Leroy McLean, STAR writer
In my September 2006 article I wrote about the upcoming, Zune from Microsoft and spoke about some of the known features. Well, the device was in fact released on November 14, with a price tag of US$249. On hearing about the release of this device, I decided to purchase one from Amazon.com (Online store) and ship to my Miami location.
I picked up the device in Miami and started playing with it. Today, I will share with you my experience with this Zune Media Player so far. For starters, the device did not get a 'wow' from me. This was mainly due to the lack of basic features which I was anticipating would have been enabled on this media player.
The Zune indeed has a very large screen which is ideal for watching movies and viewing pictures on the go. I like the fact that a built-in FM tuner with RDS technology was on the device. Wi-Fi is also part of the Zune, but this is limited in functionality.
While I still think the Zune is an excellent entry level device, there are some improvements that can be done to make it much better for the general public.
Options needed with current Zune
Recording from FM Radio
Podcasting downloading
Photos/Videos password protection (you should have an option to lock your device)
Battery Indicator - percentage counter and/or time remaining (currently have a status bar)
Time, date and alarm option (Digital Clock on these devices is very much necessary)
Jack to connect directly to your computer or TV (output). I believe this option is available as an accessory pack.
Wi-Fi or Bluetooth (have to add this feature first) printing. Printing your pictures directly from the device.
Wireless Sync with PC (music station) ... Removes the need for cables.
External Hard Drive enabled (can backup your files and password protect them)
Search for music - using character selection, use the clicker to select character on the screen.
Also, while testing the Zune, I found several issues which I thought might need some immediate working from Microsoft.
Issues / Concerns /Changes
Windows Vista compatibility (sync problem if device was not connected during first installation)
Radio stops playing whenever you view photos. However, if you view photos and play your music, everything works fine. (Strange).
Radio reception is poor whenever in building (even with supplied headphone). I can forget about playing the Zune FM while at home.
After the updating to Firmware v1.2, the default (factory) content was removed. Need a website to reload this content. While the website would be good to restore the content. I think this should not be the case.
Since this is the first media player from Microsoft, I am hoping that there might be some improvements in the near future. Right now I will continue using the Zune as my primary media player with the high hopes of coming changes.
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thestartech@yahoo.com
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