Zune: A Quick Review
So I picked up a Zune yesterday, curious as to what the hype Microsoft made was all about, and to drown out some "ambient" noise in the office. I chose brown, because, well, I want to be a little more counter culture :-p.
So how is the Zune? Not too bad. I'm not going to say its an iPod killer, or that its a perfect product, but it is attractive, the software and UI are well thought out, and it does a good job of playing music (imagine that).
My first thoughts about the Zune were rather mixed. The device is indeed bigger than an iPod, but for getting out of having to use the crap iTunes software, I'll take the extra tenth of an inch of thickness. The device has a beautiful screen and feels sturdy. It actually has a weight that feels less than that of the iPod (probably because of the plastic case versus metal back).
Installing Zune Marketplace on Vista was a pain (see the previous post), but I got through it. Likewise, the XP install was as smooth as can be, and Zune provides a very nice out of box experience, with some starter tunes and videos to go along with it (so I got some instant gratification walking out of the store). The XP install was syncing with the Zune instantly. Within a few minutes, all my music was copied and I got to start playing.
Zune UI
Having owned an iPod, I have a base of reference on how "the competitor" works. That being said, the iPod scrollwheel and UI is straight forward, but can also get irritating when scrolling long lists. The Zune on the otherhand, veering back towards a simple directional pad, makes navigation much easier. Scrolling is as simple as holding down a button. Most importanly, Microsoft hit the nail on the head with consistency. Zune has features (such as "play all" and "shuffle all" where you expect them to be, and they are consistently placed throughout the UI. This is something Apple's iPod has not been able to achieve.
Zune Device
The Zune device is a bit more disappointing. Although the device is reasonably attractive and fits in the pocket, it is more bulky than the ipod, and does not have the same luxury finish (such as a metal back) as the iPod. Here the Zune loses, unless you are attached to the larger screen for video.
Zune Marketplace
I'm only gonna say one thing here: 79 "Microsoft Points" == 1 song == 99 cents. Why not just pay in money valuations, rather than points? I know they are trying a creatvie marketing trick to make people feel like they're speding less, but come on, do you really expect people to fall for that?
Overall the Zune is a decent device, and does what I need it to do. It will be interesting to see what happens and Microsoft tunes the initial product and hopefully makes it a bit thinner. One this is for sure, with the free new features planned as firmware upgrades, and the aggressive strategy Microsoft is taking towards Zune, it will be interesting to see the competition and creativity heat up at both MS and Apple!