This season, Microsoft has
released a new update to the Zune music and video player, combining
the best of the older models with a sleek interface and new connectivity
options to make the most of the Zune store. The 16GB model we test drove
is a good balance of capacity versus price, but the new features really
make it feel like your space in unlimited.
The big addition to this new
model is Wi-Fi capability in a compact size, so especially for people
in cities where wireless is readily available just about anywhere, you
can do just about everything on the device itself without involving
a PC. You’ll also be able to sync to your home PC cordlessly or stream
music to an Xbox 360. It also includes an FM tuner, which might not
seem like a big deal at first, but when you are feeling experimental,
the Zune lets you tag songs you like and then points you to them on
the store to buy in higher quality later. Anyone who remembers the days
of having to tape songs with a boom-box and try to hit “stop” before
the DJ came back on should welcome the change.
If you take advantage of all
its capabilities, the Zune is more like a hub instead of just a music
player. If you just pick a song and hit play, basically every MP3 player
out there is the same but the Zune adds in extra utility but keeps it
all just as simple as the single-function players. Combined with the
unlimited download options on the Zune store, the device is set up to
encourage experimentation, allowing users to have unlimited full songs
and albums for a flat fee (like a Netflix for music) instead of having
to wade through short samples or just hope that an album isn’t a waste
of money.
That other player you’ve
got may seem like a bard habit to break, but it won’t take long with
the Zune to change your mind. Feeling like experimenting a little bit
yourself? Check out a mini-mix of what we’re listening to:
1. T-Pain- Chopped N Skrewed
ft. Ludacris
2. Akon- Beautiful
3. Beyonce- Diva
4. Lady GaGa- Poker Face
5. Ne-Yo- Closer
6. Kanye West- Robocop
7. Chester French- She Loves
Everybody
8. TV On the Radio- Crying
9. Q-Tip- Life is Better ft.
Norah Jones
10. John Legend- It’s Over
ft. Kanye West & Pharrell
11. Solange- I Decided Pt.
II
12. Nikka Costa- Loving You
