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| Home >> Handheld & PDA Reviews: Zune 120 GB Video MP3 Player (Black) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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User Submitted Zune 120 GB Video MP3 Player (Black) Reviews (cont...)Date: 2008-12-14 Zune Hard Drive players are not the best. Well, I've had my Zune for well over six months and it's been good at times but mostly it's been a pain and a work in progress. This is the review of the 80GB model running the 3.1 firmware and software. The only real difference from the 80GB and the 120GB is the amount of storage space. They have the same features bugs and misfeatures otherwise. First, the battery life is good but it's nowhere close to the 24-35 hours they claim it gets. There is no way possible it will ever get that kind of battery life. I usually get more around 8-10 hours if I use it just for music. The device itself is about twice as thick as a 80GB Ipod classic. It's made of thin metal on the back and cheap plastic on the front. Pretty much all the buttons feel like it wouldn't take much to tear them off. What really gets me about this device is the way it operates. You are forced to use really heavy Software (resource hog) on your computer to sync your device and it's really the only thing you can have running unless you have a good computer. The device is not plays for sure compatible and you can not drag and drop to it from Windows Explorer. Basically the Zune software is there as some kind of DRM that Microsoft is forcing on you if you buy this device. Another thing is the bugs, you can report a bug and they will never fix it. In fact it took them months just to release an update to fix a freezing issues in the device firmware that was causing everyones Zunes to freeze if you switched to another track in the final several seconds of the track your listening to. That's about all they fixed, but they did add a couple features that are not worth it. Such as games and being able to buy music from the microsoft store on the device itself. Of course they made more bugs when they did this and they have not and probably never will be fixed. Another bug which only people that listen to longer consecutive tracks that are about 20 mins or more each would probably notice is the drive charging up every few seconds. In other words if you listen to long duration music/audio with at least two parts like classical music for example, your Zune will die in just minutes because of that bug. The drive keeps spinning/charging up and it won't stop. So if you like classical music like me this device won't work too well for you. This is a known bug reported by me and other listeners but Microsoft doesn't seem to care because they seem to think all people tend to listen to is short Britney Spears and JAY Z tracks. They may be right about that though but it's still not a good excuse. Another thing is most people think Zune is an original Microsoft product when actually it is a Toshiba Gigabeat lite. It runs the same firmware and the hardware is even pretty close. The firmware is basicly the same as the Microsoft firmware that was on the Toshiba Gigabeat. They haven't done much to it but stripped it down and in fact made it worse. That bug I was talking about with the drive charging up was a problem on the Toshiba Gigabeat 30 GB (I had one then gave it away when I got a Zune) and I had that for about three years. If they can't fix their bugs and problems that have been hanging around for years something is really wrong with them. They sure seem to find the resources to add new DRM though. I've been apart of the Zune community for a while and it seems they only have one incompetent employee at Microsoft working on the Zune firmware. I have no idea what he does if anything because the firmware is a complete mess. They got more guys though for developing the DRM software and the Games for your zune. Big surprise there. They need to get their priority's straight. I've have liked my Zune for months but their failure to address these issues is really turning me off. With the problems I hear other people have at the Zune forums I guess mine is probably one of the most function Zunes out there. That's right it seems to turn on and actually play music and some videos, even if it doesn't do it right. I guess I make it really sound bad but I just want you folks to be aware of what the Zune is about. I guess I'm going to be searching for another cheap MP3 player that can actually play music and sync without the DRM BS known as the Zune Software. I've invested too much money in this though to completely give it up. I just hope at least some of these problems will be fixed although I'm doubting it at this point. Those Sansas and Zens sure look good now. Date: 2008-12-14 I Love My Zune 120GB! I love my Zune! It is easy to Sync wired and wirelessly. It is easy to navigate. It has tons of storage space - I've got my whole music library, some videos and movies, and a few other apps and have not made a dent yet in the storage space! I will say though, that the battery life and peformance is the only downside. Date: 2008-12-14 Awsome Terrific product a real alternative and in any ways superior one to the more expensive and trendy apple products. Worthy of consideration. Date: 2008-12-13 Powerful gadget... Complete yours with this highly recommanded product Nano Mobile Charger (SONY) Date: 2008-12-13 Does it really matter who's better? Better is such a subjective point of view in terms of products especially mp3 players. I had no problem with the Zune other than one thing. Digital copies. Now for everyone who doesn't know what I mean several Hollywood film studios are releasing DVD and Blu Ray Discs with digital copies of their films I.e. The Dark Knight and WALL-E. PSP's are enabled to sync these digial copies. So are Apple iPod Classics (that support video i.e. not the 1-4 generation Classics), iPod Touch (both generations), and the iPod Nano (3rd Generation) and the Apple iPod Nano (4th Generation) and the Apple iPhone (both generations). The Microsoft Zune cannot sync digital copies. (Believe me, I have checked everywhere). If this doesn't matter to you and you have a Windows PC I would tell you buy this over the Apple iPod Classic if you have a Windows PC because iTunes is notorious for not working well and being very slow on Windows. All and all, a great MP3 player and video player as far as gigabyte space goes and price. I'm not going to bury Apple and or praise it same goes with Microsoft. They are both good computer companies. It just comes down to who do you like better and what products do you like?
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