Zune 4GB: first impressions versus iPod
Electronista (Gadgets for Giggs) is preparing to compare the new Zune against the iPod and has just received a new 4GB model for testing. While a full review is stil some time away, we already have initial impressions of the device and its accompanying software, as well as how they compare to their most obvious rivals from Apple. Read ahead for this first take as well as an image gallery.
Microsoft has managed to streamline the initial setup experience for the Zune significantly. The multi-layered packaging draws more than a few elements from the So far, the attention-getting Zune Pad controller has also proven to work well; in a sense, Microsoft has managed to borrow the best elements of the iPod’s click wheel without sacrificing the ability to tap or click (you can do both) to navigate items one-by-one. The interface still isn’t quite as elegant as for the iPod, and we can see some users getting tired of having to reach for either of the side buttons, but it comes as a revelation compared to the confusing interfaces of most Creative ZEN jukeboxes.
