Critical Review of the Zune

ceallaigh writes "Andy Ihnatko of the Chicago Sun-Times has a critical review of the Zune. "Avoid," is my general message. The Zune is a square wheel, a product that's so absurd and so obviously immune to success that it evokes something akin to a sense of pity."

Comments

Re:Subjective Review

[Rayonic]

Why should I even finish reading your review if that's the first thing you say?

If you're an Apple zealot who's jacking off to the article, you'd continue reading. I'm not sure about anyone else.

Re:Some additional comments...

[Woodie]

...I found it to be clunky, awkward, irritating, non-intuitive, completely incompatible with previous Microsoft music standards, and has none of the features that make the iPod so completely useful (ability to hold various media and data, even allowing you to boot from Firewire iPods). And forcing users to rely on the Zune application to move data onto or off the device is infuriating (kind of like the Creative devices. Is it possible to "open" a Creative media player and put data onto it without having to use the Creative application?).

OK - so the iPod doesn't require iTunes to put music on it? Strange. Last I recall Apple _forces_ you to use the iPod with iTunes, and the iTunes Music Store (at least for drmed, purchased tracks). And that protected AAC format is so compatible across such a wide range of devices. Every portable music player can handle it, right? Oh yeah, I forgot, it isn't. But I'm sure I'll hear all about how it plays MP3s, and so forth - so you don't have to fall into the "Apple Trap". Keep drinking the kool-aid, and think "different". I also forgot how much the iPod is like everything Apple has ever done - they just copied their OS UI, right? Excuse me if you don't clue into my sarcasm.

... As anybody who has ever taken Marketing101 knows, you should always facilitate the process of getting people to spend money on your products and anything that steps in-between or slows this process down had better have a damn good reason for existing. Why do I have to buy "Zune Points" to then make music purchases? It's just stupid.

Seems to be working pretty damn well on the X-Box Live! marketplace. And lo and behold if the two aren't compatible! For everyone who complains about the DRM on this device - ask yourself - why aren't you complaining about it on the iPod. And don't give me all sorts of BS about how you use some Sandisk player, or whatever... iPod is sitting pretty with a majority marketshare in the portable digital music player market. Some of you clearly have to be using it in preference to devices that do not have DRM. And consider for a moment - if MS had opened up the wireless... The RIAA would be all over them - and say what you will about "sharing" music it's a weak argument at best. Consider the old technology adage: Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

I hate these weak reviews that just complain that it's "not Apple". Oooh change is scary. It's different, waaah! The Zune has problems, yes, but show me how I can share music on an iPod w/o hacking it, circumventing it's DRM, or any other "feature".

Re:Nevermind

[dfghjk]

"Considering I have a 1G iPod sitting right next to me that has always worked with Windows..."

Haha. So what you are saying is that the 1G iPod shipped with Windows software? ...and you say I'm full of shit.

I also had a 1G iPod that I used with Windows through 3rd party software. Apple actively discourages such use claiming that the iPod was reserved strictly for the superior mac-user experience.

Re:Subjective Review

[digmediaguy]

I thought I'd just write yet another knee-jerk reaction to yet another macboy's rationalization of blatently one-sided yellow tech journalism, but I decided to RTFA before making an ass of myself. What do you know? My knee-jerk reaction was right.

Seriously, all this article was missing was a picture of Steve Jobs kissing a baby. Maybe on the web version they could've thrown in some of that background music from the WWII newsreels...

And, wow, you actually approve of sensationalist journalism, and average joe doesn't actually want to hear real news - just what he would want to hear? Never mind actually informing average joe, that might require research and objectivity! That's just cramping his style, so it's ok for him.

Wait, hang on - maybe this was just an opinion article by a guy with an opinion - nope! It's a tech article by a guy who "writes on technical and computer issues".

I'd be surprised if this guy actually paid for his iPod.