Microsoft Zune

by Jessica Padykula

I love my Zune. It’s shiny, red and packed full of my favourite albums. I carry it everywhere, and I’m not sure if I’d be able to survive public transit without it.

Zune details

I have the 8-GB model (Zunes also come in 4 and 80) and I have yet to hit capacity. It holds 2,000 songs and I’m about halfway there.

When I first took my Zune out of the box, I admired its sleek look and light feel. Once I stopped giving it admiring glances, I got down to business and uploaded some music.

Getting started

After charging the Zune for about an hour, I downloaded software from www.zune.ca. Just look for the link that says Download it today; then click and follow the prompts on your screen.

Once I set up the software, I got music onto my Zune by dragging songs or complete albums onto the Zune icon at the bottom of the computer screen. I can also put photos and videos on the device, but I have yet to do it.

Favourite features

• Sound quality and radio: I was immediately impressed with the Zune’s great sound quality and FM radio. No other media player that I’ve seen comes with a radio. It’s great for days when I don’t know what to listen to or when all I want is the CBC.
• Playlists: Making playlists of my favourite songs is easy. When I choose an album or a song, an option pops up to add my selection to a playlist. I have an ongoing playlist for the days when I want to hear a variety of current favourites.
• Sharing: My boyfriend also has a Zune, so we can share music, photos and videos. I choose Social > nearby from the main menu, and if his Zune is close by, my Zune will indicate it. All I have to do is choose Music > songs, pick the song (or photo, video, etc.) I want to send, hit Send and select the Zune I want to send to (if there is more than one Zune in sending radius).

Though I’ve enjoyed many features, I still have a lot to try out. There’s more to using the Zune than just listening to music!