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Time to get a Zune?
Evander
Disappointed FatherRegistered User regular
Disappointed FatherRegistered User regular
It seems like everything I own is breaking. First my Computer, then my watch, then my iPod's screen (and I also put a dent in my car, but that's another story.)
Anyway, I've had a 40 gig b&w iPod for a few years, it's 3gen, or 4gen, or whichever had 40 gigs as the top of the line, and a clickwheel.
I've always felt bad about owning an iPod, mostly because I didn't think it was any better than the other things on the market, but themarket itself was too confusing to pick anything else without WAY too much research.
With my iPod broken, though (half the screen, going from the bottom left to top right corner is unreadable; the unit itsel still works, but if I can't see what I'm selecting to play, it just becomes a giant iPod shuffle) I am now free to choose a new device. I've had my eye on the Zune since before it's release, and while I had planned on waiting until the second generation to upgrade, maybe this is a sign that now is the time.
So, what compromises am I making by going with the Zune? I RARELY use digital music stores, so the loss of iTunes isn't a big deal to me. I also am not so concerned about portable videos. Additionally, I was starting to get tired of the touch-wheel aspect, so I'm not afraid of scrolling with arrows.
Everything else I own uses windows, these days. I have a Treo 700wx, my Laptop has XP, and I am currently building myself a PC which will either have XP Pro, or Vista Business. The other devices in my house are all computers with XP pro, my two brothers' Moto Qs with Windows mobile, and whatever the hell my dad has, with Windows Smartphone. My mother has some form of RAZR, with that interface, but every rule has an exception.
Anyway, is a Zune purchase justified yet? I have no reason to get a new iPod, since none of my old accesories will be compatible. Also, the Zune has a few more color options (I've liked the brown and the black since it came out, and I've had my eye on the Halo 3 edition, but then I suddenly learned of the Red one that just launched, Red being my favorite color, ESPECIALLY with black accents.)
So, should I bite the bullet and get a Zune? I'm losing 10 gigs, but my iPod isn't anywhere near full anyway, and a third of it actually duplicate songs I accidentally stuck on there. Will I be able to get all of the same podcasts? Are there any particular benefits to Zune ownership? Is there some other device I should be looking at?
Anyway, I've had a 40 gig b&w iPod for a few years, it's 3gen, or 4gen, or whichever had 40 gigs as the top of the line, and a clickwheel.
I've always felt bad about owning an iPod, mostly because I didn't think it was any better than the other things on the market, but themarket itself was too confusing to pick anything else without WAY too much research.
With my iPod broken, though (half the screen, going from the bottom left to top right corner is unreadable; the unit itsel still works, but if I can't see what I'm selecting to play, it just becomes a giant iPod shuffle) I am now free to choose a new device. I've had my eye on the Zune since before it's release, and while I had planned on waiting until the second generation to upgrade, maybe this is a sign that now is the time.
So, what compromises am I making by going with the Zune? I RARELY use digital music stores, so the loss of iTunes isn't a big deal to me. I also am not so concerned about portable videos. Additionally, I was starting to get tired of the touch-wheel aspect, so I'm not afraid of scrolling with arrows.
Everything else I own uses windows, these days. I have a Treo 700wx, my Laptop has XP, and I am currently building myself a PC which will either have XP Pro, or Vista Business. The other devices in my house are all computers with XP pro, my two brothers' Moto Qs with Windows mobile, and whatever the hell my dad has, with Windows Smartphone. My mother has some form of RAZR, with that interface, but every rule has an exception.
Anyway, is a Zune purchase justified yet? I have no reason to get a new iPod, since none of my old accesories will be compatible. Also, the Zune has a few more color options (I've liked the brown and the black since it came out, and I've had my eye on the Halo 3 edition, but then I suddenly learned of the Red one that just launched, Red being my favorite color, ESPECIALLY with black accents.)
So, should I bite the bullet and get a Zune? I'm losing 10 gigs, but my iPod isn't anywhere near full anyway, and a third of it actually duplicate songs I accidentally stuck on there. Will I be able to get all of the same podcasts? Are there any particular benefits to Zune ownership? Is there some other device I should be looking at?
Evander on
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But honestly... I never would have thought to download a lot of this world music I've been listening to on a whim and when I had an iPod it would take me 5 minutes to decide if I wanted to spend 99 cents on a song and I would ultimately decide against it. Now I just download shit because it's there and looks slightly compelling.
Aside from the subscription service (the DRM works so that it all the music streams to the 360 if you have one by the way)...
It's a well built player... go hold one. They have a scratch resistant coating which... after my iPod... means a lot.
The drawbacks include file type support, which was not an issue for me, but could be for a lot of people. The Zune software supports all kinds of video formats which it will convert ONLY during the sync process... but once you've done it you shouldn't have to do it again. The player doesn't support lossless but it makes up for that in sound quality... and really... who in their right mind cares about lossless on a portable player.
Podcasts need to be managed on your own. I put them all in a podcast folder and use an auto-rule to have them show up in a podcast playlist... when I'm done with one on the player I "flag" it so when I'm back to my PC I can know to delete it.
There really are not benefits to Zune ownership unless you use the Zune Pass which is more than enough for me. I made a promise to myself to open my ears and the Zune is really helping...
A lot of this world music I've been listening to is free anyway but hard to find... however when I get home I'll have a bunch of flagged material to remind me to find the mp3 and replace the Zune Pass wma. Like this song - http://ubu.wfmu.org/sound/ethno/ketjack/mp3/Ketjak-the-Ramayana-Monkey-Chant.mp3
A couple of things,
One, I DO have a 360. I assume that I just plug the Zune in via USb to connect them. when you say that I can stream audio from it, does this mean in game, or only in the media tab? If it is the former, that is already a pretty decent reason to get one, since it means I don't need to take up hard drive space with ripped CDs. Also, can I transfer videos that I download onto my 360 from Live Marketplace on to my Zune, for portable viewing?
Two, how much does a Zune Pass cost (after the initial trial) and what do I get for that? Is it unlimited free downloads? A certain number of free downloads per month? Can I still access the Zune marketplace, and just pay for songs, without a Zune Pass? Are there Tiers? Does it have videos, and if so, how do those relate to my previous questions.
Thanks.
The video from the Zune device itself is a novelty because they are 320x240 and look really low res on a big screen.
But what I mean is that the music streams from your PC via the Zune software... to the 360, which again works in either the media tab or the guide menu in games. Even the WMA Zune Pass or purchased Zune music streams with no problems.
For parties and get-togethers this is HUGE. I wish you could download from the 360 itself but all you have to do is hit the store for an album, download... then BAM it's available on the 360 via network sharing.
Hope that helps... looks like you got your answers about marketplace stuff already
Also: Faceball (and others with Zunes), how much battery life are you getting from your new Zune?
You can listen to your own .mp3s without any restrictions.
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For your own MP3s, it's just drag/drop and listen away as far as I can tell. I have a Zune and I primarily use it to listen to podcasts. Lack of native podcast support sucks, but it's manageable. All the podcasts are mp3s and I haven't run into any sort of problems. Same goes for a bunch of mp3s that I just recently got on my Zune from my personal library. And no, I don't have a Zune Pass.
As for battery life, easily a few hours. I've had it last a whole weekend without recharging, listening to podcasts while I'm driving around.
Fair warning though, I'm a weird case. I've never owned another mp3 player, so I don't have anything to base off of. I was going to get an iPod but seems like everyone I know with them has a problem with their hardware, but ends up upgrading to the next version anyway.
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Edit: I love Zune Pass. I was listening to the new White Stripes late last night before you could buy it.
I should have mentioned that the DRMd WMA stuff from Zune Marketplace also works in MCE (media center extender on the 360) though the playlists do not which is a minor annoyance. (MCE reads WMP xml playlist files and not Zune versions though if you are fancy you can modify the headers and import them)
there's plenty of battery life... I haven't timed anything so I don't know... it's supposed to be like 13 hours of music play... I think engadget may have tested
1) Zune works well with X360. You can charge it while the X360 is on or off. You can stream audio in or out of a game. You can stream video into the console.
2) It has about 4 hours of "movie" battery life, and 10+ hours for audio, I think. It charges quickly so I hardly ever let it run out unless I'm watching a long movie and traveling far.
3) Zune Pass is $14.99 a month and is very comprehensive, even with some obscurer or indie stuff. It doesn't have everything, but it's great, and well worth it. No audiobooks.
4) I find it much more resilient than the iPod, which I owned for years. The screen and chassis also seem much, much more scratch-resistant.
That said, the Zune is going to have to do something pretty compelling to make me want to switch. Even if my iPod broke, I would be more inclined to go buy another iPod than a Zune. A large part of that is my huge library of iTunes bought music, and the other part is comfort level. I am comfortable with my iPod, and really, what is the huge benefit of switching to another device? Just to say I did?
Battery life is pretty good. Video quality is actually superb if you're ripping from a dvd on the zune. My aqua teen episodes look great. Video syncing process takes a while but whatever. I don't have a zune pass as I don't like renting music but outside of those CDs I mentioned earlier I've had no DRM problems at all.
My black zune was $200 of Amazon so that is what spurred my purchase as its the cheapest I found.
Shogun Streams Vidya
Does anyone care about breaking Apple's EULA? I sure don't. I've burned and ripped CDs I bought from iTunes, and I will continue to do so, and Apple can fuck the hell off if they think they can stop me.
Two negative impressions of the Zune:
1) No gapless audio on the device.
2) The Zune software, in Windows, is the absolute worst program I've ever used. Holy christ is it slow.
Like someone mentioned, the Zune software is a fucking resource hog though.
See, I'm looking at it from the point of view of, I don't care much for iTunes, I have barely anything downloaded from there, and even all of that was free stuff. The iPod interface has just recently started to get on my nerves, as it is dificult to circle the wheel, with any speed, from an angle, and none of my accessories will work with a new ipod, anyway.
I have no reason to switch, sure, but I have no reason to stay, either.
Is it possible to set up the zune like a hard-drive, and just drag and drop mp3s into it?
Is it similarly possible to use it to store other files (used to back up stuff in my iPod.)
No and no. Although I think you can do some file extension renaming shenanigans to trick it.
I'd avoid all Microsoft hardware until they get some quality issues straightened out. If everything you have is breaking, buying MS hardware probably won't reverse that trend.
I thought he was referring to the 360 specifically? I haven't had any problems with the countless MS mice and keyboards I've had over the years, and my Zune has been working fine. I don't recall mass issues with the Zune, similar to what's plaguing the 360 (and to a lesser extent older iPods). I could be wrong though.
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Steam: JC_Rooks
Twitter: http://twitter.com/JiunweiC
I work on this: http://www.xbox.com
Sort of. There's a simply registry hack for it. I have the link, if you ever get a Zune and want it.
I think you have to sync them anyway, but I never tried. I know that you can drag stuff off quite easily.
I believe so. It doesn't reject files or anything. Of course, the computer you want to carry files to needs to have the Zune software installed and the registry hack. It's a very hacky way of doing it, but it works.
Also is there any chance of a software update to add native podcast support in the future? Perhaps even support downloading podcasts via wifi like the PSP does?
edit: Oh and one other thing. I swear I could remember reading something on the zune getting some basic games and Live Anywhere support is that still in the works? It would be kind of neat to listen to pod casts and play pac man on it for example.
I actually believe there is a registry hack you can do to it to make it be recognized as an external harddrive.
He's talking about the Xbox 360 which has nothing to do with the Zune.
Good questions. If you're referring to having it show up as a "removable device" in Windows Explorer, similar to other devices that connect via USB ... no it doesn't do that (I just checked).
However, I do drag/drop mp3s onto the Zune software. Actually, the other day, I was listening to some unprotected mp3s on a friends' fileshare (yes yes, I'm bad), and I was surprised that the songs automatically got transferred to my Zune library, and then onto the Zune itself. It was as if it wanted me to listen to songs I'm not supposed to have access to.
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Steam: JC_Rooks
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I work on this: http://www.xbox.com
I have Xilisoft to convert files with, but there's another registry hack that will allow the Zune software to queue up and add to its library non-supported files. You cannot play them through the Zune software, but you can try syncing them, and it will convert them. Like MPG and AVI files. Without the registry hack, you won't even be able to add AVIs and MPGs to the Zune software, or to drag them into the "sync" box. With the hack, you can add them to your library and sync them, but they will convert to WMV before syncing. And, as I said, the Zune software is a sluggish piece of shit, so I prefer to have an external program convert files first, especially since I can then designate bitrates and whatnot.
It's not in removable devices, but it shows up in Windows Explorer, with the registry hack installed.
Exactly. I have software very similar to Xilisoft and while I had to shell out some cash it has made it worlds easier getting video on the Zune. I just change everything to .mp4 and it automatically sets the resolution to the Zune's and you can customize any other detail about the file.
Shogun Streams Vidya
I actually use .wmv only because you can use a program like zMeta to change the meta tags of the file and categorize them. For some reason, you cannot save meta data to .mp4s properly. Like, I have all of Saikano in the TV Rips section and some music videos I grabbed in that section, which I couldn't seem to make work with .mp4s.
Is there any difference in quality? I couldn't notice anything. I rip everything at 512 kbps (video), 128 kbps (audio), and 48khz. Even 350 kbps / 64 kbps / 48 khz is fine, though a little whiny and pitchy in stuff that has a lot of treble.
A problem with the 360 that has been blown out of proportion doesn't mean that every single product they make is going to break the moment you get it home.
I mean, people still buy all sorts of Sony products, despite the HUGE issues people had with PS2s
hmmm...
my brothers leave their music shared on our home network...
And for some reason, your baseless "It's blown out of proportion" statement is more valid than anyone's "the 360's failure rate is ridonkulous" statement? Your point would have made perfect sense (and been somewhat legit) had you kept it to "One bad product (whether it is or is not is debateable) doesn't mean all products made by that company are bad."
See, you wouldn't have even offended anyone (i.e. me) with a baseless (i.e. you have no data) statement. I have a fourth xbox 360 (and an entire thread devoted to the issue, Tycho in today's post, scores of videogame industry articles, an actual modification to the hardware by Microsoft, etc.) that says very little has been "blown out of proportion."
All of that to say, while I haven't judged the reliability of the product (and by all accounts, it seems pretty good), I do have experience with their customer service that leaves a whole lot to be desired. I am still on the fence about a purchase, preferring solid state devices that I can use while working out... but I do think it appears to be a nice product.
Still a shame about the crippled wifi.
(Apologies if this comes off harsh... I'ma little... sensitive... on the topic)
Ummm...
Ever heard of the burden of proof, etc.
NO ONE is saying that some 360s have problems. Obviously, it is a problem with more units than it should be (for the record, it should be zero).
But, as is always stated when this comes up, the area of failed hardware is generally one of a silent majority and a vocal minority. Folks who have a failed 360 go out and tell people about it, but on the other side, those of us who have a working 360 don't run out to inform everyone every time we turn our 360 on, and it works fine.
Right now, it's a bit of a "fad" to talk about failed 360s, just like, a couple of months ago, the big fad was wiimote related injuries and damages. I'm not saying that there aren't some issues in 360 manufacturing, but assuming that just because you had some bad luck means that ALL microsoft hardware is inherently flawed, that really doesn't have any logic behind it, when you look at it.
edit: as an economist, here is what I see:
The issue itself was on such a low scale that it was cheaper for Microsoft to deal with it on a case by case basis, rather than address the issue as a whole. This means that they ran a cost - benefit analysis, and the quantity of 360s failing simply wasn't big enough to affect anything significantly.
Now, they ARE implimenting a solution at this point, but that is because of the growth in media coverage, which means that they are no longer dealing simply with each individual unit, but rather, they have to deal with negative media.
But the quantity of failing units, before the media made a big deal, wasn't that high, otherwise microsoft would have done something back then.
Zune 2.0 is theoretically coming out before the end of the year (somewhere I saw august mentioned, but it's all rumors at this point)
this really doesn't help much.
All I want is some sort of native podcast support (or whatever the heck they call it). I'm stuck with "FeedMyZune" and it's awful. I've tried other podcast programs though, but they don't work under Vista.
- Don't add me, I'm at/near the friend limit
Steam: JC_Rooks
Twitter: http://twitter.com/JiunweiC
I work on this: http://www.xbox.com
that'd be cool
although, if the 2.0 IS coming out this year, I'd expect them to save that functionality for that, as a reason why you should upgrade.
Seriously, I am torn between running out and buying a red zune RIGHT NOW, or doing the smart thing and waiting just a little bit, to see if the new one really is coming out.
When I bought my iPod, the color iPod launched LITERALLY the day after my return period was over.