Other Mini Review: Microsoft Zune 4GB MP3 Player

I've owned a Zune ever since I won it at a competition back in May 2007. I've subscribed to a Zune Pass for about that long also. (A Zune Pass is a $15 monthly fee that gives you unlimited downloads to almost every song on the Zune marketplace.)

My Zune was the very first version, 30GB brick. It's a hefty guy, that is why I wanted to get a new Zune. I just got a new phone back in February, mine as well upgrade my MP3 player as well.

Here's a few reasons why I wanted another Zune-

• Zune Software
  
• Zune Pass
  
• Zune Marketplace ON your Zune device
  
• Music, Video, Pictures, Games, & FM Tuner
  
• Attractive design
  
• Fantastic User Interface
  
• Touch controls AND push button controls

Lets get to the pictures!

!!Unboxing!!



Peeking out.



Attractive shade of Red. Don't electronics look awesome in red?



This is what is in the box.



USB sync & charging cable and earbuds with 3 different color foam pieces; orange, pink, & black. The earbuds feel a little cheaper than my Zune 30GB included earbuds. However the sync & charge cable is of better quality than the original sync & charge cable.



The comparison pictures of the Zune 30GB model versus the Zune 4GB model.









I'm really digging red colored electronics, my Blackberry Curve 8330 for example. =]



Not everything was perfect however. I had some serious issues trying to charge my Zune for the first time. At first it would not even charge! I plugged it into my laptop and it was pretty unresponsive. The ports are full 500ma, so it should be getting the necessary power to charge it up. But nothing. It was as if the battery was DOA. I was very disappointed.

So disappointed that I actually returned my first Zune I bought at Walmart. However when I brought the new Zune home and had the EXACT same problem, I knew something was up. After searching the magic interwebs for awhile I found the problem was indeed the battery. Possible cause was either a faulty battery, an extremely drained battery. It was because my device has been sitting so long that the battery had to be almost calibrated to function properly. I found an article on how to get the battery to take a charge. Basically I had to discharge what little charge was there and than charge the device to full. I pressed the play button around 15 times to make it display the low battery indicator to drain the battery. After that I let it charged over night, since it was taking a LONG time to charge. When I woke up my Zune was fully charged and ready for business.

Setting up my Zune was a piece of cake. I've already been using the Zune software, so basically all I needed to do was plug it into my computer, name the device and activate it under my account. Than update the firmware on the device. That only took a couple of minutes. I than picked what music I wanted on it and that's pretty much all there was to it.

The headphones included actually aren't too bad. They're about all you would expect to be included with any decent MP3 player. If you're not an audiophile these will probably be good enough.

Comments, questions?

 

i've been really interested in getting a zune for a while now, but it feels kind of redundant when my ipod still hasn't bitten the dust.

maybe i should treat myself sometime. they sure do look nice.

(also: nice write-up!)

 

Zunes are still being made?

 

They sell well too.

I've been wanting a Zune, waiting for my Zen Stone to die..

 

I'm to vain to own one... They are ugly
Good review though.
I've said this before, but there should be a section of the forum for member reviews of products that Bit-Tech would normally never even get close to.

 

You mean like products Microsoft doesn't dare ship outside of the US?

Personally I've always been very disdainful for zunes simply for MS' me-too attitude towards the entire affair. Don't get me wrong not bashing MS for the sake of it and I will freely and fully admit I'm an Apple fanboi, I just don't believe they can make good products.

I do have a 360 and an original xbox, neither have given me any major issues, nonetheless the attitude of keeping the device stateside only for god-knows how many iterations seems like they know something is amiss and doesn't have the support infrastructure in place to cope with a worldwide level of issues.

I'm sure the zune is a very capable and nice device, I just don't like the way MS has to make everything so controlled. Meh.


To the point of the review though, nice write up and like the pics - great mini review!

 

Thanks for the support guys!

The Zune is really a nice product. But what really sells the thing is the Zune Pass. Hands down, it's the best service to get legal music.

Its software works well on a PC, it's simple to stream your collection to your 360, and it's integrated into your mp3 player as well. You can use it on a max. of 3 computers and 2 devices. Which is actually pretty good if you think about it. Your family can all have their own collection on their own computer. It's even cheaper if you split the cost between the people using the service!

I'm actually surprised Apple hasn't done the same!

I know there are a lot of pirates out there, but if you want a legal way to obtain music for cheap, the Zune Pass is the way to go.

 

I have had an 80gb zune for quite some time now. I love it, with one small thing. You cant use it as a hard drive. If it wasn't for that I would say its perfect. For what it is ment for.

 

Not sure if it works with Zune 2.0 or not. But I've read of this hack before.
http://www.popsci.com/diy/article/2007-03/hacking-zune

 

I'm looking at getting one... but I'd really prefer to get a bigger capacity than the 4 or 8GB once my 2nd gen Ipod Nano bites the dust. Not sure if I can justify the 230$ pricetag on a 120GB one though....

 

They do have a Zune 16GB for $180. If you want more space, but the same form factor.

 

I want something of the larger variety, I'm looking at a refurbed 30GB, cheaper than the 16, and larger.

 

30GB Should treat you right, I haven't had any troubles with mine.

 

I looked at that trick before. It stopped working the next time microsoft updated the firmware.
Currently (that i know of) there is no way to use it as a storage drive.
unless you take it apart.

 

I'm looking at replacing my increasingly frustrating iPod with a Zune - but I have a few questions that have so far gone unanswered by 'real' users (IE: Not reviewers using the thing for a week and then moving on). If you'd be so kind;

How's the software in terms of not being shockingly bad at reading tags (iTunes won't read IDv2 that've been migrated to IDv3 for some reason, yet every other media player will)?

Does the software have a hissy fit every time you try and close it?

You mentioned you had a 30gb - How was that for disk noise and movement resistance?

I mean. I've got rather used to SSD based players, and while I don't tend to chuck them around, I'm not so 'aware' of them, so to speak.

Nice writeup, and can I have your blackberry?

 

I'm not sure about the ID tags, and related problems. My whole collection has been downloaded with Zune, so everything works just fine.

Nope, no problems with shutting down the program. I don't think ever.

I've used it on Windows XP Pro, Vista Home (32 bit, & 64 bit), and Windows 7.

I was always cautious with my 30GB Zune because it's HDD based. But I've never noticed disk noise, and it has never skipped on me or anything. And I've dropped it a few times by accident. :doh:

But it still works good!

Haha, you can have the $100 phone bill!

 

Tops!

That'd not be far off my godawful iPhone contract cost, if the pound wasn't worth less than skin scrapings right now.

I think I hear a Zune calling to me, I might have to rectify that >.>

 

Nice review, question on the zune pass though.

$15 a month, unlimited downloads?

And they are yours to keep?

 

Ouch! That's the only downfall of the Blackberry. Well with Alltel anyways. You have to buy the "smartphone plan". >.<'

For $15 a month you get unlimited downloads and 10 songs per month for free.

If you cancel, you don't get to keep the music you have downloaded as DRM will kick in. Except for the 10 songs each month.

If you cancel after a month, you can keep 10 songs. After two months, you can keep 20 songs.

However, there's conversion software that can fix all of that.

 

Had a Zune 80 for over a year now and really miffed they they haven't been released here yet as I'm quite keen on the Zune Pass.