in no time. And since points cards are available in stores, I now have another gifting option for people when they say “what are you wanting for your birthday/Christmas/whatever?”

One other feature I really like is the FM radio function. My little 2 gb player has an FM tuner on it and I really like having that option.

There are lots of other features I’m not currently using – sharing with friends on their Zunes, wireless access, buying songs off the radio (only because the stations around here don’t use the necessary technology), using it for pictures and podcasts, Zune Pass, etc. I may never use some of these features, but they’re there if I so choose.

Overall, I’m very happy with my Zune and would recommend it.

Exceeded Expectations
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
First off I want to say Pepsi and Amazon had an amazing promotion with Pepsi Points. Not only did I get CD’s, Headphones, and some other products, my leftover Pepsi Points at the end of the promotion were thrown into some Sweepstakes. I thought I lost the points, but ended up coming home to a new Zune 8GB MP3 player that was won with the leftover points. Talk about a suprise.

What’s even better than winning the Zune 8GB, is how well it functions. I’ve played around with the iTouch, but I’m a PocketPC person, and I have an iPaq 211 to meet my work needs. The iTouch too me seemed too much as an MP3 player, and at the same time had too little flexibility compared to the iPaq. I also bought my wife an iPod 80GB classic last year, and I think it’s a great product as far as an MP3 player.

I’ve heard about Zune, and even about the last lock up incident they had with the leap second. While I was excited to win something for simply drinking Pepsi, which I’ve been drinking all my life, I wasn’t expecting much. Then I started using it.

I downloaded the Zune software, and added my personal collection to it. The one irk I’ve had, the Zune software doesn’t play nice with my homegrown and local music. It lumps all the unknown artist’s (my own band, local bands, certain CD’s I have that were ripped a long time ago) under 1 artist. If I rename the artist on one, it changes it for all. So I tried renaming Pink Floyd to the proper name, now all my music that wasn’t identified is now listed under Pink Floyd. This is my biggest irk with Zune, especially seeing my CD collection is over 1500 CD’s, and a lot of this stuff is from the 80’s and 90’s, so it will get lumped under 1 artist (unkown). Other than that important issue to me, I think the Zune software is great. I’m sold on the Zune pass, $14.99 plus 10 permanent song downloads is well worth it. Besides the issue I have with how Artists are categorized, Zune is ahead of iTunes as far as aesthetics and usability. Kudos to allowing more than 1 computer and more than 1 device to be attached to an account. For this reason, I’m thinking of selling the iPod classic and getting a 120gb Zune for my wife.

As far as the device itself, it’s not anything groundbreaking, but is very functional and works well. The radio feature is great for me, cause I like to listen to sports and news when I’m on the bus. The headphones that came with the unit are on the average side, so I already replaced those. Wireless connectivity is slow for syncing, but good for device to device sharing. Updating the firmware was painless and added a good amount of features. Syncing with the Zune software was painless via the supplied USB cable, and it seemed easier than iTunes to control what gets synced and what doesn’t.

The sound on this device is above average, especially compared to iPods. I was suprised there was no EQ, which is a bit of a disappointment because of all the older and local music I listen too that can use some EQ. For newer songs and stuff I get from Zune Pass, it’s fine without the EQ because most of this stuff is mastered to sound right on an MP3 player.

As far as aesthetics are concerned, I have a very unassuming black model. It’s light, and seems rugged enough to use to get to work and back. While not important to me, using my own pictures for a background is a nice touch. The screen is small, and I probably won’t use it for videos as I have a full 4″ VGA screen on my iPaq that will do a much better job. The touch pad is easy to use, but seems on the sensitive side at times. I find it easier to use then the wheel on the iPod classic.

I probably would’ve given this 4 stars if I bought the unit, just for the problems I have with categorizing artists in the Zune software itself. Seeing I won this in a contest I didn’t even know I was entered into, I’m giving it 5 stars. This exceeds any expectation I ever had of a Zune device, and with this experience, I will probably purchase another one.

Asolute JUNK!
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
This product is junk. Its proprietary software does not work, and it won’t even work properly with windows OS’s. It ought to be a law against selling stuff like this that is not properly developed and tested before it is released to the consumer market. It does not deserve one star. This product is a total rip off.

zune beats ipod any day
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
i owned an ipod before and since i got my zune i will never turn back

Zune 8 GB MP3
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I was looking for something to replace a Dell DJ Explorer MP3, which they no longer make, to my disappointment. I spent a lot of time researching my options and finally decided on the Zune. I’m still not sure I made the right decision. I’ll never know because I can’t afford to buy another one and refuse to spend anymore time agonizing over it.

What I like (and unfortunately, a lot of this is in comparison to my Dell, so those people who have never had a Dell, this won’t be very helpful):

- screen is much easier to read and in color.

- fairly good price for an 8 GB and 8 GB is A LOT of room for music!!…. I don’t use it for video

- you get to choose from a small range of colors.. I think red, black, grey.. don’t remember… it’s been awhile. (if that matters to you). I didn’t really want a pink or lime green one. Sorry for you pink lovers. I’m just not one of them.

- it’s very small, light and thin. Much different (in a good way) than my old Dell.

What I don’t like:

- I don’t find the software that comes with the Zune very user friendly. I transferred all my music from my old mp3 player over to what I thought would be on my Zune only to find out it was only on the ’software’ part, not on the actual ‘player’ itself. So then I had to copy all the songs again and paste them to section of the ‘device’. It’s the same thing when you want to put photos on the player. It’s like you have to put things on the software twice. The written directions that come with the device are useless. They shouldn’t even waste paper sending them. The Dell software was so much simpler, only had to do things once, I knew where things were on my player, etc…. it was a sign of the times, I guess.

- The touchpad button is way too sensitive. I had to switch the settings so that I have to actually press the button for it to be activated otherwise it seemed anytime I was in the vicinity of that button, it would do something to my mp3 button and my music would stop. It was annoying more than anything.

- There is something wrong with the connection where my headphones plug in. I cannot plug my headphones in all the way or I can’t hear the music. It’s hard to explain but something with my mp3 player is not right. If I didn’t order it online, I would have taken it back. But the pain of sending it back through the mail, not knowing if it is a manufacturer problem and the next one I get may be worse is just more stress than I really need right now.

The thing is, I use my mp3 player for very ’simple’ things. I go to the gym, wash my car, lay out at the pool, etc. I just like to hear a lot of music on “random” while doing those things. This mp3 player is more than what I need for my simplistic lifestyle and has too many ‘extras’ I’ll probably never use. They seriously need to think about doing something different with that software….

Will never buy another Zune…
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Purchased the Zune from Amazon in October (first mistake since returns are limited to 30 days) as a Christmas gift for my teenage daughter.

After ONE day the Zune just turned off and will not turn on no matter what we do.

We performed troubleshooing with Zune support, only to find that the Zune was in fact dead and gone.

Went to several website, where we found that a TON of people are getting broken Zunes.

…so now I have to ship my Zune back to Microsoft, where they have to attempt to repair it or send me a new one…which will take approx. 2 months.

I will NEVER buy another Zune..massive waste of my money. Do yourself a favor and stick with Apple’s products.

Poor Product/Poor Customer Service
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I bought this as a Xmas gift beginning of December. Product did not work out of the box. Merchant had a30 day return policy(for Xmas gifts most give until1/31) Had to be sent to Microsoft who replaced with a refurbished unit. So I purchase and pay for a new unit for my daughter-in-law and she ends up with a used/refurbished unit. Shame on Microsoft and the selling merchant-ANTOnline.

Zune 8GB Black
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I am very happy with my purchase. I haven’t had any problems with this Zune and getting it up and running wasn’t very hard. I had downloaded the Zune Software before I got my Zune, so loading songs was simple. I don’t use the ear buds that came with the Zune so I couldn’t tell you how they sound. My only complaint is that when I hook up my Zune to my computer, I can’t play the music off the Zune. May have missed something though. All in all a very good buy.

Good and Bad
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
The Zune itself is a nice device and intuitive to use, and I would recommend it as a god music player. What I hated was the Zune software. It is not intuitive, too full of marketing, and then the idea you purchase music with points instead of money is ludicrous. Why should should I setup a bank account with Microsoft? I bought this for my wife for ebooks, so luckily we have software to load that and we don’t need to use the zine software, and we won’t, even for music. If you are looking for an alternative to iPods, I would also suggest you look at Creative Zen, which I use and love.

Worth every penny!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have had several mp3 players in my past, usually spending about $80. And I have had to return every single one. I finally decided to take a chance on the Zune. It was well worth the money, it came in a neat-tight little package (for a green, recycle-alcoholic like myself, I was very impressed with the packaging) with ear buds, cord, and some directions (which I rarely read anyways.) I had already downloaded the Zune software online, so when I got my blue beauty out of the box and plugged it up. It immediately synced up and BOOM! I was ready to start clicking and dragging my songs to the little Zune icon! IT was as simple as that! Working the Zune, took me no time to figure out!

It is very user friendly, and the sound is amazing!

Overall good so far with a few downsides
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Pros:

+ It’s very light and compact.

+ The interface is easy to use.

+ The Zune software for the computer is easier to use than Media Player and the playlists it generates are just the playlists (so you don’t end up adding the same song to the MP3 player more than once.)

+ I like that it has options to use the touch pad (which is very sensitive) or make it so you have to actually click.

Cons:

- The device never fully shuts OFF (just goes into a standby mode) so even when you’re not using it, the battery is wearing down. Having the screen on (playing games or watching a video for example) also wears the battery down very quickly.

- Since there is no seperate volume control you can not turn the music up or down if you are in a different menu or playing a game (you need to go back to the now-playing screen).

- It has a proprietary USB cord meaning you need the Zune cord – if you lose it, you can’t just buy a standard USB cord. And you need the specific Zune AC charger – you can’t use a different charger for a similar device. Not a huge deal as long but that always irritates me.

- You can not delete files directly from the Zune player itself – you need to use the software. Again, this isn’t a huge deal, but it’s a feature that would be nice.

- As far as I can tell, you can not remove or replace the battery so when it finally stops taking a charge – it’s done.

I’ve only had it about a month so more pros or cons may develop, but so far this is my list.

like it better than ipod nano
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
My step daughter asked for an ipod nano. I got this because it also offers wireless connectivity as well as the lower price. She came home from school and said she wowed her freinds who had ipods. The only this I don’t like is the lack of a wall charger. It’s definitly the ipods superior. ipod doesn’t offer build in wireless unless you buy the ipod touch. My step daughter likes sharing pics without needing to connect.

the zune
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
great way to take your favorite music,pictures with you and not take a lot of space in your bg or pocket.

The only thing I do not like and its a mircosoft thing is that when you rip cds to your PC then put them on the zune you have to keep the cds on your PC using valuable hd space,if you delete them off the PC the next time you sync your zune it will be removed from it as well,and since the program opens each time you connect the zune,even if just to charge the battery you need to close it right away to avoid losing any music that you may have taken off the PC

Great player!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have had a 30 GB Zune for a few years now and when my son wanted a new MP3 player I suggested getting him this Zune 8 GB. He loves it. The Zune software was easy for him to learn to use and the quality of the player is really good. He is very satisfied with his Zune.

great alternative to ipod
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I purchased this item for my son for Christmas. He likes it better than the ipod, especially for the battery life. He is totally satisfied with it and has it everyday on his ride to work. And it is considerably less in price for a similar product from apple. Great product.

Zune 8 GB Rocks
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Nice price. Easy to set up & easy to use. Sleek and light. I’m done with Ipods.

Excellent MP3 player for the money
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
If you’re looking for an awesome MP3 player at a reasonable price, this is a top notch product. All the controls are smooth and fluid, sleek lightweight design. A+++++.

Worst Seller Ever
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I bought a Zune from this Seller and it was defective during its first use. I asked for help; she told me what to do to get it to charge. It did not work. I let her know this and she said I could return it. I inquired about recouping the cost of my return postage; she said she would pay it but it would have to be through Paypal. I agreed and sent back the Zune. When I emailed her as to the status of my return shipping, she told me that since the Zune worked for her she would not refund my return postage. She also accused me of lying about the amount I requested for return postage ($8.75 v. $4.75 which she claims was on the box, but did not take me up on my offer to send her a scanned copy of the receipt which I finally discarded thinking she was refunding my return postage – silly me). I have filed a complaint with Amazon under the A-Z Guarantee on this. Also very disconcerting to have a Seller call you a “liar” and “untruthful” in an email. I simply wanted a product that worked when plugged in as a gift for a dear friend. I have been doing business on Amazon Marketplace and Ebay for years and have never had an experience like this. Apparently the Zune she sold me was “on a shelf” for a while which is why it didn’t charge. I never could get it to work. Under Amazon’s policy, “item defective during first use” is a reason to return it. Instead, I am lambasted by the Seller and called slanderous names. For the money you think you’re saving buying from this Seller, go to the nearest Best Buy and rest assured that you’re getting a product that works the first time you plug it in, and without the negative and meanspirited comments.

Zune 8GB Blue
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Great product and more user friendly than Ipod. The wireless feature and radio are awesome

Exceeded expectations
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve had an iPod for a few years now and was thinking of upgrading to the iPod touch. Then I heard Microsoft was coming out with a Zune HD and I decided to check it out. I was thrilled with the possibilities of the device but what convinced me was the favorable reviews of the Zune software. The I open the SJ Mercury News and check out the Fry’s electronics ad and find a 4 gig Zune on sale for (refurbished) for 59 dollars bundled with a car kit. Thought about it all day and decided I’d give it a go, even though I plan to buy the Zune HD next month. Great decision. I have been playing with the device every chance I get during the day. Love the quality of sound, love the interface, love the sleek looks, love the wireless syncing, love the Zune software. Can’t wait ’till I can get an HD, or better yet, until the Zune software becomes one with Windows Mobile. So much more advanced than an iPod Nano and I’m sure the HD will rock the socks off an iPod Touch. My ten year old daughter will probably take over the 4 gig Zune.

zune 8gb mp3 player
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I got it for Christmas and so far everything is working great. I got fast service and a great price.

Much Better Than I Expected
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Benefits versus an iPod:

* Add music to an on-the-fly “Now Playing” list on the Zune itself. The iPod unit does not have the ability to build a now-playing list on the fly. You have to make the playlists in iTunes and sync to the unit. This a great feature if you’re out and want to build a quick playlist to listen to.

* Wireless Sync. I really like not having to plug in.

* Background Image. The iPod menu is just plain white. My Zune can have any image I want in the background.

* “Resume” feature on PodCasts. This is my absolute favorite feature. If I’m listening to a Podcast on my Zune and have to pause it, I can quickly sync to my computer and continue listening to it on my PC at the exact point I left off. The Resume feature works across multiple Podcasts and Syncs between the PC and the unit itself. This is a HUGE plus for me because I tend to listen to lots and lots of Podcasts.

* The Zune Software monitors user-defined folders for new media whereas iTunes only knows what you manually add to its collection.

* The FM receiver works, though I’m not exactly sure how much I’ll use this.

Cons:

* Automatic Playlists are not near as robust as iTunes. This is a simple fix that Microsoft will hopefully be addressing (can you hear me MS$)?

* Podcasts cannot be added to a Playlist (manually or automatically)

* On the Zune Unit, PodCasts cannot be added to a “Now Playing List”. Oddly, you can add Podcasts to “Now Playing” in the Zune 3.0 PC software, though I can’t find where that list can be viewed in the software.

* The Zune Marketplace is not near as robust as the iTunes Store. However, if you don’t plan on purchasing a lot of music through the Zune Marketplace it’s not a problem. Personally, I try to buy my MP3’s through Amazon.com.

* Cover Flow on the iPod is very slick. The Zune has a similar browsing feature, but it’s not near as nice as Cover Flow.

* MP3 Tag Editing in the Zune Software is not near as powerful as it is in iTunes. iTunes has features like “Grouping” and “Disc x of x”, Notes, multiple images, etc. None of these exist in the Zune Software.

I purchased the Zune because I wasn’t necessarily happy with the iPods. My wife has an 80GB iPod Classic and my son has an 8GB Nano. The Classic is great because it has our entire music collection, various videos, all of our family pictures, and other stuff. But, it’s a bit heavy and has a Hard Drive that will eventually fail. The Nano is nice because it’s small and slick. But for me, I needed something with more “control”. The Zune is my first real MP3 player since the very very early days in the technology. Since then I’ve been using my Palm Pilot TX as an MP3 player along with all the other features the Palm supports.

Also, I gave this a 4 out of 5 because the first unit I received was DOA. On the plus side, Amazon.com replaced the unit for free in 3 days – over the Christmas holiday to boot.

Don’t waste your cash
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Bought this a year ago for my son’s birthday. It was hard to set up and the website is most confusing…then have to use their exclusive online membership to download songs…can’t use Rhapsody or others…so then i’m paying for two memberships for two sons. The Zune tho…what a P.O.S! We continually had trouble with it and it just stopped working altogether in December (after owning it for a total of 9 months) It won’t charge, turn on, do anything. Trying to get some technical support is ridiculous. Again, their website is confusing and layered. It seems they try to make it difficult so you just give up. (which we did for several months) Had to come back to Amazon (God Bless Them) for the purchase info. But i still doubt i’ll get anywhere. makes me crazy that i spent $150 on this for nothing. Ended up buying him a replacement SANSA for Christmas that works great, cost a fraction of what the zune cost and syncs with common online song downloads.

PLEASE don’t give Microsoft any more of your money and avoid this.

I’m buying an iPod
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
From the day I decided to buy a new mp3 player, my wife encouraged me to buy an iPod. However, I wanted to buck the system and give the Zune a try. After all, it had been recommended by friends. I should’ve listened to my wife.

After only two months of ownership, the first Zune stopped outputting sound. The radio worked fine, but it wouldn’t play audio from any files, audio or video. After sending it back, the new one arrived about two months ago. Then, a few days ago, I went to turn it on at the gym and…nothing. It won’t power up at all. It’s still well under warranty so I wanted to submit another online service request, but–to top it all off–Micrsoft doesn’t ship overseas, not even to Armed Forces (APO) address. Some appreciation for the troops. Now I have to have the return box shipped to my wife, have her forward it to me, etc. Their phone customer service is pretty much useless.

Not sure what I’ll do with my 3rd Zune when it arrives, but I’ve already ordered an iPod nano.

To their credit, I’ve got nothing but good things to say about the Zune sofware’s usability. In fact, Apple could take a lesson from them in designing iTunes. However, the software is useless if it’s primary hardware doesn’t ever work.

Great at first, terrible later.
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
When we first got the zune, we had trouble with the software. Now we have a fairly old computer, but it ran Windows XP with the service pack and everything so we called Microsoft and we are able to make a few corrections with the settings and we were good to go. We had the Zune for a year and a half and we had to update our Norton. After that we could not get the computer to find the Zune. We tried everything. My husband has a iPod video and we never had a problem with it. NEVER! Not even after I updated our Norton. I now have an iPod touch and love it. If you are going to pay that much money for an MP3 player, just get an iPod.

Software SUCKS
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I really wanted to give the Zune a chance. I have had various generations of the Ipod Nano for several years, and thought it would be fun to jump off of the bandwagon and see if I could get more for less by springing for the Zune…BIG MISTAKE.

The device was mediocre at best. when scrolling through a list, the circular touch-pad controls make it hard to select the item in the list that you want, because it is too sensitive and thus too easy to scroll all the way down to the end of the list, or right back up to the top of the list. when you do have the item on the list highlighted (and ready to be selected by pressing in the center of the circular touch-pad), due to the concavity of the touch-pad, it takes quite a bit of finesse, skill, and several attempts to simply press straight down on the touch pad to make your selection.

but all of the minor inconveniences aside, the biggest problem with this product is the software.

I installed the required Zune music player software from their website. The first several times I tried using it and uploading music, it worked briefly, and then froze up my computer. However, I was able to upload a few songs onto it and so I just rolled with the punches. Several days later, my computer started acting funny. After reinstalling it, the same problems were occuring. Long story short (and more than $100 later in computer tech service fees for my malfunctioning computer, as well as erasing and reformatting my computer and losing all of my files) the computer techs, as well as my father (a federal computer programmer) concluded that the Zune software was responsible for messing up my computer, and i was highly advised to “NOT DOWNLOAD ANY MORE ZUNE SOFTWARE.” obviously the underdogs still have some kinks to work out

Although this program malfunction might not be the norm. for everyone, it happened in this case (w/ a windows operating system), and I advise ANYONE considering an mp3 player to not put their computer at risk and to spring for the ipod instead (what, like $10 more?). Since i had to wait to reformat my computer since i needed it for school, i ran out of time and could not return the zune for my money back. now the zune collects dust on my shelf and i am $150 poorer of much needed money for a starving college student.

Lasted 4 days.
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
After loading 10 gig of music the unit locked up. None of the navigation buttons worked and I couldn’t get off the song it was playing. It was stuck in a continuous loop. I tried all the described reset functions to no avail. Its hard to believe Microsoft would make a product without their most important key stroke combination, Ctrl Alt DeL. When I packaged the item for return it was still playing U2 War. I realize there is a bad apple (Microsoft) in every bunch. I haven’t decided if I will give Zune another try. I much prefer it over Apple since its not so proprietary. If my next experience is more positive. I will update at that time. I’ll give it two stars because I really enjoyed our brief time together and after-all, it is a MS product so I am used to my expectations being crushed.

Cooler than an ipod
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
It’s not that the Zune is technically “better” than an ipod, but it’s that this mp3 player is just much more fun to use and has a better interface. The only problem I have is that you have to really “shut off” the player every time. You can’t just hold down the play button and think it’s off. It still drains the battery.. That’s why I give it a 4/5. Plus the games drain the battery too. Oh well. Custom backgrounds FTW!

Dead Zune
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Product was DOA, would not take a charge. Returned to Amazon and bought replacement from local dealer.

Great Little MP3 Player!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Well I have used this little guy for about a week or so and I come from using a Creative Vision: M 30gb player.

Pros:

Tiny

Great sound quality

Easy to use and understand

Syncs Easily with the PC

Customizable

Wireless syncing

Zune Social (share music with other people that have Zunes)

Radio

Can add songs from radio to cart to purchase later

Fun free games!

Plays a vast amount of different music file types!

Cons:

*No EQ

*Should have better music rating system (its just a heart or broken heart, should have three ratings at least).

*Should have ability to remove songs from the device (must be done in software)

Bottom line:

If your looking for a great portable music player to say take to the gym or have in your pocket this is your guy.

Much better then the ipods (as far as sound quality, features, and ease of use ect).

Hopefully in the future firmware updates (which Apple charges $10 for and is free on the Zune) they will resolve some of the cons I mentioned earlier.

Great product.

Highly recommended.

zune 16
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I would recommend this to anyone who wants a powerful loaded MP3 player. It does all that I want it to do.

Best gift ever
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this Zune for my boyfriend for Christmas. He absolutely loves it and says it is the best gift I ever gave him.

The Wireless Sync Feature Rocks
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The first Zune I bought was the 4gb version. I noticed it had a screen flicker, very subtle, but irritating. I exchanged it for the 8gb model I have now. All this was about 6 months ago. My Zune spends most of its time in the Belkin Armband specifically designed for it. For charging purposes, I have a dock station that plays the music also. I can create playlists, add/delete media, update software, and view memory capacity WIRELESSLY! I don’t have to connect it to the computer unless I want to change wireless routers! The zune has held up well to working out and all the moisture. I did buy a pair of good ear buds to enhance the sound quality. So far, this little magic box has proven itself well-worth the cost.

Nice MP3 player
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I like this MP3 player but found the ear bud connection to the Zune to be too loose so would disconnect with movement. I tried different ear buds to the ones supplied but the problem was still the same. Also there were not enough instructions how to overcome certain problems, e.g I could not get my songs to play, it kept telling me there was nothing there. Had actually arranged to return the item to Amazon but decided to give it another try and don’t know what I did differently but after several “goes” it worked again so changed my mind about returning it as I didn’t want to go through the procedure of installing all my songs onto a new Zune and I could put up with the loose ear bud connection. Have been unable to listen to the radio though, no sound. That doesn’t bother me as I prefer to listen to my own music anyway.

Excellent!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I received the 16 GB black Zune v2 for Christmas, and so far, I am extremely happy with it. My first and only mp3 player before this was a first generation 1 GB iPod Nano. It was good at the time, but the upgrade was much needed. The Zune has a user friendly interface that is more innovative than an iPod and better looking. The Zune Software (on your computer) is also better than iTunes for the same reason. The touch pad on the Zune is easier to use than the iPod scroll wheel thing, and it’s a better experience all together.

Waste of Time
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I had a Zune 8 GB shipped to me express mail as I was going on vacation and needed a reliable MP3 player that did a variety of things. I was in for a surprise — I downloaded all their crappy software and still the unit would not charge even after hours of following their internet instructions (the unit comes with hardly any info. at all — just directs you to their website). I ended up having to go to the store and buy one (no, I did not get an Ipod either but a cheap brand that works good). Save your money and your frustration!!

Zune Out of the Blue!!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Absolutely fantastic for what my daughter(19) considers an old man (46). Smart, efficient, packed with features. My only shortcoming is that the 8GB fit my purchase budget but not all of my music.

Zune 16gb price??
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
Why is the Zune 16gb on Amazon $200 MORE than the Zune store is selling it for?

There are MUCH BETTER Players!
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
The thing that annoyed me about this product was the lack of an EQ which leads to a flat, non dynamic sound – acceptable enough but could have impoved the sound so much more – especially at this asking price! I have come from the highly regarded Meizu M6 and Creative products that offered an EQ and the sound was *vastly* superior and in Meizu’s case, much cheaper!

The software is the deal breaker here. In true legendary Windows fashion, it’s clumsy. Buggy!! Slow! Huge. Resource hog. Unintuitive (learning curve)!! There is no way to drop files in from Windows Explorer (like the Meizu). You are anchored to this clunky software which is surprisingly huge when downloaded from the internet. The one thing it does well is automatically download pictures from the internet to make your songs pretty on the player and software….hurrah :=/ . If you come from Apple Ipods, you’re used to these anchors so you’re probably broken in and won’t complain as much as someone coming from open environment mp3 players.

The other thing that’s annoying is its lack of Divx support. Most all media files on the net are Divx…..another huge deal killer. I’m not wasting times to convert videos to a format Zune finds acceptable.

Other things: playlist is rather useless. Radio is competent. Volume is too LOW!! I have great hearing but the amount of juice it gives thru several high sensitivity headphones I own is unforgivable! Mind boggling.

Aside of all this, the unit is solidly built, scroll works fine, screen is pretty. I do see the animations from song to song kind of stutter, so I can foresee stall/crash issues in the future.

I’m returning this unit as I KNOW there are better players out there. I bought this on an experimental lark to see how Microsoft has been doing all these years with their MP3 players. Grade: D.

If you want a great sound player that’s still offered in market, start with the Cowon stuff. Cowon D2 for something small/big screen. Cowon S9 for something itouchish. For workouts, the highly lauded Sandisk Clip is exceptional sounding to audiophiles due to its Wolfsong chip and cheap! No software limits on these players – no brainer easy to use. All have radios. I foresee the upcoming Zune HD will carry similar handicaps as other Zune products so there is NO reason to wait for it.

As for me, I’m going Sandisk Clip for exercise, Cowon S9 for videos and to carry my larger music library. Case closed.

Zunetabulous!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I got this to replace my 1GB Ipod Shuffle. I am thoroughly impressed! It is small and has a case that protects it well enough. I have even been able to take all of the CD’s out of my car and just carry this,(no more filling up the disc changer for trips!). I think the battery life could be better(yes, backlight settings, etc. are @ a minimum and still with using it maybe 2-3 hours daily, the battery life is halved.) The software was a snap to install and unlike Apple’s software, my music library isn’t replicated(HATE THAT SO MUCH!!!) I also like the fact I can sync this w/a laptop wirelessly. This is by far the best gadget I have bought in the past year.

Zune the way to go…
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The MP3 player was all that we wanted and more.

It would’ve been nice to supply a power cord for house current.

Zune rules
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Love my new 16GB Zune! I had researched other MP3 players and thought this was my best choice. No regrets……Zune was the perfect choice. Zune software is great and syncing is a very simple process as is navigation. I added the premium headphones which was a great choice…..very comfortable.

OVER PRICED
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
The MSRP for the 16GB Zune is 179.99. TigerDirect has it for around 150.00 and they want 300.00$ here. I love my zune but they are OVER PRICED here. Look else where!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bad hardware, worse software
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
As soon as I got it, I tried charging it and it wouldn’t charge. I went on the net and tried all kinds of different things to drain the battery and charge it but none would work. Finally after three days, it said battery at full charge. But that was just a false positive. After playing the radio for five minutes, the battery charge dropped to zero.

Another drawback is that files can’t be copied without the software. In that brief moment it was working, I installed the software and imported a bunch of videos into it. I tried clearing the videos from the software and it deleted all the videos from the disk!!! Thankfully, Amazon refunded the amount when I returned the item. Not worth the pain it causes.

Terrific player! Software, is ok.
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The screen is quite amazing, the interface is crisp and clean. The player is easy to use, and the Zune Pass really does beat out the competition. In comparison to an iPod click-wheel, the zunepad is actually very usable and just as good, if not better. In fact, I’d argue that the interface and ease-of-use beats an ipod anyday.

The software, however, is rather slow. It’s very usable and easy, but it is not a very good media player. I really only use it to download music, update my player, etc. To actually play movies I’d probably use a diff media player, though for music it works well enough.

Awesome Device that doesn’t get enough attention.
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
About a year ago I had a 8gb flash zune, and I loved it. There was 1 one problem with it, and that was that it was nearly impossible to sync for me. My Music was on my familys Mac, and I had to transfer it, and manage all the DRM wrapped up with it. I ended up only getting some of my music, and it was a total deal killer.

Now a year later I decided to try a Zune again. Im glad I did, because the software (for the PC) has gotten much better, and I was smarter about managing my music.

Now that its all working, I can play with my awesome zune. The design hasn’t changed much (its the exact same) but the firmware inside the device was ungraded (3.1 is the latest). Any Zune device, even the oldest brown ones, can get this update without a problem (a very useful feature).

The Zune has a lot of Pro’s, which includes having awesome navigation. I can fly through my 2200 songs quickly and precisely. Audio quality is also better on the Zune than the iPod, which is what I had before (I’ve had 7). You may or may not notice this, but I sure do with a decent pair of headphones. The Zune is feature rich too, but you can find out about those somewhere else. Its nice that you can get the same stuff on every zune device (even the $90 4GB zune). Battery life is decent, not great, but perfectly acceptable with the wireless off and the brightness not on high/backlight not always on. The Marketplace on the Zune works well and is actually helpful. Typing in my 26 letter network password was not as slow as I thought. Your Zune tag (identity on the Zune social) can be linked to your Xbox live account, and you can use the microsoft points you already have. $15 a month gets you a Zune pass which means 10 song credits and unlimited music downloads that stay as long as you keep your Zune pass Subscription going. I would use this because it looks great for discovering music, but Im terrified of DRM. Overall the Zune is great and you will most likely be pleased if you buy it.

The only cons that come to mind are the EQ (it doesn’t exist), and the desktop software. I wish microsoft could put in a adjustable EQ. The problem with the desktop software is that its too slow. That means it looks really nice with effects and such, but its slow. If your computer isn’t that good I suggest you download the Zune desktop software first and try it out just to make sure. Otherwise your experience with the zune could be misrible.

Anyways, the Zune is great, and you should definetly try it out.

This should get -1 For Black Screen
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I got the 8GB Zune as a gift a couple of weeks ago. Brand new, out of the box. Today, I got the Black Screen of Death. Look it up on the Internet (I wish I had), there’s lots of write-ups on black screen. Not much on how to fix it.

As far as I’m concerned, Microsoft is selling a defective product. This black screen has been an issue with their earlier generation Zune, and yet they continue to push this piece of sh…

I’ve tried all of the suggestions online from resetting it, to charging it. The problem is, my Zune software doesn’t recognize the Zune device is connected anymore. It’s a worthless hunk of junk now.

I only used it for 2 things – listening to music and watching .mp4 vids. And that wasn’t every day, it was only 4 or 5 days during the past 2 weeks. I cared for it like it was my own baby and it died. I’ve never had any electronic EVER do this to me, and I’ve owned dozens of things from computers to DVD burners to CD walkmans and mp3 players. If it died after 2 years of heavy wear and tear, I might understand. But only 2 weeks of very light use?!! Come on!

Until they fix the bugs out of this Zune thing, stay away from it. Microsoft has been going downhill with their operating system problems, and this Zune is just another folly in a series of follies by the software monopoly giant.

Update: I managed to get a replacement. Problem is, this one won’t even power up! I made sure there was power to my USB ports on my PC with a memory stick, and yup,there is power. So now I have to find someone who has a cable to see if that’s the cause of the lack of connectivity. I will update this review again if it turns out the device is faulty and not the cable.

enjoyable
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
WE HAD BEEN LOOKING INTO BUYING A ZUNE SINCE LAST YEAR FOR OUR TWO BOYS. SINCE WE DECIDED TO PURCHASE A FEW OF THEM THEY HAVE BEEN A GREAT INVESMENT. MY BOYS LOVE THEM AND IT WAS WELL WORTH WHAT WE SPENT. THEY ARE AWESOME AND DO A LIL MORE THAT JUST PLAY MUSIC.. THANKS ZUNE..

Super product
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Quick and simple – the Zune 8 GB player is amazing and trouble-free. I understand there were rough spots with the earlier software etc but Zune 3.0 is clean, easy to fire up and has a wonderful interface. My son bought this with collected holiday money (lucky guy) and couldn’t be more pleased. I’m jealous of course – he (13 yr old) figured out the software quickly and is delighted with all the features. (While I sit over at my computer trying to get media to sync correctly with my other-brand player…)

My son made his own choice after comparing with the Nano 8 GB and the similar Sansa and Sony products, and I think he made the right call. Music & video quality are wonderful and all the on-screen tools easy to manage. Battery life seems very good. I would recommend getting a hard shell/case for the device just as with all these smaller players.

Probably great, if it worked
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I like to give anything the benefit of the doubt, but I went through 2 of these in about 3 months. The first I received for Christmas. I was very excited to have the technological capabilities on par with the ipod but with an FM tuner, as I sometimes like to listen to my morning talk radio show while jogging. The first one I had did not have a functioning backlight, so you could not read the screen unless you held it at just the perfect angle. My second one seemed to work great for about 2 months, then one day just stopped working altoghether with no real explanation. So, I instead got an ipod nano. It is of sturdier construction and just seemed to be better made. It is a bummer that there is not a product out there that has both the functioning of an ipod with the FM tuner that the Zune included. In theory it’s a great product, but just doesn’t have the quality the Apple product provides.

C’mon, give the Zune a try
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have been exposed to iPods and Zens, and a few other mp3 players, but I REALLY love my Zune. Plenty of space for all the music I am interested in listening to on an 8 GB Zune. The interface is great, I can listen to mp3s at 320 kbps (nearly “lossless”), and still fit a few videos on or a movie (the screen is a bit small for 16:9, but fine to watch HD). The software is much easier to navigate than iTunes, and I prefer to get my music via Amazon, anyway. I may upgrade to a 120 GB version sometime soon, so I can keep a small library of movies on for my commute.

Conveniently small, quick to set up and easy to change as you need. Believe me, I have an iPhone and I prefer to use this for music. And you can’t beat the quality for the current price.

Leave the herd and get yourself a Zune.

Zune 16 GB black
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I bought a 16GB Zune player. I love it. Had trouble with the software at first installing on my laptop running Windows Vista home premium but finally overcame that and Im up and rolling. I can watch movies of my choosing, I use 3rd party software to convert the movies to mp4, put whatever music I want on it, including music vids I download. It has the ability to sync with the Xbox 360 and your laptop wirelessly. The wireless part is what sold me. I think all peripherals should do that. Now I’m buying a 2nd Zune for my son becuz he too fell in love with it. His is only and 8 gig but he got a better color, I got basic black which is okay by me. I highly recommend this player to anyone looking for a solid performer. Word!Zune 16 GB Video MP3 Player (Black)

Worst thing ever!
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I bought this in june and it came 3 days later. but the 2nd day i had it had broke. I don’t know how but when i woke up from sleeping it wouldnt start. I charged for 3 hours like it said in the book and still wouldnt start. I am sending it back the second day i got it. FU Zune

LOVE MY ZUNE
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I love my zune…this is a great player. It is so easy to download the software and then transfer music to it. Zune also has a great marketplace to purchase music or videos. I have videos, podcasts and lots of music loaded on mine. Would definately recommend the zune over any other brand!

Good Choice
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The Zune Software has a great set up if you want all the albums you can download.. 15 a month for unlimited music to go, and even keep 10 songs a month. If you buy one cd retail, its already worth it to get the music pass, and the Zune is great product as well! Fun games and wireless syncing is neat, even added compatability with xbox in game music to play your fav. songs while gaming.

Wouldn’t even turn on
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
There must have been a manufacturing error, because the Zune did not work at all. After some phone calls, Microsoft is replacing it with a new one. Hopefully it will work.

Neat player
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Easy to use/navigate. Lightweight and has a large screen. Wireless sync is easy and convenient, but is S L O W !!! Not the end of the world, just use the USB sync cord or pay $45 (ridiculous!) for a dock, $30 on amazon.

You will have to download new software to use your new Zune which is odd, considering Windows Media Player is a Microsoft product and everyone already has it. Very little information telling you how to upload videos you have on DVD. I havn’t yet figured out how to do that. I suppose they expect you to get them all from their website.

All in all, not a bad player for the money. I have owned many different brands, Iriver, Rio, Creative labs and Ipod. Better than most, I believe, but I really hate Ipods and Apple’s software, so I am probably not objective, there.

Earbud are better than average.

Decent player, but the interfaces are disastrous!
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I got this as a present. It works ok as a music player, but the interfaces on the player and the software client are not very good.

In an effort to copy the iPod, they tried to make as few buttons as possible. There us a back button on the player itself and the touchpad itself. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t depending on what mode you are in. There is no easy way to just jump to what is playing. And there is only ONE way to access the volume, and that’s when you are viewing the actual song you are playing.

As far as the software, it needs a total overhaul. You can’t seem to view your collection and what’s on your player at the same time. Aside from right clicking, I still have no idea how to add music.

Another thing? What is the Zune? Is it the player, or the desktop software? Who the heck knows?

Overall, the Zune works once you get everything set up, but once this breaks I will be going back to the iPod.

The one to get
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
My two daughters both owned Sandisk sansas and now ipod Nanos. I like the idea of having the radio like the Sansa did, but wanted something with better software than either the Sansa or the ipod had. So, I got the 4 GB Zune. I love it! I found that 4GB isn’t really enough if this is your only mp3 player. I ended up running out of space and not wanting to take songs off to so I could add new ones. After owning this one for 2 years, I bought the new 120 GB model a few months ago. The software is super easy to use and the reliability has been great. I’ve carried this around in my pocket a lot and the screen is still in great shape. It may be just what I’m used to, but I also find the controls on the Zune much easier to operate than the ipod Nano. I still use this one for running or when I just need something smaller and use the 120 mainly in the house or in the car. I highly recommend the Zune, but if you can spend a little extra I would get the 8 or the 16 GB. I bought my dad a 16 GB this year and he loves it.

What the ipod nano should have been
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought the Zune two weeks ago, after trying one out at the local best buy. As an Apple fanboy, I’m leery of anything Microsoft related. However, I’d read a lot of stuff on Headfi regarding the surprisingly good sound quality on the Zune.

Sound:

Rich, full, balanced. It beats my Meizu M6 (which kicks the snot out of the ipod) in the subtleties of the piano. Paired with my Audiotechnica ESW9’s, the Zune absolutely floored me.

Fit and Finish:

It’s like a slab of polished agate in the hand. The glass front picks up fingerprints, but resists scratches pretty well. The back is really hard to scratch or smudge due to the anodized, brushed metal finish.

The iPod nano…smudges and scratches really easily.

Battery Life:

Very good. I didn’t play it all night, and it has an auto-shutoff once the plug is pulled.

Interface:

Really intuitive, but also allows blind operation. The interface is elegant, simple, and just plain works (something I can’t say about my Meizu). Compared to the 4th gen iPod nano, it’s a tossup regarding which is better. They’re both in the same class, but I think the Zune is more flexible.

Compatibility:

It doesn’t handle Ogg, but it handles multiple video formats with ease (something my Meizu can’t, and iPod’s won’t).

Wifi, Radio, etc:

It has an excellent radio…which is sometimes indistinguishable from lower quality mp3’s here in SF. Wifi is pretty useless (Microsoft crippled it). I didn’t use recording.

Gripes:

The Zune is almost perfect. Unfortunately, Microsoft gimped the Zune. The Zune used to be able to log onto Last.fm with Zenses, but can’t with the latest firmware upgrade(I think someone’s working on a workaround). Also, the Zune software is really slow and hardware intensive (just like a bloated version of iTunes, but worse).

Conclusion:

I don’t like Microsoft, but I like the Zune.

I’ll be selling mine though, because I’ll be heading to Japan and I’d like to have the GPS capability of the iPod Touch (although SQ is only OK).

Great product! Nice alternative to the iPod!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I really love my Zune. It is small and lightweight but holds so many songs, pictures, etc. Our family swears by Microsoft products and the Zune hasn’t let us down! It works very well and is easy to use.

My only complaint is that it took forever to arrive.

Great Slim Sleek Player
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I took the plunge and bought a Zune and boy is this one fun little device.

The display is very crisp. The user interface is so intuitive that I can’t believe it’s a Microsoft product. The firmware updates bring free additional features, improvements and games. Wifi sync saves me yet another cable lying around. And for someone who just started working out, the slimmer 16GB works much better than the bulky 30, 80 or 120GB Zunes I see guys have strapped awkwardly to their arms.

With the built-in FM tuner, I get all the channels in the gym. Jumping to the next song is as easy as a simple tap – no need to pull it out and fiddle with it for most functions. The sync interface (Zune software) on the PC is really crisp and doesn’t try to install additional browsers or software like a competing product. I’m getting tons of free audio and video podcasts, my own videos and over 1500 of my own songs and am only using half the space.

Minus 1 star for a lack of built-in Equalizer (EQ) or presets – and for the step down in earbud quality from previous models. Even with the lack of an EQ – normally a deal killer for me – the sound was good enough that I really couldn’t gripe. After I picked up some JBuds J2 Premium Hi-FI Noise Isolating Earbuds (Onyx Black), the sound was so good, I didn’t even notice the missing EQ.

Haven’t used the social features (like trading files, friends lists, etc.) so I can’t speak to those. But as a slim, sexy, very small MP3 player, this takes the cake.

Good buy
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have had this for almost a year and I still love it! Great value.

Zune 8MB MSRP is $139.99
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The MSRP on the Zune website for the 8MB player is $139.99 regardless of color and you get a free inscription.

Zune 8gb
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The Zune 8gv is versatile, attractive and easy to use. This is my son’s first mp3 and he likes it alot.

Sad
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I received this as a gift for Christmas and it seemed like it was going to be an easy to use and easy to sync to my computer. I plugged it in and the back light on the device was not working and it has to be sent back for a new one. I however was able to sync it up to my computer easily, and moving the music and videos on and off of the device was very easy with the Zune software. The sounds with the supplied headphones are mediocre at best. I would suggest looking for a better set of headphones. I contacted Amazon and let them know what the issue was with the backlight and they have shipped out a new device and it should be here in a few days. I have to say Amazon made it easy to return and replace.

I liked mine so much I bought one for my wife
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought my zune a little over a year ago and it has worked great for me. I use it regularly plugged into my car stereo and on occasion I use it with headphones while I do things around the house. I have always been pleased with sound quality and the controls are very easy to use.

There was one time that it got disconnected from the sync cable while it was downloading and the screen froze. I had to go back to the user manual to figure out how to re-start it. After it restarted though it worked perfectly. I have very little to say about it’s video capabilities because I never try to use them, but on the occasion that I have played with it, the picture is crisp and video seems to run smoothly. I prefer not to waste my time watching things on a 2 inch screen.

The worst I could say about it is that it seems that battery life starts to run a bit short when playing games or using the wireless networking features and while streaming via wireless from Zune Marketplace it sometimes has some buffering issues that makes listening a bit broken.

Great mp3 Player
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Shipped fast from Amazon, got here in great condition. The Zune is great, easy to use and fun.

BUYER BEWARE!
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I bought the Zune after having my iPod stolen from the gym I go to (I liked the FM receiver option). Not only was this device quirkie…it was ridiculous. I had been a past iPod user and was used to the easy changing and re-arranging of music, playlists, etc. The Zune will NOT allow you to sign in and just re-arrange or whatever you want to do…it locks up, makes you completely delete and reload your music in the order you want it….who wants THAT??? I ended up (after two weeks of trying) returning it to the place I purchased it) and bought the iPod. Two months later $14.99 charges started showing up on my VISA for “joining” Zune-pass. I took advantage (although they took advantage of ME) of their two-week trial offer. I cancelled the membership via the internet…and when (two $14.99 charges later) were popping up on my VISA they said “you didn’t call our telephone representative, therefore your Zune-Pass was still extended for each month”. WHAT??? Cancel does not mean CANCEL??? Nowhere on their website did they indicate that I had to phyically call and talk to a representative to cancel my subscrption. So very ridiculous! I asked “where” I was talking to and he said South East Asia (for customer service). I asked them repeatedly to refund my money they charged me for and it was “not something they were able to do from THERE”. I pressed that they had very poor customer service standards and what they were doing monthly was stealing money from me via my VISA card with unauthorized charges…I’m here to tell you… he didn’t care at ALL. BUYER BEWARE!! I vowed to tell anyone and everyone of my poor experience all around. Don’t buy the piece of junk nor have to deal with the substandard Customer “non” support. I still have a headache >:-Z

Love my Zune
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This Zune is great! My boyfriend has the 80 gb and I wanted a small one so that I could share music w/ him but not have the bulk of the size of his! Love it!

great mp3
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
i bought this player for my 14 yr old daughters birthday. all her friends really like the look and sound.

excellent choice
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
After researching the various mp3 options, I purchased the Zune as a Christmas gift for my husband. It got great reviews from current owners and I liked the exclusive features it has that the ipod doesn’t. My husband loves it. It is an excellent choice.

Love it!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is my very first MP3 player and I love it. My only drawback is that I am having a hard time finding a case for it at an actual store so I am going to have to buy it online. Other than that, everything is great.

Zune Sucks
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I got this for my son for xmas last year.. My son loved it and my son took really good care of it.. see the word loved? We sync-ed it twice, once initially and once in the last month. In the last week, I tried to sync it again and I got a message on my computer when I hooked the usb up that there was a power surge and a malfunction and to disconnect asap. So I am like huh? This isn’t brain science. So under the impression it was the usb cable, I bought another usb and not a knock off either. Same message. I got on the phone with Zune’s support and for an hour we tried various things, we came to the conclusion the Zune has malfunctioned! After 2 1/2 mos! I can send it in and they can “try to fix it” .. I truly do not know if I will, I am very disappointed.. I am currently looking at ipods for him instead, I have an itouch.. I am completely happy.. and I haven’t been as careful with mine as he has either.

Should have gone that way first.

Efficient
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
My only disappointment is that I purchased the 8 GB instead of the 80GB. The Zune plays music as well as can be expected for a digital music player, and I like the design/interface of the product. The best aspect of the Zune, in my opinion, is that it connects to radio stations around the world.

Two improvements I might seek are a better shuffle and an alarm clock. I hate how when you shuffle, it rearranges the songs and then plays them in order. I’ve noticed, however, that this is how shuffle works in iTunes so I’m wondering if that’s just an aspect of modern technology. Equally, I tend to always need an alarm clock when I never have my cell phone or actual alarm clock. It might make the product more multi-functional.

Earphones
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Fine product, sounds great, the FM radio do not have the best sign.

The earphones are really awfull, not at the level of the price and product.

Awesomely awesome
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
i love my zune! i got for my birthday and it is awesome heres what i like about it

1. You dont have to pay for songs if you have a subscription only some

2. it’s easy to find what you want edited versions of albums are really easy to find unlike on itunes cuz on itunes i have to power search

3. zune has games!

the bads

1.some albums are not available

2. some artists are unavailable like AC/DC and The Beatles

I really like the zune the earphones rock but my cat chewed up the earphones and there $[...]

GET ONE

Zune 16 GB
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I bought two Zunes, this one and a 120 GB for Christmas gifts. The price compared to the GB makes this one’s value less to me. I got a good deal on it but generally when I shopped for it the cost was only about $50 difference. I bought mine in a package deal though and so the value was not so bad. Still, I think that for such a big difference in GB it should not be so close in price. My daughter loves it though and for younger people 16 GB is plenty! We have the 30 GB as well. It depends on how much space you think you’ll need and your budget. Overall, I think that the 120 GB is the best value when you compare what you get and prices. Shop around though and you’ll get a good deal with extra items included!

If Zune is Anti Mac theh why are they Molded to look like Ipods
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I was happy to receive a Zune as a gift a few days after my Ipod Touch took a swim in a pool of soda.

But now trying to download music I am completely disappointed that is Does NOT work with MACS. Microsoft seems to have completely written off mac users as apple logo snobs. The ironic part is that the zune designers completely emulated the ipod from the structure and even attachment cord.

Yes it is possible if you run windows on the mac to function the Zune, but Still. Why support this product that is so anti apple yet has no problem knocking off their style.

I can only imagine their customer support is just as neglectful.

Zune rates a Z alphabetically
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
We had nothing but problems with this from the 1st time hooking it up.

Wireless sync is tempermental and could not get this to work after hours trying and getting help online.

Music downloads are easy to do but we had trouble with the Zune being recognized and kept having to restart the computer since no matter how many times we would plug and unplug the sync cord it would not be recognized on the PC.

Zune software takes forever to download and our computer is not slow by any means.

After the 2nd day owning this product we wanted to try it out with the new Zune car pack transmitter we purchased and the when we plugged the Zune into the Zune transmitter, it locked up or fried itself and we are not sure which since we could not get the unit turned back on no matter what we tried. Wasted countless hours the first day downloading music never being able to listen to most of it.

When it did work the sound through the premium headpphones (extra purchase) was excellent. Very good highs and lows out of both the Zune and HP.

Zune would not allow me to add a lot of the MP3 music I had downloaded in MSMP.

This was my first MP3 player but I do know quite a bit about them and how to get around on a computer. I did not want to buy the IPOD since we are MS shareholders but after this Zune died, I was so mad that I got on Amazon and filled out the forms to return this device. It will probably take weeks to get my money back if I get it back at all but I did not care. This thing is nothing but junk AFAIAC.

Two hours after the thing died, we went to a local store and bought a IPOD Nano 16G and I already have more music on it in just a few hours and it is so much easier to move around in than the Zune. I think this is my last purchase off Amazon since saving $20 or $75 or however much is not worth it if it takes weeks to get a the order and then having to replace it if needed. Lifes to short for that BS.

The people at MS have a long way to go to catch Apple in the MP3 platform IMHO. Yeah the Nano does not have the FM radio which would be a nice feature but what the heck, I bought it to listen to my music and I can do without the FM.

The Nano is considerably smaller in size and weight, the screen seems bigger and it rotates when you rotate the Nano.

I was hoping the Zune would be a decent music player but the one we bought was a P.O.S in my opinion. I was hoping that it woulld last longer than the 18 hours it was plugged in.

big disappointment
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Zune 8 GB Video MP3 Player (Blue) I ordered this with the car pack for myself. The first one Amazon sent me had an earphone plug that required the plug to be half-way out of the socket and was directional. I was sent a replacement Zune right away, and was very happy with it. However, now that a few weeks have passed, the Zune has completely quit working. It only functions when it is plugged into my computer. I’ve recharged the batteries, but the buttons no longer work and it is completely dead without being plugged into my computer. I already have a media player on my computer, so this makes the Zune useless. Doesn’t work in the car without working on its own…so I am returning the whole package to Amazon.

My new favorite thing!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I love it! My sister has the ipod touch and for the money my zune runs circles around it! Very user friendly ( and I’m not the most tech savvy) and the colors are a plus. My husband has the red and it’s pretty too. I have all my music, several podcasts and a couple of television series on it now with a lot of storage space still left and mines just an 8 GB. Can’t say enough good things!

Not so good
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I got the Zune in red last year for my birthday. I was very excited about getting the Zune. On my birthday when I got it, it worked completely fine. I dowloaded all my music on it. I loved it only for one day. The next day I was listening to it walked a way for a second and when i came back it was off. I thought it might be the battery but had charged it last night. So i tried to charge it again and it didn’t even respond when i pligged it into my computer. I was very disapointed cuz i had been waiting so long for the Zune and it had to end like this. I could never return it and get a new one cuz my dad lost the receipt so now i’m stuck with a broken Zune forever. I really wouldn’t recommend this to anyone because of my experience, but if you want try for yourself. But with my birthday coming again in just a few weeks i am asking for the Apple Ipod Touch, which i would definitely recommend to anyone.

The Benefit of Doubt
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I’m only giving this review one star for the benefit of doubt that possibly I received a rare player that was doomed from day one. Within a week of receiving my black 16g Zune, I sent it in for repair to Microsoft. Upon the day I received it back from repair it had given me the same problem as before, which was fading completely black and not being able to use. Which led me to file for a refund and urged me to write this review. I feel confident enough to say that I recommend that everyone stay away from Microsoft products i.e. Zune, Xbox 360, and Vista. I’ve heard many instances in which all the previous listed systems are failing recently.

Good purchase!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I love the size and it’s the color! I was expecting the headphones to be in another color, they come in black, probably pink or white would have been better! The only thing I don’t like very much is the button you have to move to “lock” the touchpad, other than that I’m very satisfied. The software is very easy to install and user friendly. I am using it everytime I can and people like it a lot, is not very common yet but probably it will become soon. One of my friends have one in red and he is fascinated as well

Zune 4GB
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
This MP3 player is OK, but is somewhat cheap feeling and is somewhat tempermental. It went dead on 1/1/2009, even though searches on the Internet indicated that the problem was only with the 30GB model and was due to the gov’t adding a leap year second on 12/31/2009. But, doing the stated corrective action (letting unit’s battery drain and then recharge it fully seemed to work. The headphone plug has to be inserted with abnormal force to get it to seat fully. If it doesn’t, the unit will go dead. There are other MP3 players which are better and which do not try to emulate the iPod so much.

Music, Podcast, FM Radio
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I debated getting an IPod, but I really wanted the FM radio.

So far I am very happy with the product. The software was easy to install and use. It is easy to add music from any CDs you already own. It has a nice interface to automatically download an update podcasts, a feature I was not looking for originally but have ended up using more than anything else. Both my kids have IPods so I am somewhat familiar with them and for me the Zune is a better option. One downside of the Zune is that if like to accessorize you don’t have to many choices.

excellent player
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This player is full of great stuff. From the moment you turn it on,it just gets better. You can connect it and start syncing music right away. Plus you can make playlists to organize songs into whatever kind of category you want. Also when you rip cd’s to add songs you’ll get a great backgroung while it’s playing but it gets better. Another image or backgroung will appear. You can also download games that the Zune will provide. This player is awesome!

One of my best purchases
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
My daughter who owns an iPod is jealous! I love it. The Zune is a great little device, it holds a lot of content, and it has been really wonderful for audiobooks and video. Couple of the reasons I like it better than iPod: glass display doesn’t scratch, it’s very durable. FM radio is a built-in feature, you can even tag songs from the radio for purchase later. You can enable wireless sync to marketplace. Zune software looks at multiple folders for syncing (it doesn’t all have to be in the same folder like iTunes), and you can tell it what to sync and when. One small thing I am not crazy about (and this is just as much an Audible issue as a Zune issue) – sometimes I accidentally hit the FF pad on my Zune and end up jumping to the next chapter in my book. And then if I go back, I might repeat an hour of what I just listened to. If you do listen to audiobooks on your Zune, you’ll probably want to hit play and then lock it so you don’t accidentally hit the pad. Overall, a great purchase, and excellent value! You get a lot more features than iPod for the same $$.

Great Product
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The Zune is a wonderful product. The controls are very easy to use, the screen is very sharp and the sound is very clear. The best part is that the Zune software completely kicks butt. Much beter that the iPod software.

Great!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’m a big fan of the Zune. This one was for my wife and I have a 120 gb myself. It’s great! I had a i-pod once but it died on me one day and never came back on. I love that it is compatible with the x-box 360 playing both music and video. The software as simple enough and its easy to edit your music as long as you have the artist and title or at least the artist and album name and track number. and it will do the rest for you. Finding the album art and song names. I would recommend it to anyone and I do!

I love it!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I love my Zune! The sound is wonderful, and it’s easy to maneuver around on the menu. The screen is bright and colorful. The only things that I don’t care for are that there’s no way to delete songs from the device without it being connected to the computer and the software seems to take over all the music already on my computer. I had to go in and reset Windows Media Player as my default player. Be sure to read all the conditions and that you understand them before downloading songs from their website. I find that Amazon.com is much less expensive than the Zune store, and mp3shake is even cheaper than that! I’d definitely recommend purchasing a Zune, so long as you’re forewarned.

zune is better than ipod
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I purchased the 8gb zune and think its great. I purchased another one for my 21yr old daughter. She likes this better than the ipod because it is so much easier to download music and we can have two different zune playlist on the same computer with is not something that is easily done with the ipod. We used the zune pass included and then continued to pay the monthly fee of $15 to use their unlimited downloads. This is the best service and we can use this service for both of us.

The sound is good. The zune is easy to use and i had no problem downloading the software. The speed of downloading is good and i also use it for my audiobooks and it stays at the place where i left off. I have tried to use so many other mp3 players for audiobooks and have had trouble. The zune also has a radio with is nice. I have yet to find fault with this player or the zune marketplace.

Zune 8GB MP3 Player
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Love the FM radio included with this device. Learned quickly how to set stations and get around the menus by myself but was a little disappointed no documentation came with the device. You have to go online to learn on your own. Nice and compact, long lasting battery and seems to have motion detector to stay on and it turns off when not being used too! Bought for $112 (which included shipping) on Amazon.com and that was the selling point for me. The equivalent IPOD was too expensive and I only needed a smaller memory sized device, so that made it perfect for me. I still have a lot to learn about the device but so far it’s fun. The headphones that came with the device aren’t very comfortable in the ear so you may want to look at finding something else. Good luck on your purchase.

Zune 16 GB Video MP3 Player (Black)
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I purchased this product for my daughter, and she loves it. Very easy to install and use. Only one problem though, a little sporadic recognizing the device. She works through it on her own. Her brother has one and it connects every time.

Best value MP3
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
i have owned apple I pod Touch, Nano, creative Zen & I river clic

Zune, is the best of the bunch.

Ease of use, sofware & the screen, wow, vibrant and easy to to view

She loved it when it worked…
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I have a 30g Zune (and love it) and my wife had a 2nd gen Ipod nano. Even though she had no problems w/the ipod, I convinced her to sell and get a 16g Zune. while she likes the Zune more than the ipod, she is very disappointed it failed after only 7 weeks of use. The other day she went to use it and the back button would not work, then it just started acting weird and never recovered. Tried hard boots and such, to no avail. Disappointed in the fact that her replacement from Zune will be a refurb…after only two months of use. Still would not buy an ipod and love the Zune software and features, just disappointed in this unit. hopefully the next one will last longer.

Ready to get my 3rd Zune… keeps breaking!
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Thank goodness I purchased the optional extended warranty package on my Zune player, because it keeps breaking on me! First problem that occurred was about a week into my 1st player. The backlight mysteriously stopped coming on, so I couldn’t see a thing in any sort of darkness. I deal with it about a month, then decided it was too annoying, and swapped it for a new one. My 2nd player was working fine, but then about 2 months later, while it was charging, all of a sudden the screen froze, saying “low battery”, and I could never get it off that screen again! Something locked up, apparently.

So, now, this is 2 broken Zune players in only a few months. Each time I’ve had to completely re-load my Zune, and since I use 2 different computers, it’s going to be a pain in the behind to re-load the music this 3rd time. It’s getting pretty aggravating. I’m ready to just exchange this broken one for a brand new Zune (Thank You Extended Warranty!) and sell it to somebody. I’m tired of an mp3 that breaks so easily.

The battery life on this thing is PATHETIC. It claims 20 hours or something absurd in the instruction manual is the battery life; I’m honestly lucky if I get 6 hours playback on it. I’d think more like 4 hours would be a good guess. It’s worse than a discman for crying out loud! I had a discman I bought for $19.99 that used to give me a good 10 hours playback. Now a $129 MP3 player can’t give me half that!?

While I’m ranting, I also don’t like the Zune software. It loads TERRIBLY slow, and slows down your computer (I’m on a BRAND NEW, blazing fast laptop, FYI). The Zune pass IS a great deal, I’ll give credit where credit is due.

Lastly, every once in awhile, I’ll notice music randomly disappearing off my Zune player. An entire album, GONE, out of nowhere! It happens semi-frequently, with both Zune’s I’ve had. I go to look for a particular artist, and it’s mystically vanished!

I could go on and on a bit more, but I’ll leave it at that. I’d avoid the Zune player at ALL costs. It’s a hunk of junk, and I’d wait until they improve the software, and the craftsmanship of these players before getting involved. Go with the industry leader, the ipod.

Grate
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Product was in excellent condition delivered on time very good seller. If needed I will defiantly purchase from him again

zune 8GB
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I received the zune earlier than indicated. It was easy to set up. I play the downloaded music in the car with a cable that is also compatible with

my Ipod touch.

Zune 8 GB MP3 is fun mobile entertainment
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I like my Zune MP3 very much. My only complaints are:

Learning to use the Zune software. If you delete anything from your “collection” you are also deleting it from your hard drive! (unless your Zune is connected to your computer with the USB, in which case then you’re deleting the files from your Zune device). I also went to the “marketplace” and tried to install the latest movie trailers & it filled up the device with 2 movie trailers & then I wound up calling tech support because I couldn’t get it to work after deleting those files. I had to wipe and re-load the device even though it showed plenty of room left on the device.

Tech support is OK, but most of them have foreign accents & it’s hard to understand everything they say.

The sponge covers on the ear buds constantly fall off. I’m very surprised I haven’t lost the 1st set yet. Fortunately the device come with 3 pair. I’m always finding them on the floor..

I think it should come with a pouch to carry the device & ear set together. A pouch with magnetic closure would be awesome!

My good points are:

The sound is awesome.

The menu allows you to choose files by genre, album, artist, music style. And you can shuffle the music, repeat..

The operation of the device is pretty easy.

The display screen shows pictures & videos either horizontally or vertically to maximize the view.

I love the RED color I got. (8 GB)

Good if you have the money, not good if you don’t have the money
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Zune is really good, but in order to continue to play your music you have to subscribe to them paying a pricey fee. So if you have the money go for it…but if you don’t have much money I don’t recomend it. I can’t play any of my own music anymore since I unsubscribed…so I can’t play any music on my computer any more even the ones that where there before I got Zune. It plays just fine on the device but its just those music on my device that play…the rest is history…even my favorites that I burned onto a cd will not play.

I really wanted to like the Zune….
Rating:1 out of 5 stars

I bought a Zune to use the music subscription service and listen to podcasts. I have a Sansa player for Rhapsody subscription music and an iPod nano for podcasts. They are both great players. I thought I could get the Zune and only have to carry one mp3 player around. Big Mistake!

The battery life is horrible. I tried all the tricks Microsoft suggested to get the most from the battery, but it just runs down very quickly. I do not think I ever saw the battery charge indicator go down to even 50% before turning it back on and having a dead Zune.

The Zune software that you install on your computer is buggy. Just Google “Zune Bus Enumerator Service” and “error” and see the problems people are having. Microsoft does not seem to have an answer to this problem.

One more very annoying feature. If you turn off the Zune in the middle of listening to an album and start it back up, it does not pick up where you left off…. gad!

Believe all the negative stuff and jokes your hear about the Zune. It is a terrible player. I no longer use my Zune, and I can not bring myself to even give it to someone else… it is a bag of hurt

Zune 4 GB Video MP3 Player
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Gave it as a gift and they love it. I bought a refurbished zune from radio shack and it took over 4 months to find all the software bugs. It is easy to use. The FM radio function comes in handy as well. Like it better than the ipod.

I love this!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I really love this thing. I wasn’t too certain I would. I had only owned an ipod, and, when it died, I read the reviews for the Zune. Since the reviews said such good things, I decided to go out on a limb and purchase this one. Best thing I ever did. I like the software much better. It lets you submit your own album art. The sound quality is also MUCH better than the ipod I had. I can’t say enough good things about it.

Great product!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Great product! Fast shipping. Just as described. More than I expected. Would recommend to others.

“Just Perfect!”
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I gave the Zune to my 19 year old son for Christmas. Now, almost a month later and after using it constantly, when asked what he thought of it, his response was: “Its just perfect!” His only complaint was that the process of putting songs on the Zune is not as user friendly as it could be: it either auto-adds complete folders, or you must select/upload individual songs. (You can’t upload your music library except for certain songs, it auto-adds all of them!) Thank you for a wonderful product!

Great music player
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have owned a number of iPods over the years including one of the latest ones. While I am not comparing the Zune to an iPod touch which has so many features and functions it almost is in another category, I will compare the Zune to either an iPod Nano or the iPod classic that is sold today. I can say that I love the Zune and think is a much better device for your buck.

The main advantages Zune has over the iPods are:

1) ZunePass – you can put as much music as you want on your Zune, including great recommendations from the Zune store for only $15 a month. For me this is a really great way to explore new music. I paid the same for Rhapsody for a long time but had now way of putting on my iPod. Also I believe you get to keep 10 songs a month – basically a free cd per month.

2)Zune has a radio – a very nice one which will tell you what song is playing and what station – iPod does not. This is a great feature in my opinion.

3) Zune has wireless capabilities and can sync your library through your home network. It can also trade songs to other Zune users.

4) It is as elegant as the iPod. Originally I thought I was going to have to take step down in terms of elegant design and interface from what I was used to in the iPod, but I am happy to say that MS did a great job at making the soon a beautiful device and very cool and trendy looking as well. Also, the Zune team did a great job integrating the software with the device and the service – not something Microsoft always gets right.

Overall, very satisfied so far and would recommend!

Great to able to her Local Radio
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Features that no Ipod has even thought of adding great addition to hear local radio

Wish it worked for more than a week…
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I bought this for the hubby because I have a iPod and he wanted a Zune because it was compatible with his XBox 360. Well, it turns out we had to send it back in the first week we had it because it froze up and stopped working. The same thing happened with the XBox when we bought it, so I am starting to think it’s a Microsoft thing. The good thing is that the support center sent out a postage paid package to send it back in within a few days. I am hoping they will fix it soon, because the hubby misses it already.

Love the new Zune!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have tried Sansa Clips, Fuzes, Ipod classic, nanos and touches, and for ease of use and attractiveness (look) of the player, the Zune 4/8/16gb are the best in my opinion.

The only drawback is you have to use the Zune software to sync music to it, other than that it is perfect!

Had to return 2 of them to Amazon…
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Bought it… recieved it… locked up and wouldn’t respond… sent it back… got another… recieved it… locked up and wouldn’t respond… sent it back… for a refund.

Long story short… I ended up upgrading and buying the Zune 16. I just figured that the 16 GB hard drives wouldn’t act up like the 8 GB hard drives. Turns out I was right. I love the Zune 16. I really don’t have anything against the Zunes, except that the Zune 8’s kept locking up. Go for the Zune 16 if you are having the same issues as me. Just released a new update with some more games. Keeps me busy in the down time.

Thank you!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Excellent product, fast service, tracking number provided day after order was placed, received product two days later.

I love it when it’s charged
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I love this little Zune and REALLY love the fact that it has FM stereo so that I can listen to the radio or the TVs at the gym. The only problem is that it seems to go dead a lot and I’m not sure if it’s defective or if I’m just not paying attention. It has a lock on it which, twice, I thought I engaged only to find it dead when I wanted to use it. It would be nice if it could just run on a triple A battery or something cause when it’s dead, there’s no quick fix.

wonderful gift
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought the zunes for my kids and they love them i got a great product much cheaper price than what i would have paid in the store

gotta be the best mp3 player ever!!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
wow. I got this after my toshiba gigabeat finally died after about 2 years of regular use. I wanted it because it has fm radio, which the Toshiba did not have. I love it. It works great and the software is awesome too. The picture and video quality is excellent, and it sounds as good as the Toshiba without having to adjust any sound settings. I love that it has games too, although I dont play them a lot because they drain the battery. If you are looking for a new mp3 player, the Zune is definitely worth a try.

A 1,000 times better than ANY Ipod
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Don’t listen to the Apple fan boys who rate this product one star. I have personally owned every iteration of the Ipod and EVERY single one of them was crap. They all crashed non stop and were constantly trying to erase my music library. I own the flash drive version (this one) and my son owns the hard drive version and we have had NO FAILURE. Is the Zune software the prettiest thing Microsoft has ever created? Far from it. But as far as aesthetics goes, Itunes is the worst looking software I have ever seen. The latest version of the Zune software is much better. Creating playlists is a snap and moving music to and FROM the Zune is much easier than the Ipod. Hands down, the Zune is a much better music and video player. The icing on the cake? The Amazon MP3 store. Unprotected music, baby. 16gb flash Zune and Amazon MP3 store. I’m in heaven…

Good MP3 Player That Does It Right
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I’ve read, heard and been told horrible things about Zune over and over again. It’s a relentless topic that Zune’s don’t hold up.

To put it bluntly, the Zune is everything iPod should have been. I hate the scroll wheel function of half the MP3 players out there, almost as much as I hate analog sticks. The Zune boasts neither, however it does have the option(on 2nd generation models) of scroll wheel capabilities, but if you don’t like it, turn it off.

So for my first Zune about 1year 1/2 ago I got the original “brick.” It was hideous and bulky, worked good though. I never had any of the other user issues. It was durable, but the battery just started to really falter. As such an upgrade to the slimmer new design was in order.

My 8GB Zune is really a spartan of the MP3 world. Long battery life, good technology, but beware of the lack of a EQ…so far. The Zune really is all the things I wanted. Occasionally the sync would take longer than expected, but overall it runs fine without any hic-ups. As well as the software works flawlessly without much issue.

The same could not be said about iTunes, which for me has always been kind of broken. My Zune library will accept incoming files, even auto update the library once the folder has more content, never duplicating. iTunes will make a copy every time you put new music in the folder. Why? Why would it not just overwrite what’s already there, or only add the newest content, which you half to add manually. The Zune software does it for you, which isn’t to say I wouldn’t do it manually, but when iPod has been around for as long as they have, why make it harder than it needs to be?

To put it as simple as possible, the Zune really is one of the few products that Microsoft has done a pretty good job off the production line on. I didn’t have major issues, have never had to call up the customer service, which from what I understand the major gripe being they won’t replace broken equipment. Listen, if you drop your Zune in a pool, thats really not a warranty problem, why were you swimming with your Zune?

Broken after 8 months of light use!
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I’m terribly disappointed that after 8 months of very, very light use, this Zune 8GB model which I bought from Amazon in May of 2008 is very dysfunctional, and no warranty covers it.

I liked the basic operation of the unit, but seldom used it and had it for those times I needed a portable player. I’m sure I used it for less than 25 hours of playtime. The battery life was very poor, but I chalked that up to not using it very often. Now, despite charging it fully every night it starts to run out after only a couple of hours, whether or not it’s in use. The big problem is the back button stopped working at all. This is especially frustrating because it makes it difficult to do most things, including (a) turn it fully off to conserve the meager battery life, (b) reset and restore all the software.

Apparently this only had a 7 month warranty, and while I looked into sending it into Microsoft to repair, that would cost $130! And it costs less than that for a new one. I’m not going to spend more than it costs to fix it, but of course I’m not going to buy another one either.

Given this frustration with a product that wasn’t that cheap, I think I’m going to stick with the cheapest Sansa players I can find and consider them disposable before I spend another $150 on an Ipod or another brand.

The sound is nice, the style and function other than that discussed above is all good, but the more or less complete failure of a new product leaves me with only 1 star to give.

worst mp3 ive ever had….
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Ill keep this simple, zune software is awful. You would think microsoft would make it compatible with its own programs like windows media player, but no you have to use zunes horrible software of which runs like it was made in about 3 days. As for the player, it freezes every now and then which gets really annoying because the only way to stop it is to let the battery die and then recharge. I’ve had my zune for about 3 months and the keypad just stopped working. Just a side note i take great care of it and have a case. My brothers 30 dollar biglots mp3 player is so much better then this 100 dollar paperweight.

Better than my iPod
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I used to be an iPod fanboy. Anybody who used a Zune was ripe for internet trolling. Then my iPod died out of the blue. I saw a great deal for this Zune that beat any of the iPod deals at the time, so I gave it a shot. I’m NEVER going back to iPods, ever. The screen is bigger than it’s iPod equivalent, the interface feels more advanced and quicker than the iPod’s and, dare I say it, it sounds better than any iPod I’ve ever owned. The battery life is actually longer too.

I would recommend this to anybody looking for a new PMP.

Zune and your microsoft operating system
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The zune looks great….can’t get the software to load on my PC Microsoft XP Operating system. Very frustrating…zune information should make it clear what PC based operating system is needed and which upgrades are necessary to run the zune software.

Fine Device…But
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I bought my Zune to replace a 2gb Nano which served me faithfully until it got lost. So thought would try a Zune since was about same form factor as Nano and I needed new cables anyway. I liked the screen and was happy with the fact I had an FM radio which is great for the gym. I found the touch function too sensitive so turned it off and also was happy to see I could disable the wi-fi since I did not use it. Battery life was pretty good too. It was a chore porting my music to the Zune from iTunes but I figured lets start getting rid of the DRM now. OK done, Zune software although different works good enough ( not very stylish but functional ).

SO Zune works for 9 months then stops. OK send for repair. Free under warranty

It takes quite a while to repair and finally they send me a new one.

This works for 2 months and stops again.

I called and found they only honor the original warranty which expired about 2 weeks ago and they want $70.00 to fix it. NOPE – I am going back to Apple or trying something else. Did by a Sansa, but it is not very stable.

Sad to say as much as I did like the ZUNE I need a product that is more reliable.

hmmmm same with my Xbox360, wonder if they made by same people?

Anyway maybe the next generation Zune will be better, but I do not think I will take the chance…unless they are giving them away.

My Wife loves her Pink Zune!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
My wife had been using her phone as an MP3 player, however it does not deliver the capacity or flexibility as the Zune player does. Ever since I gave it to her for Christmas, she has been using it in the car by hooking it to an FM transmitter, and using it when she works out… she loves it. The nice thing about the Zune, compared to an iPOD, is that when you copy music to it, it’s in mp3 format and it doesn’t take expensive software to convert the music back to regular audio format. The iTunes software for the iPOD converts the music to a special format that requires expensive software to convert it back… It’s so much easier to use the Zune… We both have one and love it!!!

kids love it
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
was a christmas gift for the kids (bought 2) – one didn’t work, but the return was easy and hassle free – the kids like the sleek design & are very happy with the zune

Wonderful, beats the competition
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I got this Mp3 player to replace a dead iPod nano 1st gen, i have had the nano for a long time (4years) and it was a good player, i got it as a gift so i cant complain about the price. but the Zune is a great competitor, the software is great, and interface and the quality of the audio and video are out standing, the price is remarkably lower than the competition.

and the Zune software is ALOT better than iTunes, at least for me.

i would highly recommend this to anyone.

the only bad thing is that you have to hold down the play/pause key for a couple of seconds to send the device to sleep and is not automatic like the iPod, so you end up forgetting it on and loosing alot of battery. nothing that cant be fixed by a firmware update in the future though

Zune Pass Software Lacks Features for Discovering New Music….
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
In a nutshell, if Zune Pass offered the same features as Napster, I would still own my Zune (I returned it). The biggest feature that was missing for me was the “radio stations”, which are playlists that Napster put together – probably by professional DJ’s. If I knew exactly which artists/songs I wanted to download, Zune Pass would have worked just fine. Perhaps I missed something, but the “Social” feature that Zune Pass offers didn’t have a way to automatically put together a play list for me. Since I listen to music in a professional work environment, I just can’t dedicate the time to manually put together a playlists based on what other people like. If this feature could automatically put together a playlist however, that would be cool. Maybe this feature is available, but if so I missed it.

Specifically, with Napster if I want to listen to current Dance Pop, I simply choose the Dance Pop radio station (a DJ crafted playlist). With Zune Pass, the closest I could get was to find a playlist such as “Dance Pop hits 2004″, “Dance Pop hits 2005″ etc. I couldn’t find a “Dance Pop hits 2008″ or similar playlist, so the playlists seemed kind of outdated for what is a relatively new service.

From a hardware standpoint, if the Zune would work with Napster, I would still own it. Since I’m forced to decide between Zune Pass and Napster – I’ve chosen Napster.

It didn’t break my heart too much to return the Zune however, because I know there are other brands of similar MP3 players for roughly half the price, which will let me use Napster or Rhapsody.

The music subscription service is the most important feature to me. I suspect I may be in a minority however, because without fail, when I explain how the subscription service works, the universal response is, “Hey buddy, I can show you how to download music for free!”

In the past, neither the iPod nor the Zune were compatible with services like Napster or Rhapsody, and thus were of no interest to me.

While no stranger to P2P networks such as limewire, frostwire, bearshare etc., and more recently torrents, I’ve never been one to download music unless it was something that I already own on CD (I have a relatively decent collection of probably 800 CDs, although I’ve only purchased 2 CDs in almost 10 years). Thus, being able to discover and legally download new music is very attractive.

I believe that subscription services are the way of the future, and that the iPod will eventually have to succumb to that reality, or risk becoming irrelevant. The Zune is one step ahead of them right now, and if the Zune Pass was on par with Napster, I would be using one right now. I do hope that Microsoft can pull it together, as I find the iPod fanaticism to be quite annoying, and yet their current offering w/ the new iPod Touch is an attractive piece of hardware.

Best MP3 Player all around
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I Bought a zune 8 gb recently , and I must say im impressed , not only by the product itself but by the social thing that is a killer feature, The Product itself is a good,lean,and light Mp3 Player with the right functions to be included in any mp3 Player of this category: WIFI,Radio,Video,Images etc. Plus customizable backgrounds and games.

Zune Software totally better than Itunes and more appealing to be used and navigated.

I Only found 2 points down on the zune thing

1.- Marketplace only for US residents; Me as a Mexican citizen found the marketplace a little bit tricky to be accesed from my country but I manage to do it, I think if Marketplace would be expanded to Mexico would be great apart than Mexico offers a large market for any kind of brand.

2.- Limited Accesories; I wanted to buy inmediatly good sound docks for my Zune , but I found them very limited and very few of them. I think with the time the zune will become more popular and become even more “accesorizable” lets say .

ZUNE MP3 PLAYER
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I LOVE MY ZUNE MP3. THE PRICE WAS SUPER WHICH WAS HALF OF A RETAIL STORES PRICE.

is it worth it?
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
and the answer is yes.

Microsoft Zunes are exceptional.

keeps me entertained and helps me get through the day.

i’m glad i got one.

The Zune
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I had an IPod that I gave to my wife and bought the Zune basically because of the radio feature. It’s a fine product with one or two exceptions.

-The directions are terrible. I still am trying to figure out how to do some basic things.

-The screen picks up a lot of smudges from the fingers and it makes it look blurred.

Otherwise, the sound is good, the capacity is great and I’m enjoying parts of it. Some of its features are of no iterest to me, so it might be rated higher by someone more interested in them.

Zune
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I was so pleased to find this item and was thrilled that you got it to me so quickly especially during the holiday.

Love it!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought it for my daughter and she loves it. We have had any problems with it.

A Must Have
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is probably the best MP3 player I have ever owned. The only thing is the connectivity piece. I am currently deployed in Afghanistan and getting the software to use the player off the internet was a pain. Once I did everything came online nicely. Pretty tough player too…naturally I’ve dropped it a couple of times…etc…I would highly recommend to anyone who hates apple and wants a functional MP3 player with all the same functions but not the hype.

Better than the iPod
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought the Zune because I was irritated with my iPod. The Zune has FM radio, something that I really wanted. It also has better sound quality than the iPod. The controls work much better than the iPod’s wheel, which was ineffective when put in a case during exercise.

The best part is the Zune pass. Just [...] bucks a month for all the songs you want. No more a buck a song. I don’t burn songs much, so this was ideal for me. I’ve already saved hundreds of dollars in comparison to the iPod.

Outstanding Player – forget the iPod craze
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
While the iPod Nano has an exceptional design and interface, I believe that the Zune 8GB to have a more functional and practical interface.

If you are a committed runner, this device will not disappoint you. The built in FM tuner has the best reception of any portable device I’ve used.

I use the Belkin neoprene armband while I workout, and the plastic cover does not keep me from having full control of the device and use of the touchpad. Every review I read on armbands for the Nano were very negative, as the Nano’s touch wheel is pretty much useless under a thin layer of plastic in an armband.

Zune Marketplace is by far a better application than iTunes with it’s well designed user interface.

If you are on the fence between an iPod Nano and the Zune, I recommend that you do your homework on which features are the most important to you, and how you will use it. If you want a very functional and well designed mp3 player, and an FM tuner is important to you, I highly recommend the Zune over any other player on the market, hands down. If style and image are more important to you, and you don’t mind being a lemming, you can’t go wrong with an iPod because “everyone’s got one”.