Microsoft Zune Black (80 GB) MP3 Player

As a fan of the first Zune, I was skeptical to see how much of a leap the Zune 2 was. It's not really a leap, it's more of a sudden hop in the right direction.

The pad that the Zune uses is nice, allowing both quick swipes and pressing to allow precise scrolling. It's no touch screen, but it's a start. The familiar buttons are essentially there, though they stick out a bit now. Travelers who put these in their pockets may not want to add anything else to the same pocket, otherwise you'll need to lock the device. I liked the Zune because the buttons were curved in, so even if you didn't lock the device, you wouldn't have to worry about it jumping to the next track due to a bump. iPods were always disastrous about this.

The GUI is nice. It's a bit flashier and makes it feel more modern. The introduction to podcasts is nice as well. My old Zune downloaded the GUI as well, so both work with the new system. I thought that was brilliant of Microsoft to do, so older Zune fans won't be completely left out.

The software is better then the original software, though I still don't understand why Zune 2 doesn't have Windows Media support. (Meaning you can't sync with WMP) The software does seem more sync friendly however, as I've yet to have songs mysteriously disappear like the original software did. It loads tremendously faster too, which is amazing considering it's more visual.

The sound quality is still there and I have to admit, using the stock ear buds that came with the device actually seems pretty nice. I've never been one for stock ear buds or headphones but these actually make me feel like my money was well spent.

All in all, it's definitely worth the price it's at. I prefer this over the iPod classic simply because of the GUI and my hatred for iTunes.

Cnet and many other professional review services are rating it better than the iPod. Don’t let the iPod fan boys scare you off!!! This is the best high capacity MP3 player on the market. I am now taping shows off of the internet though Windows Media Center and watching them on my Zune with now conversions needed. All of the extras are fun but the main reason I have the MP3 player is to listen to music and the sound quality is awesome (much better than the iPod).

In this world, there are a lot of mix-ups, like thinking that a 1st generation Zune is a 2nd generation Zune. The Zune in the picture (not stock photo) is a 1st generation Zune with a 3.0" screen and the dimensions are 4.4 x 2.4 x 0.58 and the weight is 5.6 ounces. The 2nd generation Zunes have bigger screens, are slimmer, and sleeker and feature a touch pad.

I love my new Zune! So much better than those silly iPods. Zune makes the ipod look like a piece of scrap metal. The exterior is sleek and the touch pad is a great new feature. Also, the battery life is much more impessive. Really an outstanding MP3 player :-). I'd suggest this Zune to anyone.

I got rid of my iPod because I got sick and tired of iTunes and its proprietary ways. When I bought the Zune, I had hoped to find games. Now Microsoft has games with the the 3.0 firmware and even more with the 3.1. I love the bluetooth abilities with the Zune. Perfect for synchronizing without hooking it up. I also love being able to send friends songs and videos. The radio is great and so are the podcasts. The 3.2 inch screen is really nice especially since you turn it to widescreen. Really, I can't think of one reason why I should go back to my iPod video. A lot of people complain that you have to subscribe to Zune's music in order to get any songs. Well, its optional so you don't have to. With iTunes you have to pay for every single song you want, but with Zune you can listen to any song you want as much as you want and get 10 songs to keep forever when you do their monthly subscription.

Overall, I give the Zune 80GB 5 out 5 stars. Good job Microsoft!

I decided to try the Zune versus an i-pod initially because I was interested in the considerably larger display it had, not to mention it was less expensive. I enjoyed the product so much that I decided to purchase 2 more for my wife and son. Despite have a defective unit, Zune was very quick about rectifying my problem and even paid for the express mailing to return a new unit to me quickly. I highly recommend the unit. My wife uses the unit like a portable picture album besides of course the music.

After almost 2 weeks of payment he told me that he don't ship to Puerto rico because of the cost..I would willing to pay for extra shipping but he never ask for until I requested about the shipping status...PLEASE DON'T FOLLOWS THIS SELLER

It seems like nowadays everyone has an iPod, so it is always nice to be different...while still looking cool in the crowd. The Zune offers just that! Instead of owning an iPod, the Zune offers much more with Wireless Sync capabilities and Radio. The Zune screen is bigger than that of the iPod and the "squircle" is quite easy to use when navigating through your pictures or music collection.

i got ripped off. my zune was never shipped to me and my money was stolen. I tried to email the seller and he acts like nothing happened. i contacted pay pal and they tell me its been too long after the transaction, there is nothing they can do. this is some b.s.

My son had lost his Zune over Thanksgiving while we were out of town. I had already bought all of his Christmas so I wasnt going to buy him a new Zune. Thats when I got on ebay and started looking just to see what I could find. I bid on a few just to see home much I could get one for. I did finialy get one at a good price. The Zune was in good shape look brand new. Se needless to say my son got a Zune for Christmas because of Ebay.

The only thing about ebay I dont like is so many people have gotten where there bidding more for a product then you can buy it in the store. I really thought that was what ebay was about was getting soming at a deal. With the way everyone is so addicted to ebay they just want to win they dont care about the price any more.

Thanks

I find it to be very intuitive, much more so than my old Ipod. The computer interface is very easy to use. The screen is bright and sharp when playing videos. I have found nothing to dislike.

The touch screen is very smooth, and the wifi is pretty good all in itself. This 80GB Zune BLOWS AWAY the 80GB Ipod Classic in terms of quality, sound, video playback, synching, EVERYTHING!! It's a wonderful and perfect mp3 player.

I like the wireless capabilities, the built in FM radio, the ability to buy songs directly from the player, the ability to tell the Zune you like a song on the radio and have it figure out what it is and buy it, the touchpad navigation (rather than an iPod nano spin wheel), the computer software (way better than iTunes), and the price (less inflated than iPod).

Overall, I LOVE my Zune. I decided to purchase it because of its great features. The picture and the sound are excellent and it is easy to operate. It is thin, fitting easily into a pocket, yet has a nice large screen for viewing. Like some other MP3 companies, you can subscribe to Zune for a monthly fee and download as much music as you want (although there are some songs that have to be purchased prior to use). There is a very extensive musical library. You can also purchase music videos. The only negative comment I have is that I had to purchase separate software to convert movies so that they would be compatible with the Zune. This software also allows me to convert any of the DVDs that I have at home so that I can take them with me. \

I love the Zune, I use it just about everyday--at work listening to music, watching episodes of my fav. shows on break, etc... You can still use the touch pad with gloves on. It's very light and surprisingly durable, although I still keep it in a silicon skin and inside a clear plastic case. But I don't even feel that it's there when I'm at work and I have it on my beltloop. Everyone who isn't very up and up on technology oogles over this ; ) Now for the bad...All Microsoft has to do is fix their software that you install on your computer and everything would be flawless. I notice it assigns the wrong album art to some and I wish you could browse by the original directory structure that I had set up in windows lol, I had it much more organized but oh well. I also wish it were more like a portable hard drive. Instead, they make you keep whatever is on your Zune on the computer at the same time. Which, could be nice as a backup but if your hd space is kind of limited it's kind of annoying. Overall, I am glad I purchased it and I believe it to be better than my friend's ipod (he wants one of these now)

I bought this item because i needed an mp3 player. I love it and was really glad that i bought it. the only thing that i didn't like about it was the price but i think it was worth it.

I DECIDED TO BUY IT BECAUSE I WAS SICK OF ITUNES AND THE IPOD WAY IT REQUIRES YOU TO CONVERT FILES TO THERE FORMAT TO UPLOAD MUSIC TO. IT IS NICE THAT YOU CAN SINK YOUR COLLECTION . ALL MY MUSIC IS WMA FILE AND IT SURE MAKE IT ALOT EASIYER AND MUCH FASTER. WAY FASTER AS THERE IS NO CONVERTING. PLUS THAT STUPID ROUNG SCROLLING CONTROL ON THE IPOD SUCKS. IT ALWAYS GWETS HUNG UP . THE ZUNE IS REAL NICE VERY EASY TO USE . I JUST LOVE IT. NO COMPARISON TO THE IPOD.

Love this thing! the battery life is amazing, it can play all day for me and not run out, love it! only problem is that the software doensn't support some video types, but using a video converter fixes that. highly recommend it!

Easy to use, software is downloaded on line, excellent screen size and massive amounts of storage. I used the FM tuner and Dell XPS earbuds during an NFL game. Excellent sound quality and did not hear the crowd but the live commentary. Loading of music is extremely fast. I did not have the book but it was fairly easy to figure out. I have loaded pictures and songs and can retrive them quickly for playing or viewing. Battery staying power is adequate, it charges quickly. I chose the Zune over the I-Pod for the following reasons; FM Tuner, price, and my wife has a 16GB Zune that she loves. Have not used the wireless song transfer feature yet. I would rate an excellent product, I would recommend trying it since my rating scale of a product would be different from anyone else's.

I always had issues with ipod. The software crashed my computers and it was not very PC friendly. I opted to try a simple 8 gb Zune and was immediately impressed. Microsoft friendly software, east sync with the rest of my music files; there was nothing to not like about it. I soon bought 2 more for my husband and daughter, and upgraded my 8 gb to a 30 gb. I am now upgrading to an 80 gb since my husband seized my 30 gb and dropped it 4 feet to a cement floor (so far the only thing to keep it from operating). There is not enough good things to say about the Zune. And with thheir free software updates, it is like getting a new one every 6 months or so. Ipod can stay disposable, Zune has proven that they are here to stay.

Great alternative to Ipod! Bigger screen, user friendly, I enjoy it! I got my girlfriend an Ipod Touch and I got a Zune. I simply love it and it's very easy to use! Definitely if you don't want to go the mainstream route and go with Ipod, or don't like the wheel or the smaller screen, check out the Zune!

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED THE ZUNE 80GB BLACK. I PAID FOR IT AND THE SENDER HAS'NT SENT OR IT. NOR HAVE I BEEN ABLE TO CONTACT THE OWNER OF THE ZUNE. I HAVE FOUND THIS TO BE VERY DISSAPPOINTING AND I'VE TOLD ALL MY SOLDIERS IN THE UNIT TO BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT ORDERING ANYTHING FROM EBAY.

the zune 80gb is by far the greatest multimedia player I've ever purchased.
Great size, awesome software, easy to use and a definite good buy.
Not only can u listen to music but you can watch videos, pictures, listen to audio books, podcasts, play games, download music, videos and pictures wirelessly through your zune, share pictures mucis and podcasts wireless to fellow zune owners and unlike the ipod it comes with a built-in fm transmitter so u can listen to the radio or pickup ur xm station, and the tuner is set up for not only the U.S. but also Japan and Europe.
also featers a touch pad and crystal clear 3.2" lcd screen which is just fantastic for watchin videos on a long boring roadtrip or business meeting, hehe
so pick up your ipods and throw them in the trash and make the smart move and get yourself a Microsoft Zune
which can also come in your choice of size color and zune original laser inscribed design and text
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