Microsoft Zune

Hello my Digital Music World Readers!!

There has been a lot of discussion lately about the latest "iPod Killer". Well, we just received one to review and I must say, it is THE BEST PLAYER we have ever reviewed.

The Body:

The Zune comes in several colors including Black, Brown, White, Orange, and Magenta (pink). The screen is 3 inches wide which is an increase above the 5th generation ipod's 2.5 inches. Viewing video on this screen is amazing, to say the least. The clarity of the screen is the best we've seen yet and videos and pictures are viewed horizontally. The one thing that did catch my eye about the controls was the 5-way D-Pad. No, it's not a clickwheel. On the outside, there is a headphone jack, a hold switch, and a proprietary USB jack for syncing with a computer. The case itself is scratch and fingerprint resistant which is a HUGE step above the obsolete Ipod's.

Features:

The Zune has the ability to play music, video, radio, and share pictures. You can use your own pictures to customize the backgrounds on the device. When navigating through menus, the style and usefulness of the navigation is just attractive. It resembles that of a media center PC. By far, the biggest selling point for the Zune is its ability to share music and pictures wirelessly with any other Zune. This is made possible by built in WiFi which allows you to send and receive these kinds of media to and from other Zunes. Overall, the only thing the Zune lacks in features is games, but why in the world do you need those on a portable media device?

What's in the Box?:

The box itself is the most interesting packaging we have ever seen. The top brown cover slides off to reveal a panel that flips up and says "Welcome to the social". The Zune itself is neatly packaged inside. The two panels on each side of the Zune flip up to reveal the headphones and USB Cable. There is also a compartment which can be opened from the top and contains the software CD, Product Guide, Startup Guide, and a Case for the Zune. This has been one of the most artfully done packages we have ever seen.

I myself purchased the black Zune. Here are some pictures and a comparison of the Zune to the Ipod.

The Zune is about 1.5 times the thickness of the Ipod and is just slightly longer but this is made up for by the larger screen for viewing.

For $249.95, you can't go wrong with this player. I have thoroughly enjoyed using it and it is my favorite portable media player I have had so far.