I recently found myself in need of a new MP3 player. So today I hit up the local Fry's Electronics and found myself a refurbished 4gb Zune. It's one of the older models so it wasn't very expensive at all but it was a nice upgrade from the iRiver that I was using.
The Zune marketplace software has few settings and a bit of a learning curve, but I am very pleased with it thus far. iTunes I believe is probably more user friendly, but I just can't stand all the other crap that Apple makes you download and install just to use the iTunes software.
For the record I am not an Apple fan, never have been and never will. But after just one night of messing around with my new Zune, I am interested in just how cool an iPod Touch would be. The only hang up for me is the software.
EDIT: Apparently I forgot to put a title on this post, oops. Fixed.
9 comments:
I-tunes was the first legal music download option to have a good selection. It was also a heck of a lot more user friendly than most of the competition 8 years ago, or whenever it was I moved on from CDs. I use it now mainly because it's what I'm used to.
I think what iTunes has done is great. I just don't like that added software that comes with iTunes. But if I did have an iPod then I'm sure the added software is needed.
Ease of use mostly depends on what you're familiar with. I tried iTunes out a while back and had trouble figuring out syncing and playing and all that, it was one of the reasons I went with a Zune instead of an iPod. The Zune software went through a rewrite when the 2nd gens came out, so it is a little rough but it makes more sense to me than iTunes did. Plus you don't get any additional software with it.
I didn't switch from purchasing CD's to MP3's until Amazon started out with their DRM-free store and all my music is either ripped from CD's or bought from there.
Let me know if you have any questions using your new Zune.
I am really happy so far with the Zune and the marketplace software so far. I will definitely be asking you questions if I have them!
You are not the first person to mention Amazon to me. Guess that means I need to check that out.
Not being an iTunes user, I can't compare that with Amazon, but I prefer using Amazon over Zune Marketplace. Mostly just because ZM uses the same points as XBL (which are stupid), but Amazon's MP3s are all 256kb encoded and un-DRMed so you don't have to worry about being locked into a device.
I noticed that Zune uses the MS points stuff, which I am not very fond of. It works for Xbox, but I don't like it much with GFWL or anything else really.
Welcome to Zuneland! I'll give my vote to Amazon too. I have never made a single purchase from iTunes and only one from the Zune Marketplace (other than the occasional free songs) because I also dislike Points. With Amazon, I can just pay the actual price and never have to worry about DRM either. (I think iTunes got rid of most of their DRM? Zune beat them to it, but some of the older songs in non-MP3 format still have it I think?)
I will admit that the 800x800 album art that Zune Marketplace has me spoiled though. Amazon uses 500x500.
The ONE thing I like iTunes for is being able to comment and rate podcasts from within the software. I *think* Zune finally added podcast commenting but only from the social website or something, so I've never bothered.
You are correct Scott, you can only post podcast reviews from the Zune website and not the software. I wish iTunes allowed website reviews, but I'm not willing to install it just for that.
I finally broke down and purchased a few songs from Amazon, and it was so painless and easy, it was great.
I do use the Zune software to subscribe to podcasts, but I was wondering how to leave reviews for those.
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