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Microsoft Zune 120GB: Review

Posted to Portable Audio/Video 2009-03-03

The Microsoft Zune 120GB is the software powerhouse's answer to the iPod classic and it does a great job at creating a top notch competitor. The Zune offers consumers a huge hard drive for storing tons of music, a large LCD screen and a host of other intuitive and useful features. Overall the Zune 120 is an extremely well thought out and produced product from Microsoft.

The Microsoft Zune 120 was released in September of 2008 as the high-capacity version of earlier Zunes. The Zune measures 2.4 x 4.25 x 0.5 inches thick and weighs just 4.5 oz. The 3.2 inch screen is bright and useful for viewing movies and televisions shows, although it is a tad bit too glossy to deal with in overt sunlight.

The Zune has a large feature set offering wireless connectivity, a marketplace for buying music (ala carte and subscription based), an FM tuner and podcast and audio book compatibility. The huge 120GB hard drive can store up to 30,000 songs or 375 hours of video, although mileage may vary. Users can enjoy up to 30 hours of music playback or about 4 hours of video playback.

Rating:

4.2 out of 5

Quality

Microsoft has never been one to skimp terribly on a product and the same goes for the Microsoft Zune. The outer casing is made of high quality plastic. The glossy front and matte finish black are nicely done and give an air of quality and style. The Glass LCD screen provides a nice bright display for watching videos and browsing the marketplace on. The device is light but still feels nice and substantial in the hand. The navigation buttons are nicely sized and done in a finish that prevents slipping which shows a good amount of forethought in the product. There is very little device noise when playing music with a few small clicks during song changes and the volume offered by the Zune is superior to most other players I have used. The only reason I can't give the Zune 120 a 5 star quality rating is because of its headphones. Past Zune models offered high quality headphones but the ones that are offered with the Zune 120 are less than great. The fit of the headphones is awkward for anyone with smaller ears and the buds just don't provide the oomph most audiophiles are looking for. While it would be nice if the company added high quality headphones it is far from a deal breaker. The desktop software is a bit bloated. Load times are a bit sluggish but overall the software is nice and stable. Newer PCs will likely not encounter much lag but older PCs might have a hard time running the software quickly.

Features

Microsoft has really stepped up its game in terms of features on the Zune 120. The biggest addition to the player is the wireless marketplace. The wireless marketplace allows users to download songs directly to their Zune from any wireless hotspot. The search options are extremely intuitive giving users a list of the top song downloads and a nice search feature. Another great added feature is the new found compatibility with audio books. Previous generations of the MP3 player did not support traditional audio book files, but with the new firmware all systems are go for book lovers. What really sets the Zune apart from other competitors is its top notch FM player. While many manufacturers have thrown in FM players as an after thought Microsoft really put a lot of effort into a great radio. The Zune allows users to listen to the radio and add songs they hear and like into their cart for download. It's a great feature when a song just grabs you. Granted the feature doesn't work with all stations just yet but it is compatible with most major radio stations that the Zune picks up. An added bonus is the games that now come with the Zune. Comes with Checkers, Soduku and several other little games. While it's not what people buy the Zune for it's a nice time killer during a boring commute home and pays homage to Microsoft's gaming division. Overall the Zune 120 offers a solid feature set for the value. The desktop marketplace, FM features and gaming options make it a well-rounded portable entertainment device.

Summary

The Zune's large hard drive, top-notch FM tuner and large display offers a great value for the money. At around $250 the Zune competes with Apple's iPod classic but offers a larger screen and additional features. The Zune's playback capabilities are well-rounded and the quality of the product is more than adequate for its price tag. While there are a few small kinks with the earbuds and software they are merely mild annoyances and are overshadowed by all the solid features packed into a 5 inch package.

Pros

120 GB hard drive offers excellent storage possibilities
Bright 3.2 inch screen is one of the best in the MP3 player market
FM-tuner is well integrated and has some cool features built into it.
Competitive pricing with the iPod Classic makes it a true contender

Cons

Earbud quality and software heft are only minor annoyances