Zune 8 GB Digital Media Player (Black)

The Zune MP3 player is hands down better than the Ipod. My family has 5 ipods (4-30GB) between them, but the Zune is so much more user friendly. We've solved the itune store dilemma by purchasing songs from Amazon.

I've this device for almost a year now. It still plays, and my computer will charge it with the USB cord, but my computer no longer recognizes it. This started about 6 months into it's life. I can no longer add music to it, or take it off. After all the updates from Microsoft, it still doesn't work right. My husband also has the older original 80GB Zune, which does the same thing. It seems like Microsoft has a lot to work out with these MP3 players. It's not worth the money spent. I wish I had gotten something else.

I really like the Zune software for the computer that goes along with this player! It is FAR superior to iTunes and runs 100x smoother and faster on Windows (huh, imagine that). The Zune player itself is excellent and I love that you can listen to the radio, not just my own music! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

I purchased the 30 MB Zune from Amazon on a Black Friday sale for a HUGE discount. I like the device myself, but I hate the software. Why Microsoft didn't just expand Windows Media Player to include their marketplace is beyond me. The Zune software is a memory hog, and isn't very user friendly. Unless they have changed the software, you can't put iTunes music on the Zune until you remove the DRM software, and every time the new iTunes comes out if stops whatever software than takes the DRM off and makes you feel like a criminal just because you want to listen to your music on a non-iPod device.

On the plus side:there is a FM Radio - iTunes doesn't have that! It's a pretty good one too. With a little conversion, you can play youtube videos on the Zune (change the flv to wmv). I think Zune can use Rhapsody too, but I haven't tried it because I still have a $23 credit on my iTunes account.

If you want an MP3 player to put your existing CDs on, and non-DRM laden MP3s, as well as videos, this is a good choice - beats the iPlod on a bunch of levels. If Microsoft would only fix the software interface, they would give iTunes and iPod a real challenge.

It looks like a brick, and it is worth about that much too. PLEASE, PLEASE don't get this. The iPod nano works much better and looks better as well.