Zune (second-generation) 80GB Video
Zune (second-generation) 80GB Video Transcript
[ background music ]
>> Hey I'm Donald Bell, senior editor for digital audio and MP3, and today we're taking a first look at the new Microsoft Zune. This is the eighty gigabyte high capacity Zune that they've just come out with. Comes only in black, at least for the moment, and it sells for around two hundred and forty nine dollars. Now the big improvements to the new Zune over last year's Zune is that the new one is thinner, has a wider screen, it's got a three point two inch screen now, and has a different control method, the navigation pad on this. Instead of just clicking up and down, left and right, you can actually scroll by touching the touch pad. Other little things, the back is now aluminum, the operating system has been completely overhauled. There's still some things from last year's operating system, like the twist interface, things we liked about last year's operating system. But it looks a lot different. The main menu screen is really big, beautiful, you can customize the background photo. And on the main menu screen you now have a button for podcasts, and that's a big deal. Up until now there have never been any really good competitors to the iPod as far as tight integration for audio and video podcasts. The new Zune does it very well. You can digest podcasts in small doses, and resume playback where you last left off, you can even unsubscribe from podcasts directly from your player, and when you synch up your player it will know that you wanted to unsubscribe from that podcast. That's a pretty cool feature. So video looks really great on this. The built-in Wi-Fi antenna on the Zune still doesn't support like online web browsing, things like the iPod Touch or iPhone would do, but it is pretty cool. The Wi-Fi antenna on this latest version of the Zune will let you do wireless synching with your home library. You can set up your Zune so that when you get home you can dock it, and it will know to look for your wireless home network, and synch any podcast content, new downloads, synch it to your Zune over the Wi-Fi network, and you don't have to connect this directly to your computer. So overall we really liked the new eighty gigabyte Zune. We know that the Zune name's been kicked around a lot, but this one really refines the ideas that were pretty good about the first one, and makes them excellent. [ background music ] I'm Donald Bell and that was a first look at the eighty gigabyte Microsoft Zune. ^M00:02:12 [ music ]
Related Videos
After months of expectation, Microsoft is finally making its official entry into the portable digital music player market. But how does the Zune stack up technically, and can it challenge Apple's iPod?
Will the iPod retain its dominance over the Zune, or has Microsoft's baby finally grown up? Find out in the Prizefight ring.
Apple iPod Touch (second generation)
The second-generation iPod Touch includes features that are light-years ahead of the competition, its design has improved, and its price has finally come down to earth.
After a marathon Zune lovefest last week, Donald and Jasmine come down with...yet more talk about the Zune! Don't worry: it's just a brief update regarding the Zune HD presale, release date, capacity, and pricing. Oh, and of course we have to mention the three new colors that will be available. Then, it's on to a little third-gen iPod Touch rumor-mongering, followed by a trip down memory lane with some old-school MP3 players with tempting price tags. Finally, we have a mini in-studio rave with the iBlink headphones.
Apple's second-generation iPod Touch is even slimmer and offers new features such as Genius playlists and a built-in speaker.
James Kim takes an even closer, in-depth look at the Microsoft Zune.
Senior Editor Donald Bell rounds up his favorite accessories for the Microsoft Zune MP3 player.
The 30GB Zune (designed by Microsoft, manufactured by Toshiba) will use ad-hoc Wi-Fi for local communication with other Zune users. So you can share, but not online (as you could with the MusicGremlin). Also, this means you cannot connect to the Zune Mark
The second-generation Kindle boasts a super thin design and an improved screen.
Daily Debrief: New features for Microsoft Zune
In Tuesday's edition of the Daily Debrief, CNET News' Kara Tsuboi and Ina Fried discuss the new and improved Microsoft Zune. Funny, it looks and is priced awfully similar to Apple's iPod Nano, but offers the ability to connect to a handful of services via Wi-Fi. Are the updates enough to chip into Apple's dominance in the MP3 market?
Microsoft Zune (second generation, 80GB, black) Review
The good: The 80GB Microsoft Zune MP3 player features a 3.2-inch glass LCD; a user-friendly interface; exceptional navigation control; audio and video podcast support; a superlative FM radio with RBDS information; wireless syncing and sharing; high-quality earphones; revamped Zune Marketplace PC software; Zune Pass subscription music support; good audio quality; and a built-in composite-video output.
The bad: The Zune is a PC-only device that requires its own software and still does not support older WMA-DRM9 music files; Zune Marketplace does not offer TV or movie downloads; the USB connection is proprietary; no Wi-Fi music streaming; and the EQ feature has been removed.
The bottom line: The Zune has blossomed from an ugly duckling into a worthy iPod alternative.
Microsoft Zune (second generation, 80GB, black) Specs
Manufacturer: Microsoft Corp.
Part number: HPA-00001
- General
- Product Basic Spec
Microsoft Zune (second generation, 80GB, black) Prices
Online stores
| Store | Certified rating | Inventory | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Amazon.com Marketplace |
 Rate this store See store profile |
In stock |
$199.99 |
%2080GB%20video%20-%20CNET%20TV&srcUrl=http://cnettv.cnet.com/zune-second-generation-80gb/9761-1_53-31426.html){kind=small}