I picked up a Zune last week and it's time to give my initial impressions. It hasn't been a completely smooth ride. I ended up rebuilding my computer (something I've been meaning to do for a while) because I was having some USB issues. I don't think they were 100% Zune related though because some of my other USB devices have been funky.
Using the Zune software requires some learning. Remember the first time you fired up iTunes? The Zune software doesn't seem better or worse, it's just different. I was able to get my library loaded in and synced up with little effort. One great thing is the search feature. You just start typing and the results update almost instantly.
The Zune comes with a free two week membership to the Zune marketplace which I haven't tried out yet. Zune has taken the approach of letting you buy one song for $.99 or paying $15/month to download unlimited songs. The songs you download via the membership have DRM so you'll only be able to play on three devices (Zune's, computers etc.) and they'll stop working after you stop paying the membership. I think the membership option has real value especially if you're a parent trying to fund your children's music purchases.
The Zune has the ability to wirelessly transfer songs between devices. I doubt I'll ever use the feature, but the inclusion of wireless has a ton of possibilities. What if you walk into the house and your Zune starts to sync automatically with your PC? No more docking. It doesn't do that yet, but I bet it will before too long. The Zune team is working on a ton of fantastic new features. Stay tuned... you won't be disappointed. And since the Zune has updatable firmware, even if you buy one of these initial devices, you'll get all the new fetaures as they roll out (just like the XBox.)
My favorite feature is the video output. I imagine only a few people will use this, but I'm loving it. The iPod will display your movies and pictures on a TV, but if you're just playing music, nothing shows up on the TV. The Zune outputs everything that you would normally see on the device to the TV screen. That's a $100 add-on attachment for the iPod that you get for free built in to the Zune.
This fits in perfectly with my new AVIC nav system. I hooked the Zune output cable into the AVIC and now I have a fantastic in car entertainment system. I took some video to give you an idea what it looks like. It's posted on YouTube so you can get to it at this link or just view the embedded video at the end of this post.
Overall, I'm happy with the Zune. Is it better than the iPod? Right now it's just "different." There are a hundred MP3 players out there including the iPod that all do pretty much the same thing. Microsoft is very committed to this device and they're putting a lot of money into it. Apple seems to be resting on their laurels a bit. When's the last time the iPod really improved since the video one was released last year? Hopefully Microsoft's entrance into the market will spark some innovation.
I bought it because I'm a Microsoft fanboy, but after playing with it, I have no problem recommending it to you. You probably don't need to replace your existing player yet, but if you're in the market for a new one, give the Zune serious consideration.
And yes, that is Billy Ocean. I just hit the 80's playlist and let it rock. I didn't realize my mistake until after I sent the video to the Zune discussion list at work and started a flood of jokes. It's about a 50/50 split between "that's awesome!" and "billy ocean!?!" But you can't all laugh because one of you requested that song at Jay's wedding and the rest of you were belting it out at the top of your lungs. It could have been worse. I could have been listening to Coldplay.
[UPDATE] It looks like this is a pretty popular YouTube video. Here are the awards it has received so far:
#94 - Most Viewed (Today) - Autos & Vehicles - All
#79 - Most Viewed (Today) - Autos & Vehicles - English
#8 - Top Rated (Today) - Autos & Vehicles - All
#8 - Top Rated (Today) - Autos & Vehicles - English