I quite like the Zune

[Ubuntu]

Before you say it, no, I'm not a troll. I have an 8GB iPod nano, and I've had an iPod video 60GB and an iPod Photo 40GB. I like the Zune, my only problems are that it's bulky and I don't like the positioning of the controls (or the controls themselves). Otherwise I think it's great.

Now, I want to hear what people really think. I've noticed a lot of fanboys here, who won't accept that yeah, it may fail, and it may not look as good as the iPod, and of course there's then the accusation that it's copied the iPod, a lot.

I agree with the second point. I think it'll sell well, and I think that it's hard to not copy rivals today. The software on the Zune looks brilliant, it's a shame that the iPod isn't moving as fast, software wise.

You might not like it, because it's Microsoft, or because it's the alleged iPod killer (I don't think it is) but what do people really think? What do you like about it, what don't you like about it?

Thanks.

[WildCowboy]

I haven't paid much attention to the Zune, so I don't really have any input, but I wanted to make sure that you were aware of this thread (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=238072)...some good points raised in there.

[SMM]

Before you say it, no, I'm not a troll. I have an 8GB iPod nano, and I've had an iPod video 60GB and an iPod Photo 40GB. I like the Zune, my only problems are that it's bulky and I don't like the positioning of the controls (or the controls themselves). Otherwise I think it's great.

Now, I want to hear what people really think. I've noticed a lot of fanboys here, who won't accept that yeah, it may fail, and it may not look as good as the iPod, and of course there's then the accusation that it's copied the iPod, a lot.

I agree with the second point. I think it'll sell well, and I think that it's hard to not copy rivals today. The software on the Zune looks brilliant, it's a shame that the iPod isn't moving as fast, software wise.

You might not like it, because it's Microsoft, or because it's the alleged iPod killer (I don't think it is) but what do people really think? What do you like about it, what don't you like about it?

Thanks.

I do not like being called 'fanboy', because I do not share your viewpoints. Zune is just another MS rip-off of someone else's hard work.

[ChickenSwartz]

Before you say it, no, I'm not a troll. I have an 8GB iPod nano, and I've had an iPod video 60GB and an iPod Photo 40GB. I like the Zune, my only problems are that it's bulky and I don't like the positioning of the controls (or the controls themselves). Otherwise I think it's great.

Now, I want to hear what people really think. I've noticed a lot of fanboys here, who won't accept that yeah, it may fail, and it may not look as good as the iPod, and of course there's then the accusation that it's copied the iPod, a lot.

I agree with the second point. I think it'll sell well, and I think that it's hard to not copy rivals today. The software on the Zune looks brilliant, it's a shame that the iPod isn't moving as fast, software wise.

You might not like it, because it's Microsoft, or because it's the alleged iPod killer (I don't think it is) but what do people really think? What do you like about it, what don't you like about it?

Thanks.

Fix the bulkyness and the controls minus the bigger screen and you have an iPod.

Apple held out, made MS show their cards, I can't wait to see the 6G iPod counter.

[jhu]

Before you say it, no, I'm not a troll. I have an 8GB iPod nano, and I've had an iPod video 60GB and an iPod Photo 40GB. I like the Zune, my only problems are that it's bulky and I don't like the positioning of the controls (or the controls themselves). Otherwise I think it's great.

Now, I want to hear what people really think. I've noticed a lot of fanboys here, who won't accept that yeah, it may fail, and it may not look as good as the iPod, and of course there's then the accusation that it's copied the iPod, a lot.

I agree with the second point. I think it'll sell well, and I think that it's hard to not copy rivals today. The software on the Zune looks brilliant, it's a shame that the iPod isn't moving as fast, software wise.

You might not like it, because it's Microsoft, or because it's the alleged iPod killer (I don't think it is) but what do people really think? What do you like about it, what don't you like about it?

Thanks.

admitting that you like anything microsoft is a sin on these forums. you should be toeing the party line: down with microsoft, hooray for all things apple!

[Ubuntu]

I do not like being called 'fanboy', because I do not share your viewpoints. Zune is just another MS rip-off of someone else's hard work.

Whoah now, I didn't say everyone was a fanboy. Do you really think I'd be so single-minded to think that you're a fanboy for having different opinions? I'd agree that the Zune is a rip off, to a degree, but I also think it's good, in some ways. I won't be buying one, not a chance in hell, but I don't think it's awful.

There are just a large amount of people who hate it because it's Microsoft, or want to hate it because it's Microsoft.


Fix the bulkyness and the controls minus the bigger screen and you have an iPod.



But what about the software? It seems to be significantly better than that of the iPod.

[calculus]

I don't care about the alleged zune one way or the other.

[gauchogolfer]

But what about the software? It seems to be significantly better than that of the iPod.

What is it about the software that you find to be so much better? I honestly don't know how one goes about improving on the iPod software interface.

[Ubuntu]

What is it about the software that you find to be so much better? I honestly don't know how one goes about improving on the iPod software interface.

Personally, I just prefer the better freedom. I like the iPod interface (albeit it is slow on my nano but that's just the nano, twill be fixed) but it doesn't offer small things like wallpapers.

Also, the Zune has wireless capabilities, which is going to be handy. I still prefer the iPod, but all I'm saying is that the Zune isn't that bad. I don't think the controls are any good though, that's the one let down for me (size is second).

[mcarnes]

Now, I want to hear what people really think.

It is the same color as poop, which suits it just fine.

[pknz]

How much time do you actually spend looking at the screen?

Wouldn't wallpaper making the text harder to read?

[DavidLeblond]

My Nano plays my music just fine.

The Zune wouldn't be able to. Hell, from what I've read it won't even play music you've already bought using PlaysForSure.

That just about sums it up.

Plus every time I see a video of someone playing with a Zune I wince when I see them "click click click"ing to scroll through their music. Horrible, horrible, horrible.

[Foggy]

All depends what they do with it - I was a major PS fan (early PS1 and a PS2 on release day), got an xbox towards the end of its life and their implentation of xbox live meant I bought a 360 instead of waiting for PS3.

I am not a fan of MS in general, and I really dont like they fact they tend to copy rather than invent, but sometimes they do it bloody well and do manage to be innovative with it.

Doubt I will get a Zune, but will be interested to see what they do with it.

[eji]

I like the big screen, which is better for video than that of the iPod, which, unlike the Zune, is actually available to consumers right now and has a corresponding movie store. I think it's one step above idiotic to try to get people to buy movies for a portable device that isn't particularly well suited to play them. The video iPod should have been released at "It's Showtime." And until the video iPod does arrive, the larger Zune screen will still find favor with me.

I think the Zune will sell well despite its flaws. Some people will decide it's the right media player for them, just like some people decide that a Mac is the right computer for them.

[Porco]

I honestly thought Microsoft would do a lot better with their first generation of Zunes... I'm totally unimpressed. Having said that, I am sure it will be the second-biggest selling MP3 player within a couple of years at most.

I still get the feeling it's all a bit half-baked (maybe intentionally so they can have progressively 'better' models each time they update them), like there was a meeting that went something like the following (meant to be light-hearted, not flaming!):

MSFT PERSON 1: "iTunes iZunes, how we gonna beat Apple?"
MSFT PERSON 2: "wait, what did you say, 'Zune'? I like that"
MSFT PERSON 1: "what? Um.. oh, yeah, right, Zune, I think it has just the right amount of 'strangeness' to it, like iPod did!!"
MSFT PERSON 2: "But what shall we do about the design..."
MSFT PERSON 1: "Well, the screen should be bigger."
MSFT PERSON 2: "You mean a higher resolution? Interesting..."
MSFT PERSON 1: "Oh no, no need for that, just make it actually bigger. Most people won't know the difference."
MSFT PERSON 2: "I like your thinking. What about colours? Apple have used a lot of them already, we don't want to seem like we are copying them...."

*they stare at each other for a moment.*

MSFT PERSON 1&2: "BWAHaahahahaaaahhaa... "
MSFT PERSON 1: "Black and White then?"
MSFT PERSON 2: "Yeah, and why not some other colour that Apple hasn't used?"
MSFT PERSON 1: [Jokingly]"What, like ... Brown?!"
MSFT PERSON 2: "Heheh... yeah, that'd keep the advertising boys on their toes!"
MSFT PERSON 1: "You know we still haven't actually come up with anything really different that we can point to as making it better than the iPod yet"
MSFT PERSON 2: "Oh, you know the drill, we'll google some buzzwords on the odd windows forum here and there and crowbar the first couple of entries into the mix to make it sound fantastic. *taps keyboard* ... Wireless eh?"
MSFT PERSON 1: "Won't that kill the battery life and lead to Digital Rights issues?"
MSFT PERSON 2: "Oh, no it's ok, we're going to cripple all our files even more than Apple do, the wireless thing is just a gimmick, obviously. No-one will even use it except tech reviewers and online nerds".
MSFT PERSON 1: "Great. So we're done, I'll pass the plans on to all 5 marketing departments and then they can pass on the details to that guy in the basement that gets the stuff ordered when it's ready! Cool!"

[milo]

I like the big screen, which is better for video than that of the iPod, which, unlike the Zune, is actually available to consumers right now and has a corresponding movie store. I think it's one step above idiotic to try to get people to buy movies for a portable device that isn't particularly well suited to play them. The video iPod should have been released at "It's Showtime." And until the video iPod does arrive, the larger Zune screen will still find favor with me.

I don't think it's a case of "trying to sell movies" as much as demand being proven with TV. The shows were big sellers, why not get into selling movies instead of delaying it for a hardware player? Especially when the iPod can output to TV, people can watch on a computer screen, AND Apple preannounced iTV. And especially when it's going to take some time to get other studios on board - at this point, movie selection will get good about the time the video ipod ships.

I doubt people will be that swayed by a screen that's what, an inch bigger tops? I certainly wouldn't call it big. And Zune will only have the bigger screen for a short time, if they were going to hype the bigger screen, they should have gone quite a bit bigger, instead of just a tiny improvement that apple can easily leapfrog.

When you say "find favor" does that mean you're actually going to buy one? Or just keep using your ipod but saying nice things online about Zune?

[eji]

I don't think it's a case of "trying to sell movies"

When you wrap something in quotes, it's taken to mean you're quoting -- in this case, something I supposedly said. And though it might be a matter of extreme pedantry to make a distinction between "trying to sell movies" and "try[ing] to get people to buy movies," the bottom line is that I didn't say "trying to sell movies."

Having said (and really said) that, you're right. I was looking at how ill-suited the iTunes-offered movies were to the current video-capable iPod without taking into consideration the fact that Apple might just be working up to something bigger incrementally, rather than slapping us with it all at once. This way, word gets out that you can buy movies at the iTS. And it's easy. And more studios catch on. So when the true video iPod does appear, the groundwork is already laid.

But I disagree with you about the screen size. I have a Zaurus SL-6000 and the 4" screen looks HUGE compared to other PDAs on offer. That's one of the primary reasons why I got it instead of, say, a Treo. On portable screens, an inch or so makes a big difference, especially when viewing videos.

When you say "find favor" does that mean you're actually going to buy one? Or just keep using your ipod but saying nice things online about Zune?

I don't have an iPod; I use my Zaurus to do most everything an iPod can do, and when that fails I borrow my wife's 5G iPod. But, no, I would probably never buy a Zune or any Microsoft portable. I avoided PocketPC and I steer clear of anything MS when I can (they already have enough customers). It's just that I think the Zune has a temporary advantage over the iPod in terms of its larger screen, and I try to be fair and give credit where credit's due.

[mkrishnan]

It's my impression that they don't come out for about two more weeks in the US? I'd like to actually see one before I pass judgment....

[emptyCup]

Where did you get a Zune? I didn't think they were for sale yet.

[aristobrat]

I like the Zune, my only problems are that it's bulky and I don't like the positioning of the controls (or the controls themselves). Otherwise I think it's great.
Does it sync with OS X?

[theman5725]

Zune has no OS X support.

[feelthefire]

Zune is just another MS rip-off of someone else's hard work.

What, like the iPod interface Apple ripped from Creative?

Or how about when Apple "borrowed" some ideas for the Lisa OS from Xerox in 1983?

There's not only one guilty party in that game...

[aristobrat]

Zune has no OS X support.
Well, then there's no use for me to think about it then, seeing as how it won't sync with any of my computers. :)

[mannix87]

I honestly thought Microsoft would do a lot better with their first generation of Zunes... I'm totally unimpressed. Having said that, I am sure it will be the second-biggest selling MP3 player within a couple of years at most.

I still get the feeling it's all a bit half-baked (maybe intentionally so they can have progressively 'better' models each time they update them), like there was a meeting that went something like the following (meant to be light-hearted, not flaming!):

MSFT PERSON 1: "iTunes iZunes, how we gonna beat Apple?"
MSFT PERSON 2: "wait, what did you say, 'Zune'? I like that"
MSFT PERSON 1: "what? Um.. oh, yeah, right, Zune, I think it has just the right amount of 'strangeness' to it, like iPod did!!"
MSFT PERSON 2: "But what shall we do about the design..."
MSFT PERSON 1: "Well, the screen should be bigger."
MSFT PERSON 2: "You mean a higher resolution? Interesting..."
MSFT PERSON 1: "Oh no, no need for that, just make it actually bigger. Most people won't know the difference."
MSFT PERSON 2: "I like your thinking. What about colours? Apple have used a lot of them already, we don't want to seem like we are copying them...."

*they stare at each other for a moment.*

MSFT PERSON 1&2: "BWAHaahahahaaaahhaa... "
MSFT PERSON 1: "Black and White then?"
MSFT PERSON 2: "Yeah, and why not some other colour that Apple hasn't used?"
MSFT PERSON 1: [Jokingly]"What, like ... Brown?!"
MSFT PERSON 2: "Heheh... yeah, that'd keep the advertising boys on their toes!"
MSFT PERSON 1: "You know we still haven't actually come up with anything really different that we can point to as making it better than the iPod yet"
MSFT PERSON 2: "Oh, you know the drill, we'll google some buzzwords on the odd windows forum here and there and crowbar the first couple of entries into the mix to make it sound fantastic. *taps keyboard* ... Wireless eh?"
MSFT PERSON 1: "Won't that kill the battery life and lead to Digital Rights issues?"
MSFT PERSON 2: "Oh, no it's ok, we're going to cripple all our files even more than Apple do, the wireless thing is just a gimmick, obviously. No-one will even use it except tech reviewers and online nerds".
MSFT PERSON 1: "Great. So we're done, I'll pass the plans on to all 5 marketing departments and then they can pass on the details to that guy in the basement that gets the stuff ordered when it's ready! Cool!"


freakin' hilarious! :D :)

[technocoy]

What, like the iPod interface Apple ripped from Creative?

Or how about when Apple "borrowed" some ideas for the Lisa OS from Xerox in 1983?

There's not only one guilty party in that game...

first of all the "interface Apple ripped from Creative" was another classic example of patent mining/squatting. the interface had never been implemented in a widely successful way by creative in a commercial product. it's what has become a classic instance of a company winning a vague ass patent and then springing it when it's most profitable or can save their ass. anyone who reads the info on that patent case and thinks that creative deserved to win that patent needs to go hang out with the lobbyists and crooked politicians.

The xerox argument is old. seriously. and there is a big difference between ripping off and being influenced. of course, we could argue that one till the cows come home.

I really don't care about the Zune. It does nothing anymore innovative than any of the other "iPod Killers". It's also difficult to drastically improve on what apple has done with the iPod within current industry tech and consumer interest.

It looks bulky, and the wireless trick is REALLY useful. The physical interface looks clunky.

The bigger screen would be nice, but I'll wait until january and see what apple has up their sleeve now. I imagine it will negate the bigger screen positive of the zune.

It doesn't work with my mac (and seeing as how this is a mac-centric message board, the Zune most likely won't be welcomed with open arms here), it only supports some wack-yet-again-new-DRM-scheme from microsoft.

I like things that look good. I'm a designer, but beyond that, all people like things that feel and look nice. It's there in all humans innately. There have been many studies into humans and the way we are all drawn to certain universal proportions, colors, etc. The zune doesn't do that for me.

The iPod just seems to get that, combined with interface, ergonomics and just the right combination of features perfect for the current time.

As media and the way it's distributed continues to change and create new demands, hopefully Apple adapts the iPod with it. I see no reason they couldn't stay on top.

just my opinion.

[stainlessliquid]

I think the "video ipod" or whatever is going to be undoubtedly better (10 bucks says we see another regular ipod before the video one though). But the Zune interface is just head and shoulders better than the totally outdated "itunes" interface that the ipod has now. Apple is asleep at the wheel and thinks they can get away with not investing money in a new GUI since theres no competition (like what MS did with IE6 untill FF started snowballing), the Zune will hopefully light a fire under their asses and force them to give us something new.

Im not crazy about the looks of the Zune but that interface is just so cool in motion. While the scroll wheel will never be beat, I could live without it if the trade-off was a better GUI. If Apple doesnt come out with a new and different iPod soon then I'll probably end up getting a Zune. The ipod is starting to feel as stale as XP these days.

[feelthefire]

Too bad I'm willing to put $10 on the fact that the new "video" iPod is going to be way more expensive than the zune...probably will have a bigger hard drive, but people are predicting between $400 and $500...way too much to hand apple for a toy...

and for the record, I get annoyed when people complain that something "ripped off" the iPod. A "look and feel" can't be patented, and the iPod's design is not. Any other device can look as much like it as it wants and as long as it doesn't say iPod or have a real clickwheel (that IS patented) then nothing was "ripped off" from anywhere since there wasn't anything to steal.

As you yourself said, there's a difference between ripping off and being influenced by another product. The zune is different enough for me to be perturbed by people saying every freaking MP3 player that's ever released rips off the iPod in some way.

Also, considering Microsoft is actually a large stockholder in apple, they benefit even if the iPod keeps its stronghold since they make a percentage of those profits anyway.