The Zune....

[Dark Prince]

So, I've had my 20GB Ipod for quite a few years now and I'm thinking its time for change. This means that I'll be getting rid of Itunes and switching over to a new service.

I've been looking at the Zune and reading about it for a few weeks now. With the announcement of that Gears of War Zune, it may just tip me over the edge to get one. I don't use my ipod much anymore mostly because I'm fed up with it and want something new because its getting all scratched up lately and I'm losing interest in it.

So, what does everyone think here who has a Zune? Was it worth the investment? My keen interest is on that Gears of War Zune, and I'm curious to hear what you guys think. How has it worked out for you?

[maharahaj]

I love my Zune. I have the 30gig variety with about 12 gigs of songs on it.
Plus:
-Screen size
-Battery life
-Ease of navigation wheel
-Included software (once you figure out how to use it,) is nice
-Free software upgrades.
-Automatic downloading of album art
-Its pretty rugged. I have dropped mine multiple times.

Negatives:
-It took me about a week to figure out how to properly use the software. No manual, only PDF
-The default setting is to find your My Music folder and sinc all tracks without asking. I dont listen to alot of that stuff often so I didn't want to do that. Then I had to search as to how to erase stuff off it.
-If the software doesn't recognize the artist and labels it as "Unknown Artist", it doesn't like that you try to override the mp3 info and will constantly erase all the album/track info I have typed in.
-It charges off the USB of your PC/360. I wish they included a AC charging adapter with the product.

Overall, it serves me well as I don't often add music. If I were to lose/break mine, I'd pick up another in a heartbeat.

[Gitaroomaan]

Like you, I had an iPod for a long time and upgraded to a Zune 30 about a year ago. I love it, the free upgrades are awesome, wireless sync is handy...pretty much everything maharahaj said.

The software is pretty straightforward, I didn't really have any problems with it, nor did I have the "Unknown Artist" issues either, if the Zune doesn't find the missing info itself, it's very easy to get it corrected.

[fitbabits]

I've had my gen one 20 gigger since last Christmas and I'm more than happy with it. Now that games are possible, it's all I need.

[Psykoboy2]

Guess I'll jump aboard the Zune Train as well. I've had mine since last summer when the Halo 3 one hit stores. Love it to death.

Although, I've got my eye on that Gears version for November.

[roguebaboon]

Im interested in one of the flash players, probably the 16g. I like the amazon store for mp3s and zune streams to my 360, so the only thing im unsure of is podcasts.

[pomeroy]

Waitaminute...you're tired of your iPod because you scratched it?

*boggles*

[KingGorilla]

Waitaminute...you're tired of your iPod because you scratched it?

*boggles*

More boggling, he is not replacing his scratched apple product with an apple product.

The Zune is a fine player, I just want to suggest that you first download the free Zune software prior to buying it. I absolutely hate the way it works. The store is sloppy, the whole program moves sluggishly as you navigate. If you are sick of iTunes you can at least go to rockbox.org and use that firmware.

[Deadend]

I have not had issue with the Zune software, it works fine, it's pretty, and the $15 month for unlimited downloads (except from asshole bands such as Metallica) is awesome... of course you can always just pirate music onto it.

Another big upside for the zune.... the fucker doesn't get scratches easily. They are tough little PMPs.

[Hexxagonal]

I was in the same boat with the iPod. I hated my 3rd gen iPod so much that I rarely used it. Maybe it was a lemon, but the entire interface / iTunes didn't make me love it either. When the Zune came out it took about a year for me to get on the train. I've had other mp3 players before that I've liked... but none as much as my Zune. I have a 20GB and use an 8GB rather frequently. The touch pad is such a better idea than the touch screen. I hate my fingers getting the screen dirty and obstructing some of my view.

[Psykoboy2]

Not to mention the Zune card on their site that shows my recent plays and the recent plays of people on my 360 friends list.

[Dark Prince]

Waitaminute...you're tired of your iPod because you scratched it?

*boggles*

It's not only that....it's a mountain of other things and other problems I've had with it. I don't feel like switching out my iPod for a new one because I'm just getting tired of the iPod and Itunes in general...

[Brady]

Just thought I'd just jump in quick and share my love for my Zune 80. Fantastic device. The free upgrades that add significant features is a plus. The Gen 1 Zunes have received every feature in the 3rd Gen Zunes. The only thing they are missing are the slimmer hardware and the touch pad.

I wasn't a huge fan of the Zune 2 software, but version 3 that came out a few weeks ago is def a great improvement. Much more speedy.

[BabyJesus]

I had the Unknown Artist issue with the old version of the software but I haven't seen it on the latest version. Plus the new version lets you edit everything not just track name like the old version so even if it did happen you could fix it pretty easily. Love my zune!

[maharahaj]

I had the Unknown Artist issue with the old version of the software but I haven't seen it on the latest version. Plus the new version lets you edit everything not just track name like the old version so even if it did happen you could fix it pretty easily. Love my zune!

I'll have to look into this new version you speak of to remedy my problems. Thanks for the info.

[Everyone vs Dinosaurs]

I will hopefully be getting my zune from an EvAver here, pretty soon.


$70 for a 30gb, with a radio transmitter thing as an added free bonus!

[crazyD]

Mine was pretty good until the screen cracked. Probably the best MP3 player I've ever owned, and I've had quite a few. I also wasn't a fan of the software. I wish that I could just dump files onto it like an external HD without any extra software involved. My next MP3 player won't be a Zune though, I want something that works out of the box with Linux.

[Shadowstorm]

I love the hardware. Software is decent. Works for me.

I just wish Zune had Last.fm integration.

[Restlessavenger]

I just had my 160 GB iPod classic die on me and had been thinking about switching over to the Zune 120 rather than going with the 120GB Classic. I played around with the last version of the Marketplace and wasn't super impressed, but I might be willing to give it a go.

[TheEvilNarwhale]

I love the hardware. Software is decent. Works for me.

I just wish Zune had Last.fm integration.

This is my only problem. Some times the software runs really slow but it has gotten much better since the last update.

[Disgustipated]

More boggling, he is not replacing his scratched apple product with an apple product.

The Zune is a fine player, I just want to suggest that you first download the free Zune software prior to buying it. I absolutely hate the way it works. The store is sloppy, the whole program moves sluggishly as you navigate[. If you are sick of iTunes you can at least go to rockbox.org and use that firmware.

Bullshit.

Unless you're using some single core Pentium III, this is crap.

[Everyone vs Dinosaurs]

http://www.chipdb.org/data/media/845/Pentium_III_1000_256_133_1.75V_SL5FQ2044520142.jpg


Back to basics.



At any rate, I like the Zune software. Call me weird.

[Dark Prince]

So, while the Zune is still high on my radar.

Now the Ipod Touch is suddenly appearing there as well and going into competition with each other.

Anybody have any experience with the Ipod Touch?

A little off topic here, but I figure I could make this into a discussion about both.

[KingGorilla]

I suggest not buying one. They are due to drop the price significantly, as they are considerably more expensive than iPhones and are not selling because of this.

[pomeroy]

I suggest not buying one. They are due to drop the price significantly, as they are considerably more expensive than iPhones and are not selling because of this.

Cue Jeffbax telling KG that it's awesome that they are selling them at a high price and people should want to pay it.

[jeffbax]

Cue Jeffbax telling KG that it's awesome that they are selling them at a high price and people should want to pay it.

Its a high price because the tech isn't subsidized by a phone contract, not because it isn't worth it.

No portable media player can do what the iPod Touch can. Its the first mainstream, pocket computer.

Whether or not that is what you want is up to you, but you can't compare a Zune with an iPod Touch really, the Zune doesn't do a fraction about what the Touch can with the ability to add applications.

[pomeroy]

Its a high price because the tech isn't subsidized by a phone contract, not because it isn't worth it.

No portable media player can do what the iPod Touch can. Its the first mainstream, pocket computer.

Whether or not that is what you want is up to you, but you can't compare a Zune with an iPod Touch really, the Zune doesn't do a fraction about what the Touch can with the ability to add applications.

Thank you so much! :D

[Brady]

I think the ipod touch is a great device and the idea of a pocket computer is great... but what is the point without a cell phone inside? The greatness of a computer is the ability to connect with the world. What's the point of using wifi in your home next to a more capable desktop pc? Im sitting in a parking lot right now waiting to pick up a friend typing this on an htc touch diamond. it's fantastic. if you are spending that much on a device why get way is essentially a nerfed iphone?

[PathMaster]

Doesn't skype now work on the touch?

[Brady]

Doesn't skype now work on the touch?

It works on any WinMo 6.0 devices... Skype has yet to release a version that is 6.1 compatible. Most 6.1 users just us fring (http://www.fring.com) which works on the Skype network.

[KingGorilla]

Doesn't skype now work on the touch?

There is no mic, and no headphone jack. I have seen some intrepid folks jerry rig something, http://lifehacker.com/378511/turn-your-ipod-touch-into-an-iphone.

The thing is, you never really know the quality and stability of WiFi on these mobile devices. I think Skype would sound pretty god aweful at most hot spots.

[Swanky]

Going back to the Zune a moment...not to sway any opinions. I bought an 80gb Zune back in June and had a good time with it until it started having some major issues. One day after reviving it from hibernate some two months after purchase, I see a strange message. It tells me that it failed to update and therefore, could not restart. So I'm like, alright then, let's go plug you into the ole' computer and get you updated. Once plugged in, the software informs me of an update and attempts to download. However, it soon after alerts me that my 1gb Zune does not have enough space for the new update. This confuses me, as I am sure I forked out some decent amount of change for 79gb more than what it said I had. (I did not have THAT much on it at the time). Not only that, but it also tells me that it can not update until the Zune restarts. Can't restart till updated, can't update until restarted. Hmm. A bit miffed, and sure I had plenty of space left on the thing for a simple update, I search the Zune's page for troubleshooting. None listed. At least, not for this particular error. So I dig deeper and find a few random accounts of the same event and they offer one fix that seemed to work. Just mash all the buttons and it forces the thing to restart. True. It does work, but it threatens to wipe everything from the Zune in the process and once you load everything lost back on there and you hibernate again, the whole ordeal starts over again. Needless to say after about a week of this with no real help to solve it other than comments that I'd have to send it in for a replacement, I swap it for an 80gb ipod. Thankfully this was one time I bought the extended warranty. After a while this was revealed to be a problem with the 80gb Zune's only. But it was enough fuss for me. Other than that I hear they work well.

[jeffbax]

I think the ipod touch is a great device and the idea of a pocket computer is great... but what is the point without a cell phone inside? The greatness of a computer is the ability to connect with the world. What's the point of using wifi in your home next to a more capable desktop pc? Im sitting in a parking lot right now waiting to pick up a friend typing this on an htc touch diamond. it's fantastic. if you are spending that much on a device why get way is essentially a nerfed iphone?

People surrounded by Wifi but who don't want to pay for a $100/month phone contract with ATT? Couldn't you extend "why not without a phone" to a regular MP3 player then? Its another thing in your pocket...

[KingGorilla]

I would say get on with Android or another SmartPhone, and get a more affordable MP3 player. Most Blackberry's have slots for a flash card that you can load video onto as an example.

[Pureboy]

Never owned an iPod, and I've had four mp3 players since the second Rio came out (~2000). I've owned a Zune 80 since December.

Pros:
FM Radio
Touchpad navigation
Album Art DLing
Games (if more/better ones come out)
Audible integration (don't use, but nice to know its there)
Your player doesn't look like the one everyone else has, you aren't slave to swallow whatever Jobs feeds you
Large screen, decent vid quality (compared to iPod classic)
Supports a good number of formats
Doesn't scratch, even in a pocket with my keys
ZuneOriginals.net- got an awesome anime-style etching on the back
High-Quality earbuds come with the large Zunes- they are really awesome

Cons:
Power Leak (both mine and my wife's Zune 8 won't save power on sleep mode, requiring a manual shut down each time)
Selecting an artist/album from a long list still a bit of a chore
Had to buy an AC charger to charge from an outlet
Wifi options are pretty useless, (I just keep it off) should be able to DL new podcasts from hotspots
No good dynamic playlist option
MetaData organization can be frustrating when much of your collection isn't tagged properly (don't know if iTunes is any better for this tho)
You might not be an iSheep, but you are carrying an M$ product. Not exactly "counter-culture"

[KingGorilla]

If you have never owned an iPod, how do you know the Zune is better in these Areas?

[Disgustipated]

If you have never owned an iPod, how do you know the Zune is better in these Areas?

I realize it may be hard for you to comprehend, but people have friends, and other ways to get hands-on experience with things they do not own.

[KingGorilla]

I realize it may be hard for you to comprehend, but people have friends, and other ways to get hands-on experience with things they do not own.

Nothing compares with real use. Only a total Chode would represent things otherwise. No need to get all butt-hurt. Just curious. The Zune if a fine device, but it is no nicer than an Ipod in any real functional sense.

You can dig your devices without drinking the Kool-Aide and starting a Jihad.

[Erratic]

I dont think Jeffbax has ever had a valid arugment on anything VS apple. Its cute really, like the retarded kid who tries to run, but keeps falling down

[Pureboy]

Nothing compares with real use. Only a total Chode would represent things otherwise. No need to get all butt-hurt. Just curious. The Zune if a fine device, but it is no nicer than an Ipod in any real functional sense.

You can dig your devices without drinking the Kool-Aide and starting a Jihad.*shrug* Read enough about iPods, played with most of the devices, know the features. Not that difficult, IMO. I think iPods do alot of things really well, but they are not perfect devices. Neither is the Zune by a large stretch, but it does the things that matter to me better. For instance, I am a user who really likes FM radio- many people couldn't care less. For me that is a huge mark against iPod.

[KingGorilla]

I was merely posing the question. Riley went all Ipod hater on me, again. Would you not have the same skepticism, based on how your post was worded? The box for me is inconsequential, It is all about the software for why I am not a Zune fan.

Never meant to drag you into another Zune Ipod bitchfest, though that is often an inevitability withthese things. I hate the Jihadists.

[Press Ninja]

I happen to have an older zune, as well as the 8gig Ipod Touch. I still use both regularly, too. I got the touch for the free wifi, which is fantastic when it works. It's been wonky as of late, with it not connecting to my home wifi and such. Other than using it for wifi, I use it for podcasts, but thats it. When I want to listen to music, I throw on my Zune 30gig, which is full.

Why can't Apple and Microsoft Co-exist?

[KingGorilla]

They can. I will never comprehend the fanboys that they promote or cater to, however.

And damnit people, Spam rockbox.org and demand Zune support.

[Dark Prince]

So, I think I did a fair good amount of research and thanks to you guys' replies.

I think I'm going for that Gears of War 2 Zune....that I don't think I'll be able to pass up. Sure, i'll have to go through my music catalog and re-burn everything, but I don't mind. The Zune seems like its a pretty reliable device for the most part.

And I could really use the extra space...