Zune 80 GB Digital Media Player (Black)
by Zune
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List Price: Buy Used: from $135.00 (click here) Category: Network Media Player See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
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for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Zune 80 GB Digital Media Player (Black)
Customer Review: Pleasant Surprise - goodbye iPod
Summary: 5 Stars
There is no such thing as a perfect digital player - they ALL have some shortcomings. That being written, I am pleasantly surprised by the Zune 80 gb player. I have owned hard-drive based MP3 players since 2003 when I bought my first one. I was recently using the 5G 60gb iPod and it needed replacing so I start researching players again. After a great deal of research, I bought the Zune but didn't open it right away. I waited a few days. That was a mistake. For a few days, I just used the free Zune software. I have read some reviews that the software is terrible. I initally agreed but after learning it, I realized I reacted in haste. Sometimes it is a bigger challenge to 'unlearn' other product's software. That was my case. Now I like its simplicity. I would recommend some improvements to it though but it is fine in a general sense. The player is quite good. The sound of the music, to me, is better than my iPod. I did a direct comparision listening to the exact same songs with the same headphones on each device and that is how I drew my conclusion. I have read a review that reported a great deal of problems with synching and so forth. I have experienced none of those issues. No doubling of songs. I do see it run back through the list of everything but it isn't resynching everything. To me, it is checking the index of the Zune software's list of files to the index on the Zune looking for differences to know what to synch or ignore. Here is my list of Pros and Cons for the Zune 80.
Pros:
*Better sounding music (even without equalizer - go figure)
*Choice to use click method and/or touch. If you aren't a huge fan of the iPod click-wheel, you will really appreciate the Zune. I love that change. The touch function is more natural. To scroll up, run your finger up on the touch pad. To scroll down, run your finger down. Or just click on the top/bottom/left/right of the touch pad to navigate. Again, it really is very natural to use.
*Extremely easy on the eyes. This is a pleasure to view. Easy to read.
*Friendly navigation. Again, unlearning other players is the biggest hurdle but worth getting to know the device. Once you do, you will really like this device.
*Larger viewing screen.
*Radio - with RDBS. Very nice feature.
*Supports Podcasts. I subscribed to X-Play's video game review podcast with no problems.
*Nicer headphones included. They come with headphones that have inserts to help find a better fit.
*The quick add playlist is very friendly to use. I didn't really like the iPod one mostly because I wasn't a huge fan of the clickwheel.
*Substantial feel. It handles like a quality effort was put into it.
Cons:
*Battery life. Not long enough for me.
*Some software design improvements needed on the Zune device and the Zune software on the pc. I could list a set of improvements but I won't. They are more tweaks that I believe the development team could easily add. My field is software so I know I view things from a different perspective.
Overall: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. I am glad I did not buy another iPod. I am excited about music again thanks to this player. I am actually looking forward to buying CD's and DRM-free music. And remember, there is no such thing as a perfect digital player. Keep an open mind when you are browsing for players. There are many good choices out there, not just one. Oh, and please don't give away music. Pay for it so the artist that you love can devote their creative talents to making even more music. (No - I don't work in the music industry in any way. I just want to at least support the artists that make the music I want to hear.)
Customer Review: Dangerously Close to PERFECTION!
Summary: 5 Stars
Dangerously Close to PERFECTION!
Dangerously Close to PERFECTION! I always wanted to buy the original Zune but didn't bother due to the fact it was only 30GB and at that time I was already on my 80GB iPod. When I was on my 80GB I was already on the borderline of a shortage in GB so I was ecstatic when Apple released the 160GB. I have so much videos and that's what takes up all my memory space. After purchasing the 160GB I realized how disappointed I was. I hated the new cheap plastic cover they used; the screen didn't get any bigger, the user interface was spotty and slow (because it takes time to load album art), the scroll wheel was AWFUL and very unresponsive. In short, I was disappointed. The only plus was the memory space. Now the only way I would have enjoyed the iPod was if the 160GB was released in the body of the iPod touch. Instead Apple decided to only utilize 8GB or 16GB as some sort of test drive before the bigger drives get released. I called everywhere in Manhattan yesterday for the Zune & nobody had it. They either had it or their 6 dollar an hour minimum wage employee refused to check if the item was in stock when I called. Anyways I called Circuit City and or course the 18 year old kid that answered said they had tons of Zune's & that he unloaded it off the truck himself the night before the release date but at the same time he refused to put one on hold for me. I go out of my way to go to Brooklyn and of course when I got there they didn't have any. Lucky for me while I was at the store a customer was returning his Zune because he hated the user interface and he thought the device was too big so he exchanged it for an iPod Nano classic. Ok let's get to device. Overall I am very pleased with the device. Like I stated it's dangerously close to perfection, but not quite their yet. I love the design; its very sleek, sexy, futuristic, and very heroine sheik (Wish other colors were available). I've been using iPods for years so I am use to iTunes and the iPod structure menu. So it took a quick second to get use to the Zune interface. The scroll wheel is nicely designed and can be used in 2 ways. Like the original Zune you can hit to select or touch the scroll wheel to browse. The best of both worlds and you get to turn off the touch feature if you want as well. I like the menu setup and I like the fact that you can customize the backgrounds with what's included or with your own pictures unlike the iPod. The pictures look nice & crisp on the 3.2 inch LCD screen. The only thing that was a disappointment was that the album art when a song is being played isn't the clearest image. I guess in order to save memory space the resolution was toned down. I love the fact it has a radio. After having an iPod for so long I realized how many years it was that I didn't get to listen to the radio due to the fact one wasn't built in. Zune also has updated software so that was a nice change even though I didn't see anything wrong with their original design. Last compliant is I wish with all the technology we had that syncing songs would be at faster speeds. I clocked myself last night & it took 3 ½ hours to port all my songs which was about 6500 songs & just a few movies & TV shows onto the Zune. Please note to all teckies out their lets build a better way of syncing songs so it doesn't operate at the speed of a crawling turtle. Bottom line is I am so pleased with my Zune. It really has done what the iPod hasn't been able to do and that's called EVOLVE. Having both devices I really prefer the Zune over the iPod. It's the best of the bunch and with some more advertising people will actually pay attention to this device. Bye Bye iPod Nation, Hello Zune Nation.
Customer Review: A bit better than the classic, Software fixed
Summary: 5 Stars
I've been using the zune for a couple months now so I felt that I had really experienced it.
Pros:
Wi-fi syncs songs between zunes pretty fast
3.2 inch screen makes it worth while to sync videos to it
Touch navigator feels and works wonderfully
Easy interface on the device ( nice large font )
Sound processor is better than iPod's. Only noticable when using good quality headphones
EXTREMELY DURABLE
First MP3 player I've had that shipped with headphones that were usable.
FM RADIO WITH SONGS!
Integration with 360.
Nuetral:
Battery life
CON:
Software had some bugs and may continue to have bugs for some people
Expansion of some things above:
Headphones: They are magnetized so they don't tangle up in your pockets which is the main problem with in ear headphones in my opinion. They have quite good sound quality 40-ish dollar range. Definitely worth keeping unless you have headphones 65$+
Durability: This thing is amazing. I have dropped it and stepped on it in the gym. I have never bought a case and so far no scratches on the screen or on the body/back ( a nice refreshment from my old iPods which had to be in an ugly case at all times). I frequently have change in the same pocket as the zune and it has held up extremely well to my rigorous or some may say careless use.
Battery life: I've gone a week listening approximately 3.5 hours a day, which comes out to 24.5 hours in my own experience.I have a mix of 320kpbs and 192 kpbs audio. It also Wi-Fi is off unless I see someone with a zune. This may not be as much as a classic but there comes a point where you stop caring about 30 vs 40 or whatever it is. There simply is not as much benefit from 30-40 hours as there is from 5-15 hours. Some people might care but it is more than adequate for me and probably most other people.
Software: Honestly if my zune software hadn't been fixed by the latest update I would have given it a 3. The software was horrible at syncing and would frequently sync the same songs over and over every time you connected it for syncing. However recently I noticed that there was no more duplicates on my zune and was pleasantly surprised. The software is easy to use and I love the ability to search without going up to the top right to type it in ( searches through your music only). If I want to see the zune market place's songs when I search through the top right I get my own song results as well as results from the marketplace. The bugs may have been from having my CDs imported from various directories rather than in my music. You may want to try this and see if it helps. The marketplace is getting video soon as well I hear and zune is also getting games *estimated July from XNA - open source * With the software bugs fixed ( at least for me ) The marketplace has a 3 million songs which is plenty.
I am happy to give the zune a 5. It simply crushes the classic in features and is actually cheaper than the ipod classic since the headphones that come with it are worth 30-40 dollars. I would however advise against getting the flash zune or upgrading from a recent ipod video to a zune. If you're in the market however be sure to check out the zune 80
Also it may appear that I am a fanboy or something but honestly this is the first microsoft product I am really satisfied with.
* 360 had a RROD and is currently on it's last legs ( freezing ) *
* Vista was prematurely and was priced too high *
*Any time you make changes to your machine you need to call up microsoft*
Customer Review: Come join the squircle
Summary: 5 Stars
It's not quite as fancy as the iPod Touch but it's got a much better price. For the same cost as the 80gb iPod Classic, it's the indisputable winner. Do yourself a favor, as I did: try out the iPod Classic and the Zune.
The Zune has a screen that lies size-wise between the iPod Classic and Touch. Best of all- it's a beautiful scratch-resistant glass screen. The video and images are stunning.
I thought the iPod had a cool interface with the touch-sensitive circle. Well, Zune has it beat with the "squircle" which is a four-way click pad and a touch-sensitive brush pad. It works better than you might expect. When scrolling long lists, you lightly brush the squircle pad up or down and the list scrolls at a speed commensurate to the speed at which you brush the pad. The scrolling even slows down after a few seconds kind of a like the wheels of fruit in a slot machine. It's a cool effect hard to describe. Again, get a hold of a Zune and check it out. You'll love it.
Sound quality is excellent. I've had many earphones and listened through the iPod phones. The Zune comes with high-quality buds that sound amazing; much better than the iPod buds. I'm a musician and what my friends call a music snob. So take it from one- these sound great.
Several folks have complained about the software. It does have some quirks but is actually quite functional and simple to use. I am sure that Microsoft will continue to fine tune it and it will get better and better. You will also uncover hidden features as you use it more. The screen saver mode, which isn't obvious to find, is super cool and visually compelling. You've never seen your album art so neatly displayed.
And best of all, I have thousands of high-quality mp3's on my Zune (320kbps) and still have plenty of room. Not one single song has DRM or Apple's dreadful proprietary protection on it. I can upload and download my songs anywhere, anytime, with anyone. That's the way it should be.
With my Zune, I bought the overpriced AV and car connection kits. While they cost way too much, they are essential add-ons. In fact, they should come with the Zune. But that whole greed thing gets in the way of companies' priorities! Anyway, the kits allow me to listen to my Zune everywhere. And that's pretty much all I do. I can now listen to my huge cd collection all the time. I put my Zune on shuffle mode and get to hear songs from my collection that I haven't heard in years. I'm finally getting my money's worth from all those cds I bought and listened to only once or twice.
My Zune has already been put through its paces. I have listened to it all day long for weeks, without giving it a break, and it has never experienced a single mishap. It has performed flawlessly and made me a very happy music lover.
The price of the iPod Touch is too much to spend on a freakin' mp3 player with only 8 or even 16gb. And the Classic just doesn't "touch" the Zune. If you're licking your lips at your friend's Touch or iPhone, the Zune won't turn you on, but if you've been considering the Nano or Classic (or any other mp3 player), the Zune will impress you mightily. I've never been a Microsoft cheerleader and I've always been fond of Apple but I think the Zune really is the better mp3 player.
I have shown mine off to friends and two of them have gone out immediately and bought one. That says more than all the words I could say (or write)! It's really that cool.
Customer Review: A Wonderful Machine
Summary: 5 Stars
As many people state at the start of their reviews, I will too. I had an iPod for several years and was never dissatisfied with its performance. Thus, the Zune had a lot to live up to in my eyes.
I believe that the program used on the computer in order to load music is perhaps the most important part of an mp3 player. After using iTunes for years, I knew what I wanted in the Zune program. I ALMOST got it. For the average user, I believe that the Zune program is flawless. It has a beautiful layout, has podcast subscriptions, mp3, m4a AND wma file compatibility, and functions well with the mp3 player. However I have a few complaints. I am an organization freak. I like to have all of my music in the genre that I believe it is, not that of the internet. So when I rip a CD I will change the information accordingly. With the Zune program it takes more time because (at least that I find) it is not possible to edit the information for multiple items at once. You can just type in each one by one, or go find the files and do it through properties on windows explorer. That is my biggest problem; there is a lack of ability when it comes to editing the information that songs have. As for syncing with the Zune, there is one weird thing that happens where it keeps "adding" the same group of songs every time I connect my Zune. I read another review in which the person had the same issue. It doesn't add the songs again, it simply says it does. Kind of strange.
Onto the player itself. First of all the controls are wonderful. At first I was curious if I would be annoyed at having to flick my thumb a bunch to find the artist I was looking for. This never has happened. It is force sensitive, meaning the faster I flick it the further it goes. Or, if I don't want to flick my thumb, I can simply hold down the pad in the direction I want to go, great idea. The interface in the Zune is great as well. There are functions that let you go to the artist of the song you are currently listening to and other little things that make navigating through it a little easier than the iPod.
The screen is great for viewing pictures as well as watching video mainly because it is big. At least compared to the iPod's screen. Also when viewing pictures, there is a zoom option, which I do not believe the iPod has.
The FM radio is a great little bonus. Just in case one ever wants to listen to their favorite talk show on the walk home, or anything such as that, it's there. I haven't used it much, but its reception and quality seem great to me.
Sound quality is something I have had no problem with, even without the EQ that was apparently on the original Zune. I rather dislike the quality of the in ear headphones that came with it, but I have my over ear phones, and it sounds wonderful through those.
I have nothing to say about the "social" feature because no one I know owns a Zune. Hopefully they will gain popularity so I can try out the feature, however I don't think I would put it to much use, because the song only stays for 3 plays, which isn't saying much.
The Zune met and exceeded my expectation for it in many ways. Hopefully program bugs will get sorted out soon and maybe a little bit more functionality. Other than that I love the Zune player and will not stray from it any time soon.