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Showing posts with label Zune mp3 player. Show all posts

Zune HD 32 GB Video MP3 Player (Platinum)

Enjoy storing and listening to your favorite tunes on this new Microsoft Zune HD player that features a large 3.3" OLED display with scratch-resistant glass and large storage capacity. Loaded with multi-touch, accelerometer, and 3D graphics, Zune HD makes portable gaming even more exciting. All to the sound of your favorite music. HD compatible video - Watch supported 720p HD (at 480 x 272) movies, TV shows, and videos in high definition on your HDTV through the Zune HD AV Dock (sold separately). Quickplay - Your content, your way. Quickplay gives instant access to your stuff with shortcuts to favorites, recently downloaded or played music, videos, and more. Specifications Screen - Size - 3.3-inch OLED color display, 16 - 9 aspect ratio; Type - Scratch-resistant glass with touch input capability; Orientation - Vertical (music) and horizontal (videos); Resolution - 480 pixels x 272 pixels Wireless - Connectivity - 802.11b/g compatible (WEP, WPA, WPA2, TKIP, AES) Battery - Music, up to 33 hours (wireless off); video, up to 8.5 hours (Charge time - Approximately 3 hours when connected to your PC & 2 hours with an optional A/C adapter) Audio support - WMA, WMA Pro, WMA Lossless, AAC (.mp4,. m4a,. m4b) without FairPlay DRM Picture support - JPEG Video support - WMV (transcode HD WMV), MPEG-4 (transcode HD MPEG-4), H.264, DVR-MS (transcode) Audio output - Analog Audio Out; Optical Digital Audio Out (requires additional dock, sold separately) Video output - HDMI or Composite (requires additional dock, sold separately) Radio - Built-in FM/HD Radio receiver Ports - Connector port, 3.5mm Headphone jack Music Service Compatibility - Zune Marketplace Size (w x h x d) - 2.07 x 4.02 x 0.35 (52.7 mm x 102.1 mm x 8.9 mm) Weight - 2.6 ounces (74 grams)

Customer Reviews
Has come a long way since the "brick" Zune, September 15, 2009
By T. Nield

This review is from: Zune HD 16 GB Video MP3 Player (Black) (Electronics)
Zune was the laughing stock a couple of years ago when Microsoft released the "brick" 1st-gen Zune. A joke went around about Microsoft's pathetic attempt to enter the "iPod market." So a year passed, and Zune remained a joke in the consumer electronics world and had to endure the jeers and torment of the Apple crowd. When the 2nd Gen Zunes came out, the Zune brand slowly started to see redemption. The Zune 80gb was deemed the first decent competitor to the iPod, but the brand was still in recovery from its hazing.

But for the first time, Microsoft has developed a Zune player that can finally use the words "downright sexy" to describe it. The Zune brand image is building up quickly with the release of the Zune HD, XBOX Live integration, and much-needed marketing.

With the rapid rise of the iPod Touch and iPhone, it's no surprise Microsoft came up with a touchscreen portable media player of its own. However, this is not a copy of the iPod touch at all. Sure the Zune HD features a touchscreen, accelerometer, app support, a strong web browser and other features that made the iPod Touch so popular.

However, the Zune HD has what the iPod Touch lacks, such as...

-ZunePass (Download all the music you want for $15/month, keep 10 songs per month DRM-Free)
-720p HDMI output
-An aesthetically nice software (Zune 4.0 interface is very pretty to look at, not a dull spreadsheet like iTunes)
-An aesthetically nice device OS (Artist pictures and info float around while playing a song, it's cool)
-OLED screen (brighter, more vibrant than LCD)
-Free HD radio
-Radio "tagging" (If you like a song you hear on the radio, "tag" it to add it to your cart for download)
-XBOX Live integration
-An advanced nVidia Tegra Chip (A couple of graphically-intense 3D games are coming out this fall, like Burnout: Ferrari Edition)
-On-demand music (play music online with your Zune HD, don't need to download it to your hard drive)

Again, the Zune HD is just simply amazing. With the Nvidia Tegra chip and highly capable processor, the potential for this device is endless. The Zune HD is supposed to be a portable gaming platform to compete head-to-head with the Nintendo DS and PSP brands. I'm excited to see Burnout: Ferrari Edition on it this fall. I'm also looking forward to see more apps as well.

Could this device take significant market share from Apple's iPod Touch? With the right marketing to increase public awareness of this product, yes it definitely can. Every large monopolizing entity like Kmart, GM, and even Apple will dominate a market completely for some period of time. However, times change and something better always comes along. Is this Zune HD the better alternative to the iPod? With some more releases in the app store and updates, it clearly will be. The question is will Apple change and copy the Zune's features including the Zune Pass? I don't know, we'll see. The Zune Pass will clearly become the new standard of digital music services and the $1-per-song marketplace model will not be competitive much longer.

***UPDATE***

I've been getting a lot of comments on my review saying that the Zune's HD radio does not compensate for the lack of online radio services found on the iPod Touch (such as Pandora). I believe I already said in my review that with some more app development the Zune HD will be a strong competitor to the iPod Touch, and that includes online radio apps.

I also forgot to add the Zune HD does not have an external speaker. If that's a super-important feature to you, the iPod Touch may suit you for now. However you can always get headphone couplers or battery-powered mini-speakers to remedy this.

Find out more @ Zune HD 32 GB Video MP3 Player (Platinum)

Zune 8 GB Video MP3 Player (Blue)

This slim 8 GB Zune device is good to go with plenty of room for your favorite music, pictures, and video. It comes complete with a built-in FM tuner and buy-from-FM capabilities, wireless sync, Zune-to-Zune wireless sharing, video playback, and more--so you get all that Zune power in one tight little package. It holds up to 2,000 songs, 25,000 pictures, or 25 hours of video.

Customer Reviews
The One,
By catalyst (MN)
Before I start talking about the Zune I have to say that I've had several mp3 players in the past, from flash-based to HD-based. My newest one is this 8GB Zune. I got my Zune about a week ago, after getting rid of my 3G 8GB Nano, that I was not happy with. So this is why I'm more satisfied with the Zune vs. the Nano...

Hardware
-Shape is easier to hold and use than WS Nano
-LCD is glass, more durable and sharper than plastic on Nano
-Zune Touch Pad is more responsive and precise vs. click wheel
-Wireless sharing/syncing option
-Built-in FM Tuner
-Better sound quality even without EQ...I just hated how bad the Nano sounds even with Shure headphones

Software
-Very simple and easy
-Asthetically better than iTunes

User Interface
-No Coverflow but interface is more organized and intuitive
-Customizable background, not an option on Nano
-Easier to read

I have not tested the battery life but it's rated close to the Nano so I'll live with whatever it really is. One thing I haven't checked on but someone else wrote about was the Zune not being a UMS Device when plugged in. Hopefully that's something Microsoft can/will change so that you can store other files on it. Overall, I'm must more satisfied with this player than the Nano.

Find out more @ ลิงค์ 1

Zune 120 GB Video MP3 Player (Black)

Massive capacity in a deluxe device that delivers uncompromised audio and video quality, the Zune 120 GB can fit a huge collection and still have room for videos, podcasts, and more. This major player hooks up with innovative discovery features like Buy from FM and wireless sharing, so you never stop gobbling tunes. It holds up to 30,000 songs, 25,000 pictures, or 375 hours of video.

Customer Reviews
A Thorough (Long) Review from a Zune 30 Owner an a iPhone 3G Owner,
By Super Mum (California)
No matter your opinion on Microsoft, the amazing fact remains that every time they update a Zune they include a free software update for all past Zunes making them nearly identical as the new Zunes. I am sure one day this may stop due to the fact that the new hardware will require a different type of OS that won't work on the old Zunes (i.e. a Zune Touch or something). Until then, I am have been a very happy past/present Zune owner for this reason.

I owned a Zune 30 for 2 1/2 years prior to buying the Zune 120. My old Zune worked perfectly and was not a factor in my decision to upgrade. Did I need the extra space? Not really... but I wanted to try out the touch/click "squircle" before the new Zune games were launched. I read that some games may not work (or work as intended) with the Zune 30 since it does not have the touch sensitive pad. We'll see how true that is when games are put on to the Marketplace.

My opinion after owning the Zune 120 for a couple weeks:

The Good:

-I am a rabid/avid fan of the Zune Pass. I don't mind renting music, in fact I LOVE it. It really opens me up to new bands without wasting $10-20 on an album I may hate. For $14.99 a month [for unlimited downloads on up to 3 Zunes and 3 Computers] I can download from more songs than I can fathom and not be upset if I pick a few tone-deaf artists along the way. If I love an album enough to keep it I can buy it from Zune or Amazon or whomever. If you think about it, the Zune Pass could save you money by allowing you to test out bands before committing to a purchase. Also, if throwing a house party or having guests over, you can download music for your guests that you might never consider buying for yourself.

-Audible support now available. Not sure how much I will use this feature yet but for now I like it and am happy I am not closed off from this option.

-WiFi: the options are now amazingly more advanced and now having WiFi on the Zune makes sense. Being able to download songs over a WiFi connection is huge. McDonald's is teaming up with Zune and will be offering their WiFi connection to Zune owners in the near future. While iPod does this with Starbucks, there are many more McDonalds than Starbucks in the U.S. Though not sure if this is a good thing ;)

-Channels!!!: I love the new channels built into the software. As a Zune Pass subscriber I love taking advantage of this. The software makes a "channel" once a week of songs it thinks I will like based on a genre (I have a "My Classic Rock" channel, "My Rock" channel, and since I share my Zune Pass with family members a "My R&B" channel). I choose which, if any, channels I want to subscribe to (so I can skip the R&B one if I desire) and it downloads a playlist of sorts that changes every week. Also, I can subscribe to other generic channels (i.e. "Rock" Channel, "Punk/Ska" Channel etc.) not tailored directly to me if I so desire. This has been a great way to sample new bands/music that have relevance to my music style. Of course if you love a song/artist you can always permanently download the songs. If you are an avid gym buff or runner there are some very cool channels titled "Walk" "Jog" and "Run" that have songs which consist of the same range of beats per minute to keep you moving at a constant speed. Very cool.

-Mixview: Much better looking than "Genius" on iTunes since Mixview uses album art and artists pictures rather than plain old text and Mixview's suggestions seem more relevant to me than Apple's "Genius." This can always change in the future as each product develops and I am excited that there is competition in this arena since it can only make this better and better. If you don't know what Mixview is, it is Zune's way of gathering data based on your music preferences (and the preferences of others) to recommend new music to you. Pandora (the Internet Radio website) does a BEAUTIFUL job at this. It's free and I would check it out if you have never used it before. Amazing.

-Battery Life: Much better than the Zune 30 which is a nice surprise. Leave WiFi off for a longer battery life.

-Accessory Compatibility: the charger, dock, remote, car charger, etc. from the Zune 30/80/120 all work together wonderfully. If you have the version 1 dock you will need to remove the plastic insert in order to have the 80/120 fit. It only takes a few seconds and is very painless. I would add a link to websites that show video/pictures on how to do this but Amazon removed two posts in the Zune forum where I did this. Do a search, it's out there. The cases for the Zune 30 do not work with the 120 but the 80 is the same size and both use the same cases. Heard there are problems with older FM transmitters working with the newer Zunes. Not sure how prevalent this problem is as I use an AUX jack in the car.

-The Squircle: This is the only "big" difference between the Zune 30 and the 80/120. It did not take long for me to get used to using this but my learning curve may be shorter than others as I am used to swiping on my iPhone and now clicking seems more difficult for me. (You can turn this feature off if you just want to use the squircle as a click pad.) When I went to buy a case I found that most cases covered the squircle and was concerned it would mess with functionality. I want to report that it did not take away the ability of the Zune to notice my movements. However, the case makes it not as smooth of an action as the bare squircle (I have a silicone cover that makes my finger "stickier" against the case so the glide isn't as smooth). Something to think about when purchasing a case (which I would recommend.. see "The Bad")

The Bad:

-I LOVED the Zune 30 casing. That was one beautiful thing that the Zune had over the iPod. The iPods scratched and showed wear very quickly and the Zune 30's casing was virtually indestructible. With the new casing (party in the front/business in the back... the reverse mullet) it seems that the possibility for scratching is now higher. The shiny front is a fingerprint magnet and the matte black back has a silver/gold metal underneath (as evidenced by Microsoft's Zune Originals website where you can have your Zune engraved professionally.. they "scratch" [engrave] a design and the gold/silver color appears). Not sure how deep you would have to scratch to get to that color and I won't volunteer to be a guinea pig. Sorry!
I highly recommend getting a case and I am a sucker for buying a screen protector as the Zune is nearly all screen on the front and should remain beautiful and scratch-free.

The "I don't care"/ "No opinion":

-The Clock: There is a clock now.. and I don't care. Many did so they will be happy. No alarm built-in, so beware clock lovers. (Microsoft updates the firmware and software quite a bit so you never know if this could be added soon.)

-Buy from FM: I hate the radio in my smallish town. There are only a couple decent stations but they aren't good enough for me to stop listening to MP3s and tune in. For those who have better stations and are in to Top 40 or what is new on the charts this may be an amazing option for you. Getting artist and album info over Zune's FM radio could be helpful if your DJ never states the name of an artist (like so many don't) and, if you really like the song, you can download it immediately or tag it for download later (depending if you are in a WiFi hotspot or at home with plug in hand).

-Headphones: the Zune 30 came with "run of the mill" headphones, the Zune 80 came with "premium" headphones and the Zune 120 went back to the "run of the mill" headphones. I use third-party headphones ($100+) so I don't care what comes in the package. Others might so here it is.

-Games: as of today's date, there are no games available for download on the Zune Marketplace. This is supposed to change soon and I sure hope it does. However, there are two games that come loaded on the Zune when you plug it in to the computer and update (Hexic and Texas Hold 'Em). Apple has the upper hand here and has done wonders with the App store. I hope Microsoft takes note and does something like it with the Zune. Heck, I hope the do something even better so then Apple steps up their game even more... and around and around we go. Competition is great for consumers.

I think here is a good place to mention that I love my iPhone 3G AND my Zune and I need to have both in my life to be happy (in the materialistic sense). I don't listen to music on my iPhone due to limited space (after adding apps, photos, podcasts, etc. there isn't much room for music) and also because Apple does not have a subscription music "rental" service. Ideally I would like to see Zune make a phone similar to the iPhone or the iPhone to have a subscription based music service (both phones would need a large capacity drive) so I could carry around just one device (either iPhone or ZunePhone depending on the offerings). Until that day I live in harmony with my Zune 120 and my iPhone 3G.

Find out more @ Zune 120 GB Video MP3 Player (Black)

Zune 8 GB Digital Media Player (Black)

This slim 8 GB Zune device is good to go with plenty of room for your favorite music, pictures, and video. It comes complete with a built-in FM tuner and buy-from-FM capabilities, wireless sync, Zune-to-Zune wireless sharing, video playback, and more--so you get all that Zune power in one tight little package. It holds up to 2,000 songs, 25,000 pictures, or 25 hours of video.

Customer Reviews
Zune- bye, bye Zen and Windows Media too,
By R. L. Lewis (Tacoma, WA United States)
I have a couple of Zen MP3 players that have worked well for me for a couple of years now, but both have begun to have problems and I decided to take a chance on the new V2 Zune. It was a good decision. This is a great product. All that comes in the box is the Zune, a sync cord, earphones, and brief documentation. You need to go online and download the Zune software to a PC and then hook up the player before you can get it to do anything. This doesn't take too long and the Zune will provide you with some sample content to try out as part of this process. The Zune sounds great, with plenty of volume and a decent set of earphones. The click wheel is intuitive and masterable in just a few minutes use.

As nice as the Zune is, a pleasant surprise is the Zune software. This is really more than just a tool to sync your tunes with your Zune. It is an attractive, intuitive, easy to use full fledged media player as well. It can easily replace Windows Media Player and is better looking than any other offering out there- Apple included.

Find out more @ Zune 8 GB Digital Media Player (Black)

Zune 4 GB Video MP3 Player (Black)

This slim 4 GB Zune device is good to go with plenty of room for your favorite music, pictures, and video. It comes complete with a built-in FM tuner and buy-from-FM capabilities, wireless sync, Zune-to-Zune wireless sharing, video playback, and more--so you get all that Zune power in one tight little package. It holds up to 1,000 songs, 25,000 pictures, or 12 hours of video.

Customer Reviews
Zune- bye, bye Zen and Windows Media too,
By R. L. Lewis (Tacoma, WA United States)

I have a couple of Zen MP3 players that have worked well for me for a couple of years now, but both have begun to have problems and I decided to take a chance on the new V2 Zune. It was a good decision. This is a great product. All that comes in the box is the Zune, a sync cord, earphones, and brief documentation. You need to go online and download the Zune software to a PC and then hook up the player before you can get it to do anything. This doesn't take too long and the Zune will provide you with some sample content to try out as part of this process. The Zune sounds great, with plenty of volume and a decent set of earphones. The click wheel is intuitive and masterable in just a few minutes use.

As nice as the Zune is, a pleasant surprise is the Zune software. This is really more than just a tool to sync your tunes with your Zune. It is an attractive, intuitive, easy to use full fledged media player as well. It can easily replace Windows Media Player and is better looking than any other offering out there- Apple included.

Find out more @ Zune 4 GB Video MP3 Player (Black)

Zune 4 GB Digital Media Player (Pink)

Music and entertainment, your way. That's what the Zune 4 GB Digital Media Player is designed to deliver. The Zune easily connects you with your music, videos, and pictures wherever and whenever you want, and unlike the iPod, it even has a built-in FM tuner so you can keep up with local news and sports. Your Zune gives you the power to wirelessly share full-length tracks, playlists, pictures and podcasts with your other Zune-wielding friends, and it is available in four bold colors. And when you receive songs that you just can't get out of your head, you can easily tag the songs and buy them the next time you sync up. Whether you're listening to music, radio, or rocking out to the latest music videos on the bright, roomy screen, the Zune allows you to tailor your entertainment, right in the palm of your hand.

Customer Reviews
Zune- bye, bye Zen and Windows Media too,
By R. L. Lewis (Tacoma, WA United States)

I have a couple of Zen MP3 players that have worked well for me for a couple of years now, but both have begun to have problems and I decided to take a chance on the new V2 Zune. It was a good decision. This is a great product. All that comes in the box is the Zune, a sync cord, earphones, and brief documentation. You need to go online and download the Zune software to a PC and then hook up the player before you can get it to do anything. This doesn't take too long and the Zune will provide you with some sample content to try out as part of this process. The Zune sounds great, with plenty of volume and a decent set of earphones. The click wheel is intuitive and masterable in just a few minutes use.

As nice as the Zune is, a pleasant surprise is the Zune software. This is really more than just a tool to sync your tunes with your Zune. It is an attractive, intuitive, easy to use full fledged media player as well. It can easily replace Windows Media Player and is better looking than any other offering out there- Apple included.

Find out more @ Zune 4 GB Digital Media Player (Pink)

Zune 8 GB Digital Media Player (Red)

This slim 8 GB Zune device is good to go with plenty of room for your favorite music, pictures, and video. It comes complete with a built-in FM tuner and buy-from-FM capabilities, wireless sync, Zune-to-Zune wireless sharing, video playback, and more--so you get all that Zune power in one tight little package. It holds up to 2,000 songs, 25,000 pictures, or 25 hours of video.

Customer Reviews
Zune- bye, bye Zen and Windows Media too,
By R. L. Lewis (Tacoma, WA United States)
I have a couple of Zen MP3 players that have worked well for me for a couple of years now, but both have begun to have problems and I decided to take a chance on the new V2 Zune. It was a good decision. This is a great product. All that comes in the box is the Zune, a sync cord, earphones, and brief documentation. You need to go online and download the Zune software to a PC and then hook up the player before you can get it to do anything. This doesn't take too long and the Zune will provide you with some sample content to try out as part of this process. The Zune sounds great, with plenty of volume and a decent set of earphones. The click wheel is intuitive and masterable in just a few minutes use.

As nice as the Zune is, a pleasant surprise is the Zune software. This is really more than just a tool to sync your tunes with your Zune. It is an attractive, intuitive, easy to use full fledged media player as well. It can easily replace Windows Media Player and is better looking than any other offering out there- Apple included.

Find out more @ Zune 8 GB Digital Media Player (Red)

Zune 120 GB Video MP3 Player (Red)

Massive capacity in a deluxe device that delivers uncompromised audio and video quality, the Zune 120 GB can fit a huge collection and still have room for videos, podcasts, and more. This major player hooks up with innovative discovery features like Buy from FM and wireless sharing, so you never stop gobbling tunes. It holds up to 30,000 songs, 25,000 pictures, or 375 hours of video.

Product Description
Zune starts with a digital media player and adds a twist. You can wirelessly share selected full-length sample tracks, playlists, pictures or your homegrown tracks directly from Zune to Zune. You can listen to the full-length songs that you receive up to three times in three days, flag the ones you like and easily buy them the next time you sync up. You can discover new music in the Zune Marketplace, and show off your favorite pictures and videos on the big, bright screen. Zune has all that and a built in FM tuner, too. Let your inner DJ run wild.

Customer Reviews
A Thorough (Long) Review from a Zune 30 Owner an a iPhone 3G Owner,
By Super Mum (California)
No matter your opinion on Microsoft, the amazing fact remains that every time they update a Zune they include a free software update for all past Zunes making them nearly identical as the new Zunes. I am sure one day this may stop due to the fact that the new hardware will require a different type of OS that won't work on the old Zunes (i.e. a Zune Touch or something). Until then, I am have been a very happy past/present Zune owner for this reason.

I owned a Zune 30 for 2 1/2 years prior to buying the Zune 120. My old Zune worked perfectly and was not a factor in my decision to upgrade. Did I need the extra space? Not really... but I wanted to try out the touch/click "squircle" before the new Zune games were launched. I read that some games may not work (or work as intended) with the Zune 30 since it does not have the touch sensitive pad. We'll see how true that is when games are put on to the Marketplace.

My opinion after owning the Zune 120 for a couple weeks:

The Good:

-I am a rabid/avid fan of the Zune Pass. I don't mind renting music, in fact I LOVE it. It really opens me up to new bands without wasting $10-20 on an album I may hate. For $14.99 a month [for unlimited downloads on up to 3 Zunes and 3 Computers] I can download from more songs than I can fathom and not be upset if I pick a few tone-deaf artists along the way. If I love an album enough to keep it I can buy it from Zune or Amazon or whomever. If you think about it, the Zune Pass could save you money by allowing you to test out bands before committing to a purchase. Also, if throwing a house party or having guests over, you can download music for your guests that you might never consider buying for yourself.

-Audible support now available. Not sure how much I will use this feature yet but for now I like it and am happy I am not closed off from this option.

-WiFi: the options are now amazingly more advanced and now having WiFi on the Zune makes sense. Being able to download songs over a WiFi connection is huge. McDonald's is teaming up with Zune and will be offering their WiFi connection to Zune owners in the near future. While iPod does this with Starbucks, there are many more McDonalds than Starbucks in the U.S. Though not sure if this is a good thing ;)

-Channels!!!: I love the new channels built into the software. As a Zune Pass subscriber I love taking advantage of this. The software makes a "channel" once a week of songs it thinks I will like based on a genre (I have a "My Classic Rock" channel, "My Rock" channel, and since I share my Zune Pass with family members a "My R&B" channel). I choose which, if any, channels I want to subscribe to (so I can skip the R&B one if I desire) and it downloads a playlist of sorts that changes every week. Also, I can subscribe to other generic channels (i.e. "Rock" Channel, "Punk/Ska" Channel etc.) not tailored directly to me if I so desire. This has been a great way to sample new bands/music that have relevance to my music style. Of course if you love a song/artist you can always permanently download the songs. If you are an avid gym buff or runner there are some very cool channels titled "Walk" "Jog" and "Run" that have songs which consist of the same range of beats per minute to keep you moving at a constant speed. Very cool.

-Mixview: Much better looking than "Genius" on iTunes since Mixview uses album art and artists pictures rather than plain old text and Mixview's suggestions seem more relevant to me than Apple's "Genius." This can always change in the future as each product develops and I am excited that there is competition in this arena since it can only make this better and better. If you don't know what Mixview is, it is Zune's way of gathering data based on your music preferences (and the preferences of others) to recommend new music to you. Pandora (the Internet Radio website) does a BEAUTIFUL job at this. It's free and I would check it out if you have never used it before. Amazing.

-Battery Life: Much better than the Zune 30 which is a nice surprise. Leave WiFi off for a longer battery life.

-Accessory Compatibility: the charger, dock, remote, car charger, etc. from the Zune 30/80/120 all work together wonderfully. If you have the version 1 dock you will need to remove the plastic insert in order to have the 80/120 fit. It only takes a few seconds and is very painless. I would add a link to websites that show video/pictures on how to do this but Amazon removed two posts in the Zune forum where I did this. Do a search, it's out there. The cases for the Zune 30 do not work with the 120 but the 80 is the same size and both use the same cases. Heard there are problems with older FM transmitters working with the newer Zunes. Not sure how prevalent this problem is as I use an AUX jack in the car.

-The Squircle: This is the only "big" difference between the Zune 30 and the 80/120. It did not take long for me to get used to using this but my learning curve may be shorter than others as I am used to swiping on my iPhone and now clicking seems more difficult for me. (You can turn this feature off if you just want to use the squircle as a click pad.) When I went to buy a case I found that most cases covered the squircle and was concerned it would mess with functionality. I want to report that it did not take away the ability of the Zune to notice my movements. However, the case makes it not as smooth of an action as the bare squircle (I have a silicone cover that makes my finger "stickier" against the case so the glide isn't as smooth). Something to think about when purchasing a case (which I would recommend.. see "The Bad")

The Bad:

-I LOVED the Zune 30 casing. That was one beautiful thing that the Zune had over the iPod. The iPods scratched and showed wear very quickly and the Zune 30's casing was virtually indestructible. With the new casing (party in the front/business in the back... the reverse mullet) it seems that the possibility for scratching is now higher. The shiny front is a fingerprint magnet and the matte black back has a silver/gold metal underneath (as evidenced by Microsoft's Zune Originals website where you can have your Zune engraved professionally.. they "scratch" [engrave] a design and the gold/silver color appears). Not sure how deep you would have to scratch to get to that color and I won't volunteer to be a guinea pig. Sorry!
I highly recommend getting a case and I am a sucker for buying a screen protector as the Zune is nearly all screen on the front and should remain beautiful and scratch-free.

Find out more @ Zune 120 GB Video MP3 Player (Red)