Should I go all in with a ZuneHD?

[baseballbert]

With a great WP7 experience, I'm thinking of going all in and checking out a ZuneHD and ditching my iPod. Have people done this? Is it worth the switch? Is Zune comparable to iTunes in terms of music/movies?

Not too worried about losing any music because I'll still have the ipod.

 

[3migo]

The Zune marketplace isn't as full as iTunes and it sometimes gets albums a little later, but the good thing is, music you purchase from iTunes is completely compatible with your Zune, and Zune automatically detects any new media files every time you open it, which is a really handy feature. I love the Zune software, and the ZuneHD UI. Far better than an iPod in my opinion.

 

[DrSaiko]

I have my ZuneHD(32GB) since it came out, still love it, and its the reason I'm a WP7 user.
Its not getting much (or any) support from MS which is a bummer and the WP7 games and apps are not compatible. As a stand alone PMP, its great and unique.

 

[cdook]

You can't use the WP7 phone as your music player? The ZuneHD is a great device, but its future is kind of iffy. It's still supported, but there hasn't been a hardware refresh to it in the past few years.

 

[Rhody#WP]

I have a ZuneHD and the only time I used it since getting my WP7 device was when I took a flight to Mexico. In fact, I could have used my phone, but the ZuneHD had more storage and better battery life. I say keep your iPod and only use it when battery life matters.

 

[baseballbert]

I could use the phone, it just eats up the battery pretty quick. Got any good recommendations for a headset? Once I have isn't too good.

 

[Garrett92C]

I'm still waiting for a new Zune that runs WP7 and has access to the Market.

 

[ronclone]

I would get one... They are dirt cheap right now, I have a 16gb since launch still going strong, great rugged hardware. I use it everyday, in fact I consume most of my music with it... Podcasts too..

For me it's necessary a dedicated pmp, whenever I'm at a party, reunion, a buddy's house, I don't want to connect my phone roan amp if we want to listen to something I have, I rather have my zune for this. Its also important in my car...

Since you have an iPod already I would transfer all my music to the Zune software, then sell it, buy the Zune HD 32gb and keep everything under one ecosystem...

Sent from my OMNIA7 using Board Express

 

[Rodolfo#WP]

I could use the phone, it just eats up the battery pretty quick. Got any good recommendations for a headset? Once I have isn't too good.

I bought the Sony's MDR-EX500LP ear/headphones when I got the ZuneHD in April, and I strongly recommend them. I paid $85 through Amazon, which I believe was retail. There may be an updated model by now, but these work beautifully with my ZHD, and I am sort of an audio snob who enjoys a very broad range of music. BTW, I just got the Samsung Focus last week and the sound I get on the Sonys out of that is almost as good as with the ZuneHD -for some or most, it will be indistinguishable; that is, great also. I've shopped for a bargain price for a second pair or a gift, without success.

BTW2, the earphones that came with the ZuneHD were excellent for bundled phones. I keep them plugged into or next to my HP desktop, on which I do all of my Zune Pass downloading. Good luck with your selection.

 

[Rodolfo#WP]

Oh, and on your ZuneHD question, the battery life, and thus the portability of your collection, is the biggest factor, but you will get even better sound/fidelity and the ZuneHD software experience -the eye-candy, especially, is also easily superior to the WP7 one -even with the smaller screen (and my still-limited experience with the Focus). Of course, Mango can change everything -I haven't read anything about its Zune-specific features. Finally, what drew me most fundamentally to both of these devices was the Zune Pass; I don't know what I would have changed if it wasn't for my Zune Pass existence.

 

[11B1P]

I've had a 32gb HD almost since they were released. I use mine mainly for podcasts and videos. I have synced only a few songs to my Trophy. Other than that, my HD is and will be used for my media. I want my phone and music/podcasting seperate. I want to be able to get off the airplane with a fully charged phone. I can't do that if I'm using it to listen to music or podcasts. If I get off the plane and my Zune HD is dead, eh, no big deal.

My wife has an ipod Touch. My 5yr old plays games on it daily. This is where the ipod shines. External speaker, larger screen and availability of apps. The Zune has no external speaker, so you're forced into ear buds, plugging in an external speaker or the aux input on your vehicle. The screen while very good, could stand to be larger. The apps for the Zune HD are very limited. I haven't really seen any that my 5yr old would be interested in.

When you throw in ALL of the features the Zune HD is capable of, it is a nice player. Have you seen the Zune Dock? Rent a movie from the marketplace for playback on the Zune; drop it into the dock and watch it on the big screen. Awesome!

 

[prowade]

Loved my Zune HD

I had a Zune HD before I got my Windows Phone, and I will tell you what I thought of it..........LOVED IT!

If you are looking for a piece of hardware for music and primarily music then I think you would love it as well.

The browser is sub par, you cannot view youtube videos and the app selection is poor (although there are a few VERY fun games that keep you satisfied).

The battery life is AMAZING far better than any iPod touch.

If you are getting it to supplement your Windows Phone then I would say do it. They are very cheap (especially if used) and will let you enjoy the same great Zune Music (and vids) that your Windows Phone does but with out destroying your phone battery life.

 

[staindgrey]

If you use an iPod for games, stick with the iPod. If you're wanting a media player, the ZuneHD is the better experience, IMO. It's the reason I looked into Windows Phone 7 in the first place.

For me, iTunes is clustered and counter-intuitive. Zune software is the cleaner, better software. Add in that the Zune HD UI is (IMO) the best touchscreen UI ever conceived, and of course I'll recommend it. It's also cheaper than iPod Touches, but that's primarily due to a lack of hardware support from here on out. Which is fine for me; I don't see needing an upgrade anytime soon.

I use both my Zune HD and WP7 for music. My WP7 serves as my walk to class, work break, short drive music player with only some of my favorite songs available. My Zune HD, on the other hand, holds 32GB of music and movies, with a dock ready to fill the room at any point. For flights and longer trips, I always have my Zune HD. Always.

 

[Rodolfo#WP]

Just a follow up on my prior post: I installed Mango last week, and although the interface and functionality are improved, the Zune HD is still going to be my music player. Music is more important to me than anything else that I do electronically; I don't want to multi-task my listening. I do like the instant-play icon with Mango -probably the only thing I'd borrow, and the Focus has an excellent speaker that is very handy for certain of my collection-management activity. Other summary notes: the ZHD fits in my jeans change pocket, and Mango still does not do Audible, nor include audio books in the content menu. Finally, while the substantial battery-life advantage is a big ZHD plus, I do acknowledge and value that the Focus has a replaceable battery. Being able to drop in a (cheap) back-up battery in a pinch is a big Focus advantage; for some/Focus users, this could neutralize that native ZHD advantage.

 

[shlomo80]

There's a lot to say for the unified management. The primary reason I dumped the iEverything after I bought into WP7 was that iTunes insists on hogging the media metadata to itself, and doesn't play nicely with other clients / management software. Zune software on the other hand has no such problem.

Zune + WP7 finally gave me the playcounts + control over my own media that I really wanted. I wasn't after the HD for anything app-related so it was a pretty logical choice. I'd never considered it before, but once I got WP7 it made sense to buy. I'm really glad I did - it's a superb PMP still, two years after release.

And of course, you can use Pass on all your devices then.

 

[Matthew Mazzenga]

Since I've had my Focus, I've been thinking of getting a ZuneHD, as well. I love the Zune software, both on my desktop and on my phone, and I think I'd like to have a dedicated device for the same reasons many have already mentioned: save the phone battery, and more storage.

Any chance we WP7 users can put enough of a charge back into ZuneHD sales to get Microsoft back onboard with it?

 

[Coffee]

I love my ZuneHD, but I honestly don't use it much since I got the windows phone.

 

[shlomo80]

Since I've had my Focus, I've been thinking of getting a ZuneHD, as well. I love the Zune software, both on my desktop and on my phone, and I think I'd like to have a dedicated device for the same reasons many have already mentioned: save the phone battery, and more storage.

Any chance we WP7 users can put enough of a charge back into ZuneHD sales to get Microsoft back onboard with it?

I think it's a done deal as they say - the HD is dead, i.e. in terms of being replaced.

In terms of a Zune HD replacement I also think Paul Thurrott is probably right in terms of what he said on Windows Weekly - if, if a replacement comes out, it'll probably sell ~200K units and then that will be that. i.e. Not worth anyone's effort if they're thinking about mass market.

Personally, I would also rather that instead of developing a probably-doomed 'iPod Touch wannabe', they made a faster move to make the Zune portion on WP7 the best darned media experience out there.

 

[Vulak'Aerr]

I actually recently bought a Zune HD (just before they were discontinued). I'm extremely happy with it, and as an MP3 player, it is a beautiful device. Just keep in mind that support will now be extremely limited. Looking at available features and sound quality though, you can't go far wrong with a Zune HD.

 

[Rodolfo#WP]

New and used Zune HDs are still available -for both reasonable and rip-off prices- from Amazon resellers. I can't recommend one because I haven't tried any, but I will be picking up a second unit soon as back-up because I would sorely miss my 32gb ZHD -even with a 36.9GB install on my Focus phone. (My current "insurance" is two spare batteries for the Focus that I picked up cheap at Amazon.)