Here's one more reason I dig working at Microsoft. I'm in training today [learning how to be more productive with Outlook 2007...keeping my fingers crossed]. In case you didn't know, Microsoft has an awesome training division. Most of the training is given in-house where the instructors are also employees or vendors brought in. Anyway, I got to class early and was one of a few people sitting in the room working away on our laptops. One of my co-workers [who I did not know] walks over to me and says "I noticed the Zune sticker on your laptop. I'm on the beta and here it is if you want to check it out" and hands me a white Zune. Score!

Here are my first impressions:

• Good: The screen rocks! Nice size and excellent resolution. I could easily see myself watching a 2 hour movie on this device while in-flight.
• Good: Menu system is pretty intuitive and there are several ways to get at your media, not just the same old folder hierarchy.
• Good: Tags! This goes along with the menu system reference above, but I specifically wanted to call out tagging! It looks like the music was available by genre and several other tags.
• Good: 30 GB. That is enough space to hold a handful of compressed movies, videos, a couple thousand pictures and a slew of music. Emery disagrees. I can see where 60, 80 and 100 GB versions would cater more towards those wanting to hold tons of videos/movies/TV shows. Hopefully there are plans to offer some with larger capacity.
• Good: Sound quality. I'm not an audiophile [like some people I know ], but the music and videos sounded great to me.
• Bad: Physical size & weight. This is strictly from my own perspective! Although the size is extremely comparable to an equivalent iPod, I am used to a Creative Zen Nano+ which has an extremely small footprint and is great for the gym [my primary usage]. This thing might be a little too heavy/bulky to wear in the gym while lifting or doing cardio.
• Bad: Brown? Who thinks this is a hot color? I mean really...come on.
• Bad: Where is the official site? I agree with Emery on this one...what are they really trying to accomplish with ComingZune.com? Cute movies, but sign up for email updates...that's so 1995 [and not in a good way].

I'm drawn more to the really small, flash-based media players [like my Zen Nano+], but the Zune really has me curious. I might be willing to lug this thing around the gym if I get enough other benefits out of it. Like the video player; I can see this as a viable an option for taking kids shows on the road to entertain my daughter. Or sharing pictures; it would be really cool to be having a conversation with a buddy in the gym about my latest vacation and then be able to show off the pictures right there on my Zune. I'm definitely going to keep an eye on it...

Also check out Zune Insider, by Cesar Menendez [a Microsoftie that's actually working on Zune], for all kinds of Zune information.

~tod

tags: zune