Opinions: Conditional Love

My mp3 player is still struggling with puberty. It's shiny, brand new and was my favourite Christmas present this year. However I feel like I've been given a teenager to look after: one who I'm immensely proud of, yet she lets me down sometimes by being too self-centred or just not bothering.

It's a Zune. I've not prefixed that name with “Microsoft” because this device seems to be really embarrassed by its parents, almost denying that they exist. I have the 120 gigabyte model in black which unlike an average teenager definitely lacks the acne troubles and the awkward and immature looks. It's beautiful. Being a Linux user, saying that I'm falling in love with it could get me in almost as much trouble as falling for a teenager.

Whilst it is certainly very attractive, there's still some distance to go before people drop their iPods and come running. It's so radical and defiant that I really believe you could fool someone into thinking it was made by Creative.

The evidence that this device denies its Microsoft parentage is what you can't see -

• There are no Microsoft logos or tattoos on the device, in fact you have to dig deep into the software settings to find the only mention on its provisional license: "[c] 2008 Microsoft Corporation" in tiny writing.
• The social networking site that Microsoft has launched to connect Zune owners isn't called “zune.microsoft.com” or “zune.live.com”, it's social.zune.net and lacks any occurrence of the word Microsoft except in the footer small print.

The software running on the Zune might be built in the most locked-down proprietary manner, but who cares? I wouldn't dream of trying to hack a new bootloader onto it, the interface is just so clear and simple. I am sure there must have been an instruction manual in the box that I didn't read. However, I say this is a device that if you can't instantly grasp how to navigate around it, then it's likely you're also illiterate so the manual is definitely pointless.

I can't stand touch screens. Why would anyone want to poke at and leave fingerprints all over something they're then going to try and view? Zune doesn't bother.

I was agitated that by default the main directional navigation pad wanted to be caressed, because it was as though the teenager was succumbing to peer pressure and I might have to give it “the talk”. It was easily side-stepped in the settings, so I get a positive click when I push any button.

What makes it a teenager? Signs that it definitely hasn't grown up yet are all too obvious. There are some crucial features missing, as though Microsoft don't think Zune is ready to be allowed out after curfew:

• There's no graphical equaliser, although this is saving my hearing from harmful drum n bass.
• Wifi is limited to connecting with Windows-only software for sync over a local network, or sharing music with another Zune; it's not allowed to connect to the internet and download podcasts and so forth unsupervised.
• There's no SDK: no one's supposed to fool around with it yet.
• As a result of this, there's no App Store to fill up on junk and third party games.
• Marketplace (iTunes Store equivalent) is US only, it's yet to get experience working abroad.

As a result, I love the Zune less for what it is, and more for what it could be. As my Zune profile will testify (when I next boot XP and sync) this does not mean that it sits collecting dust.

Included headphones are usually destined for the dustbin, in my experience, but Zune's are (like the rest of it) beautiful. I have those misshapen ears that regular headphones don't stay inside and I usually wear a Sony pair that wrap around the back of my ear. These seem to sit still, and have even survived Wii gaming.

The battery life is exceptional. The three activities that drain it, which you'd expect:

• Videos (movies or podcasts)
• Wireless sync
• Playing games whilst listening to music - I challenge any Zune owner to beat my Hexic high score of 31,330

Mike Evans was asking about supported formats earlier on IRC, and I've found full details of both audio and video formats on this Zune Support page. It seems that if you want the freedom to choose your operating system and software, then your request is largely ignored by this product.

I had hoped to run the Zune software from a Windows Server 2003 machine so that podcasts would download with wireless sync and I could pretend it was a stand alone device. Sadly, installing UPnP is required to achieve this: a well documented security flaw.

Should Windows 7 turn out to be worthy of a high rank in my GRUB list (yet to test), my Zune will be the top reason for selecting it.

You're right Gordon. There's a difference, though, between your expectations and my own. I've only ever owned three mp3 players including this Zune. The leap between my last experience of an mp3 player and this is gigantic. You've seen (and touched) everything that is currently available on the market and so have a greater appreciation for what's possible. I'm saying that, in my opinion, Zune is a good device in its own right.

I think the point is, from Dan's perspective - the Zune isn't a bad device, because it does what he wants it to do - at the end of the day, that's what matters - but that doesn't mean it should be recommended. From your point of view, it's not the *best* device, because others do it better, but that doesn't mean he should stop using it