To Zune or not to Zune?

ecidic · 05-03-2008, 05:40 PM

okay, so here's my situation. I have a creative Zen vision M 30GB. it works fine and I have no problems with it. However, I realized lately that I skip a lot of songs and I'm too lazy to stay up on creating playlists and downloading podcasts etc...

So I'm thinking of picking up a Zune 8GB. I was wondering if anyone else here has been in a similar boat. Going from an HD player to a flash, a lot of storage to a smaller amount, etc.

My thinking is that when I bought my Zen I went for huge capacity. but after using it for 3 years I've only filled up about 17GB, still a ways to go to hit 30. plus of that 17gb of music I seriously only listen to about 1-2GB on a regular basis (hence all the bloody skipping).

I've read all the reviews that claim that the 80gb zune is the best deal for your money. but I don't need all that space. I can't watch movies on a screen that small, I can't even watch them on my psp.

So is dropping to 8gb worth it? or will I regret it? also I've read the 8gb zune is a little flaky (unresponsive) when it comes to navigating with the touch pad, any truth to this? I know my zen gets a little possessed sometimes with it's touch pad.

thanks in advance.

soccerfreak24 · 05-03-2008, 05:49 PM

Well, I went from a 30 gig ipod video to an 8 gig zune , and it worked alright. I had around 10 gig of music, and 5 gig of video. I worked to slim my music down to about 6 gig, and my videos' to 1. I was even able to add some podcasts I like, so I think this would in fact be a good option, as you do seem to have a lot of unnecessary music as well.

Edit: Oh, and the touch pad works amazing on the 8 gig, at least I've never had any problems. Just like the 80 gig.

HipHopScribe · 05-03-2008, 08:16 PM

Personally, I think the Zune flash players are unimpressive in terms of value, I would recommend the Sansa FuZe, or one of Sony's flash players. You'll get better sound quality with the Sony's or the FuZe, and in the case of the FuZe, probably the best flash player out there in terms of value (plus, if there is a day you grow to like more music, the Fuze is expandable).

runtohell121 · 05-03-2008, 08:24 PM

if your planning to get a flash player, you can consider getting a zune.. but you can't expand the memory thats the only down part... with Creative Zen, you can expand your memory by using SDHC card up to 32gb... or.. you can choose Sansa Fuze a copy of Ipod Nano but has a Micro-SDHC expansion up to 8gb more... but other that.. i still would recommend zune 8gb for the style... if you want memory.. go with Creative Zen.

Zen:

Fuze:

HipHopScribe · 05-03-2008, 08:28 PM

Creative has sort of the left the Zen to the wayside so far, the SDHC slot is crippled, so it's not actually very useful for expansion with music, as the library remains separate and the normal functions don't all work on the external memory. The player is also buggy, a bunch of people have a problem that's been dubbed the "White Screen of Death". That's why I recommended Sony's flash players or the Sansa Fuze over it. There's also the Cowon D2, similar to the Creative Zen, except better in nearly every way, but it's kind of overkill for just listening to music. I really recommend the Sansa Fuze first and foremost, based on my experience with it, it's just such a great value at the prices it's selling for.

runtohell121 · 05-03-2008, 08:30 PM

lol if he don't mind the size.. i'll recommend the Sansa View bigger screen but big bigger

HipHopScribe · 05-03-2008, 08:31 PM

The Sansa View doesn't have the top notch sound quality of the Fuze, and he specifically stated he isn't interested in video on small screens, so there wouldn't be any real benefit.

runtohell121 · 05-03-2008, 08:34 PM

yea true... but mainly both sansa uses same firmware.. not much of a difference... Sony i wouldn't recommend much.. if your getting a sony.. might as well get an ipod nano or a zune 4/8.... overall.. just go with sansa fuze but just a warning, all sansa mp3 player starts up very slow and shuts down very slow also. they don't start as fast as sony, zune, or ipod.

HipHopScribe · 05-03-2008, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by runtohell121

yea true... but mainly both sansa uses same firmware.. not much of a difference... Sony i wouldn't recommend much.. if your getting a sony.. might as well get an ipod nano or a zune 4/8.... overall.. just go with sansa fuze but just a warning, all sansa mp3 player starts up very slow and shuts down very slow also. they don't start as fast as sony, zune, or ipod.

There is a difference in the hardware better than Sansa's, that's what gives the Fuze the superior sound quality. As for what you're saying about the Sony's, why? The Sony's do have some advantages, mainly that they're MTP, so they can be used with a variety of software without hacking, and the Sony's also have better sound quality. As for the very slow start-up, I guess that's relative, but the Fuze only takes 3-4 seconds or so to start up, so I wouldn't call that "very slow" personally, though it is slower than some players.

runtohell121 · 05-03-2008, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HipHopScribe

There is a difference in the hardware better than Sansa's, that's what gives the Fuze the superior sound quality. As for what you're saying about the Sony's, why? The Sony's do have some advantages, mainly that they're MTP, so they can be used with a variety of software without hacking, and the Sony's also have better sound quality. As for the very slow start-up, I guess that's relative, but the Fuze only takes 3-4 seconds or so to start up, so I wouldn't call that "very slow" personally, though it is slower than some players.

more like 5-15 second to start.. i own a sansa...

HipHopScribe · 05-03-2008, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by runtohell121

more like 5-15 second to start.. i own a sansa...

I own the Fuze, it takes 3-4 seconds to start, I can't speak for the Sansa you own, but that time doesn't apply to all Sansas.

runtohell121 · 05-03-2008, 09:04 PM

sansa all depends on how many memory did you use.. and the older your sansa get.. the slower it will be i believe.

ecidic · 05-04-2008, 03:07 PM

thanks for all the replies, I'm surprised how unbiased everyone is. I've looked at both players recommended here, not a big fan of either players interface. I think I may try the Zune once I can find a good deal on it.

thanks again.

one last question, does the zune work with any mp3 software like mediamonkey or do you have to use the zune software? I've downloaded the zune software to check it out before I buy. had no problems with it, it's a bit overly simple. way better then the crap creative has come up with, but lacking overall.

lilray3 · 05-04-2008, 03:19 PM

honestly i dont think the 4 and 8 gig zunes are worth it so i would get the creative zen....but the zunes are prettier

soccerfreak24 · 05-04-2008, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ecidic

thanks for all the replies, I'm surprised how unbiased everyone is. I've looked at both players recommended here, not a big fan of either players interface. I think I may try the Zune once I can find a good deal on it.

thanks again.

one last question, does the zune work with any mp3 software like mediamonkey or do you have to use the zune software? I've downloaded the zune software to check it out before I buy. had no problems with it, it's a bit overly simple. way better then the crap creative has come up with, but lacking overall.

ZAlternator allows you to sync with multiple other programs, heres the description:

Quote:

Finally, a release candidate of zAlternator is here! Yay! zAlternator is a program that will allow the Zune to be picked up and synced with programs other than the Zune program. It has been fully tested and proven to allow the Zune to be picked up and synced with the Zune program (duh), Windows Media Player 11, Winamp, and MediaMonkey. I have been unable to fully test the iTunes side of the program, but hopefully it should work.

If you do get a zune, you may want to check it out if you really dont' want to use zune software.

runtohell121 · 05-04-2008, 05:26 PM

and the down part is.. if your asian and have some asian music which you don't want to rename.. zune doesn't support asian language... so other mp3 players have the advantage in languages.

CyanRenegade · 05-04-2008, 05:55 PM

As much as I'd want you too, it sounds like the Zune 8gb would be a bad buy for you. I agree with Runto, get something a little less popular flash player with expandable space. Zen's nice too.

Dougiebaby · 05-05-2008, 09:47 AM

With respect to the other opinions on this post, I completely disagree with the negative votes for the flash zune -- I absolutely LOVE mine!

Like you, a huge capacity was not most important for me. I wanted an exceptional music/video traveling device. My zune 8 works flawlessly - the touchpad is perfect. It's thin, light, and the screen is very clear. I love the interface and everybody likes the color (so many people want to check it out when they see it).

You already have a high storage device so I would highly recommend the zune 8 as your complimentary traveling companion

ecidic · 05-05-2008, 04:29 PM

well, I pulled the trigger on a black 8GB Zune. Couldn't pass up the Dell deal of $155 with free shipping. although while looking around on my lunch break, my local radio shack was selling the 8GB for $200 and FYE was asking the same. weird, thought the price was dropped to $180 (base) everywhere?

runtohell121 · 05-05-2008, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ecidic

well, I pulled the trigger on a black 8GB Zune. Couldn't pass up the Dell deal of $155 with free shipping. although while looking around on my lunch break, my local radio shack was selling the 8GB for $200 and FYE was asking the same. weird, thought the price was dropped to $180 (base) everywhere?

lol gratz on getting a zune then >.< have any problem then feel free to ask... cheapest was on dell

05-03-2008, 05:40 PM	#1 (permalink)
ecidic Zewbie Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 8 Reputation: 10	To Zune or not to Zune? okay, so here's my situation. I have a creative Zen vision M 30GB. it works fine and I have no problems with it. However, I realized lately that I skip a lot of songs and I'm too lazy to stay up on creating playlists and downloading podcasts etc... So I'm thinking of picking up a Zune 8GB. I was wondering if anyone else here has been in a similar boat. Going from an HD player to a flash, a lot of storage to a smaller amount, etc. My thinking is that when I bought my Zen I went for huge capacity. but after using it for 3 years I've only filled up about 17GB, still a ways to go to hit 30. plus of that 17gb of music I seriously only listen to about 1-2GB on a regular basis (hence all the bloody skipping). I've read all the reviews that claim that the 80gb zune is the best deal for your money. but I don't need all that space. I can't watch movies on a screen that small, I can't even watch them on my psp. So is dropping to 8gb worth it? or will I regret it? also I've read the 8gb zune is a little flaky (unresponsive) when it comes to navigating with the touch pad, any truth to this? I know my zen gets a little possessed sometimes with it's touch pad. thanks in advance.

05-03-2008, 05:49 PM	#2 (permalink)
soccerfreak24 Support Team Expert Zuner Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 2,921 Reputation: 181	Well, I went from a 30 gig ipod video to an 8 gig zune , and it worked alright. I had around 10 gig of music, and 5 gig of video. I worked to slim my music down to about 6 gig, and my videos' to 1. I was even able to add some podcasts I like, so I think this would in fact be a good option, as you do seem to have a lot of unnecessary music as well. Edit: Oh, and the touch pad works amazing on the 8 gig, at least I've never had any problems. Just like the 80 gig. __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

05-03-2008, 08:16 PM	#3 (permalink)
HipHopScribe Jr. Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 372 Reputation: 41	Personally, I think the Zune flash players are unimpressive in terms of value, I would recommend the Sansa FuZe, or one of Sony's flash players. You'll get better sound quality with the Sony's or the FuZe, and in the case of the FuZe, probably the best flash player out there in terms of value (plus, if there is a day you grow to like more music, the Fuze is expandable). Last edited by HipHopScribe : 05-03-2008 at 08:24 PM.

05-04-2008, 05:55 PM	#17 (permalink)
CyanRenegade Zuner Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: California Posts: 80 Reputation: 12	As much as I'd want you too, it sounds like the Zune 8gb would be a bad buy for you. I agree with Runto, get something a little less popular flash player with expandable space. Zen's nice too. __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

05-03-2008, 08:28 PM	#5 (permalink)
HipHopScribe Jr. Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 372 Reputation: 41	Creative has sort of the left the Zen to the wayside so far, the SDHC slot is crippled, so it's not actually very useful for expansion with music, as the library remains separate and the normal functions don't all work on the external memory. The player is also buggy, a bunch of people have a problem that's been dubbed the "White Screen of Death". That's why I recommended Sony's flash players or the Sansa Fuze over it. There's also the Cowon D2, similar to the Creative Zen, except better in nearly every way, but it's kind of overkill for just listening to music. I really recommend the Sansa Fuze first and foremost, based on my experience with it, it's just such a great value at the prices it's selling for.

05-03-2008, 08:31 PM	#7 (permalink)
HipHopScribe Jr. Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 372 Reputation: 41	The Sansa View doesn't have the top notch sound quality of the Fuze, and he specifically stated he isn't interested in video on small screens, so there wouldn't be any real benefit.

05-04-2008, 03:07 PM	#13 (permalink)
ecidic Zewbie Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 8 Reputation: 10	thanks for all the replies, I'm surprised how unbiased everyone is. I've looked at both players recommended here, not a big fan of either players interface. I think I may try the Zune once I can find a good deal on it. thanks again. one last question, does the zune work with any mp3 software like mediamonkey or do you have to use the zune software? I've downloaded the zune software to check it out before I buy. had no problems with it, it's a bit overly simple. way better then the crap creative has come up with, but lacking overall.

05-04-2008, 03:19 PM	#14 (permalink)
lilray3 Experienced Zuner Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 119 Reputation: 8	honestly i dont think the 4 and 8 gig zunes are worth it so i would get the creative zen....but the zunes are prettier

05-05-2008, 09:47 AM	#18 (permalink)
Dougiebaby Jr. Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 319 Reputation: 26	With respect to the other opinions on this post, I completely disagree with the negative votes for the flash zune -- I absolutely LOVE mine! Like you, a huge capacity was not most important for me. I wanted an exceptional music/video traveling device. My zune 8 works flawlessly - the touchpad is perfect. It's thin, light, and the screen is very clear. I love the interface and everybody likes the color (so many people want to check it out when they see it). You already have a high storage device so I would highly recommend the zune 8 as your complimentary traveling companion

05-05-2008, 04:29 PM	#19 (permalink)
ecidic Zewbie Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 8 Reputation: 10	well, I pulled the trigger on a black 8GB Zune. Couldn't pass up the Dell deal of $155 with free shipping. although while looking around on my lunch break, my local radio shack was selling the 8GB for $200 and FYE was asking the same. weird, thought the price was dropped to $180 (base) everywhere?

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