Microsoft's first foray into the portable multimedia player world, the Zune is actually manufactured by Toshiba. With a decent 30GB of storage space and a great 3 inch screen, it's ideal for playing videos and viewing photos, but ,unfortunately, it cannot be used as a portable hard drive. The Microsoft Zune Marketplace is user-friendly, and the downloads are quick. The Zune also incorporates an FM radio tuner and Wi-Fi connectivity, although the latter can only be used for sharing files with other Zunes. Further drawbacks are the poor format support (no Audible, WAV, or WMA Lossless playback; no DivX or XviD support, and no DRM video, so Amazon Unbox and Vongo won't work either). The unit is heavier and bigger than its rival Video iPod...
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Microsoft's first foray into the portable multimedia player world, the Zune is actually manufactured by Toshiba. With a decent 30GB of storage space and a great 3 inch screen, it's ideal for playing videos and viewing photos, but ,unfortunately, it cannot be used as a portable hard drive. The Microsoft Zune Marketplace is user-friendly, and the downloads are quick. The Zune also incorporates an FM radio tuner and Wi-Fi connectivity, although the latter can only be used for sharing files with other Zunes. Further drawbacks are the poor format support (no Audible, WAV, or WMA Lossless playback; no DivX or XviD support, and no DRM video, so Amazon Unbox and Vongo won't work either). The unit is heavier and bigger than its rival Video iPod, and its capacity pales in comparison to the 80GB Video iPod model. All things considered, Microsoft started out on the right foot, and the next version should maximize the potential the Zune has shown.
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Reviewed by: Reuben Katzen on 30/09/07
Screen
Online Downloading Service
Sharing Option
User Interface
Limited Format Support
Untapped Wi-Fi Potential
Capacity
Size & Weight
The verdict:A good start, but I'd wait for the next version.
Screen
Limited Format Support
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