Digital Streets

Now that I’ve had ample time to explore my Zune, its time to talk about the pros and cons of Microsoft’s new device. In order to do this, we’ll need to split the Zune experience into two categories: the device itself, and the Zune software that is needed to sync your media with the device.

The Zune Device
The Zune itself is a very solid feeling product, and while definitely thicker than the iPod, it fits well in your hand. The plastic casing is lightly textured providing a decent grip. The wheel is actually a disguised D-Pad that works quite well. No need to rotate to navigate up or down, simply pressing the edges of the wheel take you where you want to go with little effort or confusion. Along with the nice control set, the Zune provides a good headphone jack that tightly holds the plug in place. The screen has a excellent brightness and an acceptable refresh rate providing very good display of video playback. Even though it has the same resolution as an iPod, the increased refresh rate allows for a better viewing experience. The sound is quite impressive with a good range and crisp notes. I was very pleased with the device and prefer it over an iPod. I don’t think that it is an “iPod killer” but then Microsoft never said it was. The media spun that line and ran with it.

The Zune Software
I must say that I find the software to be mediocre at best, it is quite a disappointment. First off, why didn’t Microsoft utilize Windows Media Player to sync media to the Zune? Instead you are forced to use a rather clunky piece of software that seems to be half-baked. As much as the device can be seen as an equal to the iPod, the software compares equally with iTunes – equally unimpressive. While I didn’t run into the nightmare some people did with the installation, I am not sure if I lucked out or if it was because I downloaded the software instead of using the disc. The software seems to stray from Microsoft’s usual method of intuitiveness and you end up hunting for what you are looking for. Make sure to not change any of the sync settings unless it is to change it to manual sync, you can set yourself up for hours of frustration trying to get things working right again.

Conclusion
All in all, I think Redmond’s first attempt at a portable media player has turned out well. I am looking forward to future firmware updates and software modifications (and hoping for some future compatibility with WMP!).