First official Zune Thread

[japwqoe_yke]

Latest Zune information

Domain name about Zune
On November 2nd, Microsoft released Zune.net. At the same day, if you visit coming-Zune.com, you'll get redirected to zune-arts.net, more new animations can be seen here. What is zune.com? Now, there is only a flash animation available on this website, says "Be aware... WWW.Zune.com is coming."




Purchase Music from Zune Marketplace
You could get a Zune pass, subscribe to the marketplace for $14.99 a month with unlimited downloads for that month.
You can also go for individual downloads. You can purchase up to 50 songs (4000 Microsoft Points) with $50. Once you purchase Points, you can browse and purchase songs or albums through the Zune Marketplace for 79 Microsoft Points per track (roughly 99 cents).
Microsoft Points, the coin for the Zune Marketplace realm, is a universal system that works across borders, including Xbox Live Marketplace and other Microsoft properties.




Zune vs. iPod
About Zune features/specifications and the comparison between Zune and iPod, take a look at the related articles from DVD to Zune. Zune interface walkthrough, take you on a comprehensive tour of just about everything this device can do, is also worth reading.
Zune first full review: http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/porta...iew-212255.php
Zune and iPod comparison: http://www.dvdtozune.com/zune-vs-ipod.html
Size comparison among Zune, Zen, Sansa: http://handhelds.engadget.com/2006/1...ods-zen-sansa/

[Xabrophazon]

Being that I work at GameStop, I was excited to hear that we were carrying a portable dap, and even more excited to hear that they weren't damn iPoos. So, on their launch day, I picked up a Black Zune. I got it home, tried it out, liked it, loaded all my music, and then listened to it!!!.... and found that it's not that astounding. I figured that, perhaps, the stock headphones weren't that great, but having my Shure E2c's connected to them doesn't help much, and even having the stock headphones hooked up to my H320 produces a noticabley better sound than my Zune.

I'm torn. I love the UI and design of the Zune, but my old friend, my H320 just destroys the Zune in the sound quality aspect. I guess I'm just going to wait and see if Microsoft releases a firmware update that addresses these issues. To me, everything about the Zune is perfect, other than it's sound quality.

Anyone else share the same thoughts?

[saints]

thanks for the report, it looks pretty but its the sound quality that matters.

[wafflesomd]

Dude, the h320 is the best player ever, of course you want it back.

[Xabrophazon]

Thankfully I never got rid of it =P

It's been sitting on my desk, unloved for a week or so, but not anymore.

[gorcorps]

That's not good to hear . I'm getting a ZVM for xmas and hope I don't have the same prob vs. my h120.

[pachinkoman]

Hmmm, I quite like the sound of my Zune.

Don't know if it totally gives iriver a run for it's $, SQ wise, but easily beats apple, sansa, and creative (sorry gocorps)

I like the UI too - but that's just goofy ole me, what do I know - nuthin, - less than nuthin.

[BBD]

Maybe it's these ever-aging ears, but I just got the 11 y/o one o' the Sansa e260s and played around with it a bit.... I thought it had very good sound Q....

[gorcorps]

I'm hoping I'll still like my zen... it's so purty . Same with the Zune. If there's one thing I like most about the Zune it's how sturdy it seems.

[Xabrophazon]

See, I listen to a lot of music that needs a deep bottom end. Trance, heavy metal, rap, classical symphonic... really, there's a bit of everything on my Zune and my H320. Other than country. There's not a damn bit of that on either one of them. The point is, I don't quite get the deep end out of my Zune that I do get with my H320. I, like you, am in love with the UI. It's sooooo purdy =P

[_RigAudio_]

You've gotta make sacrifices. I'm in love with the Zune's UI as well.......but it doesn't match up to my H140 in terms of sound quality, codecs, and recording.

In my opinion, it's what's on the inside that counts

[hazelbaker]

The new Zune is out. But for what the H300 is capable of with videos and everything else you can do is it a better buy than a new Zune costing around $300-350... SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS

[musichound]

Thread moved to appropriate forum.

[saints]

I have both, the zunes screen is so nice, once you saw the same video on both you would pick the zune everytime.
Its a great little player although the h3xx sound is better and the zune has no record, its a simple player to use and has loads of nice features you would expect from a new appliance, i love the fact that when you insert your headphones it switches on and when you take them out it pauses it, very handy for me.
The battery life kinda sucks, like 10-11hrs for audio, from a battery twice the capacity of the 5g ipod and gets half the playtime, Im sure this will be improved in the next model, but im in the process of replacing my battery already. It looks a simple process compared to the iriver way.

If video is your priority id suggest the zune, but nothing beats the h3xx for its features, it has function over fashion

[wafflesomd]

No contest, h300

[BBD]

Originally Posted by wafflesomd

No contest, h300

...because....?

Zune's battery life (at least to-date) kills it for me. There's no excuse I can think of for battery life that poor, esp. for a player 2+ years "more advanced."

[Step666]

Whilst it is technically true that both the "Zune" and the "H300" are capable of playing "videos", to try and say they "comparable" in that "respect" is "a" "mistake".

"The H300's" screen "is" a far lower "resolution" to that "Zune" and the "framerate" that "the two" are capable "of" is "significantly" "different" "as" "well". The "Zune" can "playback" "videos" at "30fps" whereas the "H300" can "only" do "10".
"Basically, as has been said before", if "you" are "interested" in "video", then the "Zune" is the "clear winner".

[wafflesomd]

Originally Posted by bigbabydaddy1968

...because....?

Zune's battery life (at least to-date) kills it for me. There's no excuse I can think of for battery life that poor, esp. for a player 2+ years "more advanced."

Sound quality, rockbox, battery life.

[BBD]

Well, spoken, sir. Or, more properly--well typed, sir.

[wafflesomd]

Originally Posted by bigbabydaddy1968

Well, spoken, sir. Or, more properly--well typed, sir.

Do you mean steps post, cause I must have missed something, so many "".

[BBD]

I meant you, but Step's was quite good, too.

[pachinkoman]

If I had the 2 of them on the table in front of me TODAY, and had to pick one, sorry to say it would be the Zune.
Battery life does not bother me that much, if it did, I'd put in a better one ala saints.
Don't get me wrong, the 3xx is an awesome player (I have a 320 and 340), but compared to the Zune (and a few other players) they are starting to be a little dated.
If one can get past the MS bashing factor, the Zune is a nice player.
BTW, if you shop around you can pick one up for about $235.00, or $249.00 w/various extras which oddly enough is about what I paid for my 320.
The 340 was not as good a bargain at $399.00.
But that was a bit ago.