The Zune is following in the footsteps of another Microsoft product, the Xbox console. The original black box was received with lukewarm fanfare and won over fanatic base, which laid the foundation for the Xbox 360’s success. The first generation Zune survived the endless lashings and Cupertino snobbery from the blogosphere. The second generation Zune has matured into a true iPod rival. Amazon is offering the 80GB Zune for $259 with free shipping,a limited time 99 cent gift-wrap option, and 30-day price protection.

Design:
The revamped design adds minimalist flare to the slimmed down enclosure. Microsoft may have laid a brick with the first-generation Zune, but learned from its mistakes. Design was the weakest link for the original Zune. The second generation 80GB Zune is thinner, and sports triple the storage capacity. The optical glass cover on the 3.2-icnh screen delivers deeper blacks and sharper colors. The glass screen conveys a refined feel, and provides scratch protection.

 

The revamped navigation dubbed Zune Pad is an amalgam between a laptop touchpad and a Nintendo controller directional pad. It might not surpass the iPod clickwheel but complements the software admirably. The accelerated scrolling enables quick navigation of long playlists. The play/pause and menu buttons remain as the sole vestiges of the initial Zunes.A well know industry secret is that the original Zune was simply a rehashed Toshiba Gigabeat S. Microsoft finally approved of the Zune experiment and kicked some funds towards the design team. The anodized aluminum now graces the back of the Zune with mirrored double-shot plastic on the front. All these small cosmetic tweaks result in a complete overhaul. The MP3 player is packaged with sound-isolating earphones, featuring a cloth-braided cable.

Zune Interface:
Microsoft engineers expanded the extreme makeover to the graphic user interface. The large font size on the main menu adds a bold style to the OS. It should be noted that all first-generation Zunes will receive the new Zune operating system as free upgrade.

Zune Features:
On paper the original Zune seemed like a heavyweight: FM radio, composite video output, WiFi sharing, slideshows, and video playback. The sophomore outing adds audio/video podcast support, WiFi syncing, custom etchings, and revamped navigation.
Wireless syncing is a neat feature, which allows for quick transfers without having to fumble for cables. The only downside of a WiFi antenna is the significant impact it has on battery life. Most of your favorite iTunes podcasts can be found in the Zune marketplace.

The Zune’s media features have remained mostly untouched. The music player supports MP3, AAC,  WMA, and WMA Lossless. Audiophiles will love the new lossless format, which provides  CD quality audio.

The Zune video player supports WMV, H.264, and MPEG-4 at 30fps and up to 720×480 resolution. The high output resolution enables comfortable viewing on large LCDs.

The Zune supports RBDS, which displays station and song information. The FM radio only works when earphones are plugged into the player. The radio is compatible with North American, Japanese, and European radio bands.

The player does not support audiobook bookmarking.

Zune Software:
Microsoft scrapped the original Zune software, which was simply a crippled WM player. The overhauled software is beautiful. The clean and gorgeous menus create a hip environment to enjoy your music, video, and podcasts. Smart playlists, five star rating system, and equalizer controls are sadly absent from this initial version.

The subscription service is perfect for individuals eager to listen to new music without spending vast sums of money.

Conclusion:
The Zune is a solid A/V player with a battery life of 30 hours for audio and 4 hours for video. If you watch many videos on your handhelds, then the Zune should be your preferred player.