Microsoft Zune (30GB)

Design
At 109.22 x 63.5 x 17.78mm, the Zune may be a bit thicker (and blockier) than the 30GB iPod, but it feels right at home in the hand. In my opinion, it's a nice size and weight (158.75g)--neither too thin to hold nor too big to pocket, though others in the office say it's bulky and have even compared it to a prototype. I will say that a protective case such as Belkin's clear case does make it too big for my tastes.

	Two Zunes partially unboxed. The packaging is sophisticated--you know a lot of thought went into its presentation. The box ships with the Zune, earbuds with foam pads (ugly but effective), a soft case, a rubbery proprietary USB cable (don't lose it), software, a couple of quick guides, and of course, a Zune sticker.

The colors are subdued and the shell has a translucent matte finish, and more importantly, the body does not attract fingerprints (though the screen does). The double-shot effect of the secondary color (green on the brown version, bluish on the black, translucent on the white) definitely gives the player visual pizzazz. The built-in battery will last up to 14 hours for audio. Interestingly, the back says this in fine print: "Hello from Seattle." The Zune, which is manufactured by Toshiba but completely designed by Microsoft, is an original-looking player with a style of its own.

It's a durable device that will withstand scratches, bumps, and bruises, though the primary seam of the device looks as if it might burst open after a hard fall. The body is minimal with no buttons on the sides, only a hold switch and an earphone jack on top and a proprietary USB/accessories port on the bottom. The screen and main controller are surrounded by a thin, metallic inlay, while the three control buttons are dead simple (the small dedicated back and play/pause buttons are flush with the body).

	Does size matter? The 30GB Microsoft Zune (brown) next to an 80GB iPod 30GB, a 30GB Toshiba Gigabeat S, and a 30GB Creative Zen Vision:M.

You'll want to scroll the circular controller at first impulse (maybe even second). A true iPod-like click wheel would have made navigation on this device even easier than it is. In reality, the five-way tactile controller (a.k.a. directional pad; made of black plastic) is easy to use and will reorient when the device is used in landscape mode (only for photos and videos). Unfortunately for southpaws, you can't flip the screen or controllers for left-handed use. Also, there is no dedicated volume control--that is handled on the appropriate screen by using the up and down controllers.

The back of the device features a circular dip and it mirrors the directional pad up front. This is supposed to give you a better feel for the directional pad especially as it's used with two hands in landscape mode. There is no kickstand as seen on some PVPs, but you can always get an optional case with a built-in method for propping up the Zune.

The three-inch screen may not measure up to true portable video players such as the Archos 604, but it is definitely good enough to watch video, view photos, and navigate effectively. It has three brightness settings and though the display is slightly washed out, it's colorful and bright enough for outdoor use. Conveniently, when the backlight turns off, you can still make out the screen on a nice bright day (such as album art), so definitely keep the backlight to a minimum on this battery-hungry device.

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