Model:  Zune 80GB

Manufacturer:  Microsoft

Reviewed By:  Miguel

Review Date:  11/25/08

   If there is one company that has the resources to take on the only dominant player in this market, it is Microsoft.  However, their first attempt failed miserably and not many, including myself, even bothered to give the product a second look.  Things have changed since then though and they have just introduced their 2nd-gen digital media player that not only sports some improvements in design, but their much more aggressive marketing techniques have played a major role in the possible success of the product.  Just visit zunejourney.net and you'll see just how much effort has been put into the release of this new product.  Sporting a massive 80GB of storage, more useful wireless capabilities and improved interface, these new digital media players have a lot to offer and certainly worth that second look. But are they quite there yet? Read on and find out...

Packaging & Contents

The whole design for packaging was a clever one.  It ships in a fairly small but highly colorful pull top box.  Included with the player is a USB cable, earbud-style headphones with extra cushions, a quick start guide and a ultra tiny product manual.  No, there's no software bundled with the player.  You have to download it in order to setup your player properly. 

**click to enlarge**

Also note that the 80GB model is the only one in the new line of Zunes that comes with what they claim are "Premium Headphones".  They certainly look unique and I love the magnets on them but do they really sound good?  More on that, including additional pictures is the performance section of this thorough review.

The New Design

The first-gen Zune was one ugly brick-like player with crappy navigation and useless features.  Fortunately, a minor step in the right direction was taken with the new Zune 80GB.  While I'm not particularly fond of the square-like design, it is significantly slimmer and extremely light.  Let's have a closer look...

At least at the present time, if you opt for the 80GB model, you only have one color option.  Fortunately, it was the right choice on their part.  This player sports a two-tone black/silver finish.  Now, if you look at mostly all the pictures on the web, you might think the back side is white.  It isn't actually.  It is just a very faint metallic-silver that can appear to be white in pictures.  The front of the player sports a larger 3.2" color display with 320x240 resolution.  The important thing to note about the display though is that the new Zune now sports a "scratch-resistant" glass screen over the dull plastic on the first-gen Zune.   This actually does aid in providing a much more crisp image and improves image quality.  You'll also find the new large touch sensitive d-pad on the lower front center.  On each side of it, you'll find the only other two nav buttons.  Unfortunately, they are not backlit. 

You won't find any buttons or controls on either side of player as is why I neglected to provide pictures.  In fact, there's not much else you'll find.  On the bottom center, you'll find the proprietary USB connector.  Moving to the top, you'll find your headphone jack and somewhat flakey lock switch.  If you have read a number of my reviews by now, you'll know I'm not a fan of chrome at all.  It makes any electronics product look cheap.  The Zune 80GB has a small chrome cover plate on the top center where the wireless receiver resides. 

It is always hard to depict in pictures what its overall size is like.  With that said, I always like to provide some comparison shots to give you a better idea of what to expect.  Above are two shots next to my trusty Zen Vision:M.  The Zen is smaller and more rounded in design.  However, the new Zune 80GB is significantly thinner than the Zen.  Personally, I'm torn between both in terms of design.  There are obviously some compromises that need to be made with the new Zune.

Specifications

Next: Install & Software