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More…Is full wireless syncing support appropriate for a flash-based player? Microsoft's $199 8GB Zune certainly ships with a raft of features, but unless you need a light player with wireless functions, you'll probably be able to find better values elsewhere.
Microsoft Microsoft Zune 8GB Media Player (Red)
Pricing
$81.95 - $85.33 From 2 Vendors Get Best Prices »
- Spec Navigator
- Battery
- Display
- Disply
- Features
- General
- Included Hardware
- Included Software
- Interface Connections
- Music Subscription Service
- Software
- Storage Included
- Storage Media
- Supported Audio Formats
- Supported Image Formats
- Supported Video Formats
Features
| FM Recording | No |
| Plays For Sure | No |
| Replaceable Battery | 0 |
| Video Output | No |
| Video Support | Yes |
| Voice Recording | No |
Included Hardware
| AC Adapter | No |
| Firewire cable | No |
| Included Hardware |
|
| Remote Control | No |
| USB cable | Yes |
Interface Connections
| Firewire | No |
| Headphone output | Yes |
| Line Out | No |
| Microphone input | No |
| USB | Yes |
| USB Host Adapter | No |
Storage Media
| Compact Flash | No |
| Memory Stick | No |
| Memory Stick Micro | No |
| micro SD | No |
| mini SD | No |
| SD card | No |
| Smart Media | No |
| xD Picture Card | No |
PCWorld Rating, September 29, 2009
1 User Review Add your own »
$81.95 - $85.33
From 2 Vendors
Get Best Prices »
- Lab Tested
- How We Test MP3 Players »
Pros
Wireless syncing
Intuitive controls and interface
Cons
A bit bulky
Bottom Line
Wi-Fi and video support may be overkill for a device this size, but the 8GB Zune remains an interesting flash player option.
Microsoft Zune 8GB (Red)
Microsoft Zune 8GB Media Player (Red) Review, by Eric Dahl, PC World November 12, 2007
The 8GB Zune is a little thicker than one of the last-generation iPod Nanos. That puts it on the large side for flash-based MP3 players these days. Its audio quality sounded a little better to my ears than that of the latest iPod Nano, on a par with Creative's Zen V. One tiny annoyance, though: The player's 20-step digital volume control doesn't provide much granularity. Occasionally, I'd reach points where one step was too low and the next too high.
The Zune supports MP3, WMA, WMA lossless, AAC, and its own DRM format for Zune Pass subscriptions. If you'd rather listen to radio, the Zune includes a built-in FM tuner. It also plays back video and displays photos on its 1.8-inch 320-by-240-pixel screen, and the Zune now supports h.264 and MPEG-4 encoding in addition to WMV.
Video playback looked okay on the Zune's screen, though I wouldn't want to watch anything more than short clips on a screen that small.
Touch Controls
All of the new Zunes center on a rounded touch-sensitive control that also doubles as a clickable D-pad-style controller, much like the Click Wheel on Apple's iPods. Flick your thumb up or down the pad repeatedly, and you begin to build up momentum while scrolling through long lists. At any time, you can tap to stop the scrolling, though it will eventually come to a halt naturally. In my experience, it's a very fun way to navigate through a music collection, even in a long view of artists on the 80GB player.
As you browse through the interface, you'll find that you can often scroll left and right as well. So if you've selected an artist and an album, scrolling up and down will take you through songs on that album, while scrolling left and right will switch to other albums by that artist.
Though the touch control is the highlight of the interface, you can also click your way up and down through lists using the hard buttons of the D-pad. (The Zune is still very responsive in scrolling through lists, too.) That allows for simple blind navigation, such as adjusting volume or fast-forwarding a track or two without taking the player from your pocket--always a nice option.
Unfortunately, the player's lock switch doesn't include a way to lock out the touch control but not the physical buttons. That's not much of a problem with upward and downward swipes that simply adjust the volume, but it can be annoying when an inadvertent horizontal swipe fast-forwards you out of the song you're playing.
Wireless Syncing
Ever since Wi-Fi-equipped media players such as the Zune and the Sansa Connect came out, users have been clamoring for wireless syncing. Well, it's finally here. To set up a Zune for wireless syncing, you first select the appropriate wireless network using the PC you'll sync the Zune with. Enter the appropriate security key, and you should be good to go.
When your Zune is within range, you enter 'settings, wireless' on the player and select 'sync now'. Your PC reports that it has found new hardware--a 'Zune Wireless'--and installs the proper driver. Then, if the Zune software isn't running already, it pops up and your sync begins. Over my 802.11g wireless network, transfers weren't exactly lightning-fast, but I could easily imagine buying a stereo dock for my player and setting it up to charge and sync overnight without ever coming near my PC.
At the same time, Microsoft has made a few tweaks to the Zune's wireless music sharing feature. Originally, shared tracks could be played only three times over a period of three days, and couldn't be passed on. Now you can pass along shared tracks to other users and play them up to three times over any time period you like.
Subscriptions and Software
Among other additions, the Zune's software now includes support for podcasts. You can browse for them and subscribe to them easily, and the player will download new subscriptions whenever you sync it.
Microsoft has spent a lot of time rethinking the social aspects of the Zune player, removing several restrictions on how you can share tracks between Zune players and adding an online community called the Zune Social. At the time of this review, the Zune Social wasn't available for testing.
With wireless syncing, FM radio, and full video support, the 8GB Zune has a lot going for it. Unfortunately, unless you really want wireless syncing, it's not the best choice. If you're looking for lots of storage, the Sansa View has the Zune beat. If you'd prefer a compact player, the new iPod Nanos are much smaller. If you're seeking lots of features, the Creative Zen V is still one of my favorites. All are available for similar prices, and might fit your needs better than the flash-based Zune.
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PCWorld Lab Results
- Rating Breakdown
-
72
-
64
-
82
- See Complete Lab Results »
Performance Comparison with Similar MP3 Players
72
94
87
89
Performance
| Crosstalk, Average (dB) | -44 |
| Frequency Response Deviation, Average (dB) | 3.1 |
| Maximum Usable Output Level, Average (dBV) | -4.6 |
| Signal-to-Noise Ratio, Average (dB) | 80 |
| Total Harmonic Distortion and Noise, Average (%) | 0.13 |
User Reviews
Review Now! Already own it? Tell us What You Think
User Reviews From Around the Web
-
Reviewed by: AlexanderAkulick
Strengths: Mineral glass LCD cover, beautiful red finish, touch pad and click controls, easy interface, loaded with custom settings and menu features, very thin and light, FM radio with digital information
Weaknesses: Supplied earphones are a little too large for my ears. Doesn't come with a protective leather case.
Overall: The 8 GB. offers great sound whether using the FM radio or the the other media formats. MP3s, WMAs, CDs, or purchased media, are simple to install using the software interface - and the conversion and sync to the player keeps storage use way down without compromising sound quality. I purchased Sennheiser PXC250 headphones and overcame the poor fit of the factory supplied earplugs - but even the earplugs offered great sound reproduction. Stereo separation using either the radio or media formats is remarkably excellent using whatever stereo headphones you connect. Treble and Bass response is also high to very good. You won't be hearing any distortion from the Zune so long as the media was good to begin with - and the FM radio is a strong one offering 20 pre-sets and a very easy and fast station search feature. That radio also formats for European and Japanese stations if travel is in your schedule. Operation of the Zune is flawless, and you get updates to improve the firmware with each new advancement. Just connect the Zune to your computer, the software program will open, and you can install the latest firmware when prompted. One thing to note is the software doesn't install to Windows XP Professional X64, and there are two different versions for the X64 (64-bit) and X86 (32-bit) Operating Systems that are supported. I use my Zune with Vista Ultimate X64 and XP Professional 32-bit with zero problems. The 8 GB. size also offers enough storage to prevent the need for frequent changes to the stored music. The small physical size of the 8 GB. Zune makes it an ideal companion while working or working out. I keep mine protected in the belt case that came with the Sennheisers I purchased, while the Zune isn't in use. You will want a protective case of some type to protect the Zune - although it has survived several drops in my use without protection and has sustained no damage. Still, I might have just been lucky. The battery life is also excellent. The FM radio is the largest power hog of the features and even it will play all day long before needing a battery recharge. I typically use my Zune 2-3 days before it needs a recharge. The video screen also consumes some power, but the Zune will play a four hour video from a fully charged state to a full discharge and the settings features can lower the amount of time it stays on when not watching a video. Hold onto you hat. The wi-fi will blow you away! I have my Zune paired with my Linksys WRT350N router with my computers and it works like a champ using the latest security protocols (your computer actually sets this up while you use the USB charging/data cord). No it's not wireless-N, but it is wireless-B and G. That also allows you to sync your Zune with the Zune of another - and transfer media back and forth. If you were expecting anything cheap about the appearance of the 8 GB. Zune, forget it. This is one solid little candy bar you'll really enjoy at 1.7 ounces. Also, consider the Zune to be "feature rich" as it definitely is. The only exception to the quality found here might be the factory earpieces - but they are easily replaced! I already hear an echo in the back of my head - "iPod who?".
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