Is the Zune That bad? Help me please

[thegemmell]

Im thinking of getting a Zune, i know evryones gut reaction is

NO YOU IDIOT IPOD

There is only one computer in my house, a HP with Windows XP

Well, my sister got one for christmas and i havent figured out how to keep librarys seperate, im not good with computers , i tried to use a tutorial but it just didint work for some reason, I DO have Itunes 7.

anyway, the only advantage that a Zune/Ipod has over my current MP3 is the video so im getting a 30g anyway so there the same price.

Im getting black eather way, and i dont care about the look/size (I personally like the Zune more beacuse its supposedly nearly indestructible, and since its bigger i think it be harder for me to loose)

I love the FM Radio, dont critizie it beacuse the Ipod dosent have it to begin with. And I know that the WiFi is useless but again, Ipod dosent even have it so why do they critizize it.

Since I want it for video more, the bigger screen is appeling

I dont have any itunes so i dont have to worry about losing music

I have the Zune Software and works pretty good for me.

So i just have a few questions...

Can the Zune Play games like solitare and bricks and what not.

How long is the battery life (With WiFi off)

dose resolution suffer from the bigger screene

how is the FM Reception, can it pick up better than a normal car radio.

I heard that with the 15 day subscription to the market place it comes with, after it expiers you lose all the songs that you downloaded, is that true

So please keep me from making a HUGE mistake beacause my freinds keep telling me over and over IPOD YOU IDIOT, but theve never even touched a Zune before, i just dont want to get screwd out of 250 bucks.

In Short

Taking in to account Video more then Music just on that basis, what is better

[_sorrow_]

I don't like iPods because it has become such a friggin cult following, so i'm biased. It bothers me that anyone who sees me with my (rather old now) Creative Zen Touch is like "oh, how do you like your iPod?" And on top of that, any store you go into that sells mp3 players, will have 4/5 of an isle dedicated to the pods, and that last 1/5 to other mp3 players -- which thoeretically could be a lot better, but no one knows about them, and not enough use them the necisitate a larger section being dedicated to them.

And, who gives a damn what your friends have to say anyway; read some reviews, ask some questions on forums, and choose.

On a side note, you may want to bullet your questions and add some question marks to make your post easier to read....

[masherscf]

I think that the ZUNE as a device is probably not so bad for a first generation device. However, you have to admit that a lot of the MS marketing ploys surrounding the ZUNE are a little obnoxious.

[ArmpitOfDeath]

If you're not going to subscribe to Zune marketplace, why not an Archos instead? I don't think the Zune is bad, but if it's video your emphasis is on, then Archos would seem to be a better bet.

[magunwarrior]

Well I'm an Apple whore so yeah I'm a bit biased, but genuinely I feel that the iPod is better, but thats just my opinion, take it with a grain of salt.

[darknessgp]

Well I'm an Apple whore so yeah I'm a bit biased, but genuinely I feel that the iPod is better, but thats just my opinion, take it with a grain of salt.

and like most people that say the iPod is better. You've probably A) never seen a Zune in action in person, B) are comparing a 1st gen Zune to the 5th Gen iPod, and C) have an iPod with tons of music bought off of iTunes.

[tokenuser]

I think the best comparison will be the next gen devices for both Apple and MS.

The 6G iPod (iPhoneless iPhone) and 2G Zune (hell - the product was produced in something like 7 months from inception to production) are going to be going head to head.

The biggest issue with the Zune at the moment is the desktop software support. It took Apple 7 versions to get iTunes right, but not integrating Zune with WMP on the MS side was a HUGE mistake.

Like all holy wars, this debate will rage on for generations to come, but in the end the consumer is the winner - Apple have pretty much had a monopoly on the market. Sure there are other MP3 players out there, some are arguably technically better, but sales results don't reflect that.

At the moment, I own an Apple iPod nano 4GB (black). I bought it as a birthday present (it was released on my birthday). It replaced the large, clunky, but extremely serviceable i2go eGo (http://www.amazon.com/i2Go-eGo-32MB-Player-Blue/dp/B00004SDFG) released in 2000 that travelled around the world with me, and was the Cadillac of MP3 players at the time. Completely different devices, servicing a similar need. The iPod vs Zune debate is the same. When (if) I buy another MP3 player, I will look at the market and choose the model that it right for me then ... it could be another iPod, it might be a Zune, could be an Archos, could be whatever new is on the market.

Brand loyalty is one thing, but brand blindness can severly restrict your options.

thegemmell - I suggest you PM Lupin on the forums. He is our rabid Zunatic of the moment. I think he will give you an honest opinion of the pros and cons of the device.

[magunwarrior]

and like most people that say the iPod is better. You've probably A) never seen a Zune in action in person, B) are comparing a 1st gen Zune to the 5th Gen iPod, and C) have an iPod with tons of music bought off of iTunes.

1) Yes I have 2)Well yes but you can only compare it to a 5th gen seeing how that is the only one with video 3)I pirate my music like any red blooded American.

[darknessgp]

1) Yes I have 2)Well yes but you can only compare it to a 5th gen seeing how that is the only one with video 3)I pirate my music like any red blooded American.

#A) Everyone I know that doesn't have an iPod or any mp3 player are always just in the middle. They don't say one is better over the other, or even care.

#B) Of course, and I can understand that. But some people don't even see that Apple has been working on the iPods for years and MS not even a full year.

#C) This point alone makes me like you 5x more. The only people I know that buy music on iTunes tend to gloat about it. They'll say "I just bought this newly released album off iTunes!" and then I go "Great! I torrented it about a month ago before it was released!"

[ArmpitOfDeath]

The biggest issue with the Zune at the moment is the desktop software support. It took Apple 7 versions to get iTunes right, but not integrating Zune with WMP on the MS side was a HUGE mistake.

On the face of it it's a mistake, but MS took a leaf from Apple in this respect - a single-client-manufacturer lock-in tool works both ways. It's restrictive, but it's also more reliable and makes for a more predictable user experience. It's what I love about iPod + iTunes, it 'just works'. You plug it in, and 99.9% of the time it's going to do what it's supposed to do. With the WMP-compatible players it's more like 60% without doing something - reseating the connector because it's not designed that well, right up to rebooting the player or computer several times - and it's not even Microsoft's fault most of the time.

Too many nerds take these minor but frequent irritations in their stride and talk about the superior features of other players. They need to learn that it's not always what it does that counts, but how it does it. And Apple have that down pat with the iPod. I haven't had the Zune long enough to make any judgements yet, but so far no problems.

I cannot tell you the struggles I've had with supposedly PlaysForSure devices. And that's because they're all made by bit-player Asian manufacturers who don't know the meaning of firmware QC or testing. That, as evidenced by recent conversations by MS guys is what they got fed up with. Just about the only company which makes a PlaysforSure machine that could be called reliable is Samsung which makes sense as they're on a par with Sony these days. And even Creative haven't quite got it right (and their design sucks).

The Zune-bashing is kinda sad. All these even semi-pro reviewers are bashing it because it didn't provide the features they imagined it would. I think it's a pretty solid machine, definitely a viable alternative to the iPod especially if you're into having a huge catalog of music at your disposal. So you can't keep it? No matter, pick your faves, go buy a discounted CD and rip it however you like - What you're paying for is the tremendous exposure to music. I think the Zune is a very worthy first effort as a media player, although leaving UMS out verges on madness.

But if video is all-important, my recommendation for the Archos machines still stands.

[darknessgp]

I agree with ArmpitofDeath. The zune got a bad rap from the git-go. Like how some video games are, people hyped it up. And it doesn't help that MS did it's fair share of hyping. i.e. saying it has 802.11 b/g built in but not saying what exactly you could use it for.

Before release people (not MS by the way) where claiming it to be the iPod killer. Obviously it is not, nor did MS intend it to. It is MS entry product into the hand held media player market. If Alex is correct about major improvements, which I'm not going to buy into all this "it'll shock everyone" view, but if it has some major improvements, then it could very well be an iPod killer or competitor. I seriously think Apple knows that the normal iPod is starting to begin it's way out, like most products do. That is probably the reason that they will release an iPhone w/o the phone part. Because it's a whole different experience, at least to me it seems that way.

[thegemmell]

to all the people who said i was a MS employee spamming, the reason i have not responded to this thread is beacuse i was just looking for answers on if the Zune would be as bad as people said it was, Im only going for Zune or Ipod, I have never seen or heard of anything called an Archros in my life, I like the Zune software better, so if there is enugh stuff about the Ipod to over ride the comfort of having all my songs in the exact order that I want I guess im going with the Zune, so just looking for some point to counter point discussion

[magunwarrior]

God your spelling is atrocious. (you're probably using IE! Whats wrong with you!)

But on another note, Just pick one, if the Zune software is more user friendly to you, then use it. It seems to me from you're posts that your need would be better suited if you got the Zune.

So pick one so you can listen to your shitty Green Day.

[ArmpitOfDeath]

I have never seen or heard of anything called an Archros in my life

http://www.archos.com/products/video/archos_604wifi/index.html?country=global&lang=en

[tokenuser]

Gizmodo did a great 3 month Zune Roadtest (http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/portable-media/zune-how-weve-lived-with-it-for-three-months-231511.php) article. It was a nice, unbiased review of using the device for an extended period of time.

[Jordanddunn]

I recommend the ipod above the zune, I have used both and prefer the ipod. Although not as large of a screen you know apple always does things the right way. To those saying you are judging a 5th or whatever generation ipod to the zune well DUH! Why wouldn't I? I highly doubt he wants to go back in time and purchase the first generation ipod. I recommend the ipod for a few reasons.

1. The set up, menu system, and functionality is easy and flawless.
2. The styling and design of the ipod I prefer (nothing big just taste).
3. The apple support is amazing for products, it's easier to go to the store and talk to a person there about how to fix it if something happens and such.
4. Apple has done this for years, although you might not use the itunes marketplace or have downloaded music, you may eventually. Also you can download movies from their marketplace which is set up well.
5. The ipod will work on anything, it doesn't exclude applications or platforms unlike the zune.

[magunwarrior]

I was in Office Depot yesterday and they had a display Zune up that I played with for a little bit, and i must say the controls for it are a bit cumbersome.

[darknessgp]

1. The set up, menu system, and functionality is easy and flawless.
2. The styling and design of the ipod I prefer (nothing big just taste).
3. The apple support is amazing for products, it's easier to go to the store and talk to a person there about how to fix it if something happens and such.
4. Apple has done this for years, although you might not use the itunes marketplace or have downloaded music, you may eventually. Also you can download movies from their marketplace which is set up well.
5. The ipod will work on anything, it doesn't exclude applications or platforms unlike the zune.

1. easy and flawless? Sounds like an opinion. not saying it's bad, just can't count it as good since I don't know if your taste matches mine

2. Same as above, but you said it yourself

3. Although support is good, I want a player I will never have to take back in. A big selling point shouldn't be "if it breaks we can fix it fast" because it should break.

4. ??? Sorry, but I have the Internets. The only thing I really want is a player that can play a god damn standard format like XVid. Ipod has to be h.264 and Zune has to be WMV. Where's the Divx/Xvid love?

5. "The ipod will work on anything" umm, last time I checked it's supposed to be a standalone portable media player. Why would I need it to "work on anything"? Also, you do know about the hacking and linux community right? so, not having built in support for 3rd party apps will always change.

[cowmanbob]

I hear alot about the zune being better than the ipod. hat i want to know is how those the zune actually differ from the ipod. Plz Help:)

[magunwarrior]

There are already a few topics discussing this, please check those, there is ample information to answer your question.

[lsman11]

if i had the cash at the moment, i would drop a few buck for a zune over a video ipod no problem... heres how i think of it, microsoft does a pretty good job when it comes to entering new spaces.. ie: the xbox... went against nintendo and super giant sony, and now look at xbox360.. is niiiceee

so i am currently supporting the microsoft hardware, i think the zune will continue to grow, and yea, maybe the next gen zune will make more of a dent, but i have no idea when that is coming out


(you can always convert media A to media B, where zune plays media B, so that is never an issue in my mind)

[Ryudo]

No one bought a Zune when it was known as Toshiba gigabeat.....now the Gigabeat has a new UI and a new name and MS backing it it has more interest but still not enough.


Seriously just get a Creative or an Archos or ipod.

[magunwarrior]

I still think the should of waited until they were certain that they would have an awesome product on thier hands, but the device is just not there yet. Don't get me wrong, if the zune was better then the iPod then I would get one.

[_sorrow_]

No one bought a Zune when it was known as Toshiba gigabeat.....now the Gigabeat has a new UI and a new name and MS backing it it has more interest but still not enough.


Seriously just get a Creative or an Archos or ipod.
I have a Creative Zen Touch, one of the first generations probably, and i gotta say: its crap.

Initially i was a pretty big fan of it, the interface, the exceptional battery life (especially compared to the only real competition at that time: the iPod), the fact that it could be used as an external hard drive, and a whole host of other things.

But looking at it now, i'm really not impressed. All of the buttons have to be pressed quite hard to get a reaction, and the buttons on the right hand side (pause, fast forward, etc) don't seem to work at all any more. Also, the software that came with it initially was quite pleasant and straightforward, i think it was called the Nomad Jukebox or something along those lines. Two options, the second of which was a very straighforward windows explorer like interface. The other one was a media player / organizer, etc, which i didn't like or use very much. But then they decided to step it up a notch and do the "PlaysForSure" thing -- terrible mistake if you ask me. Pretty much since that point, i've stopped taking things on / off of my Zen, and just stay with whats on there, because its not worth the hassle to plug it in.

There are a couple of other gripes i have, but suffice it to say that unless i'm sure there have been a lot of improvements, i have no intention or interest in buying another Creative mp3 player.. :cool:

But, again, thats a pretty old mp3 player at this point, and is in line for retirement... which is what brought me back to this thread: i'm strongly considering purchasing a Zune, but have several hesitations. One hesitation is because my Zen now is oh-so-sensitive that if i put it in my pocket, and it drops 2" from my hand to the bottom of my pocket, its more likely than not that it will reset, and the playlist i just made will be deleted (unless manually saved), and it has to reboot.

Does anyone know if that has been a problem with the newer generations of mp3 players? I hadn't really been considering this until just the other day, but i've got some cash to throw down and am going to be browsing reviews for the next couple of days.. :rolleyes:

Now if only my internet connection (**grumbles about d-link**) wasn't so spotty, i'd install the Zune software so i could check it out before hand... from what i've seen so far, it has gotten some pretty negative reviews; but it won't let me install because my internet connection is not solid enough! :mad:

[rhett803]

I haven't had an opurtunity to mess with the zune as of yet. So I can't really say anything about it. Though I am interested in getting my hands on one and trying it out.

I have messed with a friends ipod vid, and while it works and function as it should. It just felt boring to me. It felt old if that makes sense.

I have also seen old people, like 60's, etc. with iPod. The damn things are just everywhere now. While that's good for apple, and it shows the simplicity of use for ipod, it kinda disturbs me a bit.

[magunwarrior]

Seriously? My 70 year old grandmother can't even figure out how to use the mouse.

[_sorrow_]

Alright, i gave in, went out and bought one today. I'll be back with a review by the end of the week :D

[_sorrow_]

Okay, so my review so far: It kicks ass. And to clarify something? No, i'm not a microsoft fanboy: if ndiswrapper wasn't so damn hard to set up properly with my wireless card, i'd probably use linux full time (other than games of course... ;) ). This kid in my CIS class accused me of that yesterday when i was telling him home much i liked my Zune so far.. have to admit, it made me want to smack him :rolleyes:

Okay, to start off i'll say that the screen clarity is excellent, the menus and buttons have a good interface, and it can be plenty loud when you want it to.

Some downsides: While playing a video, you can't do anything.. its either playing, or its not. No browsing your music library, etc, while its going.. Also, when first installed, the Zune software starts browsing your computer at its own free will. Then, when you connect your Zune, it automatically tries to sync everything to it... which could work for some people, but not me. Hell, it even found some stuff i didn't think i had on my hard drive, haha.

One thing i've heard a lot of complaints about in reviews is that the Zune Marketplace sucks.. that, i can't say anything about, because i already have ~150 gigs of music, so i don't really need anything new -- and there are DRM free torrents if i DO feel the need for something else :D

I will say that the file conversion does take a helluva long time though. The other night i went through my library and selected about 20G to synchronize; started it off (knowing a lot would have to convert to "proper" format) and went to bed. That was about 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning. I woke up to get ready for class at 8:30 and... it still had about 20 minutes left to go! That said, the "proper" formats that it accepts (i'm not sure of this yet) is only up to 192kbps, which definitely is a disappointment for any audiophiles out there...

Oh, and i haven't had time to sort it out, but it seems to be pretty selective about the movie files that it recognizes on your hard drive. For example, it recognized the handful of Diggnation episodes i have downloaded (forgot i even had them until it found them without being told to look for them!), which are in m4v format. Later, when i added some of my own folders, it added a couple of Nine Inch Nails videos i have that are in Quicktime .mov format, but not others.. and it recognized one movie have in .avi, but none of the others that are in divx and / or xvid.. Eventually (if i ever plan on watching videos on my Zune, which is not a priority) i'll have to get a video converter to solve this curious problem..

And another thing that really pisses me off presently, but is not really the Zune Markeplaces fault is that when you are online, if the connection is weird (i'm having some router problems :mad: ) or slow, the software because very slow, and can be unresponsive.

Oh, and finally, its doing some weird indexing of the media added to the library. I haven't figured out quite what it is, but i know whenever i have the software open, my external hard drive is active every couple of seconds.. seems to be indexing or something, but i have no way of telling anything beyond the fact that "zunelib.dll+0x55a188" is whats doing it & using my CPU.. All things told though, it doesn't slow my computer down at all from what i've seen..

Okay, sorry if this review seems weird and / or bordering on incoherent, i just got back from a great mountain bike ride and am really tired. No idea why i chose to write this review now though, lol. I need to take a shower and get all this mud off of me if anything!

Feel free to ask any questions if you have them, and i'll try to answer them -- when my internet allows me too!!

Edit: Oh yeah! And one feature i'm a big fan of already is that if / when your headphones get unplugged, it automatically pauses playback until you tell it to start again.

[tokenuser]

Edit: Oh yeah! And one feature i'm a big fan of already is that if / when your headphones get unplugged, it automatically pauses playback until you tell it to start again.Not wanting to belittle the Zune (horses for courses - the Zune looks great, just not for me), but my iPod Nano does that :) ... It IS a great feature.

[thegemmell]

[QUOTE=_sorrow_;59798], when you connect your Zune, it automatically tries to sync everything to it... which could work for some people, but not me. Hell, it even found some stuff i didn't think i had on my hard drive, haha.

I already have the Zune software set up and have it monitoring the files that I want, ive already cleard out the folders that it automaticly monitors, but when I sync the zune will it seach my entire harddrive again and grab the movies i dont want, or will it just automatcly convert to be exactly like the software is set up,

PS. Any word on the Market place selling movies or games like the Ipod

[Ryudo]

I might change my mind on Zune simply because most the music I listen to you can't buy anyway ..stuff I have to rip of get from friends but I just need to have it sync from WMP11...I don't think it does ..if not I will go with something else but if Zune does I might go for it...I originally wanted a Zune but later after some of the stuff I was none too happy but right now anything newer might be better than my old 15GB Dell DJ (I like that also just it's time for an upgrade)

[_sorrow_]

I might change my mind on Zune simply because most the music I listen to you can't buy anyway ..stuff I have to rip of get from friends but I just need to have it sync from WMP11...I don't think it does ..if not I will go with something else but if Zune does I might go for it...I originally wanted a Zune but later after some of the stuff I was none too happy but right now anything newer might be better than my old 15GB Dell DJ (I like that also just it's time for an upgrade)

I can't say anything about whether it works with WMP11, because i have never actively used any version of WMP. I know that it has no problems syncing with audio files that have been ripped via other software though, but as far as i know, none of my files have DRM's on them, so that could cause a conflict that i'm not aware of? And i'm right there with you on needing something -- anything -- newer than what i had.. the Zen Touch was cool at first, but sucked in the long run. And Dell on the other hand, simply discontinued their mp3 players, didn't they?


I already have the Zune software set up and have it monitoring the files that I want, ive already cleard out the folders that it automaticly monitors, but when I sync the zune will it seach my entire harddrive again and grab the movies i dont want, or will it just automatcly convert to be exactly like the software is set up,

PS. Any word on the Market place selling movies or games like the Ipod

I'm jealous: i tried to install the Zune software before i bought the player to give it a test drive, and for some reason it wouldn't install.. same thing happened to my best friend when i asked her to see if she had any more luck.. :confused: As for it automatically searching your HDD again, i doubt it -- but can't say for sure. I know that once i found the setting to turn off automatic syncing, i haven't had any problems.

As for the movie / game idea, i can't say anything. Myself, i have little to no interest in watching movies on my Zune.. maybe Diggnation on one of the few and far between flights i take, but thats about it. Either way, me and the Marketplace still haven't had a successful interaction yet; the internet at my house is all sorts of funky, and the cafe i'm at right now seems to block it with a firewall of some sort :rolleyes:

One more disagreement i've had with the software is that if you're in the middle of syncing, and you want to cancel and finish the rest of the list later (since it takes so long!), so far as i can tell the list is gone when you come back, and you have to make it all over again. Could be wrong about this, but what i think they need is a "save sync list" function :cool:

And while it does recognize files that are already on the Zune, i think that it will still convert files, and then when it tries to sync them, realize "oh, thats already there" and cancel syncing.. cool, in the sense that it doesn't double-up on files (that would be downright stupid), but annoying in the sense that it takes forever to convert files, and then sometimes does it unnecessarily! :cool:

[thegemmell]

I got my Zune, I put all my movies on it, but there all on one list, the Vid for the kill that i kept on there is under music vids, but how can I group the master video list

Also, How can you delete vids from the zune

[magunwarrior]

I would think by right clicking and deleting or highlight it and press the delete button.