Zune HD user reviews (16GB, black)

Pros Really bright screen! So much better than 2nd Gen Zunes and even iPod Touch and iPhone.

I love all of the album art and album info you can access. It takes the best of the Zune software on the computer and puts it onto the actual Zune. Very cool.

Cons Not allot of apps at launch. Facebook and twitter apps are coming in november but would have been great to have them at launch.

Web browser is nice but kind of slow. Hopefully things they will fix via updates in the near future.

Summary I have owned Zune 30 gig, Zune 8 gig and now ZuneHD. All have been great! Solidly built products with excellent software. I have confidence that Zune build quality is excellent as well, all of my Zune's still work without any problems!

Zune software has some great improvements as well this time around. Aside from the hardware, the software is a component that is largely being under reported. The hardware is only one piece of the puzzle. The software on the computer is amazing! It works great and is easy to use. New Zune video rentals start playback almost instantly even though it's HD quality!!!

If you are a music lover, the Zune pass is incredible. $15 a month gives you 10 purchase credits and unlimited access to entire catalog! So essentially you paying $5 extra a month for access to entire catalog! Zune pass makes it really cool to explore new bands and such as you can just download what you want whenever you want. If yo like what you hear you can use your 10 credits to purchase it. Contrary to popular belief, you can also just use the Zune software to buy MP3 songs just like iTunes. You don't have to get the Zune pass and just buy songs if that's your thing...but trust me...the Zune pass is so worth it. Give it a try. Zune pass alone is the #1 reason why I can't use an iPod of any sort for my music. I think the iPhone is great as a phone, but for a long time now...the Zune ecosystem is much more compelling for music lovers, giving you access to just about everything for only $5 extra a month! Why apple doesn't do this is beyond me.

Pros Zune Marketplace is awesome! With zunepass you can search and stream music straight to the player.
OLED screen looks fantastic!
Lightweight, Portable
Battery Life

Cons Havent figured out if it has a standby mode. Cant figure out how to make it continue where it was in a playlist when you shut it off and turn it back on. The screen seems to get dirty quickly. Marketplace lacks applications. Browser seems slow.

Summary I love this player. I really didnt want to get an Ipod and have been pleasantly suprised with the performance of this player. I like the Zune player on my desktop too. I was able to keep all of my existing windows media files without converting them to an Apple friendly format. Would definitely recommend to others.

Pros The screen is great, and you can look at new artists while on the device, music playback is amazing, and the software is a million times better that itunes. If you love music, you will love this!

Cons The internet browser is kinda slow, can't open multiple tabs, and if you have wifi on while doing other stuff the battery seems to go very fast. You can't watch youtube, but hopefully they come with an update that fixes this stuff soon.

Summary It is a brand new product, but i love mine and my only wish is they release an update fixing the internet browser. Try using one of these before you get an ipod, unless you like wasting money on games that get old fast. Don't blame its app store, apple has had theirs for years, and microsoft just made theirs, and they have announced everyday people can start making apps soon. This thing can only improve it greatness from here on.

Pros Attractive, nice and sturdy (not cheap plastic like Sansa), amazing sound, even more amazing video, apps are fun, controls are easy to learn even though I wasn't used to a touch screen, apps are fun.

Cons Really disappointing availability of music with Zune Pass.

Summary So I had an aging Creative Zen player (starting to freeze all the time) and a Rhapsody To Go subscription. Coincidentally, my teenage son had a careless incident that sent his Creative Zen player to MP3 Heaven. I looked at the list of players Rhapsody To Go supports now and found it had shrunk to almost nothing, and Napster wasn't much better, so I figured it was time to transition to something that wouldn't break me financially like Itunes would.

The player itself is very attractive, seems sturdy, I love having the home key right in front. It took a while to get used to the touch screen but not as long as I thought. The apps are fun (yeah, I know they don't have as much as Ipods, but this is the first player I've had with any apps, so I'm happy). Sound +is amazing, I'm hearing things in my music I've never heard before, but these earbuds must have been designed by a sadist. After two hours my ear canals are throbbing.

So I got home on Sunday afternoon with my new player, whip out my Visa to start the Zune pass, and settle down for an afternoon of happy downloading. This is where my spirits were crushed. More than half of the albums I subscribed to on Rhapsody (actually probably more like 75%) were either not available at all or only available for purchase with the Zune pass, and my tastes aren't that obscure, mostly just Broadway and classical stuff. Frankly, if I hadn't accidentally discovered how to stream the MP3s for free from the Marketplace, this thing would've gone back to Best Buy on Monday.