To Zune or not to Zune?

Having seen sneak-peeks of the much-touted and highly awaited media device (can't just call them mp3 players anymore, can we?) from Microsoft, and having had a couple of Microsoft guys get a few of us partners quite excited about the device (including a few almost-promises of freebies!), I have to say that I'm quite underwhelmed... Initially there was a bit of excitement, I must admit..


At first look, the Zune player (available in black, white and... brown yes, brown - Mr. Prada, are you listening?) looked slick & stylish, seemed to be well designed, and with features like Wi-Fi & FM tuner built in, it looked pretty good to me... but having seen more pictures and reviews, it seems to be a bit more about the hype and less about a WOW iPod-killer... it's quite similar to the comparable ipod actually, both are 30GB, both about the same weight (iPod:5.5oz, zune:5.6oz), similar dimensions (hxwxd: iPod: 4.1x2.4x0.43 inches, zune: 4.4x2.4x0.6 inches), both with a 14hr playback time, both have QVGA (320x240) displays, but the Zune display is significantly larger at 3" compared to 2.5" for the iPod.

But what does all this mean to me? What exactly are we talking about? My iPod of choice is a Nano... if it doesn't fit in the pocket without causing further distress to my wardrobe (most of my jeans end up in the bin from having holes where the outside of the pockets have worn out), it's no use to me... The new Nano is 1/4th the capacity of the Zune player, but at 1.4oz, is also 1/4th the weight, and at 1.456 cubic inches is less that 1/4th the volume. And with a playback time of almost DOUBLE that of the larger players (24hrs), it is a far more appealing lil gadget to me. It's so light that if I drop it, it floats down to the floor. It doesn't get dented, and if it's in the pouch, it'll not only float down, but also bounce back into my hand (well alright, almost).

Oh, and by the way it turns out the wireless isn't Wi-Fi. Zunes can only talk to each other, and will play transferred songs no more than 3 times, or for a maximum of 3 days before refusing to play them any more. So all you have is a reminder to go onto the Zune Marketplace and buy the song. Great. More expense, more performance & reliability issues, and actually less real use. I can soo see myself wandering all over the country to find another Zune to zap tunes & pics with. For 3 listens of the song. Even if it's non-copyright material, that my friend came up with on garageband and wanted me to have. For ever. Maybe next time. Except that there's no next time, since he wouldn't be able to send me the same song again. Ever. And I wouldn't be able to share this wonderful piece of musical genius with anyone else (unless I happen to give them the headphones and waste one of my 2 remaining listens - I've already heard it once, right?), since I'm not able to pass on a received track any further. Woo hoo!

One of the interesting about the Zune isn't really about the Zune, it's just the first of it's kind deal to be done between a hardware vendor & content company.. Universal gets a percentage of revenue from every Zune sold! Read more here.

What's worst is that Microsoft seem to be a bit ashamed of the Zune themselves... most companies will have massive flashy websites devoted to the launch of a consumer device like this, will kill you with jargon & lifestyle cues, image galleries filled with 35.7 shots from every possible angle, and 360-degree views of every colour in the range. Have you seem the Zune gallery? Have a look at http://www.zune.net/en-US/ and click on the "Up Close - See photos of Zune". All the pictures are of PEOPLE. The Zune is sitting somewhere in the corner, but HELLO??? Is this what you call UP CLOSE? If it can't even be made to look drool-worthy in marketing mug-shots, this is probably as up-close as I want to get! I admit, there is still gadget-value even if it isn't the nicest looking device on the planet... to be honest, my black iPod Nano isn't in danger of winning any beauty contests.. don't get me wrong - I love the look of the Nano, especially the 1st generation - but mine has spent so much time in pockets, bags and being generally "lived with" that it's now no longer a gloss-black & chrome. It's more a matt gray and gray. But I still love it. It's probably too late, but it now lives in a nice Moshi pouch which replaced a rubber iPod skin & screen protector (which did more harm than good, scratching the life out of my poor Nano every time it was pulled on or off).

My point being (there is one somewhere here, I promise), that I'm not heartbroken that my Nano ended up getting scratched almost beyond recognition. It was a known flaw when the Nano was launched, and mine was one of the last ones to ship without the suede-ish Apple-supplied pouch. My girlfriend's Nano was bought a month after mine, and hers is still pristine. Mine isn't, but I don't really mind. It works great, and it's still cool :-)

And what about the Zune? Oh yeah... still waiting for a free one so I can talk about how great it REALLY is :-)