Zune 80 GB Digital Media Player (Black)
by Zune
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List Price: Our Price: $135.00 You Save: $114.00 (46%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Network Media Player See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Zune 80 GB Digital Media Player (Black)
Customer Review: Outstanding.
Summary: 5 Stars
I've owned 5 different kinds of iPods, as well as the original Zune, and I must say, that this product is by far the best of the group. I spent the day trying to return my iPod Classic (80GB) so that I could get my hands on one of these---and I had to look just about everywhere in town to find one.
Is this better than the iPod Classic? Undoubtedly. I can make a fair comparison, as I have been toying with the Classic for the last two weeks. I've had iPod Nanos (first and third generations), 3 iPod Videos (5G), and an iPod Classic (80GB). The iPod is a fine product line, but I had too many bad experiences with the 5G video to want to keep them. I heard that the Z80 came out so I went and bought that one instead.
I'm going to spend most of my time here discussing how the Zune 80 compares to its predecessor, the Zune 30, as well as the iPod line--as it has set the standard for mp3 players for the last few years.
Screen- The glass screen looks much better than the original Zune's plastic one. The 320X240 resolution looks great. It looks far better than the Classic's screen. You can turn it sideways to take full advantage of it while watching videos. The iPod Classic's screen can only be viewed from one direction, and it has for the most part remained the same since the fifth generation. The video quality is great. Although this is technically the same resolution as the ipod Classic, nano, and Zune 4 and 8, it still manages to look great because of its size and clarity. You will notice that the quality on the smaller Zune appears sharper, but that's only because there are more pixels per square inch on them, due to the smaller size. Still looks awesome. This screen is slightly larger than the 1G Zune, but overall it is still smaller in both thinness and height. The glass screen is far more durable than the plastic one, and after a few months of testing it now I can say that it does not scratch easily, if at all.
Build- This thing is built to last. It feels a lot denser and sturdier than the last year's model. The first generation Zune couldn't win a beauty contest by a long shot--but I think this one's a winner. Aluminum back reminds me of the iPod line, although it's much better because it is brushed metal. (Meaning you don't have to keep it in a glass case, and bring out gloves when you want to handle it, like you did with the iPods). The paint, believe it or not, is actually very difficult to scratch. I've put it in my pocket with my keys, and the screen nor the paint scratches. I wouldn't want purposefully subject it to such tests, but it happened, and it's still in pristine condition. I scratched the back of my iPod Classic the first day I got it because of the glossy metal back. Scratching the back of your iPod is inevitable. I really don't see a need for a case.
Zunepad- The iPod's scroll wheel was a nice piece of work when it first came out. The Zunepad is better. Bold statement? Maybe. But I can now navigate via touch controls in four different directions as opposed to two with the iPod. And it is very easy to do so. I was skeptical at first, but Microsoft nailed it. You can choose if you want to flick your fingers across the "squirqle" to play your music, or you can just press the buttons to navigate. Nothing against Apple, but the scrollwheel on the Classic wasn't nearly as sensitive as the 5th generation iPod video's. Aren't you supposed to make progress when you release new hardware? I had problems with my Classic's scrollwheel's sensitivity. I can definitely see myself navigating menus much faster using the Zunepad.
A few things that I've noticed: Zunepad doesn't work with gloves of any sort (most of the time). Not that big of a problem, but I have noticed something interesting. Even the analog buttons underneath the Zunepad do not work if you are wearing gloves. It must sense that your skin is actually touching it to work correctly. I found that rather odd. I get some response out of it, but it usually doesn't respond the way you want it to. This is a big deal for me, as it is getting cold. Taking off your gloves to change a song is a burden, although I still enjoy using it more than I did the scrollwheel (which worked with gloves.) I've tried cotton, leather, and suede. This sounds crazy, but it is my biggest gripe with the Zune 80.
Firmware- Not too much different from the original, aside from aesthetics. It just looks pretty. Oversized letters are nice to look at, in addition to some decent animations. You can set your own backgrounds, as opposed to having the iPod Classic automatically flowing album art in the back (I hated that). The "twist" interface is much easier to use than that of the Ipod. I'm pretty sure I can get to a song much faster than someone with an Ipod. It works similar to a spreadsheet, as you have artist, songs, albums etc. listed at the top, with the contents of the respective categories listed below. A simple f lick to the right or left immediately changes categories. Microsoft definitely wins in this department.
Radio- You'd have to pay for this if you bought an Ipod Classic. Although I don't use it, it is still nice to have.
Zune Software- I'll be honest, I've been using itunes for a few years now, and I hate it. When I bought the original Zune, I thought that escaping itunes would be a good thing. I was wrong. The original software was abysmal. BUT, the new software is a vast improvement. It's almost too simple. And it's also easy on the eyes. I may consider using this as my default player from now on---something that I would have never done with the original software. The reason why I got rid of my original Zune in favor of the iPod classic was the software. I was tired of using it. Now I have more reason to keep my Zune.
After using it for awhile, I have noticed a few quirks with this software, mainly that it seems to sync a small group of songs over and over again. I see this being fixed by Microsoft's next update. I've been using it for awhile now, and I am not entirely as optimistic about it as when I wrote this review. It is STILL superior to itunes, and definitely the original software, but they need to fix a few issues with it. Namely the syncing options. The software recognizes some of the videos in the mpeg 4 format, but not all. I am thinking that this might have been a problem with the conversion software (Xvid->mpeg4).
The sound quality, which is probably the most important part of this review, is great. One problem is that they removed the equalizer, so what you hear is what you get. That wasn't a smart move on Microsoft's part. I think it sounds louder than an iPod, but I'm not an audiophile by any means.
Premium earbuds. These are alot nicer than most other stock headphones. They're the in-ear type, and they will take some getting used to if you've never used them. Bass response is a plus. I tried them earlier and they are comparable to my more expensive Sony's.
DRM- I don't know alot about this category, so look at the comments that people have left at the end of this review. I don't use this type of content. I do understand that anything downloaded from itunes will not work on the Zune. So if your entire library was downloaded on itunes, don't get this MP3 player. It's their way of making sure you continue to buy their products, as well as preventing piracy.
Wireless sync. I really can't use this. I hear it works nicely though. I can't really imagine using it, so take this one as you will. I really don't see the big deal about this. If I'm syncing my music, I want my Zune to charge as well. Maybe this feature is for lazy people, but I don't see it as useful.
Drive usage. You can't put anything on here that doesn't run through the Zune software. In other words--You won't be using this as a portable hard drive, even though most of us will not fill it up with music. You can do whatever you please with an iPod. There ARE hacks online that require you to alter your registry available online. Google is your friend. Try it at your own risk.
Battery life- Okay, the battery life isn't too shabby when just playing mp3's. I went a weekend with reasonable use without having to recharge it (forgot usb chord in the car). Battery life with video isn't good at all, but I don't think it was too far off from that of the Classic iPod. I'd prefer the large screen and lesser battery life over that of the Classic any day.
Conclusion-
I'm not a Micro$oft fanboy, contrary to what this review might look like. I've owned nothing but ipods before owning the 1G Zune. I must say that this seems to be the best one I've owned, and I don't regret returning my Classic.
It's easier to use, has a nicer screen, very generous capacity, great sound and video playback, a built in radio, and sleek design.
If the iPod Classic can earn four stars, this definitely gets five, as it is the superior mp3 player---by a longshot. It's not without its shortcomings, but they are forgivable, considering we've been under "ipod control" for the last few years.
That's about all I can think of. Hope this helps.
Customer Review: Zune Review
Summary: 5 Stars
I got a Zune a few weeks ago and decided to hold off for a little while before writing a short review for it. Now that I have been using it pretty much every day, I feel like I am familiar enough to tell you guys what I think of it.
I ordered my Zune 80 from Amazon, so it took about a week to get here. That's fine since it gave me plenty of time to get the rest of my music collection ripped to my pc using windows media player. It filled out all of the track information for all my cds and got album art no problem, so I was pretty much ready to go once I got the Zune in the mail.
The Zune comes is a really small box that is actually pretty cool. I normally don't care about packaging at all, but the box is pretty sweet. Inside the box is a short quick start guide that will walk you though the few steps needed to get the Zune up and running. The first step actually requires you to visit the Zune website to download the software. I was surprised that they didn't actually include the software on a disc with the player. I don't imagine this being a problem for most people, but if for some reason you don't have internet access you won't be able to install the software and get the music on the Zune. I guess that's one of the down sides to having a small box.
The Zune software itself is pretty well designed. It's similar to media player in how it functions (such as the library and monitoring folders for new content), but the layout is completely different and can take some getting used to. But once you know your way around, it's pretty easy to get things done. You get files onto your Zune by "Syncing" it to the media library on your computer. The Zune software watches whatever folders you tell it to; automatically importing new content (video, music, or photos) into your library whenever they are added to any of those folders. For example, it monitors the "My Music" folder on my pc, which is where I rip all of my CDs to. If I want to add a new CD to my Zune, I just rip the tracks to that folder. The Zune software notices they are new and adds it to my library. The next time I plug in my Zune, the tracks will get "Synced" over to the Zune so that it has the exact same content as my library does. Overall, it works pretty well, when it works that is.
I only have one problem with the Zune software, but it happens all the time and is a bit annoying. Whenever I first plug the Zune into my pc, the player software automatically launches (which is an option you can turn off, but I like that it does this). However, when I go to Sync my library to the Zune, it says it's not connected. This is strange, since it obviously knows it was connected (it did launch the software after all). So I have to unplug the Zune and connect it again before it will notice it. It's not a huge problem, but it is a bit annoying. But other then that one issue, the software works great.
The player itself feels pretty good. The hardware is really well designed and seems to be made to last. The screen is a really nice size and looks beautiful, and is protected by actual glass, not plastic. So hopefully the screen won't scratch as easily as some other players that use plastic screens. The port to connect the cable to it is located at the bottom, while the headphone jack as well as a lock switch is located at the top of the player. As for buttons, there is one large touch pad as well as a back button and a play/pause button.
Once you get all your media on the player, actually using it is a breeze. It categorizes your content based on type, such as music, video, photos and podcasts. Within those categories, you can further sort the list by artist, album, genre, or song title. They work as you would expect. For example, selecting an artist then brings up all the albums for that artist. You can select to play all of them, or drill down more to get individual albums and the songs within those albums. The album art is displayed right along with the titles, making it easy to find what you are looking for just by glancing at the covers.
Moving around is pretty easy. The Zune has a touch pad, so you simply slide your finger up and down to move around the list, or left and right to change the sorting method. Selecting a song is as easy as clicking the center down. If you are not a fan of touch sensitive input devices, you can turn it off to make it function as a normal button, but I don't know why you would want to do that.
The podcast section is probably the one that gets the most use from me. Using the Zune software on my PC, I signed up for a dozen or so podcasts such as Major Nelson's podcast (audio) and the 1up show (video). Each time I load the Zune software, it automatically checks to see if there are new episodes of the podcasts and automatically begins to download them if it finds some. If my Zune is connected, it goes ahead and syncs them as well. This is great for me. I listen to a ton of podcasts, and not having to go to all the sites and download new episodes myself is a huge time saver. After I listen or watch a show, it marks it as done. Next time I sync, it automatically deletes the old shows for me, which keeps things from getting out of control (which they would given the amount of podcasts I follow).
Aside from the music, movies, and photos categories, the Zune also has ones for social, radio, and settings. From there you can check friends, messages and scan for nearby Zunes. The player has wireless built into it, allowing the Zunes to talk to each other and send music. The radio is pretty much what you would expect, and allows you to scan through and find local radio stations. I don't really use this much, but it seems to work pretty good. The settings section allows you to control some basic stuff, such as if the touch pad is on, how long before the display turns off, and other stuff like that. You can also start a wireless synch from here if you don't feel like plugging the Zune into your PC.
Microsoft is essentially trying to do to music what they did with games via Xbox Live. That is, making music a social experience that you can share with your friends. Sending music to each other wireless is a part of that, but I don't even think it's the most interesting aspect of what they have done. On Zune.net, every Zune user can create a profile and a friends list (the friends list is actually integrated with your Xbox Live friends list if you have one). Your profile keeps track of your most recently played music, as well as what music you play the most. It does this for all your friends as well, so you can easily check out what they are listening to. This makes finding new music extremely easy and fun to do. I have spent hours looking at my friends profiles, listening to samples of their favorite tracks (if available), and have discovered some pretty cool new artists in the process. Once you find something you like, buying it is just a few clicks away (assuming it's available on the Zune Marketplace).
Overall, I really like what Microsoft did with the Zune. It's a really solid player (both hardware and software), and the social aspect of it is really appealing to me. The Zune really is a good device, and I have absolutely no reservations recommending it to friends and family.
Customer Review: Goodbye Apple
Summary: 5 Stars
The Zune 80 is fabulous. I formerly had a Creative Zen Touch until I bought one of these under recommendation from a friend.
STOCK EARBUDS:
Immediately right out of the box, you notice that the headphones are much more attractive than the iPods. They sound like crap until you find the right tips with them (once you can get a seal they sound 500x better). It all depends on the size of your ear canal. A few things I liked about them over the iPod stock earbuds was that the wire was covered by a nice woven thread-like sleeve thing that made them easier and more durable when they are wrapped around your Zune. Also, the ends of the earbuds are magnetic so you can stick them to your Zune when they are not in use, or you can wrap them up in a ball and stick the two earbuds together with the magnet to hold them together and take up less clutter and get tangled less.
COMPATIBILITY WITH VISTA:
Immediately after I plugged the Zune into my usb port, it detected the Zune and installed the driver for it. Very nice and easy to get up and running. Definitely 100% compatible with Vista.
ZUNE SOFTWARE:
Somewhat clunky and difficult to use at first. I have no complaints with the software because I turned off certain options. Here are my tips for new users:
1. Tag your MP3's (ID3) before you add them to your Zune's library. MP3tag (google it) is very useful for doing batch tagging. Doing this before you sync the first time is my recommendation, it alleviates a lot of frustrations in the future.
2. Don't use the Zune software to rip cd's to your library. Use Windows Media Player, and make sure it is set to encode it at 192kbps. If you use different software (I use ExactAudioCopy to rip to V0/320 depending on the genre/cd), set it up accordingly.
3. Update Windows before you install the Zune software. Believe me, it helps.
4. Turn off the "automatically update album art" option in the Zune software's settings. This usually will put the wrong album art on the wrong albums. Google missing album art and look for album art with high-resolution. High-resolution album art looks amazing on the Zune's screen, and also it will look less ugly because of JPG artifacts. Find the missing album art before you sync it to your Zune. If you don't and you update the album art, you will have to delete it from your Zune in the device menu and resync it to update the album art. This also holds true for tags and stuff as well.
5. Configure the Zune software's syncing options so it will let you choose for all of your media types.
6. Tagging audiobooks as podcasts will let you resume it in the middle, which is pretty much equivalent to having a bookmark where you left off :)
7. The Zune's video format is MPEG-4. Use a video converter (I use Cucusoft Ultimate Video Converter Suite) to convert your dvd's to MP4 files to use on your Zune :D
Also, I hear complaints about no drag&drop support. This is a load of crap because you can just drag an album onto the device icon in the Zune software, and it will add it on the end of your Now Syncing list. No longer do you have to wait for the software/Windows to finish syncing one album before manually syncing the next one...you can do it all at once.
ZUNE USER INTERFACE:
It is sexy. It is simple. It is effective. You can change the background. The album art is very big and sexy. The touch pad is very precise and fun (you will master it after a few hours of use). I don't really like how playlists work, but it is easy enough to go from album to album that I don't really bother with it. You can wirelessly sync to your PC, and it is very nice. One thing I dont like is being unable to edit tags and being able to delete albums on your player (you have to use the software for that). Other than that, it is easy to use and nice.
AUDIO & SOUND QUALITY:
With my current headphones (a pair of UE Super-fi's), I can hear the difference between 192kbps bitrates, V0 (VBR), and 320kbps bitrates. It is superb and far better than the sound drivers of the iPod. The only problem is they removed the EQ feature, so it is a little bit more difficult adjusting high priced headphones to your liking depending on the genres of music you listen to. On my super-fi's though, it sounds FANTASTIC. Love it. I only wish it had FLAC support though :( As for methods of downloading music, you can do a subscription based music purchasing plan for 15$, and download all the music you want, or you can purchase albums individually. One step ahead of iTunes store already.
THE TOUCH PAD:
It's basically a 360 degree version of the Zen's touch pad (minus the huge sensitivity of it), and a D-pad from a Nintendo controller combined. It has something for everyone, its precise, and its fun going to your album list and swiping it down to see what you are going to land on (think like a slot machine :D). God this beats the iPod's steering wheel any day.
THE ZUNE ITSELF:
The back is literally unscratchable, I've had mine since Christmas and I don't have a single scratch on the screen or the back. The soft rubber-like material used around the touch pad and the buttons has a few scuffs on it though. There aren't really any good cases for the Zune 80 yet, so be careful with it (there is no ToughSkin case for the 80...ARGH!!). I have read about many people who have deliberately attempted to break their Zune by throwing it at walls and failed. That is how strong this thing is. The only vulnerable part I see is the screen and perhaps the face buttons (they are sort of flimsy on mine).
EXTRA FEATURES:
The wireless sync is pretty nice and is handy when you dont feel like untangling cords/seeking out your cord. Unfortunately it is a lot slower when doing transfers though. The social feature is interesting but I haven't really tried to use it much recently. As for people complaining about the Zune not doubling as an external hard drive, there is a registry hack you can find on the forums at zunescene.com that can fix that. Just make sure you use the hack after you install the Zune software though. A note about the hack though: media files you add via the external hard drive method and not the software will not show up on your player in the Zune software. Just a forewarning :)
Honestly I love my Zune, it is far better than the iPod and it is GREAT for just about everything you could ever want from a portable media hard-drive based mp3 player. You can't get a better mp3 player at this price. The iPod's reign as the best & most affordable mp3 player on the market is going to be over soon. Do yourself a favor and check this thing out before you go and buy the newest iPod on the market. You won't ever go back.
Customer Review: By far the best media player on the market right now
Summary: 5 Stars
I have made many mistakes when it has came to MP3 players in the past. My first MP3 player was a samsung device that I picked up from Best Buy. I took it back, because I couldn't get it to work. The second device that I recived was an ipod Mini. I really liked the device, but I was pressed for money at the time, and I sold it. The next thing I bought was an ipod nano, and I actually used that for two years until it died on me. I decided to then go with just purchasing a new MP3 player all together, and I decided to go with the Zune30. From the very beginning, I loved everything about my Zune30. I thought the "original software" was excellent, and I didn't want any other device. The next thing that happened was, Microsoft updated their software, and I got so confused! I hated everything about the new software, and didn't want anything to do with the zune. It sat on my desk collecting dust for months, until I sold it.
I then decided to go with an ipod classic. While I knew the Zune was a better device in general; I just couldn't stand using the software, and I knew that I wouldn't have much problem with the new ipod. I was completely wrong! The ipod classic was good for about the first 3 days from purchase, after that I had nothing but problems. The device froze up on me 3 times. The click wheel never responded on first touch, I had to rotatate my thumb around the click wheel about 5 times before the thing would even recognize it. Also the device was rediculous slow, and lagged alot! After only having the device for 10 days, I decided to send it back to Amazon and get a refund. Thank god for 30 day policies!
A few days pass, and I was just furious! I didn't want another Zune, because the software was terrible. I lost faith in ipod's in general. I was just not a happy camper. While I was on my computer, I tried to play with the Zune software one more time before I gave up. When I opened it, their was a prompt to update it again (2.5). I said, "Oh Great! Another update to make it worse than it already is." After the update, I played around with it some more, and after a little organization, the software became one of the easiest things to use! I don't know what Microsoft did, but a huge overhaul took place!
After getting used to the software, I decided to go out and purchase a Zune80, after getting my refund from my ipod. I am ever so happy that I did! This device is excellent, and blows all of it's competition out of the water. The device itself is just a masterpiece. The looks, the feel, the overall design of the Zune80 is just phenominal.
The Pros:
+Zune Pad: What an excellent feature. So much better than the click wheel, and it responds every single time!
+Radio: Alot of people think this feature is not worth the purchase, but I actually listen to my radio alot! I don't have one in my house so this will do just fine!
+Large Font: I think the large font on both the device, and in the software is a great feature for people with bad eyes like me.
+Screen: The screen is huge! 3.2 inches doesn't sound like alot, but compared to the ipods 2.5 it's pretty big! By far the biggest bang for your buck (screen wise)
+ Aluminum Back: I am so happy that the back of the zune is not polished! It doesn't attract fingerprints and so far no major scratches spotted.
+ Pretty Much Scratch Resistent: This Zune seems like it can't scratch easy. The materials that it is made out of pretty much seems durable, and very hard to cause any major damage.
+ Glass Screen: the screen itself looks so much better than the old plastic screen on the Zune30. Everything looks nice and crisp.
+ Premium Earbuds: The earbuds that they include with the Zune are amazing! The sound quality is excellent, and they are extremely comfotable and sit securly in your ears.
+ Wi-fi: Currently the wireless on the Zune is pretty limited. With only song transfering to other zunes, and wireless sync, there is a great chance that you won't use it as much. I am pretty sure in the future Microsoft will have a better use for the wifi such as Web browsing. But Nevertheless it's still a great feature to have regardless.
Cons:
-No Clock: Yes, it is that important. Personally I would like to know what time it is, as I am listening to my music. I like to walk outside alot, and I have to have my Cell phone with me to know what time it is. This feature is more useful than you think. A firmware upgrade could easily fix this problem.
-Can't add seperate album art for singles: It's not a huge deal, but most singles released from albums have seperate album art. With my ipod you could actually add album art to each song, which I really liked. It's not a huge issue, but it would be nice to do this.
-No Equalizer: Some songs do sound louder than others. And it would be nice to have an equalizer on the device to fix that.
- Hold Switch: The hold switch on the top of the device is a bit flimsy, and it seems that it could break off easy. I use the hold alot because it saves the battery, and it keeps me from accidently changing the content I am listening to.
-Battery Life: The Zune's battery life is not as good as many of it's competitors. The plus side is that it charges pretty quickly though.
-Wifi Sync is extremely slow: While wifi sync is a very good idea, it goes extremely slow! I transferred one ablum (about 12 tracks) wirelessly, and it took about 7 minutes. I thought that was pretty bad, considering the fact the regular sync is so fast. It's quite dissapointing actually.
While any device has it's pros and cons I can totally say that the Zune is on it's way to major success. No one can really take the MP3 market away from apple yet, being that the ipod has basically become the standard in alot of households. It is going to take some work ethic and major time to make the zune as successful as an ipod, but if microsoft continues in this direction they will have a huge stand in the MP3 market very soon. Great Device!
5/5 Stars
Customer Review: TOTALLY AWESOME!
Summary: 5 Stars
The Zune 80 is my first PMP (Personal Media Player) ever, and I must say that I think that it is AMAZING. All of my friends have mp3 players (mostly Ipods), but I never really liked them. I just thought that the screens were too small, and I really wanted something that would have great video playback. All of the Ipods (except for the Apple iPod touch 32 GB with Software Upgrade) have small screens in my opinion, especially the Apple iPod classic 80 GB Silver (6th Generation), with it's huge amount of memory. I really didn't warm up to the idea of watching a two hour movie on the Ipod Classic's small 2.5 inch display. So I waited until I found something better than an Ipod. And I did.
A friend of mine bought the 1st gen Zune (Zune 30 GB Digital Media Player (Black)), and I loved the sceen size and the user interface, but I wanted more memory. Then the Zune 80 was released last November, and I fell in love.
Here's why:
- The Zune 80's GLASS (!!!) screen is 3.2 inches. That's almost twice the size of the Ipod Classic's!
- The Zune 80 has a nice, matte metal finished case back, instead of the Ipod's freaking, scratch-prone chrome.
- The Zune 80 has a really cool, wi-fi sharing feature that allows you to send songs, photos, videos, and podcasts to other, nearby Zunesters.
- The Zune 80 can hold up to 20,000 songs, 25,000 photos, and 250 HOURS OF VIDEO!!!!
- The Zune 80 has the new Zune Pad, which is similar to the Ipod's Cick Wheel, but alot easier to use (in my opinion, anyway).
- The Zune 80's big sceen is glass instead of plastic, making it really scratch resistant.
- The Zune 80 is able to sync wirelessly with your PC.
- The Zune 80 can play videos, photos, and music through your XBox 360 using your home wi-fi network.
- The Zune 80 has an FM radio (unlike any of the ipods), that, with select channels, will display the call numbers, name of the channel, name of the artist, and the name of the song!
- The Zune 80 has an awesome user interface that is very attractive and easy to use and understand.
- The Zune 80's design is elegant, sexy, and feels great in the hand.
- The Zune 80 comes with the Zune Premium Headphones v2, which are freaking AWESOME, with fantastic sound quality and great fit in your ears.
- The Zune 80 sells for the same price as the Ipod Classic ($149), so if you have saved up to buy an Ipod Classic, but decided you wanted the Zune 80 instead, then it's no extra money out of you pocket!
So, I bought my Zune about a month ago from Amazon, and I haven't had any problems with it. A few of my friends are even thinking about jumping off the Ipod bandwagon and buying one for themselves!
So, if you want a high-capacity mp3 player with amazing video playback and some out of the ordinary features, then go for the Zune 80. Get off the bandwagon!
Here are some accessories that I found that work well with the Zune 80:
- Insten - Retractable Audio Video Cable for Apple iPod Photo, iPod Video, iPod U2 Special Edition, Microsoft Zune by Eforcity
- Eforcity USB Travel Charger Adapter for Palm (PalmOne) m500, i705, Tungsten T, W, C, Zire, Zire 71, Treo 600, 650, HP iPAQ 3100, h5555, Jornada 500 series, Sony Clie NX70 /SL10 /N or S series Sony Clie 500 /600 /700 series, Toshiba e310 /e755 /Handsprin...
- iLive IBR2807DPBLK iPod Docking System/Boombox with Speakers, AM/FM Radio in Black This works well with the Zune 80 because it has an audio line-in jack, and the Zune 80 fits perfectly in the Ipod cradle, even though it will not charge it. The iLive comes in severral colors, too: pink, blue, green, white. You can also find them in almost any K-Mart store. To be able to use this with your Zune 80 you will also need: Scosche IU3.5RC 3.5mm Retractable Cable
- Monster Wireless Fm Transmitter
- Premium White Universal USB Car (Vehicle) Charger Adaptor [w/ LED power indicator] for Apple iPod Shuffle iPod/Zune and Microsoft Zune\
- Zune Leather Case 80 GB
UPDATE:
Well, the Zune 3.0 update came out last month. And it is GREAT!!! The software is pretty much the same, but the new features added to both the new AND the Zunes are awesome!
- GAMES: Now even though the games that come with the 3.0 update (Texas hold 'em and Hexic) aren't that great, it IS promising, and Microsoft has said that they will release more. If they are free is another matter. Keep your fingers crossed!
- TAG SONGS ON FM: This is a really great feature. Unfortunatly, I can't get it to work lol.
- AUDIOBOOKS: Very exciting!
- WI-FI MUSIC STORE: This is the best new feature! Really simple to use and REALLY fast. Only downside is the album art is low quality. I didn't notice a difference in audio, thank God.