Zune 30 GB Digital Media Player Red (1st Generation) Electronics

from: Zune

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Piece Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours

Street Price: $249.99

Gaunz Org Price: $206.86

Savings!: $43.13 (17%)
Prices subject to change.

Average Buyer Rating: out of 5 stars

Sales Rank: 2868

Binding: Electronics
Product Brand: Zune
Color: Red
Display Size: 3 inches
EAN: 0882224485975
Label: Zune
Product Manufacturer: Zune
Model: JS8-00017
Publisher: Zune
Ranking: 2868
Studio: Zune
Warranty: 1 year warranty

Piece facts:
30GB digital media player stores up to 7,500 songs, 25,000 pictures or 100 hours of video
Features wireless networking so you can share tracks and other media
3-inch color screen features a landscape mode for video viewing
Compatible with Zune Marketplace for media downloads and subscriptions
Automatically imports your existing music, pictures and videos from iTunes and Windows Media Player in a variety of formats

0ur opinion:

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Entertainment and sharing to go. That's the Zune 30 GB Digital Media Player. The Zune plays music and videos, displays images, and unlike the iPod, it even receives FM radio so you can stay on top of local news or sports. Designed around the principles of sharing, discovery, and community, Zune connects people and empowers them with the tools needed to share entertainment experiences. The Zune experience is centered around connection--connection to your library, friends, community, and other Zunes. lt's powered by software that allows users to manage files on the player, rip audio CDs, and buy from a wide selection of music and videos at the Zune Marketplace.

The Zune lets you share music and pictures with other Zune users in the area. View menu interface.

The controls are designed to be familiar and easy to use so you can jump right in and start having fun. View larger.

Zune software can find compatible music files on your PC and copy them to your Zune device.

The Zune comes equipped with everything you need to get started as well preloaded music and video content.
View larger.

Browse more than 100,000 artist bios and hundreds of playlists in the Zune Marketplace.

The Zune is a 30 GB digital media player, but there's a twist. You can wirelessly share selected full-length sample tracks, playlists, pictures, or your own home-grown tunes directly from Zune to Zune (within 30 feet). You can listen to the full-length songs that you receive up to three times in three days, flag the ones you love, and easily buy them the next time you sync up--its like test-driving songs before you purchase an album.

The Zune's navigation is simple and intuitive with a scroll wheel and basic buttons, and the big, bright screen makes it easy to browse music and show off your favorite pictures and videos. This attractive, smart device stores up to 7,500 songs, 25,000 pictures, or 100 hours of video. Get creative. Make playlists on the go and watch slide shows while you're listening. And if you're watching video on the Zune, you'll be pleased with the landscape mode that allows you to get the most out of the vivid display.

Zune-to-Zune Sharing
Don't forget the primary principle of the Zune: sharing. With this device in hand you're holding an opportunity to share music and photos wirelessly from one Zune to another. Send your favorite tracks or images to your friends, or just about anyone with a Zune that's within your reach.

Whether you're walking down the street, in a room with a bunch of friends, at a concert, at the airport, or on the bus, you can whip out your Zune and see all the other Zune devices that surround you. ln the blink of an eye you're connected to your best friend and you can send over your band's newest song. Another friend might get the hilarious podcast your little brother made at school, plus that hot new song you just downloaded from the Zune Marketplace. And, of course, there's all the good stuff that your friends want to send back your way. The connections are made and the Zune community grows.

Best of all, the song you sent (or received) isn't a short 30-second preview--it's the whole song. Your friend can sample the song up to three times in three days, flag it on their device and then buy it from the Zune Marketplace. You can send pictures, too. lf you loved the photo of your dog at the park and you just have to share it with your buddies, shoot it off to whoever is around. And any pictures that are sent or received can be kept and viewed indefinitely.

Sometimes you don't want to be noticed, and the Zune allows you to fly under the radar. All you need to do is turn the wireless function off, or adjust the privacy settings to control whether people can see you are online. And if you want to keep your Zune private while studying in the library or reading the newspaper on the bus, you can also block Zune devices in wireless range from sending you a song.

Zune Marketplace
Zune makes it easy to find music you love--whether it's songs in your existing library or new music from the Zune Marketplace. You can easily import your existing music, pictures, and videos in many popular formats from your PC and browse millions of songs at the Zune Marketplace where you can purchase individual tracks or buy a Zune Pass subscription to download as many songs as you want for a flat fee. Plus, you can apply Microsoft Points towards the purchase of music so you can buy online without a credit card for added security. At the Zune Marketplace you can read over 100,000 artist biographies and features from leading magazines including XLR8R, NME, and FADED, and you'll have easy access to Billboard Charts, including Billboard 200, Hot 100 Songs, and more. You'll even be able to browse what people in the Zune community are listening to by checking out the Zune Charts.

Pre-Loaded Content
Zune is a vehicle to explore new sounds and share entertainment experiences. With that in mind, the Zune comes pre-loaded with a variety of songs and videos from hot, new artists, as well as some fun films and images. With something for everyone, the pre-loaded Zune content may help you discover your new favorite band, but at the very least you'll have some entertainment at your fingertips so you can start connecting and sharing. Zune pre-loaded content includes loads of audio tracks, music videos, and film shorts, plus 12 classic rock posters from 'Art of Modern Rock: The Poster Explosion.'

Zune Accessories
You can choose from a full line of accessories to outfit your Zune. These three Zune Accessory Packs provide complete solutions for Zune in your car, in your home or while you travel. lndividual accessories are also available.

The Zune Car Pack includes everything needed to hit the road with a Zune device, such as the built-in FM tuner with AutoSeek and the Zune Car Charger.
The Zune Home A/V Pack enhances your experience in the home through five products that integrate Zune with the TV and music speakers: Zune AV 0utput Cable, Zune Dock, Zune Sync Cable, Zune AC Adapter and the Zune Wireless Remote for Zune Dock.
The Zune Travel Pack is a set of five products designed to keep friends and family entertained on the road: Zune Premium Earphones, Zune Dual Connect Remote, Zune Gear Bag, Zune Sync Cable and the Zune AC Adapter.

What's in the Box
Zune 30 GB Digital Media Player, earphones, USB cable, and sleeve.

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Testimonials

Average Buyer Rating: out of 5 stars

Buyer's feedback: 5 out of 5 stars

- * Zune gift ...
Great product, price and service. Product was delivered in time it was promised. Product was a gift and was delivered without disclosing contents. Thank you

Buyer's feedback: 3 out of 5 stars

- Awesome - but if you have problems with software, you're screwed
So I have had my zune for a while now, and I really like it, even though I was never able to put videos on it, because they have to be a certain type. I have the software on my computer - and well I had to remove it when my computer was restored because of a virus. Afterwards, I had an updated Zune, but the software was old. Now I can't put any new music on it because Microsoft's "support" page won't help me at all. I tried downloading updates for it but it always fails. It says I don't have a license, when obviously I do, since I bought the product, have a username on zune.net, and the product is registered. Overall, just make sure you never update your Zune, or you never have to delete the software.

Buyer's feedback: 5 out of 5 stars

- * Two first gen 30 gigs, one second gen 8 gig...3.0 firmware....looking for a 120gb ...
Have two first gen 30 gig Zunes (one is mine that I have had since the Zune was first introduced, the other is my daughter's that I got for her two years ago). Excellent players, and with current upgrades....are even that much better. Have never had a problem w/ either of the devices, and they get a complete workout. I use mine to exercise, at work, on the road, plus mounted to my helmet when I offroad/trail ride. Same w/ my daughter's except hers is probably used harder (and she rides offroad/trails too....). Have always kept the software updated on both, and they are getting better with age thanks to the excellent evolution of the firmware!

My wife has a second gen 8gb, and is used just as hard, with the same excellent results.

Having just started to using the video capability of the device, it makes trips a lot more tolerable, as we can download cartoons and educational programs/dvds for our son which he would rather watch and use than watching the dvd player in our suv.

Anyone not sure about the Zune....I was in the same boat when Microsoft first released the 30gb Zune several years ago, and I haven't regretted it since. So much so that I have bought two more, and am currently looking to purchase the new 120 gig version for myself.

Thanks Microsoft for the excellent product!

Buyer's feedback: 5 out of 5 stars

- Continual updates make this thing awesome!
A ridiculous amount of props to Microsoft for continually updating these first generation Zunes. New firmware and software updates make this device better and better as time goes on. New features are being added constantly. New Zune 3.0 software is infinitely better than iTunes. I couldn't be happier with my decision to get a Zune over an iPod.

Buyer's feedback: 5 out of 5 stars

- * What problems?? This works great!! ...
I bought my zune 30gb used for $75 and I had no idea how to use it. It is my first multimedia player and I've never owned anything before this. I had problems at first getting the zune device to be reconized by the software, so I looked for some help on the internet and a website said that the front USB ports on a computer are generally weaker than the ports that are located in the back on the motherboard itself. So i connected the zune to one of the USB ports on the back of the computer. Since then, no problems. It's easy to sync songs, and it's easy to edit mp3 tags so you can organize the music the way you want to. The video and audio tracks sound great! My mp3's are all encoded at 192kbits-256kbits, so everything is high quality. I throw on my Bose Tri-port headphones and I'm set! Everything on it works great: 2,125 MP3's (no wma, or acc), 8 videos, 10 pictures, 2 games. and I've only used 13.11GB, leaving me with another 14.68GB to fill it up with!

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The Wi-Fi Year in Review for 2007, and What to Expect in 2008

The rise and fall of muni-Fi (and rise again): Clearly, the largest story involving Wi-Fi in 2007 was the at-first continued growth in cities awarding contracts with no money involved on their part to have service providers build Wi-Fi networks--and the subsequent failure of these networks to be built. Starting quietly in late 2006, the market shifted for metro-scale Wi-Fi. During 2007, providers decided that bearing the full cost of a city-wide network without city contracts wasn't financially sensible.

The full scope of the low uptake rates in cities that had large portions of the network built out also became clear: rather than 15 to 35 percent of residents subscribing, just a few percentage points would put a network in the top tier. Revenue is apparently also pretty minimal even in cities like Taipei, Taiwan, the network provider for which was predicting 250,000 subscribers by the end of 2006, and had just 30,000 regular users each month at last public report in early 2007.

MetroFi started to tell cities that without an advance service commitment at a minimum level -- an anchor tenancy -- the company couldn't proceed on networks. In 2007, MetroFi lost half a dozen bids or saw contracts canceled due to this change. Its work in Portland, Ore., the biggest network it was building, won't be extended beyond current limited dimensions until additional capital or a city commitment is obtained; the city has said it won't commit to service fees, however.

Meanwhile, EarthLink lost its CEO Garry Betty in January due to cancer. A strong backer of new initiatives to change EarthLink's core business, his death was certainly one of the causes in a quick re-evaluation of the municipal wireless division. New CEO Rolla Huff pulled EarthLink out of new deals, suspended existing ones, laid off hundreds of employees while gutting the metro Wi-Fi division, and appears poised to leave currently built or underway networks, including their flagship Philadelphia effort. They may sell the division, but it's hard to see much worth in it given the current state.

In a smaller bit of news, Kite Networks, formerly known by various names, was sold by parent MobilePro to Gobility with conditions that according to SEC filings by MobilePro weren't met. Kite was once high flying, in the company of EarthLink and MetroFi as one of the major U.S. Wi-Fi network builders. Now it's still in that company, with work on its Arizona networks apparently halted. A suitor has emerged in the form of a regional telecom that specializes in the Hispanophone market (double entendre intended), and which thinks it could boost Tempe subscriptions from the current several hundred to about 300 times that number. Hope springs eternal.

And while AT&T was able to launch a Riverside, Calif., network with MetroFi handling the installation and operation, it backed out of St. Louis, Mo., due to a utility pole problem, and the bidding in Chicago, too. The Metro Connect consortiums in Sacramento and Silcion Valley were unable to raise financing despite the apparent blue-chip participation by Cisco, IBM, and Intel.

County-wide Wi-Fi was also hit again and again by providers who pulled out--CenturyTel in Pierce County, Wash., for instance--or problems with technology or utility poles. In a few scattered areas, Wi-Fi across counties has been built out, but it's not an idea whose time has yet come.

Muni-Fi isn't down for the count. While these high-profile networks in large cities and county-wide networks have mostly hit the skids, more modest networks with well-defined goals continue to be built with a focus on public safety and municipal uses in hundreds of small and medium-sized towns. Brookline, Mass., may be a good example, in which a public safety/public access network was built relatively quickly and with no reported problems.

And there's one big city success story: Minneapolis, Minn. While local provider US Internet wound up spending more than they'd intended, reports from the ground indicate that service works quite well, and subscriptions and interest are quite high. The company was able to respond almost instantly to the bridge collapse a few months ago by deploying additional mesh infrastructure to add network capacity in the area. And it says that it could reach positive cash flow in early 2008. One of their advantages? They secured a substantial commitment from the city for the services they built.

Other trends of the year gone by: Music and Wi-Fi are clearly more aligned, with the new Zune models and firmware from Microsoft allowing wireless sync (but not yet Wi-Fi purchases), and the introduction of both the Apple iPhone and iTunes touch, which allow music purchases over Wi-Fi but not synchronization. (While the MusicGremlin preceded both the Zune and iPhone/iPod options, it didn't seem to gain any market traction in 2007.)

Security continues to be a concern in 2007, although less of one as home users have clearly accepted WPA Personal, at long last, and networks are increasingly encrypted through better software from major hardware manufacturers. Wizards make encryption a no-brainer, when they work. Corporations stung by reports and by requirements from credit card issuers are also clearly protecting their networks better, although I'm sure we'll still see breaches at those firms that didn't cross every "t."

The 802.11n standard's emergence into an interim certified Wi-Fi state was also a significant milestone for faster wireless networking. Shipments of Draft 802.11n products in 2007 increased significantly, while prices dropped so much that it makes perfect sense to purchase a $50 to $80 Draft N router than a comparable G unit. Manufacturers made it clear as the year progressed that hardware sold today should generally be firmware upgradable to whatever the final, not much changed 802.11n standard is when approved in 2008.

Gadget-Fi continued on the rise, as an increasing array of devices included Wi-Fi as a connectivity option. Most notably, T-Mobile launched its HotSpot@Home service, the largest scale offering of converged cell/Wi-Fi calling. By year's end, they had four handsets for sale--two plain, a BlackBerry, and a clamshell--but subscriber numbers are unknown.

What's coming in 2008?

In-flight Internet (over Wi-Fi): 2008 is finally the year. It was supposed to be 2005. Or maybe 2002. But we should see a number of planes, mostly flying over the U.S., equipped with either in-flight Internet access or in-flight text messaging and text email. Connexion by Boeing's failure fortunately didn't discourage a half a dozen competitors who were in the R&D phase when Boeing wrote off its satellite-based Internet access venture.

AirCell, Row 44, OnAir, Aeromobile, Panasonic Avionics, and a T-Mobile consortium are among the announced or nearly announced firms with commitments or trials underway. AirCell and Row 44, focused on the U.S. market, plan to deliver Internet not voice to fuselages; OnAir and Aeromobile are working on mobile-based services, including voice, via existing cell phones and devices.

In 2008, American, Alaska, and Virgin America will launch trials over the U.S., and potentially move into production. OnAir should be expanding in Europe beyond the single French aircraft that's equipped in a trial now to RyanAir's fleet. And Aeromobile's Qantas trial could turn into real usage. There's likely action that will happen in Asia and the Middle East, too, that's not yet disclosed.

Other trends to watch

Wi-Fi in every smartphone with better integration. The iPhone was the leading edge, pun intended, offering 2.5G EDGE cell networking as part of the subscription price, along with seamless roaming to Wi-Fi networks. With RIM finally offering BlackBerry models with Wi-Fi, it's unlikely that any future smartphone model intended for serious users would lack the option.

Wi-Fi everywhere. Despite the setbacks in municipal Wi-Fi, wireless networks continue to expand, with better and better coverage found across larger areas and more locations. 2008 might be the year of hotspot saturation.

WiMax arrives. In 2008, we'll finally see production mobile WiMax in action in the U.S., and the questions about whether it works well enough and fast enough at the right price to beat current generation cell data networks, and make money for the disorganized Sprint Nextel will be answered. More certainly, Clearwire, with WiMax as its only option, will push aggressively to steal customers away from fixed, wired broadband, especially in markets with little competition.

Gadget-Fi a go-go. Wi-Fi will become an expected part of gaming consoles (already found in a few), cameras (found in crippled form in just a handful), regular cell phones (in dozens and dozens now), and music players (with more full functionality).

via Wi-Fi Networking News

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