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Filed under: Electronics

Zune Car Pack v2

Author: Rich

29 Nov

Zune Car Pack v2

Taking a road trip? The Zune Car Pack gives you everything you need to be your own DJ, listening to your tunes through your car stereo while keeping your Zune charged.

User Ratings and Reviews

1 Star It would not pick up a channel.
This would not pick up a channel. We tried it in both my car and my husband’s car and it wouldn’t work. We were able to tune in some music a couple of times, but it was predominantly static. My husband has an iPod and uses his car transmitter all the time with no issues at all. The one thing I did notice is that his transmitter uses a very low channel and the Zune player doesn’t go that low.

1 Star Great idea, poor performance
I bought this product hoping the good reviews were correct and that the poor ones were just people that were Microsoft haters. Well I found out that the poor performance people were talking about was true. Not only was the frequency range not wide enough to send the signal to open channels, but when I could find a frequency to use I would have to fully extend to cord and move my zune around to just the right spot to get a decent signal. And when I say decent signal, I mean there was never a time when I had no static.

2 Stars Works Okay in Theory
This device works okay in theory, but is plagued by reception problems.

If you can find a clear station, and the antenna is just right it works well. Sound is fantastic as long as reception is good.

5 Stars Harder to…….
It was harder to open the package then it was to set-up this innovative product. Works fine…. I say buy it!

2 Stars Please avoid this one.
My first negative review for any product bought at Amazon. I read all prior reviews regarding this FM transmitter and was interested in this one since it played double duty, FM transmitter and power supply for my Zune. I don’t always believe everything I read in reviews, but I should have where this product is concerned. Let me start by saying I have an iRiver FM transmitter that worked great, but wanted one that would also power my device, enter the Zune transmitter.

Following the instruction that came with the Zune transmitter and reading suggestions from others (the reviews here at Amazon) I bought this one. Right from the start the Zune transmitter couldn’t find an open frequency. After a few attempts I just manually set it to one I personally discovered was one of the best for my area. The Zune transmitter broadcasted on this frequency, but it sounded like a static AM Radio. Words with an “S” in them were slurred, along with frequent bouts of static being transmitted. I tried moving the Zune around the interior of the car since the cord was the sending antenna, but there was no difference. After moving the car to a new location, I again attempted to lock onto a FM frequency (yes my car radio was turned off). Again the Zune transmitter couldn’t find one. My personal experience with the slurring S’s was due to playing the devise was set at a too high output volume. Turning down the volume on the device and up on the car radio always resulted in a clear and clean sound with my iRiver MP3 player and FM transmitter. With the Zune and the Zune FM transmitter, you can’t make changes to the output volume. I’m certain that if I could change the volume the transmitter might work better.

After plugging my iRiver FM transmitter back on my Zune, I’m enjoying my Zune tunes in my car. My recommendation, don’t buy this Zune transmitter, buy the iRiver FM transmitter. Sorry Zune.

iHome Dual Alarm Clock with Speaker Dock for Zune Black

Filed under: Electronics

iHome Dual Alarm Clock with Speaker Dock for Zune Black

Author: Rich

29 Nov

Meet the new ZN9, the world’s first clock radio for Zune. The ZN9 features several innovative solutions, including wake and sleep to your Zune music or AM/FM radio presets, a 7-5-2 feature for separate weekday and weekend alarm times, and an extra large, backlit LCD display with dimmer. With our Reson8 speaker chambers, you’ll be able to enjoy stereo sound around the clock. The new ZN9? treat yourself and your Zune right. Gradual Wake and Gradual Sleep increase/decrease Alarm/Sleep volume so as not to startle the user Clean contemporary design complements the look of the Zune Dual alarm with AM/FM presets 7-5-2 feature for separate weekday and weekend alarm times Unit Dimensions – 10.2 W x 3.1 H x 6.4 D Power – AC Power Adapter (included); Battery Requirements – 2 AA battery backup (included)

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Finally, an alternative to earphones for Zune!
Okay, so I got the 120G Zune, which I love. But then soon realized that if I’m going to have all my music collection on it, it’d be a waste to only be able to listen to it when in the car or travelling on a plane. I also do not have a stereo at home so there was nothing to connect it to.

After some research, I opted for the iHome dock made for Zune. It is very compact in size, but the sound quality is surprisingly good. The thing does have an equalizer to make adjustments, but honestly, right out of the box everything sounded great. Even at high volume, there is little to no distortion and it can be heard throughout my house.

The alarm clock features are also great as there are many options such as 2 separate alarms, both of which can be set for 5 days, 2 days, or 7 days. And the sleep to/wake to functions are also nice. The alarm itself, should you choose that option, is not terribly jarring or annoying since it starts softly and gradually builds.

The battery-back-up has already proven itself very useful. We tend to have power outages where we live, and I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve overslept because the power was out. So this week, when it happened again, the alarm woke me up on time. I also liked the fact that the time automatically sets–when you take it out of the box, there is no need to set the time; just set the time zone and the thing does it for you!

There are a couple of downsides, albeit minor. First, if you want to listen to am radio, you will need to plug in an antenna which is cumbersome and awkward since there is really nowhere to hide it. This was not a big deal for me, though, since I don’t really listen to am radio, and I didn’t really buy this to listen to the radio–seriously, why listen to commercials when I can listen to all my music collection commercial free?!

The second downside is that this does not come with a remote control. At first, I didn’t think it would be that big a deal. But since I have the thing on one end of the room and work from other side of the room, a remote would have been handy. A remote can be purchased from iHome for about $20, so I might just have to cave in and get one.

Other than those two caveats, the iHome dock is a great thing to have if you have a Zune.

4 Stars Fittin’ in
The sound, features and size are great although the Zune doesn’t fit snugly on the system and unsure if my daughter is damaging the connection when she struggles to get the Zune situated properly.

4 Stars Zune Alarm Clock
Has some really good features like the dimming of the backlight. Sound quality is very good. The dual alarm is valuable. Good worthwhile purchase.

4 Stars Good quality.
I have an 8GB Zune. This product has good sound quality and can go way louder than I would ever need while maintaing decent sound quality. It feels well built, and has several good alarm clock feature that I enjoy. The AM and FM gets decent reception. It was easy to set up. Overall a great purchase.

Some small things take away from a perfect rating:

The Zune plug in port seems weak — probably because it needs to adjust to fit many Zune sizes. I worry if I ever bump a plugged in Zune I will break it.

The brightness setting of the display. It has 7 settings if you include OFF as setting 7. 1-5 are like having a night-light in my room. Setting 6 is pretty dim, and can’t be seen when the room lights are on. A dimmer may have been a better option.

The styling is pretty vanilla…for an all black device.

5 Stars “It’s about time”
It’s about time a worth while device was made for Zune. I have had a Zune 80 for about a year, and the only time I could really use it was in the vehicles. I just got this iHome ZN9 yesterday, works and sounds great! Don’t waste your time or money on that Altec Lansing peice of *#$! Zune dock. Would have been nice if the remote came with it, instead of having to order it after receiving the device.

Zune 8 GB Digital Media Player Black

Filed under: Electronics

Zune 8 GB Digital Media Player Black

Author: Rich

29 Nov

This slim 8 GB Zune device is good to go with plenty of room for your favorite music, pictures, and video. It comes complete with a built-in FM tuner and buy-from-FM capabilities, wireless sync, Zune-to-Zune wireless sharing, video playback, and more–so you get all that Zune power in one tight little package. It holds up to 2,000 songs, 25,000 pictures, or 25 hours of video. Watch a demo on Zune.

Every Zune device lets you listen to your favorite FM radio stations and tag songs for later purchase.

Download millions of tracks, whole albums, or playlists with the Zune Pass subscriptions service.

Remotely sync your Zune device with your PC collection.

The Zune Marketplace offers millions of songs, albums, TV shows, audio/video podcasts, and more.

A full family of accessories is compatible with all Zune devices.

Buy from FM
Click to buy from the built-in FM radio. Every Zune device lets you listen to your favorite FM radio stations and click to tag the songs you like for later purchase when you sync your device with your PC.¹

Zune Pass
With the Zune Pass subscription service, you’ll get millions of tracks for the price of one CD. Download tracks, whole albums, or playlists. Explore new music or rediscover old favorites–then sync them to your Zune. Extend your subscription online or by purchasing a Zune Pass card. Or, if you like, purchase songs or albums individually.²

Wireless Sync
Remotely sync with your PC. Connect to your home wireless network and remotely sync your Zune device with your PC collection from your dock, AC adapter, or speaker dock accessory.³

Device to Cloud
Your Zune player can access thousands of wireless hotspots around the country. Automatically update your collection, browse Zune Marketplace, refresh your Channels, exchange favorites with friends, or buy songs you’ve tagged from your FM radio. Take advantage of a Zune Pass and access the music you love where you want, at no extra cost.

Wireless Sharing
Music is in the air with Zune wireless sharing. Send your favorite songs, albums, playlists, pictures, and even audio podcasts freely between any Zune devices. Listen to the full track of any song you receive up to three times and pass them along to other friends. If you want to buy a song, click to tag it and have your Zune find it later when you sync with your PC.⁴

Channels
Like your very own radio stations, Zune Channels are custom programming stations that deliver personalized playlists to your Zune from a variety of sources you select, such as music experts, celebrities, or top radio stations. Channels you subscribe to automatically update whenever you’re connected–to your PC, home network, or even selected wireless hotspots. When you subscribe to Zune Pass, you get an unlimited Zune Channels experience.

Games
Zune players now come with a selection of fun free games. Choose music from your collection to create your own personal game soundtrack. Connect and compete wirelessly with other nearby Zune users.

Video/TV Shows
Choose from a growing selection of TV shows now available on the Zune Marketplace video store, and take your favorite episodes or whole seasons with you wherever you go. Use your Zune device to watch popular shows like The Office, South Park, Heroes, and 30 Rock from NBC; shows from Comedy Central; Adult Swim from the Cartoon Network; and countless other shows from other major networks.⁶ Also, if you’re recording TV shows or movies with Windows Media Center in Windows Vista, you can import and sync them to your device. Load up your favorite videos, and hit the road.⁵

Zune Social
Discover, share, and connect with the Zune Social, a free online community that lets you share your musical tastes with friends and millions others. Customize your Zune Card and Zune profile page with your favorite music and pictures. Then connect and share Zune Cards, music, and messages with friends and other members of the community.

Zune Marketplace
Fulfill your entertainment desires at Zune Marketplace. Millions of songs, albums, TV shows, audio/video podcasts, and more are available–plus, your online store is always open and only a mouse click away. Download or subscription? It’s up to you. Buy individual songs and albums, or an unlimited Zune Pass music subscription².

Audiobooks
Let your Zune read to you while you can’t. Listen to everything from your favorite novels to the latest bestseller. Now you can transfer your existing audiobook files from sites like Audible.com to your Zune device and enjoy them whenever you want.

Xbox 360 Compatibility
Ever wish you could play games to the sound of your favorite tunes? Now you can. Connect your Zune device to your Xbox 360 console and play your favorite songs while you game on Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE. You can share content from your Zune collection to an Xbox 360 console on a home network and play your media through the Xbox Dashboard.

Accessories
Traveling, working late, or working out? Whatever you’re up to, your Zune will be right there with you. Make sure you have the best accessories to keep up with your lifestyle.

Zune AC Adapter: Fast recharge wherever there’s an outlet
Zune Car Pack: Ride with Zune as it charges while playing in your car
Zune Home AV Pack: Hook up your Zune to any home stereo and control it via remote
Zune Premium Earphones: noise-isolating design that delivers superior sound quality and comfort
Zune Cable Pack: Provides every cable you need to stay connected
Zune Dock Pack: Nonstop your tunes while you charge your Zune
Zune Leather Case: Protects your Zune with style

Legal Disclaimers:
1. Buy from FM feature available with stations broadcasting RDS and RT Plus data
2. Zune Pass is a monthly music subscription service; some songs are not available via Zune Pass. Available Zune Pass content may vary over time.
3. Wireless sync feature requires access to a home wireless network
4. Zune to Zune wireless sharing may not be available for all songs in your music collection and works only between Zune devices within wireless range of each other. Recipients may play full-length sample tracks up to three times.
5. Requires a PC running Windows Vista Home Premium or Windows Vista Ultimate and an integrated or external TV tuner.
6. Available content may vary over time.

What’s in the Box?
Zune 8 GB Digital Media Player (Black), earphones with three earpiece covers, Sync cable

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars paul
Zune 8 GB Video MP3 Player (Blue)Recieved in 3 days very fast service.Haven’t used it yet as it is a Christmas gift. Hope it better than the Zune 4 GB one I have that’s on its way back from being repaired after only owning it since May of this year. Only was using that 1 hour a day while walking before it stopped working.

1 Star It Looks Like a BRICK
It looks like a brick, and it is worth about that much too. PLEASE, PLEASE don’t get this. The iPod nano works much better and looks better as well.

5 Stars Zune ROCKS!
I really like the Zune software for the computer that goes along with this player! It is FAR superior to iTunes and runs 100x smoother and faster on Windows (huh, imagine that). The Zune player itself is excellent and I love that you can listen to the radio, not just my own music! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

4 Stars Zune Bests the Competition
I have owned iPods (I still have the Touch), Zens, Sony Walkmans, and Sansas, and this takes the cake. Here’s what the Zune has going for it:

Pros:

1) Software (I hate having tons of duplicate songs in my iTunes library and having to import new files. Zune does this automatically. It also has a great system for downloading album art so that your musical library is very organized and colorful. It eliminates duplicates too. It’s beautiful, really.

2) User-friendly. The Zune is designed for the sole purpose of playing music and videos. There’s no fancy stuff like a calendar, but really, I didn’t want this in a player to take up space I would rather use for music and photos.

3) Radio. The radio is great quality and a necessity for me.

4) Sleek design – I love the design of the Zune. It looks great and is very sturdy!

Cons:

1) Battery Life – I usually only get about 25 hours out of this guy, and I wish it were higher, but I’m sure Microsoft is working on this for the future generations. Apple kicks their trash in battery life.

2) Lack of color options. I really wish they offered a bunch of color options. The 120 and 16 GB only come in black. Come on!

3) Smaller selection than iPod and no movies available yet for Zune, but I don’t use mine for movies anyway, but if I do purchase the 120 GB, then it might make sense to store movies on that baby.

There are other things I could mention, but that would be nit-picky. Really, the software makes all the difference for me, but I just love the device better. If I could use the software with a different player, I would probably still pick the Zune. I love the touch-pad and the size of the thing.

One last note, I’ve been doing a free subscription for the Zune Subscription Pass, and I may just sign-up for the $15/month deal. So much good music and you get to keep 10 songs a month permanently, even if you cancel! Awesome!

If you’re trying to think of which MP3 Player to get your family or friends for Christmas, you cannot go wrong with the Zune!

3 Stars Zune vs iPod
I purchased the 30 MB Zune from Amazon on a Black Friday sale for a HUGE discount. I like the device myself, but I hate the software. Why Microsoft didn’t just expand Windows Media Player to include their marketplace is beyond me. The Zune software is a memory hog, and isn’t very user friendly. Unless they have changed the software, you can’t put iTunes music on the Zune until you remove the DRM software, and every time the new iTunes comes out if stops whatever software than takes the DRM off and makes you feel like a criminal just because you want to listen to your music on a non-iPod device.

On the plus side:there is a FM Radio – iTunes doesn’t have that! It’s a pretty good one too. With a little conversion, you can play youtube videos on the Zune (change the flv to wmv). I think Zune can use Rhapsody too, but I haven’t tried it because I still have a $23 credit on my iTunes account.

If you want an MP3 player to put your existing CDs on, and non-DRM laden MP3s, as well as videos, this is a good choice – beats the iPlod on a bunch of levels. If Microsoft would only fix the software interface, they would give iTunes and iPod a real challenge.

Creative Zen 4 GB Portable Media Player Black

Filed under: Electronics

Creative Zen 4 GB Portable Media Player Black

Author: Rich

29 Nov

This credit card-sized ZEN has a stunning 2.5″ color screen and is perfect for music, videos and photos. Enjoy up to 4,000 MP3, WMA or AAC songs, watch up to 60 hours of videos and share hundreds of photos with your friends. Even expand your portable music, video or photo collection by adding additional content through the convenient SD memory slot.

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars So far, so good.
I had previously owned the 8 GB version of this player and it was a total disaster. It seems that this 16 GB version is working well **so far**. Plays back movies perfectly well from Amazon’s Unboxed as well as all the music I can load into it. The earphones are a bit cheesy, you might want to spring for a few extra dollars and buy something a bit better, depending upon your own hearing and tastes. The software that comes with the player is a bit clunky, you can use Windows Media Player to transfer songs right to the player and use Amazon’s Unboxed software to transfer movies directly to the player.

3 Stars IPODs doesn’t have FM radio..
My fiance got this for me on my bday. I like it at first until it freezes on me several times. I had to reset after it happens and then it erases all my downloads. Downloading your stuff to this is slower than the IPOD. I still like it because the fact it has FM radio which I can switch to when all my downloads sounds boring. Pictures, music, movies, etc looks better than the IPOD I had. I just wish it doesn’t freezes a lot when I’m in a hurry for work….

5 Stars Zen 16 GIG – Linux User
I had a NANO with 2G and that just wasnt’ doing it for me, not enough space, but i loved the size of the device. I travel a bunch for work (Planes) and weight is an issue, so I need a device that is small.

Well the ZEN is all that and more, I paid 139 for the 16G version and I love it. I use it with Linux with ZERO issues. If you are thinking about using with Linux you will need Gnomad 2, at least to sync the device. Works great, I am sure there is other SW for linux but this works great. Already had it running since my GF has a JukeBox from Creative.

I am listening to it right now, and will be interested to see how long the battery lasts, the Ipod was OK, but getting worse over time, so I am looking forward to this, plus no stupid connector, just USB. Now I don’t have to carry another cord.

Great so far…

1 Star White Screen of Death- No firmware fix forthcoming
I wanted to like the Zen. In fact, I did like the bright screen, ability to use an sd card, etc. However, in the last year, it has slowly developed the dreaded “White Screen of Death”. At first, I was able to get my screen back by getting a song to play and then putting the unit into hold. Taking it out of hold would restore the screen. Lately, nothing works, I have tried everything- downgrading the firmware, upgrading the firmware, rebooting, resetting- nothing works. It’s basically a brick, it’s out of warranty, and I can’t afford to replace it. Conventional Internet wisdom is that it is caused by a hardware conflict. I don’t care what it is- I see no effort on the part of Creative to comprehensively take care of those of us they know they sold a bad player to. All they do on their website is refer you to their customer service system, which if you are like me, will determine that the product is out of warranty and supply you with a link to a page where you can buy a new one. NO WAY! I’ll buy something that is better supported by its manufacturer next time, shove this thing in a drawer and pray for Rockbox, Don’t take a chance that yours will develop this problem- take my advice and return it now while you still can.

4 Stars really enjoyable, capable player
I’ve owned this (8 gig model) for a bit over a year and have used it heavily. A few fairly minor cons and a raft of important pros:

++++pros

*good looks

*acceptably quick power-on

*solid manufacture (doesn’t at all feel hollow or cheap)

*has survived one drop from waist-height to tile floor (yikes)

*8gb model is so roomy that it’s difficult to overflow with music (different story for vids)

*highly configurable menu (lets you remove items you don’t want to see, change order of those you leave)

*skinnable (you can put your own image as the wallpaper)

*bright screen (see cons, haha… can be used as a nightlight, no joke)

*great battery life (20 hrs or so without excessive browsing songs and with display @ 10%)

*almost limitless memory expansion via SDHC card (though see cons)

*easy to navigate (max of about four levels)

*quick search by first letter (scroll through quickly)

*reset button doesn’t clear your stuff…just fixes hangs (see cons)

*has radio (decent enough reception using your headphone cable as the antenna)

*doesn’t necessitate buying into the whole itunes proprietary nonsense

—- cons

*black shows every smudge and fingerprint. if you’re OCD about this, don’t… just don’t. if that’s nbd for you, fine.

*does play movies and does so well, but unless you have hours and hours to convert size and format, fuggetaboutit

*sometimes gets hung (reset button to the rescue)

*SDHC card is treated as separate memory with separate browsing

*cannot play a song while charging (though very occasionally that has worked; usually though it stops play)

*window scratches fairly easily (e.g. don’t throw in pocket with keys)

*perhaps the biggest gripe: its bundled software is not exactly likeable (it works but i am irked by it), and doesn’t work at all in xp/64 (fine in 32-bit environment, but the unit can be browsed to and loaded via windows explorer)

*occasional song corruption occurs if you don’t use the installed software (fix is to delete the song and re-add using the sw or the wmp11 mtp update)

*screen is really bright — only goes in 10% increments, and 10% is still really bright at night, yow

*only recharging option is USB, which necessitates the purchase of 12v accessory if you want to charge in car, for instance, or 120v accessory if you don’t have a computer handy

+++ final verdict

despite a list of cons, most are minor for me and easily overlooked. most of the pros shine, or at least glow. i’m giving it 4 stars **** but not 5. a 5-star product would surpass all expectations and really blow me away. this is highly recommendable and if a few quirks (say, ahem, software, and the annoying separation of main memory from SDHC cards) were banished, i think this would go into the 5-star realm. still, a very nice unit, one that i use happily and friends and family ooh and aah about.

Apple iPod classic 80 GB Black 6th Generation

Filed under: Electronics

Apple iPod classic 80 GB Black 6th Generation

Author: Rich

29 Nov

Decisions, decisions. Who needs ‘em? Why should you have to choose what to put on your iPod? With a large storage capacity, iPod classic lets you carry everything in your collection everywhere you go. In completely new, even thinner, all-metal design, this iPod is a modern classic.The iPod classic gives your music and video room to move. It also has plenty of energy, good looks (a sleek, all-metal design), and a great personality (a brand-new interface with Cover Flow). In other words, iPod classic makes an ideal companion. Why not get to know it better?

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars apple ipod 160 GB
I am on the road alot and wanted something that would hold a lot of music and some videos and found it in the 160 i have gone for a few days without even looking at the power level of the unit it is compact fits perfect in my pocket as far overall use i give it four stars at the time of this review i had over fourteen days of music and four or five movies

4 Stars great classic, but not the best
this is my third ipod after the 3g ipod nano and the 1st gen ipod touch, and this is the best one although i was expecting more.

i like to have my entire video collection with me so the 8gb itouch wasnt enough, so i sold it to get the 80gb classic, and even though i can carry more than enough, the software is not that good is slow, sometimes freezes, the coverflow is uselees because of this.

i only have 12gb of space used so this ipod is more than enough for me.

the downside from being with apple is itunes, so if you want to change to lest say a ZUNE you’ll have to do it all over again with your music library and stuff.

so if you havent decided yet, think twice before choosing one of them.

5 Stars Just Ipod
Todo saben, excelentes prestaciones! Cre