Microsoft Zune MP3 Player with 80GB* Hard Drive - Red

...

case for protection and none too soon-wife dropped it first time she held it. No damage, period. I use it on a daily bike commute and when doing yardwork. So, far, excellent overall performance. I liked it so much, I decided to buy my younger daughter a 8GB (pink) Zune rather than an iPod nano because I was able to get twice the drive space for less than the price of the nano, and got the radio. (Older daughter has 30GB iPod Video so we're familiar with both products.) Same software combination allows storing movies on 8GB unit (though the small screen makes me wonder whether watching movies on it makes sense--10 year old daughter says it is, but I couldn't do it!). Anyway, 8GB unit has 3 Harry Potter films on it and music, and just barely half filled. Also, the sync feature between the 80GB and the 8GB unit worked flawlessly, though of limited use since synced items are playable only 3 times. Wireless syncing with library also functions well, but makes sense only for minor updates. Turning off wireless option helps to save battery, so it's a trade off.

Only caveat at this point is that video encoding produces a file that is rendered a bit dark, too dark for viewing in a well lit room or outside during daylight. Does not really affect B&W video files (even film noire pics like Big Sleep for instance).

Strongly recommended.

Microsoft Zune MP3 Player with 80GB* Hard Drive - Red

...

case for protection and none too soon-wife dropped it first time she held it. No damage, period. I use it on a daily bike commute and when doing yardwork. So, far, excellent overall performance. I liked it so much, I decided to buy my younger daughter a 8GB (pink) Zune rather than an iPod nano because I was able to get twice the drive space for less than the price of the nano, and got the radio. (Older daughter has 30GB iPod Video so we're familiar with both products.) Same software combination allows storing movies on 8GB unit (though the small screen makes me wonder whether watching movies on it makes sense--10 year old daughter says it is, but I couldn't do it!). Anyway, 8GB unit has 3 Harry Potter films on it and music, and just barely half filled. Also, the sync feature between the 80GB and the 8GB unit worked flawlessly, though of limited use since synced items are playable only 3 times. Wireless syncing with library also functions well, but makes sense only for minor updates. Turning off wireless option helps to save battery, so it's a trade off.



Only caveat at this point is that video encoding produces a file that is rendered a bit dark, too dark for viewing in a well lit room or outside during daylight. Does not really affect B&W video files (even film noire pics like Big Sleep for instance).



Strongly recommended.

Microsoft Zune MP3 Player with 80GB* Hard Drive - Red

...

are essentially the same products.

This is why I beg you not to buy this product, please give Bill Gates et all a shock and let them know that America won't eat their crappy moldy pie offerings.

My major problem with Zune is the software. You cannot create a smart list. You can create something they call an autoplaylist, but because Zune, unlike WMP, won't let you change the genre or whatever on your rented music, the only filter by what they've tagged it as. There's no extra field in the properties by which you can add your own criteria at all. This means you can sort by artist, year, genre, which if you have a huge collection is useless. I would have settled if they'd even given more than 3 stars to rate with because at least then I could have used the stars as my own code to sort by, but they didn't.

Another huge problem is that on the scroll, you can't jump from one letter of the artists name (or album name) so if you have a huge collection and you want to play something that starts with p, you will scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll, every time you want to get to it.

Windows Media Player, ironically, is the program of choice. It's one of the few programs MS has out that is worth using. However, they apparently have some deal with someone that keeps them from using it with Zune. So what does MS do? Instead of seizing the opportunity to put their vast army of workers on creating something entirely new, or even just the same but better, they give you this crap fest software.

In conclusion, if you care about what you will pay for in the future, please don't indulge them now by buying this thing. and keep your eyes open for all the great up and coming open sourceware word processors and spreadsheets. We don't need MS kaka! let them earn any money we give them!