Zune 30 GB

Zune is a digital media player manufactured by Microsoft which allows you to play your digital content on the go. The first impression you get when looking at the Zune is that it is too bulky as compared to the iPod but mind you this monster packs in 30GB of storage space. That is more than 15 times your regular iPod Nano at 3-4 times the size.

You can store up to 7500 mp3 files or 25000 photos or if you are video buff you can store up to 100 hours of video files on the Zune. Zune comes with a 3″ screen which makes the video experience much better.

You can also view the videos in either landscape or portrait mode. The best part is that you do not have to change any settings just turn the player around and it will automatically change to landscape or portrait mode depending on which way you turned it around.

If you are looking to catch the radio waves worry not the Zune comes built in with a FM Tuner, so you will not miss your favorite radio shows even when you are traveling around.

The sound and video quality is really good and you will definitely enjoy listening to songs and viewing videos on it. The wide screen eventually gives you a better view than other digital media players.

Zune Features

• 30GB capacity - Keep 7,500 songs (MP3 format) or 25,000 photos at your fingertips, or even 100 hours of video.
• Photo and video compatible - Sometimes you want more than music to entertain you; the Zune delivers both photo and video options.
• Hard drive storage format - Integrated hard drive provides massive amounts of memory for the least amount of money.
• 3″ portrait or landscape video screen - Unusual 3″ video screen goes from portrait to landscape mode as you turn your Zune; you always see the best picture possible.
• Extensive file format compatibility - Advanced software lets you import most music, photos and videos with ease.
• FM tuner - Catch the Top 40, stay up to date with your favorite sports teams, and make sure the weather doesn’t take you by surprise.
• Online music store - Browse the huge selection of music in the Zune Marketplace designed to work flawlessly with your Zune.

If you thought that the cost would be at least 10 times more than more than the iPod you are in for a surprise. You can get the Zune 30GB Brown Edition for around 160$. There are regular deals offered by most of the online shopping sites where the price can go as low as $99. This could work out to only 3$ per GB of digital media space.

Pros

Large Storage Space

Zune definitely has a edge over iPod in this area. With 30 gigabytes of space at the same price for a 4GB iPod I would happily prefer a Zune over an iPod. The pushing factor is that I can store almost 7 times more data at the same cost.

Bigger Screen

Zune has a bigger screen which means that you can view movies and images better than the usual displays iPod provides you with. I definitely am not a fan of viewing videos on a mp3 player but the larger screen area caught my attention while viewing images.

Cons

Too Bulky To Carry

Microsoft Zune with regards to flexibility. It is really hard to fit in a 30 gig Zune into your jeans pocket whereas an iPod would seamlessly go through. They did a gross job while competing with the amount of space a portable mp3 player gave you as what is the point when it is not easily portable.

I definitely do not see much of the female folks opting for the Zune due to the sheer size of the player.

Not A Pioneer

Zune is following in the steps of iPod and the popularity is yet to catch up with people. There are numerous amounts of softwares to add more functionality to your iPod but not that many for the Zune. Once there is a better developer network for Zune it would definitely rock.

Final Thoughts

If you want a monster of a digital player which can store lots of media files then the Zune is the best thing that could happen to you. Zune provides the a pretty good quality while listening to songs or viewing videos.

The only thing that goes against is the size and weight but with the amount of storage packed in it is bound to be a bit heavy. I definitely see a bright future for Zune and foresee a smaller version coming up in the future with additional storage space.