Samsung Galaxy 5.0 Android MP3 Player

Samsung Galaxy 5.0 Android MP3 Player

 Samsung Galaxy 5.0 Android MP3 Player 

On Sale Price:  from $239.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping.

Surf the Internet, take photos, play games, and carry your music, videos, and other media wherever you go with the Samsung Galaxy Player 5.0. Powered by Android 2.3.5, the player features a 1 GHz processor, a beautiful 5-inch touchscreen, and front- and rear-facing cameras. It also gives you access to over 250,000 apps including games, productivity software, and more.

Customer Review

Very surprising device, By Biel85

I've owned several mp3 players and tablets from microsoft, apple, sony, etc, but none of them attended most of my expectations.
When I bought my Samsung Galaxy Player I also bought an iPod touch to compare both at the same time.

The Galaxy Player was faster at web browsing, navigating throughout the device in general, etc.

Even the ear-buds that come with it are good quality. Better than Apple's. Deep bass and nice distribution on the trebles and mediums. I had just bought a Klipsch s4i which is a really wonderful pair of ear-buds, but not needed after I tested this samsung one.

The screen quality of the iPod touch is still superior due to the 960x640 pixel resolution, but the bigger size (5 inches) of the galaxy's screen makes it way more comfortable to your eyes (the quality is still really impressive though).

The galaxy's internal stereo speakers are not like the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 inches' which are wonderful, but they beat the iPod's " mono speaker" without a doubt.

The iPod has an upper class quality microphone to record voice memos and videos. The galaxy's one is not the best, but they still pick up instruments' sounds pretty well. If you want to record a concert with your galaxy player, you can do that with this 5 inches one.

The notification bar in the iPod touch with the new iOS 5 is pretty much not useful. It works better with an iPhone, but the galaxy player's notification bar works well just as if you had a mobile phone.

The super advantages of the galaxy player over the iPod is: - it has a microSD card slot (which you can expand up to 32GB). You can have all your videos, movies, music, and pictures in different microSD cards if you choose to. It is really easy to install in the device. - it has GPS built-in. It works really well with pre-loaded maps. - it has FM-Radio which works really well.

The touch screen of the galaxy is very responsible.

I could find all apps I had in my iPod in the android market and they all work fine. For example, Netflix, Skype, Pandora radio, YouTube, Facebook, Kindle (the screen is big enough to read books), B&N Nook, MySpace, UsaToday. etc.

The Netflix image quality on the iPod is superior, but not very noticeable. The galaxy's quality is still very good.

The 3.2 MP rear camera on the galaxy player is way superior than the iPod's one. Pictures (with flash and videos are really good.

The front facing camera on the galaxy is superior as well, but if you want to record with it, you have to download an app that will allow you to and the quality is not the best. The iPod's front facing camera records just as good as its rear camera.

The battery life in the galaxy is superior to the iPod's one (that is my personal experience). Some people are just lucky with batteries.

The only big disadvantage that galaxy player has compared to the iPod is the lack of a software to sync your files like the iTunes for apple products. I had all my music sorted by genre in playlists on my iTunes that I could just sync with my iPod. I don't have that with my galaxy player yet, but that's not the end of the world. You can easily search for the song, album, or artist you want with the search option in the galaxy music player. Samsung will probably come up with one pretty soon.

Well, that is a pretty long review, but I just decided to write everything that I tried to find, and I couldn't, when I wanted to know which music player would be the best for me.

Just to sum up what I'm saying in this review:

Samsung Galaxy Player 5.0
- Fast web browsing and navigation
- Good quality ear-buds
- Excellent screen size and good quality of image
- Good internal stereo speakers
- Ok microphone to record, but excellent for video chatting
- Useful notification bar (e-mail, updates, facebook, etc)
- MicroSD card slot, GPS, FM-radio
- Diverse and still expanding android market (app store)
- Good video streaming function (Netflix)
- Good quality rear camera with flash
- Good battery life
- No versatile sync software like the iTunes from Apple "yet".

I took my iPod back and stayed with my Galaxy Player very happy so far.

I hope this review was useful to you!

More detail @ Samsung Galaxy 5.0 Android MP3 Player

 Samsung Galaxy 5.0 Android MP3 Player 

On Sale Price:  from $239.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping.

Surf the Internet, take photos, play games, and carry your music, videos, and other media wherever you go with the Samsung Galaxy Player 5.0. Powered by Android 2.3.5, the player features a 1 GHz processor, a beautiful 5-inch touchscreen, and front- and rear-facing cameras. It also gives you access to over 250,000 apps including games, productivity software, and more.

Customer Review

Very surprising device, By Biel85

I've owned several mp3 players and tablets from microsoft, apple, sony, etc, but none of them attended most of my expectations.
When I bought my Samsung Galaxy Player I also bought an iPod touch to compare both at the same time.

The Galaxy Player was faster at web browsing, navigating throughout the device in general, etc.

Even the ear-buds that come with it are good quality. Better than Apple's. Deep bass and nice distribution on the trebles and mediums. I had just bought a Klipsch s4i which is a really wonderful pair of ear-buds, but not needed after I tested this samsung one.

The screen quality of the iPod touch is still superior due to the 960x640 pixel resolution, but the bigger size (5 inches) of the galaxy's screen makes it way more comfortable to your eyes (the quality is still really impressive though).

The galaxy's internal stereo speakers are not like the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 inches' which are wonderful, but they beat the iPod's " mono speaker" without a doubt.

The iPod has an upper class quality microphone to record voice memos and videos. The galaxy's one is not the best, but they still pick up instruments' sounds pretty well. If you want to record a concert with your galaxy player, you can do that with this 5 inches one.

The notification bar in the iPod touch with the new iOS 5 is pretty much not useful. It works better with an iPhone, but the galaxy player's notification bar works well just as if you had a mobile phone.

The super advantages of the galaxy player over the iPod is: - it has a microSD card slot (which you can expand up to 32GB). You can have all your videos, movies, music, and pictures in different microSD cards if you choose to. It is really easy to install in the device. - it has GPS built-in. It works really well with pre-loaded maps. - it has FM-Radio which works really well.

The touch screen of the galaxy is very responsible.

I could find all apps I had in my iPod in the android market and they all work fine. For example, Netflix, Skype, Pandora radio, YouTube, Facebook, Kindle (the screen is big enough to read books), B&N Nook, MySpace, UsaToday. etc.

The Netflix image quality on the iPod is superior, but not very noticeable. The galaxy's quality is still very good.

The 3.2 MP rear camera on the galaxy player is way superior than the iPod's one. Pictures (with flash and videos are really good.

The front facing camera on the galaxy is superior as well, but if you want to record with it, you have to download an app that will allow you to and the quality is not the best. The iPod's front facing camera records just as good as its rear camera.

The battery life in the galaxy is superior to the iPod's one (that is my personal experience). Some people are just lucky with batteries.

The only big disadvantage that galaxy player has compared to the iPod is the lack of a software to sync your files like the iTunes for apple products. I had all my music sorted by genre in playlists on my iTunes that I could just sync with my iPod. I don't have that with my galaxy player yet, but that's not the end of the world. You can easily search for the song, album, or artist you want with the search option in the galaxy music player. Samsung will probably come up with one pretty soon.

Well, that is a pretty long review, but I just decided to write everything that I tried to find, and I couldn't, when I wanted to know which music player would be the best for me.

Just to sum up what I'm saying in this review:

Samsung Galaxy Player 5.0
- Fast web browsing and navigation
- Good quality ear-buds
- Excellent screen size and good quality of image
- Good internal stereo speakers
- Ok microphone to record, but excellent for video chatting
- Useful notification bar (e-mail, updates, facebook, etc)
- MicroSD card slot, GPS, FM-radio
- Diverse and still expanding android market (app store)
- Good video streaming function (Netflix)
- Good quality rear camera with flash
- Good battery life
- No versatile sync software like the iTunes from Apple "yet".

I took my iPod back and stayed with my Galaxy Player very happy so far.

I hope this review was useful to you!

More detail @ Samsung Galaxy 5.0 Android MP3 Player

Apple iPod shuffle 2 GB Silver (4th Generation) NEWEST MODEL

Apple iPod shuffle 2 GB Silver (4th Generation) NEWEST MODEL

Apple iPod shuffle 2 GB Silver (4th Generation) NEWEST MODEL 

List Price: $49

On Sale Price:  from $44.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping.

The main body of the iPod shuffle is crafted from a single piece of aluminum and polished to a beautiful shine, so it feels solid, sleek, and durable. Thanks to the color choices too it's the perfect fashion accessory. Choose gleaming silver, blue, green, orange, or pink. Hundreds of songs to go Never leave a favorite tune behind. Along with up to 15 hours of battery life, iPod shuffle gives you 2GB of storage capacity, good for hundreds of songs. That's plenty of room for the essential songs of your workout or commute, multiple playlists, Genius Mixes, podcasts, and audiobooks, too. Goes anywhere. And with anything iPod shuffle isn't just portable. It's wearable, too. Clip it to your shirt, jacket, workout gear, backpack, or purse strap, and it stays put—whether you're running an errand or running around the track. Control your music with just a click It's back—the big, clickable control pad on the front of iPod shuffle. It's 18 percent larger than on previous iPod shuffle models, so it's even easier to see and use the music controls. Press the center button to play and pause. Press the outer buttons to skip forward or back and adjust volume. Click, click, click. It's music to your fingers. Play it your way Maybe you're the spontaneous type. Or maybe you prefer a little order. Just flip the shuffle switch to suit your listening style. Flip it to the left, and you'll hear your music in a refreshingly random way. Flip it to the middle, and your songs play in order. Or flip to the right to turn iPod shuffle off. Voiceover tells you what you want to hear Say you're listening to a song and want to know the title or the artist. Just press the VoiceOver button on top of your iPod shuffle, and it tells you. You can even use VoiceOver to hear the names of playlists and switch between them. If your battery needs charging, VoiceOver tells you that, too. It speaks your language It speaks your language. A French love song. A Spanish bolero. An Italian cantata. Your

Customer Review

Great little thing, September 10, 2010 By D. Bodington

I just got my new shuffle in the mail today. I needed something for running and dreadmilling when it is too snowy/icy to run outside.
My initial impressions:
Pros
Great little thing (small)
strong clip
easy to use (hooray for buttons!)
simple, multi-position switch on the top lets you play in order or shuffle. Voice over button is easy to use and works well.
Easy to sync (choose playlists, genius playlists, albums, artists, podcasts, etc...)
Looks good (see my notes about online photos at the bottom)
Long (15h) battery life.
EDIT: A "hold" function has been added, just hold the center button to activate and deactivate, good feature. It would be useful if I had just gotten mine, but I learned how to use it without the feature so I don't end up using hold much.
Cons
None. (As far am I concerned, there are cons like "no screen" and such, but if you order this to get an ipod shuffle, not a nano or other mp3 player, you will not be disappointed. I was not let down at all).
EDIT: After some thought and use, I thought of some cons.
$50 for 2gb is not a great price compared to other mp3 players.
2gb might be limiting to you. This just means you have to choose or let itunes choose what music goes on there carefully.
Because the buttons take up most of the front of the ipod, it can be hard to use the clip while it is turned on without pressing the next button.
Conclusion:
If you know what an ipod shuffle does, need a reasonable music player that syncs with your itunes, and don't need more. GET ONE!!! I can't imagine you will be let down.
One last note: From all the photos online, you can't really tell, bu this is not a matte finish ipod. The finish is shiny, but not mirror-y. And actually, no one will care about this, but the top and bottom are matte silver. It looks good.

More detail @ Apple iPod shuffle 2 GB Silver (4th Generation) NEWEST MODEL

Apple iPod shuffle 2 GB Silver (4th Generation) NEWEST MODEL 

List Price: $49

On Sale Price:  from $44.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping.

The main body of the iPod shuffle is crafted from a single piece of aluminum and polished to a beautiful shine, so it feels solid, sleek, and durable. Thanks to the color choices too it's the perfect fashion accessory. Choose gleaming silver, blue, green, orange, or pink. Hundreds of songs to go Never leave a favorite tune behind. Along with up to 15 hours of battery life, iPod shuffle gives you 2GB of storage capacity, good for hundreds of songs. That's plenty of room for the essential songs of your workout or commute, multiple playlists, Genius Mixes, podcasts, and audiobooks, too. Goes anywhere. And with anything iPod shuffle isn't just portable. It's wearable, too. Clip it to your shirt, jacket, workout gear, backpack, or purse strap, and it stays put—whether you're running an errand or running around the track. Control your music with just a click It's back—the big, clickable control pad on the front of iPod shuffle. It's 18 percent larger than on previous iPod shuffle models, so it's even easier to see and use the music controls. Press the center button to play and pause. Press the outer buttons to skip forward or back and adjust volume. Click, click, click. It's music to your fingers. Play it your way Maybe you're the spontaneous type. Or maybe you prefer a little order. Just flip the shuffle switch to suit your listening style. Flip it to the left, and you'll hear your music in a refreshingly random way. Flip it to the middle, and your songs play in order. Or flip to the right to turn iPod shuffle off. Voiceover tells you what you want to hear Say you're listening to a song and want to know the title or the artist. Just press the VoiceOver button on top of your iPod shuffle, and it tells you. You can even use VoiceOver to hear the names of playlists and switch between them. If your battery needs charging, VoiceOver tells you that, too. It speaks your language It speaks your language. A French love song. A Spanish bolero. An Italian cantata. Your

Customer Review

Great little thing, September 10, 2010 By D. Bodington

I just got my new shuffle in the mail today. I needed something for running and dreadmilling when it is too snowy/icy to run outside.
My initial impressions:
Pros
Great little thing (small)
strong clip
easy to use (hooray for buttons!)
simple, multi-position switch on the top lets you play in order or shuffle. Voice over button is easy to use and works well.
Easy to sync (choose playlists, genius playlists, albums, artists, podcasts, etc...)
Looks good (see my notes about online photos at the bottom)
Long (15h) battery life.
EDIT: A "hold" function has been added, just hold the center button to activate and deactivate, good feature. It would be useful if I had just gotten mine, but I learned how to use it without the feature so I don't end up using hold much.
Cons
None. (As far am I concerned, there are cons like "no screen" and such, but if you order this to get an ipod shuffle, not a nano or other mp3 player, you will not be disappointed. I was not let down at all).
EDIT: After some thought and use, I thought of some cons.
$50 for 2gb is not a great price compared to other mp3 players.
2gb might be limiting to you. This just means you have to choose or let itunes choose what music goes on there carefully.
Because the buttons take up most of the front of the ipod, it can be hard to use the clip while it is turned on without pressing the next button.
Conclusion:
If you know what an ipod shuffle does, need a reasonable music player that syncs with your itunes, and don't need more. GET ONE!!! I can't imagine you will be let down.
One last note: From all the photos online, you can't really tell, bu this is not a matte finish ipod. The finish is shiny, but not mirror-y. And actually, no one will care about this, but the top and bottom are matte silver. It looks good.

More detail @ Apple iPod shuffle 2 GB Silver (4th Generation) NEWEST MODEL

Apple iPod nano 8 GB Graphite (6th Generation) NEWEST MODEL

Apple iPod nano 8 GB Graphite (6th Generation) NEWEST MODEL

Apple iPod nano 8 GB Graphite (6th Generation) NEWEST MODEL 

List Price: $149

On Sale Price:  from $134 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping.

iPod nano has been completely redesigned with Multi-Touch—the same technology that makes iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch so amazing. Now it's half the size and even easier to play. And everything you want to hear is just a tap or swipe away. In a sleek anondized aluminum and seven bright colors, iPod nano makes a huge statement that matches your style. The 1.5" color display with 240 x 240 pixel resolution stunningly shows off your album art, photos, and color-coordinated wallpaper. The new built-in clip makes it easy to move to the music. Just clip iPod nano to your sleeve, jacket, or bag. Wherever you go, your favorite tunes are right where you need them. In fact, with the built-in 30-pin connector, you can easily plug iPod nano into your car stereo system, your speakers at home, and many other products made for iPod. iPod nano is 46 percent smaller, 42 percent lighter, and 100 percent made for music with Multi-Touch. It's the perfect size for a tap or a swipe, so fingertips feel right at home. Multi-Touch basics Home screen Swipe left to see additional icons. To return Home from other screens, swipe right, or touch and hold anywhere. Multi-Touch Tap to select items. Swipe up or down to browse lists. Rotate the screen using two fingers. Double-tap to zoom photos. Custom Home screens Touch and hold an icon until it jiggles, then drag it to a new location. Press Sleep/Wake when finished. Song controls Tap an album cover to show song controls. Swipe left to see Repeat, Genius, and Shuffle controls. Shake iPod nano to shuffle songs. Genius Tap Genius Mixes to hear songs that go great together. Or, create a Genius playlist by playing a song you like, and tapping the song control. FM radio Tap to show radio controls. Flick the radio dial to change stations, or tap to set favorites. Swipe left to show Live Pause controls. Play all day and all night The built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery gives you up to 24 hours of nonstop music. So when you clip on an 8GB or 16.

Customer Review

Nano Gains Touch, Loses Video Playing & Recording, September 6, 2010

By Steve H "books911" (U.S.)

The iPod Nano update on September 1, 2010 is arguably the most dramatic since the iPod Nano moniker was introduced by Apple five years ago.
Several colors are being offered in both 8 GB & 16 GB capacities.
More than an update, this is a new product that simply retains the iPod Nano name. It gains a significant feature, but loses several others.
The big deal is the touch interface on the newest iPod Nano. iPod Nano users will now be "touching," their music as iPod Touch and iPhone users have before them. The click wheel is gone. To find your music, you select a category from the Nano's menu such as "Playlists," or "Artists," and select from there. Less convenient or more convenient than a click wheel? Honestly, about equal. The screen is indeed small, but not unusable.
FM Radio has been retained as well as the Fitness aspects with the ability to use Nike + or simply the built in pedometer. However, the form factor will be a major benefit for those working out with the Nano. The previous Nano required an armband to keep it on you while working out, jogging, or the like. Not always comfortable, an additional expense, etc. However, with this new small, square form factor that need is gone. Now, we can simply "clip," the Nano onto us, with the built in clip, and run to our listening content. A bigger deal than you might think.
The downside? Features have been removed from Nano. The screen is much smaller than the previous generation. Therefore, playback of video content from iTunes is gone. Nano no longer plays video, which was a feature added three years ago. Secondly, last year, Nano added a small video camera to record low quality video, which could be played back on the Nano's screen or synced with iTunes and viewed on your computer. That feature is gone too. The device is too small now for a camera or to watch video. This new generation iPod Nano has many exciting new features, but buyers must be aware that it is no longer a video player. It is something new. Those wishing to play video on an iPod must choose an iPod Touch.
My opinion on this change? Honestly, did I ever watch video on the iPod Nano's screen? No. For me, while they kept trying to make the screen larger, it was simply too small to enjoy more than a once a year video. Likewise, the camera was simply not high enough quality to keep yourself entertained by using on a regular basis. It became a feature unused by many.
The iPod Nano has changed and gone back to being an exceptional music player. There is nothing here you do not need to enjoy music. However, the display and touch interface brings the 21st century "touch," that Apple has made so popular to a more affordable device. The touch function will be limited here to simply selecting songs or bringing up the clock, but nevertheless, touch has made its way to the Nano.
I'm most thankful that the Nano has indeed retained the DOCK CONNECTOR. The dock connector is key to use with iPod accessories such as docks, speaker docks, and built in car iPod connectors. The nano is so diminutive that if you plug it into the factory iPod kit of an automobile, the cable's dock connector will look nearly bigger than the Nano itself. Not a negative, just amusing. Nevertheless, the dock connector is there, and you will be able to use the device in such applications, and that was a significant decision by Apple. Users want and need the dock connector. It is there on this iPod Nano, but still missing from the Shuffle due to its even more diminutive size.
This 16 GB version is the largest size Apple offers in the Nano. It offers no additional functionality over the 8GB, but features twice the storage. Choose the one best for you. 16 GB is great if you have a large music collection. We should all remember though that with Nano no longer doing Video or Storing Pictures, the storage is exclusively for music. This makes 8 GB and 16 GB more appropriate size offerings as music takes up much less storage than video.
Overall, Apple has removed video (both playback and recording) from this iPod Nano. However, it's an equalling good music player. Navigation of music is now completed via touch, which works effectively despite the small screen. It's really hard to believe so much can fit into such a small device and I believe everyone will be a bit shocked when they open up the Nano the first time and see it's size yet primary function as an effective music player retained. The newest Nano brings a nearly Shuffle like size, but yet retains the functionality (touch, clip, dock connector) that serious music lovers and those who use the Nano while working out, demand.

More detail @ Apple iPod nano 8 GB Graphite (6th Generation) NEWEST MODEL

Apple iPod nano 8 GB Graphite (6th Generation) NEWEST MODEL 

List Price: $149

On Sale Price:  from $134 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping.

iPod nano has been completely redesigned with Multi-Touch—the same technology that makes iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch so amazing. Now it's half the size and even easier to play. And everything you want to hear is just a tap or swipe away. In a sleek anondized aluminum and seven bright colors, iPod nano makes a huge statement that matches your style. The 1.5" color display with 240 x 240 pixel resolution stunningly shows off your album art, photos, and color-coordinated wallpaper. The new built-in clip makes it easy to move to the music. Just clip iPod nano to your sleeve, jacket, or bag. Wherever you go, your favorite tunes are right where you need them. In fact, with the built-in 30-pin connector, you can easily plug iPod nano into your car stereo system, your speakers at home, and many other products made for iPod. iPod nano is 46 percent smaller, 42 percent lighter, and 100 percent made for music with Multi-Touch. It's the perfect size for a tap or a swipe, so fingertips feel right at home. Multi-Touch basics Home screen Swipe left to see additional icons. To return Home from other screens, swipe right, or touch and hold anywhere. Multi-Touch Tap to select items. Swipe up or down to browse lists. Rotate the screen using two fingers. Double-tap to zoom photos. Custom Home screens Touch and hold an icon until it jiggles, then drag it to a new location. Press Sleep/Wake when finished. Song controls Tap an album cover to show song controls. Swipe left to see Repeat, Genius, and Shuffle controls. Shake iPod nano to shuffle songs. Genius Tap Genius Mixes to hear songs that go great together. Or, create a Genius playlist by playing a song you like, and tapping the song control. FM radio Tap to show radio controls. Flick the radio dial to change stations, or tap to set favorites. Swipe left to show Live Pause controls. Play all day and all night The built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery gives you up to 24 hours of nonstop music. So when you clip on an 8GB or 16.

Customer Review

Nano Gains Touch, Loses Video Playing & Recording, September 6, 2010

By Steve H "books911" (U.S.)

The iPod Nano update on September 1, 2010 is arguably the most dramatic since the iPod Nano moniker was introduced by Apple five years ago.
Several colors are being offered in both 8 GB & 16 GB capacities.
More than an update, this is a new product that simply retains the iPod Nano name. It gains a significant feature, but loses several others.
The big deal is the touch interface on the newest iPod Nano. iPod Nano users will now be "touching," their music as iPod Touch and iPhone users have before them. The click wheel is gone. To find your music, you select a category from the Nano's menu such as "Playlists," or "Artists," and select from there. Less convenient or more convenient than a click wheel? Honestly, about equal. The screen is indeed small, but not unusable.
FM Radio has been retained as well as the Fitness aspects with the ability to use Nike + or simply the built in pedometer. However, the form factor will be a major benefit for those working out with the Nano. The previous Nano required an armband to keep it on you while working out, jogging, or the like. Not always comfortable, an additional expense, etc. However, with this new small, square form factor that need is gone. Now, we can simply "clip," the Nano onto us, with the built in clip, and run to our listening content. A bigger deal than you might think.
The downside? Features have been removed from Nano. The screen is much smaller than the previous generation. Therefore, playback of video content from iTunes is gone. Nano no longer plays video, which was a feature added three years ago. Secondly, last year, Nano added a small video camera to record low quality video, which could be played back on the Nano's screen or synced with iTunes and viewed on your computer. That feature is gone too. The device is too small now for a camera or to watch video. This new generation iPod Nano has many exciting new features, but buyers must be aware that it is no longer a video player. It is something new. Those wishing to play video on an iPod must choose an iPod Touch.
My opinion on this change? Honestly, did I ever watch video on the iPod Nano's screen? No. For me, while they kept trying to make the screen larger, it was simply too small to enjoy more than a once a year video. Likewise, the camera was simply not high enough quality to keep yourself entertained by using on a regular basis. It became a feature unused by many.
The iPod Nano has changed and gone back to being an exceptional music player. There is nothing here you do not need to enjoy music. However, the display and touch interface brings the 21st century "touch," that Apple has made so popular to a more affordable device. The touch function will be limited here to simply selecting songs or bringing up the clock, but nevertheless, touch has made its way to the Nano.
I'm most thankful that the Nano has indeed retained the DOCK CONNECTOR. The dock connector is key to use with iPod accessories such as docks, speaker docks, and built in car iPod connectors. The nano is so diminutive that if you plug it into the factory iPod kit of an automobile, the cable's dock connector will look nearly bigger than the Nano itself. Not a negative, just amusing. Nevertheless, the dock connector is there, and you will be able to use the device in such applications, and that was a significant decision by Apple. Users want and need the dock connector. It is there on this iPod Nano, but still missing from the Shuffle due to its even more diminutive size.
This 16 GB version is the largest size Apple offers in the Nano. It offers no additional functionality over the 8GB, but features twice the storage. Choose the one best for you. 16 GB is great if you have a large music collection. We should all remember though that with Nano no longer doing Video or Storing Pictures, the storage is exclusively for music. This makes 8 GB and 16 GB more appropriate size offerings as music takes up much less storage than video.
Overall, Apple has removed video (both playback and recording) from this iPod Nano. However, it's an equalling good music player. Navigation of music is now completed via touch, which works effectively despite the small screen. It's really hard to believe so much can fit into such a small device and I believe everyone will be a bit shocked when they open up the Nano the first time and see it's size yet primary function as an effective music player retained. The newest Nano brings a nearly Shuffle like size, but yet retains the functionality (touch, clip, dock connector) that serious music lovers and those who use the Nano while working out, demand.

More detail @ Apple iPod nano 8 GB Graphite (6th Generation) NEWEST MODEL

Zune HD 32 GB Video MP3 Player (Platinum)

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)

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)

SanDisk(R) Sansa(R) Clip+ 8GB MP3 Player (Black)

SanDisk(R) Sansa(R) Clip+ 8GB MP3 Player (Black)

The Sansa Clip+ MP3 player gives you more to enjoy. Enjoy up to 2,000 songs†† with an 8GB* player, FM radio, long-life battery and voice recorder. PLUS now even more! Expand your enjoyment when you add in preloaded content cards** into the new memory card slot, including slotRadio™ and slotMusic™ cards**. Or, save your own music, podcasts, and audio books onto a microSD™/microSDHC™ memory card** to expand your play.It’s brought to you by SanDisk with awesome sound to enjoy your music. Just clip it on and enjoy more music with an incredible 15 hours† battery-fueled fun. See what you’re listening to with the bright, easy-to-read screen and intuitively searchable menus. Color your world in red, blue or sleek black undertones.

Customer Reviews
The Clip+ does everything it needs to, and nothing it doesn't., September 18, 2009
By S. Rysdyk (Michigan)

I owned the first generation clip, and the new 8gb clip+ retains everything that was great about the first while adding all around refinements.

Pros:
- Overall build quality has improved, but especially with the clip mechanism.
- Files on MicroSD integrate seemlessly with the on board memory.
- The volume and power buttons have more ergonomic placement on the device.
- Sound quality remains great.
- Audiobook files can be sped up slightly to save some "reading" time.
- The interface is a little smoother and nicer to move through.
- The square trackpad makes it easier to navigate without looking at the player. (good for runners)

Cons:
- No cap on the MicroSD slot, so that could potentially get dirty.

If you don't need gimmicks such as touch screens and web browsers, then this player is quite possibly the best on the market for value, size, and quality. The Clip+ is definitely worth the few extra bucks over what the first gen clip is selling for now.

Find out more @ SanDisk(R) Sansa(R) Clip+ 8GB MP3 Player (Black)

The Sansa Clip+ MP3 player gives you more to enjoy. Enjoy up to 2,000 songs†† with an 8GB* player, FM radio, long-life battery and voice recorder. PLUS now even more! Expand your enjoyment when you add in preloaded content cards** into the new memory card slot, including slotRadio™ and slotMusic™ cards**. Or, save your own music, podcasts, and audio books onto a microSD™/microSDHC™ memory card** to expand your play.It’s brought to you by SanDisk with awesome sound to enjoy your music. Just clip it on and enjoy more music with an incredible 15 hours† battery-fueled fun. See what you’re listening to with the bright, easy-to-read screen and intuitively searchable menus. Color your world in red, blue or sleek black undertones.

Customer Reviews
The Clip+ does everything it needs to, and nothing it doesn't., September 18, 2009
By S. Rysdyk (Michigan)

I owned the first generation clip, and the new 8gb clip+ retains everything that was great about the first while adding all around refinements.

Pros:
- Overall build quality has improved, but especially with the clip mechanism.
- Files on MicroSD integrate seemlessly with the on board memory.
- The volume and power buttons have more ergonomic placement on the device.
- Sound quality remains great.
- Audiobook files can be sped up slightly to save some "reading" time.
- The interface is a little smoother and nicer to move through.
- The square trackpad makes it easier to navigate without looking at the player. (good for runners)

Cons:
- No cap on the MicroSD slot, so that could potentially get dirty.

If you don't need gimmicks such as touch screens and web browsers, then this player is quite possibly the best on the market for value, size, and quality. The Clip+ is definitely worth the few extra bucks over what the first gen clip is selling for now.

Find out more @ SanDisk(R) Sansa(R) Clip+ 8GB MP3 Player (Black)

SanDisk Sansa Fuze 8 GB Video MP3 Player (Black)

SanDisk Sansa Fuze 8 GB Video MP3 Player (Black)

Amazon.com Product Description With the SanDisk Sansa Fuze, you can fuse your portable entertainment, featuring 8 GB of storage. Listen, watch, and play all day with 24 hours of battery life and room for up to 2,000 songs**. Watch your favorite video clips on the Sansa Fuze's 1.9-inch color screen. Measuring just 0.3 inches thin, the Sansa Fuze marks the next wave of music and video players.

Customer Reviews
Sansa Fuze, April 4, 2009
By Eli (Florence, OR)

I began the search for the most versatile MP3 video player I could find at a descent price. Yes, my search included the ipod as well. When all was said and done, I choose the Sansa Fuze due to the amount of features, and they happen to come at a better price than the Ipod.

I wanted the ability to expand, in the event I fill my fuze, I can use the micro sd slot. The micro sd cards are relatively cheap and seem to be expanding is size all the time. I bought the 8 GB fuze and can expand as needed.

FM radio is a great feature. You may have all the music you want, but sometimes it is nice to listen to the news or hear new music. And just in case you hear something you like, it can be recorded and played back on your fuze.

The navigation is straight forward and things load very fast. The battery life is great at about 24 hours when listening to music. I have not watched many movies at this point so I can't give an estimate for viewing time.

Sansa releases updates that are easy to obtain when they make improvements to the firmware. I suspect some of the reviews I read before I bought my fuze regarding slow load time were fixed with firmware updates.

If are looking for a feature packed MP3 player at a great price check out the fuze.

Find out more @ SanDisk Sansa Fuze 8 GB Video MP3 Player (Black)

Amazon.com Product Description With the SanDisk Sansa Fuze, you can fuse your portable entertainment, featuring 8 GB of storage. Listen, watch, and play all day with 24 hours of battery life and room for up to 2,000 songs**. Watch your favorite video clips on the Sansa Fuze's 1.9-inch color screen. Measuring just 0.3 inches thin, the Sansa Fuze marks the next wave of music and video players.

Customer Reviews
Sansa Fuze, April 4, 2009
By Eli (Florence, OR)

I began the search for the most versatile MP3 video player I could find at a descent price. Yes, my search included the ipod as well. When all was said and done, I choose the Sansa Fuze due to the amount of features, and they happen to come at a better price than the Ipod.

I wanted the ability to expand, in the event I fill my fuze, I can use the micro sd slot. The micro sd cards are relatively cheap and seem to be expanding is size all the time. I bought the 8 GB fuze and can expand as needed.

FM radio is a great feature. You may have all the music you want, but sometimes it is nice to listen to the news or hear new music. And just in case you hear something you like, it can be recorded and played back on your fuze.

The navigation is straight forward and things load very fast. The battery life is great at about 24 hours when listening to music. I have not watched many movies at this point so I can't give an estimate for viewing time.

Sansa releases updates that are easy to obtain when they make improvements to the firmware. I suspect some of the reviews I read before I bought my fuze regarding slow load time were fixed with firmware updates.

If are looking for a feature packed MP3 player at a great price check out the fuze.

Find out more @ SanDisk Sansa Fuze 8 GB Video MP3 Player (Black)

Apple iPod nano 8 GB Black (5th Generation) NEWEST MODEL

Apple iPod nano 8 GB Black (5th Generation) NEWEST MODEL

iPod nano now has a built-in video camera that lets you spontaneously shoot video wherever you are. And that's just the beginning. It has a dramatic, polished anodized aluminum finish and a larger screen. The new Genius Mixes feature acts as your personal DJ, automatically searching your iTunes library, then making mixes you'll love. Take iPod nano anywhere and the new Pedometer counts your steps. Also making its debut: a built-in FM radio with two amazing features--iTunes Tagging and Live Pause. So the world's most popular music player now has more to play with.

Customer Reviews
Very cool, handy and sleek new toy -- but don't throw away your Flip yet!!, September 16, 2009
By Nathan Andersen "film lover, philosophy profe... (Florida)
When Steve Jobs announced the newest generation iPod nano, he suggested that with its new video capability the nano would easily compete with the Flip Video camcorder. While someday down the line this may be a serious contender in the pocket video camera market, it's not there yet. I took some comparison footage with the iPod nano and the standard definition Flip Mino to show why. My point in all this is not to suggest that you go buy a Flip instead of an iPod nano, but that you ask yourself what it is you really want. If you want to make videos you can upload to Youtube and you want them to look pretty decent, and you don't care much about music or you already have an mp3 player, I wouldn't buy this iPod just because now it has video. On the other hand, having some video capability might be enough to give this the edge over most other music players; if games are more important to you than video, though, you'd be better off with an iPod touch.

One thing you'll notice in the footage, where I shot the same things back to back with both camcorders, is that where the Flip really shines is in low light. I shot the hamster moments at night, in a room illuminated only by a lamp. Not only did the iPod nano take grainy video, it also didn't do any kind of white balancing and the indoor lightbulb added an orange tint to the clip; I'm not sure exactly how the Flip is designed to address this (whether it automatically adjusts white balance or just has a better average setting), but the footage shows that it captured light correctly both outdoors and indoors. If you compare the hamster shots with the Flip and with the nano, I think it's clear that for indoor and lowlight there's no comparison and the Flip has the nano beat hands down. The outdoor images are closer, but I think even this small video shows greater detail in the Flip video. When you blow the images up bigger there's no comparison -- the Flip looks decent even on a big screen TV, the iPod nano footage looks like it was shot with, well, a toy camera. In all fairness, that's all it is at this point. (Note, by the way, that, like the Flip, the nano will only take video and doesn't take photos. You can manually add photos to the nano from your computer, but you can't use the onboard camera to capture stills.)

Another thing that bugs me a bit about the new iPod nano is the bizarre placement of the camera lens. It's nestled down in the corner of the backside below the screen -- exactly where it is most natural to hold this thing if you are shooting with it. Even if you just grasp the thing at the corners, there's a tendency for some part of a finger to accidentally edge into the camera frame. In fact, I found that even after I was aware of this fact I kept doing it anyways -- the way this thing fits in my hands just makes it likely I'll catch an edge of a finger in my shots unless I'm conscientious about avoiding it, and that detracts from the spontaneity this is designed to take advantage of. (I even noticed I'd done it on most of the iPod nano footage for this video comparison -- and I thought about doing it over, but then decided to leave it in just to show how easily it can happen.)

So, to sum up: what you really get with the iPod nano is a toy camera, fun to have in the pocket and very cool to have just in case there's something you want to shoot, but not quite the quality we've come to expect from the handy pocket camcorders like the Flip Mino and the Creative Vado and the Kodak Zi8, that keep getting better and better. Video is a nice new feature on the Nano, but not really a radical innovation and not a game changer.

What makes the iPod Nano worth it is that in addition to video on the fly, you get to listen to music, you get an FM radio that works quite well and even tells you what song you are listening to, you get a voice recorder (a VERY nice feature, excellent for students who can listen to music on their way to class and then record a lecture), a decent quality mini speaker, a somewhat useful pedometer, decent game options for killing time. You don't get any of that with the Flip! Sure, the new iPod nano is a toy ... but it's a very cool toy.

Find out more @ Apple iPod nano 8 GB Black (5th Generation) NEWEST MODEL

iPod nano now has a built-in video camera that lets you spontaneously shoot video wherever you are. And that's just the beginning. It has a dramatic, polished anodized aluminum finish and a larger screen. The new Genius Mixes feature acts as your personal DJ, automatically searching your iTunes library, then making mixes you'll love. Take iPod nano anywhere and the new Pedometer counts your steps. Also making its debut: a built-in FM radio with two amazing features--iTunes Tagging and Live Pause. So the world's most popular music player now has more to play with.

Customer Reviews
Very cool, handy and sleek new toy -- but don't throw away your Flip yet!!, September 16, 2009
By Nathan Andersen "film lover, philosophy profe... (Florida)
When Steve Jobs announced the newest generation iPod nano, he suggested that with its new video capability the nano would easily compete with the Flip Video camcorder. While someday down the line this may be a serious contender in the pocket video camera market, it's not there yet. I took some comparison footage with the iPod nano and the standard definition Flip Mino to show why. My point in all this is not to suggest that you go buy a Flip instead of an iPod nano, but that you ask yourself what it is you really want. If you want to make videos you can upload to Youtube and you want them to look pretty decent, and you don't care much about music or you already have an mp3 player, I wouldn't buy this iPod just because now it has video. On the other hand, having some video capability might be enough to give this the edge over most other music players; if games are more important to you than video, though, you'd be better off with an iPod touch.

One thing you'll notice in the footage, where I shot the same things back to back with both camcorders, is that where the Flip really shines is in low light. I shot the hamster moments at night, in a room illuminated only by a lamp. Not only did the iPod nano take grainy video, it also didn't do any kind of white balancing and the indoor lightbulb added an orange tint to the clip; I'm not sure exactly how the Flip is designed to address this (whether it automatically adjusts white balance or just has a better average setting), but the footage shows that it captured light correctly both outdoors and indoors. If you compare the hamster shots with the Flip and with the nano, I think it's clear that for indoor and lowlight there's no comparison and the Flip has the nano beat hands down. The outdoor images are closer, but I think even this small video shows greater detail in the Flip video. When you blow the images up bigger there's no comparison -- the Flip looks decent even on a big screen TV, the iPod nano footage looks like it was shot with, well, a toy camera. In all fairness, that's all it is at this point. (Note, by the way, that, like the Flip, the nano will only take video and doesn't take photos. You can manually add photos to the nano from your computer, but you can't use the onboard camera to capture stills.)

Another thing that bugs me a bit about the new iPod nano is the bizarre placement of the camera lens. It's nestled down in the corner of the backside below the screen -- exactly where it is most natural to hold this thing if you are shooting with it. Even if you just grasp the thing at the corners, there's a tendency for some part of a finger to accidentally edge into the camera frame. In fact, I found that even after I was aware of this fact I kept doing it anyways -- the way this thing fits in my hands just makes it likely I'll catch an edge of a finger in my shots unless I'm conscientious about avoiding it, and that detracts from the spontaneity this is designed to take advantage of. (I even noticed I'd done it on most of the iPod nano footage for this video comparison -- and I thought about doing it over, but then decided to leave it in just to show how easily it can happen.)

So, to sum up: what you really get with the iPod nano is a toy camera, fun to have in the pocket and very cool to have just in case there's something you want to shoot, but not quite the quality we've come to expect from the handy pocket camcorders like the Flip Mino and the Creative Vado and the Kodak Zi8, that keep getting better and better. Video is a nice new feature on the Nano, but not really a radical innovation and not a game changer.

What makes the iPod Nano worth it is that in addition to video on the fly, you get to listen to music, you get an FM radio that works quite well and even tells you what song you are listening to, you get a voice recorder (a VERY nice feature, excellent for students who can listen to music on their way to class and then record a lecture), a decent quality mini speaker, a somewhat useful pedometer, decent game options for killing time. You don't get any of that with the Flip! Sure, the new iPod nano is a toy ... but it's a very cool toy.

Find out more @ Apple iPod nano 8 GB Black (5th Generation) NEWEST MODEL

Apple iPod touch 32 GB (3rd Generation) NEWEST MODEL

Apple iPod touch 32 GB (3rd Generation) NEWEST MODEL

iPod touch is a great iPod, a great pocket computer, and a great portable game player. Now the 8 GB iPod touch is just $199. The new 32 GB and 64 GB iPod touch models boast improved performance, making them up to 50 percent faster than the previous generation. Listen to a mix of songs automatically put together by the new Genius Mixes feature. Watch a movie. Surf the web. View rich HTML email. Find your location and get directions with Google Maps. Discover games and apps you're sure to love with new Genius recommendations for apps. And since iPod touch now comes with the latest 3.1 software already installed, you can start using fun, convenient features right out of the box.




Customer Reviews
WARNNING for new 8GB 3G owners and ipod touch 3G Review, September 11, 2009
By Hassan B. Bn Hadhram
Before i start let me just tell you "what's New" with the iPod touch Third generation" :

-Faster Cpu/Double the ram/Better graphic (faster Boot time/faster loading is all what i did notice)
-Double the storage for the same old price
-Voice control (I'll explain it in a second)
-Latest firmware for free
-New Earbuds with built in remote+Microphone (So you can use voice control)

And that is everything~ depends on your needs upgrading from 2G to 3G might be not worth it.

*Important Note* : only the New iPod touch 32GB/64GB are third generation ~ (8GB is repacked 2G) Details below.

About the new Voice control function, if you love to take your iPod with you to the Gym the new feature "Voice control" is pretty cool, it does allow you to control your music via your voice, no need to get the iPod out of your pocket you can simply say "Next" to move to next song, say "shuffle" for shuffle , say "Pause" and music playback will stop etc, that is why i recommend the iPod touch over iPod classic for gym users, my friend bought an iPod classic and now he complains that the iPod classic is too heavy for him when he goes to the gym and he will have to buy another iPod "properly Nano" for his Gym, for me i use my iPod touch for the gym, it's so light that sometimes i forgot that it's even in my pocket.

After playing with my iPod touch 3g for a while i honestly did not notice any difference from the outside or the inside compared to my old iPod touch Second generation (It's supposed to be faster but i did not notice anything during music and video playback or the menus, however browsing with safari and loading facebook was faster, same thing with boot time), you properly can only notice it being faster with heavy applications since video/music playback is already fast enough with 2G.

I got the 64GB iPod 3G for [...]$, if you think of upgrading your 2G iPod touch honestly do yourself a favor and save yourself the money unless you really need that much of a storage (I do that is why i bought one), also remember that the 3G battery lasts less than 2G,(3G battery = 30 Hours of music playback versus 2G 36 hours of music playback according to apple official specs)

*VERY IMPORTANT* for the people who wants the new 8GB version, the new third generation 8GB iPod touch is NOT 3G it's a second generation iPod touch but apple did repack it/renamed it to 3rd generation, which seems to be misleading by APPLE and it's not cool at all, it is IPod Touch 2G+Updated firmware and that is it.

The iPod touch 3rd generation 32GB/64GB versions comes with a free mic+remote with the earbuds while the 8GB do not (it comes with normal earbuds), the 32GB/64GB have the New CPU+Graphic (According to apple the new cpu is twice as fast just like the iPhone 3GS) while the new 8GB use the same old CPU/Chip from the old iPod touch second generation.

Here is APPLE description on the iPod touches page about the 32/64GB versions : """Enjoy all the great features of the 8GB model along with better performance, richer graphics and voice control"""

The iPod touch 3rd generation is the same awesome iPod touch second generation was.
You can play your music/watch your videos/play games, even read your kindle books/etc "you can read amazon big description of what it's capable of if you do not know yet, it's better than what would i say because it has pictures and everything.

The iPod touch got the best browser i have ever seen in a portable device, i do not even need to carry my netbook with me anymore thanks to my iPod touch, if you hated browsing with lame browsers that crash a lot or slow (many mobile phones) trust me on this one, the iPod touch browser is not a toy or a gimmick it is a browser you can depends on, it's super fast and smooth and after using it for like a full year it has only crashed on me once!

Short list of pros and cons about the iPod touch

Pros:
-Slick,small and light device
-Great touch screen
-The BEST web browser on a portable device
-Amazing video/music playback
-App Store (Too many cool applications for Free)
-Display screen is clear and bright
-No bugs and annoying stuff a very reliable hardware
-64GB Flash based mp3 player

Cons:
-Not much of an upgrade over 2G (people were disappointed because they did not get upgrades like camera/OLED/etc)
-Weaker battery, only lasts 30 hours for music playback versus 2G iPod touch 36 Hours music playback
-Expensive for the 64GB version
-Still no FM radio without the use of online applications
-Bluetooth is still half locked

I hope my review was helpful :)

Find out more @ Apple iPod touch 32 GB (3rd Generation) NEWEST MODEL

iPod touch is a great iPod, a great pocket computer, and a great portable game player. Now the 8 GB iPod touch is just $199. The new 32 GB and 64 GB iPod touch models boast improved performance, making them up to 50 percent faster than the previous generation. Listen to a mix of songs automatically put together by the new Genius Mixes feature. Watch a movie. Surf the web. View rich HTML email. Find your location and get directions with Google Maps. Discover games and apps you're sure to love with new Genius recommendations for apps. And since iPod touch now comes with the latest 3.1 software already installed, you can start using fun, convenient features right out of the box.




Customer Reviews
WARNNING for new 8GB 3G owners and ipod touch 3G Review, September 11, 2009
By Hassan B. Bn Hadhram
Before i start let me just tell you "what's New" with the iPod touch Third generation" :

-Faster Cpu/Double the ram/Better graphic (faster Boot time/faster loading is all what i did notice)
-Double the storage for the same old price
-Voice control (I'll explain it in a second)
-Latest firmware for free
-New Earbuds with built in remote+Microphone (So you can use voice control)

And that is everything~ depends on your needs upgrading from 2G to 3G might be not worth it.

*Important Note* : only the New iPod touch 32GB/64GB are third generation ~ (8GB is repacked 2G) Details below.

About the new Voice control function, if you love to take your iPod with you to the Gym the new feature "Voice control" is pretty cool, it does allow you to control your music via your voice, no need to get the iPod out of your pocket you can simply say "Next" to move to next song, say "shuffle" for shuffle , say "Pause" and music playback will stop etc, that is why i recommend the iPod touch over iPod classic for gym users, my friend bought an iPod classic and now he complains that the iPod classic is too heavy for him when he goes to the gym and he will have to buy another iPod "properly Nano" for his Gym, for me i use my iPod touch for the gym, it's so light that sometimes i forgot that it's even in my pocket.

After playing with my iPod touch 3g for a while i honestly did not notice any difference from the outside or the inside compared to my old iPod touch Second generation (It's supposed to be faster but i did not notice anything during music and video playback or the menus, however browsing with safari and loading facebook was faster, same thing with boot time), you properly can only notice it being faster with heavy applications since video/music playback is already fast enough with 2G.

I got the 64GB iPod 3G for [...]$, if you think of upgrading your 2G iPod touch honestly do yourself a favor and save yourself the money unless you really need that much of a storage (I do that is why i bought one), also remember that the 3G battery lasts less than 2G,(3G battery = 30 Hours of music playback versus 2G 36 hours of music playback according to apple official specs)

*VERY IMPORTANT* for the people who wants the new 8GB version, the new third generation 8GB iPod touch is NOT 3G it's a second generation iPod touch but apple did repack it/renamed it to 3rd generation, which seems to be misleading by APPLE and it's not cool at all, it is IPod Touch 2G+Updated firmware and that is it.

The iPod touch 3rd generation 32GB/64GB versions comes with a free mic+remote with the earbuds while the 8GB do not (it comes with normal earbuds), the 32GB/64GB have the New CPU+Graphic (According to apple the new cpu is twice as fast just like the iPhone 3GS) while the new 8GB use the same old CPU/Chip from the old iPod touch second generation.

Here is APPLE description on the iPod touches page about the 32/64GB versions : """Enjoy all the great features of the 8GB model along with better performance, richer graphics and voice control"""

The iPod touch 3rd generation is the same awesome iPod touch second generation was.
You can play your music/watch your videos/play games, even read your kindle books/etc "you can read amazon big description of what it's capable of if you do not know yet, it's better than what would i say because it has pictures and everything.

The iPod touch got the best browser i have ever seen in a portable device, i do not even need to carry my netbook with me anymore thanks to my iPod touch, if you hated browsing with lame browsers that crash a lot or slow (many mobile phones) trust me on this one, the iPod touch browser is not a toy or a gimmick it is a browser you can depends on, it's super fast and smooth and after using it for like a full year it has only crashed on me once!

Short list of pros and cons about the iPod touch

Pros:
-Slick,small and light device
-Great touch screen
-The BEST web browser on a portable device
-Amazing video/music playback
-App Store (Too many cool applications for Free)
-Display screen is clear and bright
-No bugs and annoying stuff a very reliable hardware
-64GB Flash based mp3 player

Cons:
-Not much of an upgrade over 2G (people were disappointed because they did not get upgrades like camera/OLED/etc)
-Weaker battery, only lasts 30 hours for music playback versus 2G iPod touch 36 Hours music playback
-Expensive for the 64GB version
-Still no FM radio without the use of online applications
-Bluetooth is still half locked

I hope my review was helpful :)

Find out more @ Apple iPod touch 32 GB (3rd Generation) NEWEST MODEL

Samsung S3 4 GB Slim Portable Media Player (Black)

Samsung S3 4 GB Slim Portable Media Player (Black)

Rock out to your favorite tunes or watch crystal-clear videos wherever life takes you on a 1.8-inch LCD. Available in five cool colors, the Samsung S3 plays audio and video as well as displays still pictures and text. It also comes with 4 GB of memory and the DNSe sound engine for a superior surround sound experience. Packed with multimedia features you can enjoy no matter where you are, the Samsung S3 makes a perfect media partner.

Customer Reviews
As others have said, it's good for the price,
By Peny Lane "musiclover"
I got this after my Samsung YP-K3 went kaput after an incident while working out on the treadmill (don't ask). I've heard a lot of good stuff about this device so I decided to purchase it. First, let me just say that I'm a simple gal with a limited budget. This means that I don't have the moolah to spend 300 bucks on an iPod (I don't care how AMAZING they are), nor do I feel the need to spend money on a device that has everything under the sun. I just want something that plays music. If it has some cool features like games and cool graphics under a reasonable price, then that's fine, too. Which is basically the S3. I got the 4GB one in green. It plays music, has some videos, can read text files, and have some games. I basically use it so far for the music only. Another plus for me is the fact that there's built in space for playlists. There are 5 playlists that hold up to 100 songs, which I think is cool. I have some issues with this however. In the beginning, after I charge it, the playlists would disappear, and then reappear after I add a song to it. That doesn't happen anymore though. It also doesn't recognize playlists I made in Napster. It would go directly to the File Browser but would then split apart the playlists and file the songs under the Artist's name. However, it automatically recognizes the ones downloaded from WMP. Odd.Haven't used the other features in length so I can't really comment on those. I will say that I'm glad I purchased this device, though I'm thinking of getting the 8gb one so I could download more music. All in all, this is a good device for those who don't want to spend alot of money on something whose sole purpose is to give you the pleasure of listening to music.

E.T.A.: One thing I like to add is that I wish there were available accessories for this device. I don't really want the silicone case because it reminds me of the one I purchased for my old sansa device that I had years ago, that ripped apart. It's sad that there's millions of accessories available for the iPod and Zune because these companies assume that those two are the only ones that everybody buys when it's just not true. So, I'm searching for suitable cover cases so that there'll be no more cracks. Any suggestions?

Find out more @ Samsung S3 4 GB Slim Portable Media Player (Black)

Rock out to your favorite tunes or watch crystal-clear videos wherever life takes you on a 1.8-inch LCD. Available in five cool colors, the Samsung S3 plays audio and video as well as displays still pictures and text. It also comes with 4 GB of memory and the DNSe sound engine for a superior surround sound experience. Packed with multimedia features you can enjoy no matter where you are, the Samsung S3 makes a perfect media partner.

Customer Reviews
As others have said, it's good for the price,
By Peny Lane "musiclover"
I got this after my Samsung YP-K3 went kaput after an incident while working out on the treadmill (don't ask). I've heard a lot of good stuff about this device so I decided to purchase it. First, let me just say that I'm a simple gal with a limited budget. This means that I don't have the moolah to spend 300 bucks on an iPod (I don't care how AMAZING they are), nor do I feel the need to spend money on a device that has everything under the sun. I just want something that plays music. If it has some cool features like games and cool graphics under a reasonable price, then that's fine, too. Which is basically the S3. I got the 4GB one in green. It plays music, has some videos, can read text files, and have some games. I basically use it so far for the music only. Another plus for me is the fact that there's built in space for playlists. There are 5 playlists that hold up to 100 songs, which I think is cool. I have some issues with this however. In the beginning, after I charge it, the playlists would disappear, and then reappear after I add a song to it. That doesn't happen anymore though. It also doesn't recognize playlists I made in Napster. It would go directly to the File Browser but would then split apart the playlists and file the songs under the Artist's name. However, it automatically recognizes the ones downloaded from WMP. Odd.Haven't used the other features in length so I can't really comment on those. I will say that I'm glad I purchased this device, though I'm thinking of getting the 8gb one so I could download more music. All in all, this is a good device for those who don't want to spend alot of money on something whose sole purpose is to give you the pleasure of listening to music.

E.T.A.: One thing I like to add is that I wish there were available accessories for this device. I don't really want the silicone case because it reminds me of the one I purchased for my old sansa device that I had years ago, that ripped apart. It's sad that there's millions of accessories available for the iPod and Zune because these companies assume that those two are the only ones that everybody buys when it's just not true. So, I'm searching for suitable cover cases so that there'll be no more cracks. Any suggestions?

Find out more @ Samsung S3 4 GB Slim Portable Media Player (Black)

Samsung YP-K3JQR K3 2 GB Slim Portable Media Player (Red)

Samsung YP-K3JQR K3 2 GB Slim Portable Media Player (Red)

Samsung's YP-K3 2GB Audio Player is an ultra-thin subscription-enabled MP3 Player. Instead of being limited to one equalizer mode, like some other MP3 players, the K3 has five EQ modes so that your music plays the way you want to hear it. Keeping with the "more than the usual player" mentality, Samsung includes above average headphones. These comfortable bass boosting earphones fit comfortably in your ear and substantially limit extraneous noise for an improved listening experience. With an easy to browse picture menu, photo viewing capabilities and a built-in FM tuner, the K3 truly stands out among other flash-drive based MP3 players.

Customer Reviews
Nano Nanoo,
By Jerry P. Danzig (New York, NY USA)
Well, here's Samsung's answer to the ipod nano, and it's a beauty. Yes, this is the RED Samsung K3 2GB mp3 player with built-in FM tuner. The unit is sleek, stylish, easy to use, and it offers EXCELLENT sound. The earbuds provided sound as good as my Sennheiser earbuds, unexpected performance for pack-ins. Though I haven't filled the K3's memory to capacity, it would appear to hold around thirty albums or 500 songs at the standard 128bit sound quality. There are a number of EQ settings designed for different types of music, but you can also set up your own custom setting using the built-in seven-band equalizer. FM performance is excellent as well, with adjustable sensitivity. The little color screen works great as a GUI but washes out in sunlight and doesn't do the greatest justice to your photos. This unit excels at playing music, not displaying photos. Beyond that, battery life is claimed to be 25 hours. I have been using the K3 with the Belkin mp3 armband designed for nanos and K3's, and it's very unobtrusive and comfortable to wear. For someone who grew up in an era of portable battery-powered record players accompanied by a stack of worn 45's, this is an amazing device!

Find out more @ Samsung YP-K3JQR K3 2 GB Slim Portable Media Player (Red)

Samsung's YP-K3 2GB Audio Player is an ultra-thin subscription-enabled MP3 Player. Instead of being limited to one equalizer mode, like some other MP3 players, the K3 has five EQ modes so that your music plays the way you want to hear it. Keeping with the "more than the usual player" mentality, Samsung includes above average headphones. These comfortable bass boosting earphones fit comfortably in your ear and substantially limit extraneous noise for an improved listening experience. With an easy to browse picture menu, photo viewing capabilities and a built-in FM tuner, the K3 truly stands out among other flash-drive based MP3 players.

Customer Reviews
Nano Nanoo,
By Jerry P. Danzig (New York, NY USA)
Well, here's Samsung's answer to the ipod nano, and it's a beauty. Yes, this is the RED Samsung K3 2GB mp3 player with built-in FM tuner. The unit is sleek, stylish, easy to use, and it offers EXCELLENT sound. The earbuds provided sound as good as my Sennheiser earbuds, unexpected performance for pack-ins. Though I haven't filled the K3's memory to capacity, it would appear to hold around thirty albums or 500 songs at the standard 128bit sound quality. There are a number of EQ settings designed for different types of music, but you can also set up your own custom setting using the built-in seven-band equalizer. FM performance is excellent as well, with adjustable sensitivity. The little color screen works great as a GUI but washes out in sunlight and doesn't do the greatest justice to your photos. This unit excels at playing music, not displaying photos. Beyond that, battery life is claimed to be 25 hours. I have been using the K3 with the Belkin mp3 armband designed for nanos and K3's, and it's very unobtrusive and comfortable to wear. For someone who grew up in an era of portable battery-powered record players accompanied by a stack of worn 45's, this is an amazing device!

Find out more @ Samsung YP-K3JQR K3 2 GB Slim Portable Media Player (Red)

Samsung P2 8 GB Touchscreen Bluetooth Portable Media Player (Black)

Samsung P2 8 GB Touchscreen Bluetooth Portable Media Player (Black)

The Samsung P2 is a flash-based portable media player with a 3" LCD widescreen (16x9) with slim-style form factor. Capable of video, music, photo, FM radio playback, the P2 will let you carry your media files with you wherever you go. Samsung has also embedded a Bluetooth 2.0 chip into the P2 so users can use right away with other Bluetooth 2.0 devices such as stereo speakers and headphones. Packed with additional features such as datacasts, alarm clock, world clock and calendar functionality, the P2 is an extremely multifunctional media player. Get up to 30 hours of music or 5 hours of video playback per charge of the internal lithium polymer rechargeable battery which charges whenever connected to the PC for extra convenience. P2 is available in Black, White, and Burgundy.

Customer Reviews
Overall good player,
By M. Kanai
Aesthetically, this is a really nice product from Samsung. The player is quite sleek, with nice rounded edges, a decent weight, and sharp piano black gloss finish. The sound quality is superb. I didn't get the same battery life the manufacturer did (they rate 30 hours, I probably average 20), but I would bet that's because I use the touchscreen interface more than their battery testers did.

As for the touchscreen, I have to admit it's pretty nice. I prefer tactile use, so I'm more of a fan of buttons than touchscreens, but Samsung has done a nice job executing this one. There are a couple of odd quirks to the touchscreen. For example, when you "swipe" the touchscreen to advance you have to swipe from right to left, which seems counterintuitive since you are advancing the progress bar from left to right. Obviously, the same is true of swiping to back up, where you swipe from left to right, even though you're going back on the progress bar.

Also, in the default menu setting, you make circular gestures on the touchscreen to advance through the menu. Neat? yes. Functional? not really. The biggest problem I had with this is that my thumb kept obscuring the icons as they moved into view. Ultimately, I found this too annoying and I disabled it in favor of a regular grid menu. Not as cool to show your friends, but much more functional.

The audio player functions are top notch. As a caveat to this, I will say that I could not get this to sync with Winamp 5.5. My Winamp crashed every time I loaded it when the P2 was plugged in. Instead, I did my syncing through Windows Media Player, and it worked fine. It synced playlists perfectly, and did a great job recognizing albums when I copied them directly like a mass storage device. The on-board player functions include a customizable EQ with quite a few presets and a clarity adjuster. There are preset visualizations including a couple of light shows (that do not track the music), album art, track info, and a spectrum analyzer.

The video player is pretty good, but I don't really like watching video on such a small screen anyway. I'm not a big fan of the fact that you have to convert through Samsung's software to get it to run, but I guess that's the case with most MP3/video players. The widescreen playback is properly formated. FM reception is satisfactory. Not sure how the eReader works since I don't have any ebooks for it, but you can see test screens of it.

This is, overall, a good MP3 player, even if it is a bit pricey. It is only $50 cheaper than the iTouch, but it also brings in an FM radio tuner and bluetooth support for up to two bluetooth devices--including a pass-thru for your cellphone to a set of bluetooth stereo headphones like the non-US release Samsung T9. Bluetooth is a great feature if you've got bluetooth headsets, speakers, or car radio. So you're getting more features than the iTouch offers. A major downside for me is the fact that it is primarily touchscreen-only (there are hard buttons on the side: on the left a lock button and a play/pause/power button; on the right, two volume buttons). Since I tend to like to keep my mp3 in my pocket, I prefer to have tactile skip buttons as well.

Samsung has made some great strides with their feature packed MP3 players. And while this one was almost perfect for me, it fell short of the mark only in the somewhat high price tag and the lack of hard skip buttons. I give them kudos, however, for having hard play/pause/power and volume buttons (FYI, play/pause and volume can also be controlled via the touchscreen).

Find out more @ Samsung P2 8 GB Touchscreen Bluetooth Portable Media Player (Black)

The Samsung P2 is a flash-based portable media player with a 3" LCD widescreen (16x9) with slim-style form factor. Capable of video, music, photo, FM radio playback, the P2 will let you carry your media files with you wherever you go. Samsung has also embedded a Bluetooth 2.0 chip into the P2 so users can use right away with other Bluetooth 2.0 devices such as stereo speakers and headphones. Packed with additional features such as datacasts, alarm clock, world clock and calendar functionality, the P2 is an extremely multifunctional media player. Get up to 30 hours of music or 5 hours of video playback per charge of the internal lithium polymer rechargeable battery which charges whenever connected to the PC for extra convenience. P2 is available in Black, White, and Burgundy.

Customer Reviews
Overall good player,
By M. Kanai
Aesthetically, this is a really nice product from Samsung. The player is quite sleek, with nice rounded edges, a decent weight, and sharp piano black gloss finish. The sound quality is superb. I didn't get the same battery life the manufacturer did (they rate 30 hours, I probably average 20), but I would bet that's because I use the touchscreen interface more than their battery testers did.

As for the touchscreen, I have to admit it's pretty nice. I prefer tactile use, so I'm more of a fan of buttons than touchscreens, but Samsung has done a nice job executing this one. There are a couple of odd quirks to the touchscreen. For example, when you "swipe" the touchscreen to advance you have to swipe from right to left, which seems counterintuitive since you are advancing the progress bar from left to right. Obviously, the same is true of swiping to back up, where you swipe from left to right, even though you're going back on the progress bar.

Also, in the default menu setting, you make circular gestures on the touchscreen to advance through the menu. Neat? yes. Functional? not really. The biggest problem I had with this is that my thumb kept obscuring the icons as they moved into view. Ultimately, I found this too annoying and I disabled it in favor of a regular grid menu. Not as cool to show your friends, but much more functional.

The audio player functions are top notch. As a caveat to this, I will say that I could not get this to sync with Winamp 5.5. My Winamp crashed every time I loaded it when the P2 was plugged in. Instead, I did my syncing through Windows Media Player, and it worked fine. It synced playlists perfectly, and did a great job recognizing albums when I copied them directly like a mass storage device. The on-board player functions include a customizable EQ with quite a few presets and a clarity adjuster. There are preset visualizations including a couple of light shows (that do not track the music), album art, track info, and a spectrum analyzer.

The video player is pretty good, but I don't really like watching video on such a small screen anyway. I'm not a big fan of the fact that you have to convert through Samsung's software to get it to run, but I guess that's the case with most MP3/video players. The widescreen playback is properly formated. FM reception is satisfactory. Not sure how the eReader works since I don't have any ebooks for it, but you can see test screens of it.

This is, overall, a good MP3 player, even if it is a bit pricey. It is only $50 cheaper than the iTouch, but it also brings in an FM radio tuner and bluetooth support for up to two bluetooth devices--including a pass-thru for your cellphone to a set of bluetooth stereo headphones like the non-US release Samsung T9. Bluetooth is a great feature if you've got bluetooth headsets, speakers, or car radio. So you're getting more features than the iTouch offers. A major downside for me is the fact that it is primarily touchscreen-only (there are hard buttons on the side: on the left a lock button and a play/pause/power button; on the right, two volume buttons). Since I tend to like to keep my mp3 in my pocket, I prefer to have tactile skip buttons as well.

Samsung has made some great strides with their feature packed MP3 players. And while this one was almost perfect for me, it fell short of the mark only in the somewhat high price tag and the lack of hard skip buttons. I give them kudos, however, for having hard play/pause/power and volume buttons (FYI, play/pause and volume can also be controlled via the touchscreen).

Find out more @ Samsung P2 8 GB Touchscreen Bluetooth Portable Media Player (Black)

Apple iPod touch 16 GB (2nd Generation) NEWEST MODEL

Apple iPod touch 16 GB (2nd Generation) NEWEST MODEL

The iPod touch has always been an amazing iPod. And with its groundbreaking technologies--including a Multi-Touch screen, the accelerometer, and 3D graphics--and access to hundreds of games, iPod touch puts an amazing gaming experience in the palm of your hand. It comes in 8 GB, 16 GB, and 32 GB models with new volume controls and a built-in speaker. Play hours of music. Create a Genius Playlist of songs that go great together. Watch a movie. Surf the web. View rich HTML email. Find your location and get directions with Google Maps. Browse YouTube videos. And shop the App Store for games and applications.

Customer Reviews
Updated iPod Touch Delivers Nice New Features,
By Stephen Hall "books911" (USA)
The iPod Touch debuted only one year ago, and this is the first update. I was excited to pick up the new iPod Touch at the Apple Store because I had never owned a first generation, though I do own iPhones.

I want to concentrate primarily on the new features:

First, physical volume buttons are now placed on the side of the iPod Touch as they are on the iPhone. This is very convenient. It allows you to adjust the volume of your music, without having to pull the entire device out of your pocket and activate the screen. A time saver.

Second, many people requested a built-in speaker for the iPod Touch like is available on the iPhone. Apple listened. However, there is one important point to make on this! The iPod Touch is incredibly small, and Apple is forced to put an incredibly small speaker. The speaker in the iPod Touch sounds worst than the speaker in the iPhone. I have compared it side by side, and it's fairly significant, and the iPhone speaker isn't that great to begin with. However, in a quiet room, the speaker is still useful for previewing a song you might want to buy, or for playing games. However, still, if you want great sound, you need to connect your headphones.

Genius - This new feature is really surprisingly good. When you're listening to a song you enjoy, select the genius option. It will create a playlist for you, with songs that go together nicely with the one you started with. It helps you rediscover great music from your collection with a playlist suited to the mood you're in. I didn't think it would do a good job compiling this list, but it has been quite impressive.

Applications - It's great to have the ability to buy (or get some free) applications right on the iPod Touch. Furthermore, with the software update this new iPod Touch comes with, the Application installation process is so much smoother than it had been even on my iPhone. It now works how you want it to, seamlessly. I like having a weather application that includes doppler radar images, and that is free. I also have several games on it. There is a great variety of applications available from hundreds of third-parties right on the iPod itself, so you are certain to find something that interests you. I really like the new release of Spore, for the iPod Touch and iPhone. Apple is really pushing the games and quietly suggest they are challenging Nintendo and Sony. They are innovative and interesting games, but I think they have a ways to go, to challenge those game makers.

Nike + is now built in too, so if you have the shoes and the puck, the iPod Touch is ready to receive the data from it. Battery life is improved to 36 hours audio and 6 hours video according to Apple. I find the audio number fairly accurate if you don't light up the display much, but the video number is a slight bit harder to achieve.

Of course, the new ipod Touch does look and feel even better than the first generation, from my small experiences with the previous one. I also think it feels cooler than my iPhones, but obviously your interpretation may very. I like the metal back on the iPod Touch. It looks classy, though it is prone to scratches.

One of my favorite features continues to be, when in my home on Wi-Fi, to reach down for the Touch, use Safari web browser and look something up. It's great.

Overall, it was a solid update for the iPod Touch. I wish the speaker could be better on it, but I believe that is due to the physical restrictions of the small device. I could have knocked it to four stars for that, but I think most people realize a built in speaker isn't the way you want to listen to most audio on an iPod to begin with. I'm impressed by the second generation iPod Touch, and I think with the third party applications getting better and becoming more popular, more people will consider the Touch.

Find out more @ Apple iPod touch 16 GB (2nd Generation) NEWEST MODEL

The iPod touch has always been an amazing iPod. And with its groundbreaking technologies--including a Multi-Touch screen, the accelerometer, and 3D graphics--and access to hundreds of games, iPod touch puts an amazing gaming experience in the palm of your hand. It comes in 8 GB, 16 GB, and 32 GB models with new volume controls and a built-in speaker. Play hours of music. Create a Genius Playlist of songs that go great together. Watch a movie. Surf the web. View rich HTML email. Find your location and get directions with Google Maps. Browse YouTube videos. And shop the App Store for games and applications.

Customer Reviews
Updated iPod Touch Delivers Nice New Features,
By Stephen Hall "books911" (USA)
The iPod Touch debuted only one year ago, and this is the first update. I was excited to pick up the new iPod Touch at the Apple Store because I had never owned a first generation, though I do own iPhones.

I want to concentrate primarily on the new features:

First, physical volume buttons are now placed on the side of the iPod Touch as they are on the iPhone. This is very convenient. It allows you to adjust the volume of your music, without having to pull the entire device out of your pocket and activate the screen. A time saver.

Second, many people requested a built-in speaker for the iPod Touch like is available on the iPhone. Apple listened. However, there is one important point to make on this! The iPod Touch is incredibly small, and Apple is forced to put an incredibly small speaker. The speaker in the iPod Touch sounds worst than the speaker in the iPhone. I have compared it side by side, and it's fairly significant, and the iPhone speaker isn't that great to begin with. However, in a quiet room, the speaker is still useful for previewing a song you might want to buy, or for playing games. However, still, if you want great sound, you need to connect your headphones.

Genius - This new feature is really surprisingly good. When you're listening to a song you enjoy, select the genius option. It will create a playlist for you, with songs that go together nicely with the one you started with. It helps you rediscover great music from your collection with a playlist suited to the mood you're in. I didn't think it would do a good job compiling this list, but it has been quite impressive.

Applications - It's great to have the ability to buy (or get some free) applications right on the iPod Touch. Furthermore, with the software update this new iPod Touch comes with, the Application installation process is so much smoother than it had been even on my iPhone. It now works how you want it to, seamlessly. I like having a weather application that includes doppler radar images, and that is free. I also have several games on it. There is a great variety of applications available from hundreds of third-parties right on the iPod itself, so you are certain to find something that interests you. I really like the new release of Spore, for the iPod Touch and iPhone. Apple is really pushing the games and quietly suggest they are challenging Nintendo and Sony. They are innovative and interesting games, but I think they have a ways to go, to challenge those game makers.

Nike + is now built in too, so if you have the shoes and the puck, the iPod Touch is ready to receive the data from it. Battery life is improved to 36 hours audio and 6 hours video according to Apple. I find the audio number fairly accurate if you don't light up the display much, but the video number is a slight bit harder to achieve.

Of course, the new ipod Touch does look and feel even better than the first generation, from my small experiences with the previous one. I also think it feels cooler than my iPhones, but obviously your interpretation may very. I like the metal back on the iPod Touch. It looks classy, though it is prone to scratches.

One of my favorite features continues to be, when in my home on Wi-Fi, to reach down for the Touch, use Safari web browser and look something up. It's great.

Overall, it was a solid update for the iPod Touch. I wish the speaker could be better on it, but I believe that is due to the physical restrictions of the small device. I could have knocked it to four stars for that, but I think most people realize a built in speaker isn't the way you want to listen to most audio on an iPod to begin with. I'm impressed by the second generation iPod Touch, and I think with the third party applications getting better and becoming more popular, more people will consider the Touch.

Find out more @ Apple iPod touch 16 GB (2nd Generation) NEWEST MODEL

Zune 8 GB Video MP3 Player (Blue)

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

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

Creative Zen Mozaic 4 GB MP3 Player (Silver)

Creative Zen Mozaic 4 GB MP3 Player (Silver)

Buck the trend and create your own style with the eye-catching Zen Mozaic. Available in 2 GB, 4 GB, 8 GB, and 16 GB capacities, the player sports a mosaic keypad--a one-of-a-kind design that helps you stand out from the crowd instantly. Distinctive in form and cool in function, play back your photos in sharp clarity on the 1.8-inch screen while tuning in to your favorite music hits. It’s time to play a different tune; it’s time for the Zen Mozaic.

Customer Reviews
Great player and a great price!, August 14, 2008
By D. S. Oman (SLC, UT, USA)
I've had the Zen Mozaic 4 GB for about a week now, and I love it! Here is just a short list of the pros and cons I have noticed.

Pros:

Price - It's very cost-effective for the tons of features included!

FM Radio - The radio signal strength is unimpressive, but a plus nonetheless, since many don't offer this feature. Note: the radio antenna is built into the headphones, so with just the built-in speaker, there is no radio reception at all. Headphones must be plugged in.

Alarm clock - I love being able to set the song that I wake up to, and with the built-in speaker it works much like a cell-phone alarm clock.

Built-in speaker - Now you can share a song with a friend without sharing your headphones. The speaker sounds better than I thought it would considering how small the device is. I wouldn't listen to it for hours, but it's a nice additional feature.

Battery Life - When they say 30+ hours, they're not joking. Very impressive battery life.

Cons:

Plastic - The whole thing is made of plastic and feels somewhat toylike. Although I hesitate to call this a "con" because it feels very sturdy and well-made. If you want a metallic feel, you'll have to fork out the extra money for a Zune or iPod (twice the price).

Headphones - The headphones are pretty cheap. The music sounds tinny when you use them, but if you use nicer headphones, sound quality is good! Once again, the radio antenna is in the headphones if you want to use this feature.

My overall impression is that I am very satisfied with the product. I don't use it much for videos, but the included software will convert videos to .avi format for viewing, which is nice but the screen is a bit small for using it as a video player very often. I use Media Monkey for syncing, but you can use Windows Media Player or simply Drag and Drop.

Audio quality is great with better headphones and the interface is simple to use. The design, I think, is very sleek and unique, but obviously not for everyone. If you're looking for a nice little player to give as a gift or just to stash in your pocket, this is a great choice!

Find out more @ Creative Zen Mozaic 4 GB MP3 Player (Silver)

Buck the trend and create your own style with the eye-catching Zen Mozaic. Available in 2 GB, 4 GB, 8 GB, and 16 GB capacities, the player sports a mosaic keypad--a one-of-a-kind design that helps you stand out from the crowd instantly. Distinctive in form and cool in function, play back your photos in sharp clarity on the 1.8-inch screen while tuning in to your favorite music hits. It’s time to play a different tune; it’s time for the Zen Mozaic.

Customer Reviews
Great player and a great price!, August 14, 2008
By D. S. Oman (SLC, UT, USA)
I've had the Zen Mozaic 4 GB for about a week now, and I love it! Here is just a short list of the pros and cons I have noticed.

Pros:

Price - It's very cost-effective for the tons of features included!

FM Radio - The radio signal strength is unimpressive, but a plus nonetheless, since many don't offer this feature. Note: the radio antenna is built into the headphones, so with just the built-in speaker, there is no radio reception at all. Headphones must be plugged in.

Alarm clock - I love being able to set the song that I wake up to, and with the built-in speaker it works much like a cell-phone alarm clock.

Built-in speaker - Now you can share a song with a friend without sharing your headphones. The speaker sounds better than I thought it would considering how small the device is. I wouldn't listen to it for hours, but it's a nice additional feature.

Battery Life - When they say 30+ hours, they're not joking. Very impressive battery life.

Cons:

Plastic - The whole thing is made of plastic and feels somewhat toylike. Although I hesitate to call this a "con" because it feels very sturdy and well-made. If you want a metallic feel, you'll have to fork out the extra money for a Zune or iPod (twice the price).

Headphones - The headphones are pretty cheap. The music sounds tinny when you use them, but if you use nicer headphones, sound quality is good! Once again, the radio antenna is in the headphones if you want to use this feature.

My overall impression is that I am very satisfied with the product. I don't use it much for videos, but the included software will convert videos to .avi format for viewing, which is nice but the screen is a bit small for using it as a video player very often. I use Media Monkey for syncing, but you can use Windows Media Player or simply Drag and Drop.

Audio quality is great with better headphones and the interface is simple to use. The design, I think, is very sleek and unique, but obviously not for everyone. If you're looking for a nice little player to give as a gift or just to stash in your pocket, this is a great choice!

Find out more @ Creative Zen Mozaic 4 GB MP3 Player (Silver)