Zune Thoughts - Daily News, Views, Rants and Raves

MaximumPC has done an interesting side by side comparison of the big three options out there for music organization on your home PC. To be honest, most people will have a hard time really making much of a selection based on the software and are far more likely to be choosing based on what their device of choice is. In the case of the iPod and Zune, we’re mostly tied to using the software designed for it.

But if you don’t like your options with your current software solution, it’s certainly not impossible to use a different program to manage your media and a different one to load your player. The three that MaximumPC looks at are iTunes (of course), Zune, and Songbird. Read more...

This is a little after the fact since this has been sitting in my queue for a while, but here we go anyway! This is why I hate that people think the Zune needs applications to compete in the market. CNET’s prize fight is a little absurd because we have two devices that in reality can provide the same service but really don’t do the same thing. I’ll save you the time…the iPod Touch blows away the Zune HD 4.5 to 4.0 in the 5 round fight. But they’re comparing two different things throughout the fight. I feel like they may as well compare a Zune and a Corvette and dock the Zune points for not putting out 400HP. Yeah sure, they both play music!

If you want a device for a little music, applications, games…go get a Touch. If you want multimedia device that’s dedicated to music and video, go get a Zune. They’re just not comparable and not because one is better than the other. If you take away application store out from the Zune equation, and there isn't much you're losing out on, then the Zune is not competing with a Touch at all. But because it has one it does compete. Poorly.

In most reviews I’ve seen, including CNET, the Zune wins on sound and screen quality. The navigation is considered on par with the iPod. Some like the Zune better while others like the iPod better but I think everyone can agree both devices are very good on that front and then it’s just personal preference. Both devices are well liked for the physical design. If I’m looking for a portable media player, the Zune just won on sound and picture. If I’m looking for a PDA, I’m getting an iPod.

"When holding the Zune HD it is very obvious that a great deal of time and resources were spent on the design and build. Its assembly is very impressive; there is no give or creaking at all. The lines where one material meets another are precise and buttons have the perfect amount of travel and tactile click. Simply put, the Zune HD is a premium piece of hardware."

AnythingButiPod's Graham Skee posted his review of the Zune HD device, software, and services, and likes what he sees. He also dives into depth on video with the media UI, touch gestures, and a bunch of the other included goodies. And, in trademark ABI fashion, Graham's got a shot of his Zune HD stacked up against 30 other portable devices. It's worth checking out the article just for this preposterous shot.

"But the Zune HD soldiers on with the same weird limitations as its predecessors and as Apple expands and enhances the iPod lineup and its surrounding hardware, software, and services ecosystem, the gap only widens. Today, the Zune HD is offered in only one country worldwide, the United States, and when I asked Microsoft about this, I was met with a cooler-than-usual response that offered little to no hope that the company took this product seriously enough to offer it outside its own locale."

Paul Thurott, of Win SuperSite fame, has finished up his exhaustive review of the Zune Software, Device, and Services, assigning ratings (in the form of pictures of his head) for each of the key parts. Overall he seems to like the device and software, but finds many parts lacking in a number of ways. It's a long read, but well-worth it.

"I can live in Mac completely as I normally do, making zero concessions or compromises, then boot into Windows occasionally to sync my music to the Zune HD. I don’t have two separate music libraries or anything, but rather the master Mac iTunes library, then the Zune software builds an index and syncs the music to the Zune HD based on said library. Is it an elegant solution? Maybe not, but it definitely works and is dead simple."

Nicholas Deleon over at CrunchGear has an interesting writeup about his double life as a Mac user and Zune HD fan. Its an interesting perspective from someone who doesn't really use Microsoft products except when he has to. To use his Zune he manages all of his music on his Mac with iTunes and then boots into Windows when he wants to sync. This works for him I think since he's not a subscription user and doesn't add music too often. That said, he must really like the Zune HD because that's a lot of work to use an media player!

Interestingly, he seems to like the Zune software more than iTunes but knows he won't likely be using it anytime soon on the Mac OS. If you're a Mac user and the Zune is at all interesting to you, his article is worth a read!

"Despite the software’s attractive design, it might also serve as a case study for just how hard it is to nail interface design on a first pass. Moving around in the interface takes a bit of getting used to; for instance, there’s no single way to back out of the menu hierarchy. When viewing the details of an album, backing up requires a press on a white arrow in the upper left corner of the screen. Clear enough. But when you bring up the special player-wide control screen (triggered by that button on the left side of the device) to adjust volume or to pause playback, backing out involves tapping the tiny word “exit” in the upper left. ... Do we need four slightly different ways to accomplish the same thing?"

By now you've probably read a ton of reviews of Zune HD, and have essentially made up your mind about if, or when, you plan on buying one. What makes this review different (and what I love about most Ars reviews in general) is that they explore the device in context of its ecosystem and competition. Unlike other reviews that simply compare feature-by-feature the Zune HD and iPod Touch, Ars' Nate Anderson truly delves into what it's like to use the player. He is impressed with the music discovery features, newly fixed album art display times, and HD radio experience, while lamenting the decision to use on-screen volume controls, inability to natively sync DVR-MS files, and poor browser experience. The Zune pass too is seen as a very positive feature, and as yet another expense to consider. All in all, an incredibly fair review that touches on some key points to consider when making a purchase decision.

"Finally the much-anticipated, heavily lusted after micro-slab has been brought to market -- and it's not just the unit itself. Along with the release, we're seeing new desktop software, the Zune brand move towards a connected experience for Windows computers, and the expansion of the Zune Marketplace and ecosystem -- replete with applications designed just for the Zune HD interface."

Engadget's review of the Zune HD is pretty fair in its own right and mostly what you'd expect from the renowned gadget blog. They praise the clarity of the OLED screen in darkened locales, while simultaneously ridiculing the screen's inability to display text in bright light ("pretend it's Dracula or something.") The speed and usefulness of Zune 4.0 software get a nod, as does the build quality of the device itself. Josh singles out the Zune Pass as essential and the HD out dock as a nicety, but at $90 on top of the cost of the player itself, an extra luxury. Some very good points, and things I hope Microsoft will keep in mind for the future.

"I have always been reserved when it came to the Zune lineup of MP3 players, as the Apple iPod line has always offered better alternatives. As soon as I saw the feature lineup of the Zune HD though, I knew I had to buy one. Packing an OLED screen, HD Radio tuner, NVIDIA Tegra chipset, and HD video playing capabilities, it turns into handheld multimedia hub, not just a media player with apps."

Brighthand.com's Kevin O'Brien takes a look at the Zune HD. Conclusion: he likes what he sees, with nice touches throughout (the web browser loads the whole page at once, so no stutter while scrolling around). It's only a first look, so the article itself isn't too long. Check it out and let us know: have you bought a Zune HD? If not, why not?

"After entering Best Buy I first asked the greeter where I could find the Zune HD. His response, “the what?” I then explained that it was Microsoft’s latest music and video player. He pointed me towards the music device section. Once I arrived in that section I saw the Apple devices on display, the Sansa devices, and then the Zune section. Noticeably absent was the Zune HD."

Geek.com has a combined purchase experience and first impressions review up on the Zune HD. While the Best Buy experience sounds slightly humorous, I think if I was Microsoft I'd be a little annoyed with Best Buy if this was common across all of their stores. Was anyone else in Best Buy at launch to know if this was a common problem or perhaps just something specific to this store? Hopefully this was an isolated problem.

Geek does like the Zune HD overall but I think they have some pretty legitimate gripes with the out of box experience. I don't understand why Microsoft makes the Zune pretty much unusable until you've hooked it up but I've seen this trend in other devices too. My G1 was completely useless until I had it all set up with my GMail account.

The Zune HD really has gotten a pretty good reception so if Microsoft is trying to breath new life into the platform its a good start. Let's see if all of this positive press translates into sales.

Product Category: Earphones Manufacturer: Shure

Where to Buy: Amazon [Affiliate]

Price: $97.78

System Requirements: Any MP3 player with a 3.5mm headphone jack

Specifications: Headphones have a frequency range of 25Hz - 18.5kHz with a 26 ohm impedance. They come in black or white and have an 18 inch cable with a 36 inch extension. The headphones pack up easily in a small travel case and come with a deluxe fit kit of 7 different tips to easily fit almost any ear size.

Pros:

• Amazing sound, it blew me away;
• Lots of fit options, ensuring a comfortable, tight seal;
• High quality construction that should stand up to long term use.

Cons:

• Somewhat expensive;
• In-ear design takes getting used to.

Summary: No matter what you use as an MP3 player there is a universal law that applies to your device of choice. The included ear buds suck. Sure, there’s different levels of suck, but in the end they’re all pretty horrible. There was a brief period of time when the Zune came with the premium sound isolating earphones and those were certainly a step up from the usual throwaways you get. Still, to really appreciate your Zune or "other" MP3 player you only have two avenues to really get the most out of your music. Read more...

Product Category: Media player video accessory

Manufacturer: MyVu

Where to Buy: Amazon.com [Affiliate]

Price: $110 USD

Specifications: Glasses with 3:4 320x240 (QVGA) screen, 4 hour battery life, Ultimate Ears in-ear monitors with three different sized buds.

Pros:

• Good for long, relaxed trips;
• Ultimate Ears earbuds sound great;
• Comes with cables for many different portable media players.

Cons:

• Not very practical for day-to-day use;
• Harder to watch during day flights;
• Looks like something Geordi La Forge would wear.

Summary: The MyVu Solo Plus is hard to love. It's easy to like the idea of a portable, personal video screen, or the lure of a neck strain-reducing visor that handles all the typical problems associated with watching video on a tiny device. But in reality, the idea just isn't that well executed. Holding a Zune (or iPod, or Cowon, or any of the plethora of other players the glasses work with) at arm's-length has never been a particularly enjoyable experience, especially over an extended period of time, but this is where the MyVu glasses shine. They're light, portable, and good for long, relaxed trips where you would otherwise be sleeping or holding your player the whole time. Read more...