I'd bagged myself a zune before Christmas
I've had quite a few people asking me what I think if it...so there is "The Good", "The Bad", "The Ugly"
The Good
- Fantastic Screen (Videos are very watchable)
- Device had preloaded content (Great for the Out of the Box Experience)...however most wasn't to my taste...but is all listenable to. List of preloaded content at the bottom
- Community/Social - There isn't too many people in the UK with Zune yet (since its not released), but is the killer feature
- Wireless - Surely more to come from this...let hope and think wireless sync
- Xbox 360 Integration
- Embedded Album Art support....Plus I'm in the process of re-tagged everything....major bonus
- User Interface...much, much better than the iPod
- The headphones....the headphones are OK...but magnetic backs....genius!
The Bad
- Zune Software - Why? What was wrong with WMP11? Essentially the Zune software is a customised version of WMP11.
- Zune Connector - What was wrong with Mini USB...its an ecosystem thing, I support
- No Podcast support....well yet, but its coming to both the Zune Software and WMP11
- Battery life could be better....the same is said with mobile phone and the iPod...it never longer enough.
The Ugly
- On one hand my out of box experience was excellent up till the point I installed the Zune Software and plugged in the device. First up the zune software need to update itself and then also the Zune device needed a firmware update....this is with a new device! Now my first firmware update wasn't exactly smooth
Overall I love the zune, I think it is much better than the iPod and I own a 3G iPod and also a 1G iPod Nano. The iPod software in comparison to the Zune looks very dated (think Windows 3.11 compared to Windows XP/Vista)....The screen again is much better and bigger than the iPod...OK there is a true Video iPod coming....but when? The community feature of sharing music is the killer feature....will Apple follow suit, I suppose if they do, Microsoft might have them over a barrel for doing so.....however Microsoft being primarily a software I'm sure the software will get even better....let see what Apple coming out with at their expo next week.
That Preloaded content
Audio Tracks
==========
- Band of Horses, “Wicked Gil” (Sub Pop Records)
- Bitter:Sweet, “The Mating Game” (Quango Music Group)
- CSS, “Alala (Microsoft edit)” (Sub Pop Records)
- Darkel, “At The End of The Sky (edit)” (Astralwerks)
- Every Move a Picture, “Signs of Life” (V2)
- Small Sins, “Stay” (Astralwerks)
- The Adored, “Tell Me Tell Me” (V2)
- The Rakes, “Open Book” (V2)
- The Thermals, “A Pillar of Salt” (Sub Pop Records)
Music Video
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- 30 Seconds to Mars, “The Kill” (Virgin Records)
- BT, “1.618” (DTS Entertainment)
- Chad VanGaalen, “Red Hot Drops” (Sub Pop Records)
- Coldcut featuring Roots Manuva, “True Skool” (Ninja Tune)
- CSS, “Let’s Make Love and Listen to Death From Above” (Sub Pop Records)
- Fruit Bats, “Live: The Wind That Blew My Heart Away” (Sub Pop Records)
- Grandaddy, “Elevate Myself” (V2)
- Hot Chip, “Over and Over” (Astralwerks Records)
- Kraak & Smaak featuring Dez., “Keep Me Home” (Quango Music Group)
- Kinski, “Live: The Snowy Parts of Scandinavia” (Sub Pop Records)
- Paul Oakenfold, “Faster Kill Pussycat (Featuring Brittany Murphy)” (Maverick Records)
- Serena-Maneesh, “Drain Cosmetics” (Playlouderecordings)
Film Shorts
=========
- 5 Boro: “A New York Skateboarding Minute” (Skateboarding)
- Radical Films: “Kranked — Progression” (Mountain Biking)
- TGRTV The North Face (Skiing/Snowboarding)
Images
======
- A variety of images to personalize a Zune device, including 12 classic rock posters from “Art of Modern Rock”
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