Listen up! I got the Zune for Christmas

This review is going to cover the Zune's sound, ease of use, durability, portability and battery life and a few product specifications. I got the Zune as a Christmas gift from my lovely wife on December 25, 2006. For those who might or might not follow the growing trend in MP3 players back in mid September Microsoft announced that it was going to jump into the high tech MP3 market. Since there announcement the public has been waiting to either own or check out their MP3 player. Knowing my secret desires, my love goddess surprised me with the Zune. The Zune is a multimedia player designed to play audio and video files. It is a bountiful 30GB hard drive, with a futuristic looking built-in FM tuner, wireless networking that welcomes you to "the social" allowing you to connect with other Zune users, plus the ability to plays music and videos all on a non-cracking 3-inch color LCD screen.


The party begins right out of the box once you load the accompanying start up disc. I have the translucent black colored Zune its available in three translucent colors black, brown, and white which I have not seen. I've heard there are other colors but can't comment on them since I have not seen them or done any additional research. The Zune’s packaging is plain yet stylish cardboard box that contains earphones, a disc, and a USB cord that not only allows the player to sync to the computer but serves as its charger. The device comes with some nice preloaded music, videos, and pictures. To enhance the party Zune tosses in a free 14 day trail offer that's referred too as an "all you can eat" music buffet. Music lovers will enjoy the host of songs in almost every genre one could imagine. Once you download the enclosed disc you can easily access the Zune Service, which requires an online connection. Once you connect you can enjoy all sorts of helpful and supportive downloads and subscription information. Surfering the Zune Marketplace can easily become an addiction if you enjoy music. Unfortunately, you won't get a free lunch. It is important that customers take advantage of the initial 14 day trail offer because it's going to cost $14.00 bucks a month or you can pay in 90 day increments for the "all you can eat" music service.


How to use it?

Once you connect your headphones the screen illuminates. The black center dial and two small buttons control the player with a small locking button on the top of the unit. The black center dial adjust the volume and allows for easy transition going from music, videos, pictures, the radio or settings much like an MP3 cell phone. Options vary from playing all songs, by album, artist, genre or a playlist you can create. You also have the luxury of repeating the current song, or all the tracks as well as the option to shuffle songs randomly. As if this is not enough you can rate your songs on a scale of 1 to 5 and set them. Video playback is crystal clear and photo viewing is nice especially running the slideshow to your favorite song. Radio reception is good especially in the gym when selecting the preloaded channels.


The slim non-replaceable 700 mAH battery charges quickly depending upon how long you let the battery run down, I have yet to let my battery go completely dead. I can’t comment on transferring from device to device since I have not swapped any songs, videos, or pictures. It is my understanding that you can only listen to a song that has been sent to you for three times in three days, which seems like a bummer if it's a song you really enjoy. The neatest option for me is change wallpaper and playing standard podcast files.



How does it sound?

Simply saying awesome or fantastic probably won't suffice. I'm sure you will find lots of articles comparing Zune's sound and its first-class integrative software, and while all this is extremely important it would not be worth its savvy marketing if it did not have an awesome sound. The standard issue Zune earbuds are respectable providing good sound reproduction. The earbuds design and quality are decent but don't expect them to block out the outside world. For the most part I guess my ears meet industry standards as I have no problems adjusting the accompanying earbuds. It should be noted that the earbuds are good for low noise office settings, but not for the gym. When I'm working out I use my 2.1 ounce behind-the-neck Sony MDR-G74SL headphones as they deliver a nice clear sound. When I am at home I prefer using my Technics DJ Headphones the sound is exceptionally clear with dynamic bass and awesome clarity. Overall, regardless of which headphone or earbuds I've used, the Zune players offer excellent sound reproduction with superior audio playback.


Portability & Durability:

Right now there are more songs than time; I have loaded approximately 2500 songs and 500 pictures on my Zune. It holds up to 7500 songs, 25000 pictures and 100 hours of video which means I have a long way to go before this baby is full. I have taken it to the gym daily with a sports band I purchased separately for $24.00 at Target's. Taken as a whole, when it comes to portability it is light weight; weighing only 5.6 ounces with its height 4.4 inches, width 2.4 inches and 0.58 inches in depth. The unit’s durable plastic casing and solid body construction is sturdy and resilient; holding up against basic bumps, and low impact drops I've experienced. I've worn the sports ban on my arm, and get few if any bumps in the gym. The Zune's structural integrity is resilient, my three year old accidentally sat on it and it fell off of my desk onto the carpet and continues to work flawlessly.


Final thought:

MP3 players have become so universal that it's hard to walk a Georgia mile without spotting someone with a player. And yet the MP3 wars continue with a good deal of debate as to which is the best. I like the way the software automatically imports most music, pictures and videos from iTunes and Windows Media Player. I even found a way of importing protected music I’ve purchased from Wal-Mart. Probably the most difficult or problematic thing about the Zune is finding time to personalize it with all my favorite songs. As if I didn’t have enough things to do, I'm still trying to find the time to load my vinyl's and disc and this means more hours in my make shift bedroom studio. The second issue and it sort of relates to the time factor again, but Zune users should be prepared for a small learning curve especially if you are not familiar with the basics of MP3 technology.


If someone says, the Zune is the "next generation iPod killer" one more time I think I'll scream. The phrase may be catchy but it’s not realistic. Zune is good, in fact the player is fantastic, but it is not going to kill the iPod. Right now supporting hardware for the iPod is fairly cheap while accessories for the Zune are as high as a kite. What makes the Zune appealing is its durability and non-cracking oversized LCD display screen. There is no doubt that the Zune MP3 player has officially made its mark, but Microsoft is going to have to do expand its hard drive if it really wants to win the MP3 wars. Bottom line, there needs to be an official 80GB hard drive, there is no way, I'm not going to crack this baby open and void my 1 year warranty, just to increase its memory. As for now I’m glad I have options and my personal choices is the Zune. All I need to do now is replace my Playstation 2 with the Xbox 360 so I can stream my music videos.




Zune Specifications:

Windows system requirements
* Windows 2000, XP, Vista or higher;
* PC with USB 2.0.

Audio File Formats
* Non-FairPlay AAC, MP3 and WMA (unprotected)

Photos
* JPEG (.jpg) photo files

Video File Formats
* WMV, MPEG4, H.264 codec;
* 320 by 240 pixel resolution.

Capacity
* 30GB hard driver;
* Hold up to 7500 songs, 100 hours of video, or 25000 pictures;
* Store data via USB cable connectivity.

Power and Battery
* Charge Time: 3 hours; 2 hours to 90%
* Up to 13 to 14 hours of battery life.

Warranty
* 1 year parts & labor