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Microsoft Zune MP3 Player ReviewTake any business course in marketing and you will learn the importance of product positioning -- how the public knows and thinks about and recognizes your product. If you have a new product out, your goal is to "fill the hole" in the consumers head with a position for your product. Somehow, pretty much everyone missed out on this opportunity for several years when the first MP3 players were launched in the late 1990s. No one really knew what to call them, there were a smattering of different makers and designs, but no one ever dominated the market or really created a new "product" that people associated with this new MP3 portable player market. That is, until Apple came up with the iPod. Suddenly, everyone knew what an iPod was, and "iPod" became synonymous with "MP3 player". You didn't say you were grabbing your MP3 player, you said you were grabbing your iPod. Lesson: Apple successfully filled the hole in consumers brains about this new found gadget, and they owned it.
What is the Zune? How does the Zune compare to the iPod?MS launched the Zune on Nov. 14, 2006. It comes in 3 simple colors: white, black, and brown. Now I don't know about you, but I associate brown with two things -- chocolate, and something else, and I don't want my consumer electronics to be the color of that other thing! I guess they wanted to be "un-Apple" and not use the hip bright colors Apple moves into after the classic black and white - tangerine, lime, purple, etc. Microsoft calls the Zune a "digital media player", which kind of makes sense since iPods now play movies and display pictures, in addition to playing MP3 music files. So what's inside the Zune? It has a 30GB hard drive inside for storing music and video. One new feature of the Zune is built in Wi-Fi wireless connectivity, allowing users to beam songs, playlists, and pictures back and forth with one another. Microsoft has built in some protection against spreading music around illegally - you can only play files someone beams to you 3 times or for 3 days, then they disappear. You can scan and see what other Zunes are nearby and what their owners are listening to if they choose to make those settings public - kind of a cool way to see what is happening on the subway around you! This is a toned-down version of WiFi, so while you can talk to other Zunes, you can't connect to your PC or to the Internet over the built in WiFi connection. The LCD screen on the Zune is actually physically larger (3 inches) than the screen on the iPods, but is has the same pixel resolution -- just larger pixels basically. The bigger screen plays movies and videos in landscape mode, taking advantage of the natural shape of the device, instead of the small wrongly-oriented screen on the iPod. If you think about it, the entire front of the iPod should be a video screen, and it makes sense to orient it in a landscape fashion to create the largest usable screen - bet Apple has something like that up their sleeve for 2007 (and how about some WiFi internet connectivity for email, browsing, and IM?) The front of the Zune looks a lot like the iPod, with what looks like a black scroll wheel under the video screen. However, this is really a 5-way controller, not a spin control like the iPod uses to scroll or change the volume.Zune Features and SpecsUnlike the iPod, the Zune comes with a built in FM radio tuner, letting you listen to news or music if you get sick of your songs -- nice feature, iPod should add the same. We'd also like to see built in recording capabilities in these babies so you can easily record classes, concerts, or any other event you want. With such large hard drives, this would be great feature. The specs of the Zune are:
Where can I download music for my Zune? Like iTunes, the Microsoft player comes with its own Zune Marketplace internet connection to download new songs. Microsoft makes you buy at least $5 worth of "points" at a time, unlike the Apple system that lets you buy songs 99 cents at a time. Once you buy your MS Zune points, you can start downloading songs, which cost 79 points, which is actually 99 cents, just like the iTunes store. You can also buy a Zune Pass for $14.99 per month, which lets you download all the songs you want each month. There is also a 14 day free trial so you can test out how it works and decide if you want to subscribe. The songs you download will keep playing as long as your subscription remains paid and active - think of it as renting the songs. Once you cancel, they stop working.. At the time of launch, the Zune Marketplace will carry about 2 million songs, vs. about 3.5 million songs on iTunes. However, they don't offer any videos, movies, or TV shows for sale as iTunes does. I'm sure this will be coming soon, but it is notably absent out the door at the launch. You can of course also copy over your own MP3 files that you already have on your computer. What's the best MP3 player? Is the Zune better than the iPod?So should you buy the Zune? iPod really owns the market place on these portable music and video players, and there are TONS of accessories available for iPods already - you will have to wait a long time to see as many available for the Zune. The file sharing of the Zune could be very cool, assuming you can find other Zune users and not just iPod geeks. The larger screen on the Zune is an improvement. Music playback is the same on both. The FM radio is cool on the Zune if you are into that. The Zune is a little bulkier and heavier than the similar iPod, and to me looks less sophisticated (especially that brown color!). MS has done a good job with the XBox, making it a cool product and in demand. Can they do the same for the Zune? I don't know at this point. If I was out doing my Christmas shopping this year for someone who wanted an MP3 player, I would go with the iPods still. They are proven, iTunes works great, no one will open it and say "What the heck is an iPod?", and many probably will when they get a Zune package and wonder what it is.Where can I buy the Microsoft Zune MP3 PLayer?Unlike with the XBox 360 in the 2005 Christmas season, it doesn't appear that there will be any shortages of the Zune on your local store shelves. Walmart.com, as well as the brick and mortar stores, is selling the Zune for $249, the suggest list price. They carry all three colors of course, and a few Zune accessories, like carrying cases. Amazon also lists them at $249 and has them in stock.Zune AccessoriesMicrosoft offers a few Zune accessories right at the launch, including a car charger and FM transmitter for using the Zune with your car radio -- price, $80. Monster makes a similar car pack called the CarPlay Wireless Plus for Zune for $79, as well as a MusicShare splitter to let 2 people listen in at once, $19. MS also makes the Zune Travel pack for $99, which includes premium earphones, a remote control, a carrying case, AC adaptor, and a sync cable for connecting to your PC. The Active Sport Armband sells for $29 and lets you strap your Zune onto your arm as you exercise. Altec Lansing makes the M604 docking station and speaker set for the Zune, letting you fill the room with the tunes from the Zune ($199).
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