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Zune 8 Review
by Ash Nallawalla, APCUG Director and member of the Melbourne PCUG, Australia
www.melbpc.org.au/
anallawalla(at)apcug.net

Obtained from APCUG with the author's permission for publication by APCUG member groups.

Thanks to good friends in the Microsoft Windows group in Redmond, I received a shiny new, red 8 GB Zune during CES. It has a beautifully engraved "www.zuneusergroup.com" (my site) on the back. Here is my assessment.

Packaging
The compact packaging of the 4/8 GB Zune does not contain a software CD like the original Zune. You get a manual, a USB cable and a set of earphones. The box comes in a soft pouch and could be mistaken for a perfume box.

Setting Up
You first set up the Zune software on the PC by going to www.zune.net/setup. You get to choose between the "full Zune experience" and simply downloading the software. I already had the latest software on account of my old Zune 30, so I explored the Zune.net site.

There you set up a Zune account, if you don't have one. This enables you to give your Zune a name and buy music from the Zune Marketplace, an online music store. You can customize your Zune at zuneoriginals.net.

The Zune 8 refuses to work until you have installed the Zune software on the PC and connected the player at least once. When you connect the device to the PC, it proceeds to update the firmware. This was painless.

Software 
The Zune software is easy to use and is intuitive. It was able to find all my music, video and images and sync them to the player. I can also sync my podcast subscriptions automatically. Unless it was a coincidence, the software showed both my Zunes in their correct colours - a nice touch.

Controls
The main input on the player is the Zune Pad, a rounded rectangular touch-sensitive button. You change the volume and select options by rubbing your thumb from top to bottom or left to right. The default touch sensitivity was fine for me, unlike the over-sensitive controls of the original Creative Zen, which tended to overshoot the desired selection.

Display
The tiny 4.5 cm (1.8-inch) scratch-resistant, glass-covered screen is watchable for short music videos that have close-ups of performers but it would not be fun to watch a full-length movie on this model. During music playback, the backlight disappears and helps to conserve battery life.

The USB cable acts as the media conduit to and from the PC and also charges the battery. There is a small, recessed set of holes to take a wrist strap, which is not supplied.

FM Radio
The FM radio displays RBDS data, so you can see the name of the radio station and the song being played. You cannot record a radio program, as you can on some Creative units. The tuner picked up all my local stations.

Sound Quality
The sound quality is fine too, just like the original Zune 30. There is a good selection of pre-loaded media. The supplied earphones do a basic job, but as with all players, you need to buy high-quality headphones to get optimum sound. There isn't an equalizer (EQ) control or preset, so you cannot customize the sound to your liking. This option is present on the old Zune 30, so its omission seems to be a deliberate decision. Why hobble sound quality?

Sharing
The latest 2.3 (1145) firmware is common to all models and renames "Community" to "Social". You can share a song by sending it to a nearby Zune (that is turned on and has wireless enabled). The other Zune has to accept it and will get three plays (the three days limitation has been removed).

Other Zune models
There is a new 80 GB model (only black) that works just like the 4/8 GB versions except that it contains a hard drive, not Flash memory and has a larger screen. The 4/8 GB models come in pink, red, green and black.

Conclusion 
The Zune 8 is light, easy-to-use, has a good battery life, feature set, and great sound quality. The software is a testimonial to Microsoft as a leading software company. In conclusion, the 8 GB Zune is a fine multimedia player and you will not regret buying it (about $185 online). Well done, Microsoft.

[Note for editors - you can download images from the Zune site: http://www.zune.net/en-us/press/]

This article has been provided to APCUG by the author solely for publication by APCUG member groups. All other uses require the permission of the author (see e-mail address above).