The Zune is the newest addition to the high-tech multimedia player market, with features and functionality that Microsoft no doubt hopes will finally get their name into the digital music world.

At 30 gigabytes of memory, which is enough to store 7500 songs, 100 hours of video or even 25,000 photographs, the Zune is comparable to most other digital media players in its price range of around $250. It comes in three colors; brown (with a sort of greenish tinted cover), black (with a sort of bluish tinted cover) and white. A limited edition pink Zune has also been introduced, which leads me to believe that other colors might be available in the future.

Although Microsoft's Zune digital media player is most often compared to the iPod, prospective buyers must keep in mind that most iPods are intended to be used primarily as music players, while the Zune is designed to be more of a multimedia device. This is evidenced by the fact that the screen is half an inch larger than the screen of the Video iPod, though they share the same 320x240 pixel resolution. Many people are quick to point out that the Zune is bulkier than its Apple rival, but in reality it only weighs 0.8 ounce more and is around 0.17 inch thicker.

The Zune uses the Windows Media Audio (.wma) format for files, but it will also play the universal format MP3 files. It also stores JPEGs in a photo album type system, and allows you to play .wmv format movies. It does not play .flv, .avi, or .mov files. If you want to view any files in these formats, you will have to use separate software to convert them to the Windows Media Video format.

In my opinion, the Zune is pretty cool. The larger, wide screen is great for watching videos and makes it easy to share your favorites with several friends at a time. The click pad/wheel is also not as sensitive as that of an iPod or Creative Zen, which is a good thing if you're as klutzy and prone to accidental button pressing as I am.

Like any other tech toy, the Zune does have its drawbacks. While the Zune brags that you can share songs wirelessly with your friends, they fail to mention that the shared file can only be played three times, and cannot be re-shared by the same user. It does not come with an AC adapter; if you want to charge your Zune using anything other than the USB cable that you use to link it to your computer, you have to buy a separate kit that generally retails around $30-40. Protected music content can be played on the Zune, but only from certain sites. Music downloaded from cellular phone or mobile audio sites (even if it's in .mp3 format) cannot be synced or played on a Zune, as I found out to my dismay.

When you weigh the pros and cons, the Zune is comparable to the iPod in many ways, so the best way to decide which is the right one for you is to visit a store and try both out. No matter which you choose, it is quite an investment and you want to be sure you make the right choice and avoid suffering buyer's remorse later.

Learn more about this author, Natalie Smothers.
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