Sounds like that Zune doesn't have the latest firmware. They launched a firmware about 2 months ago I believe and ever since then my Zune has not skipped one. Sounds funny though that it didn't already have the upgraded FW.

Can I have your unwanted H3 Zune.. please.. =*(

My zune never skips.

I wasn't going to buy one until I heard there were only being 20,000 produced. It'd be an excellent collector's item by the year 2050.

I haven't even seen a zune in stores. Maybe I just look at the shiny ipods and walk by it without noticing.

Well we'll see if a Halo grafix zune will make a dent in ipod's sales.

I thought they fixed the skipping with that last firmware? I haven't had any issues with that and DRM content since that release... I know it had something to do with the backlight power or something

There is one pretty cool thing about the Zune that I actually really like thats sort of undocumented... or at least not obvious. Listening to it on the 360 while playing games, the music doesn't stop when loading or accessing the hard drive.

Now if I could only listen to my own soundtrack in the Halo beta.

It skips while playing music? That's sorta ridiculous for a music player.

Sorry MS, Halo can not make your crappy Ipod wanna bee any better

@Maleficence:

http://www.engadget.com/2007/03/28/microsoft-zune-v1-3-fir...

I preordered this last weekend. I think it looks sick and has all the halo stuff preloaded. Now my crappy ipod video sits on ebay.

...and i still DON'T want to buy a Zune, or an Xbox 360 for that matter

i was not impressed by that Halo 3 Beta :(

If the zune wasn't totally useless and I didn't hate Halo I would totally pick this up.

All I know is Zune 2 or whatever could connect to my 360 and use a wireless MSN Messanger, I'd get it.

gonna give my current soon away and get this one when it comes out. i have 20 GB of my CD's on my Zune havent used the store yet. Most of the time im just using the FM radio on the Zune.

i had ipods and they were nice but they were as reliable the the Xbox 360.

Meh.

I'd rather borrow a copy of the HALO soundtracks and rip them into iTunes, enjoying the meager irony of my actions.

My Zune has never skipped either, and the sound quality is better than my old ipod.

Sure looks swank, but its still a zune. Ipod's strength has never been the fact that it is the best at anything. It is number one because it is pretty good at everything, has a wide array of models to cater to everyone and has the most 3rd party support. How many Zune users can turn their mp3 players into laser pointers? Not many I reckon.

Microsoft is still making Zunes?

@Gustavo: And losing millions doing it too.

@ApeofGods:

hmm, a portable music player that can talk to a video game/media console?

wow i can't believe it did not occur to Microsoft to do that! which brings me to...

the PSP

Sony could of killed off the DS, iPod, and Xbox 360 all in one felt swoop had Sony harnessed all the power of the PSP/PS3 combo

now i think it might be another situation of having too little, too late

Nice, but it'd be nicer if they fixed some of the glaring issues with the Zune (unintuitive software, unnecessary DRM restrictions, intense difficulty transferring / converting videos etc). I sold mine a couple of months ago due to how much of a hassle everything was. Now I use my phone for MP3s which is an equal hassle at 1/3rd of the price.

It's a shame because the iPod needs a strong competitor.

If they put the Zune music store on XBL, then I'd get one in a heartbeat.

I'm still trying to win a Zune at "Dave and Busters". It's not a Halo model, but I've already earned 22,000 tickets so I'm nearly half way there (the Zune is 46,000 tickets). Sure it'd be cheaper to buy one on eBay or heck, even in the stores around here...but I'm pot committed to use a poker term (since ticket games are essentially gambling any how).

I want it to scamble an egg while its still inside the shell.

"How many Zune users can turn their mp3 players into laser pointers? Not many I reckon."

How many would want to? Niche features are cool but ultimately, unneeded.

thinking about preordering this. buddy of mine sold away his ipod to upgrade to the zune. says he doesn't regret the decision at all and i trust him on matters such as these. i've been meaning to get a portable music player so long so maybe this will finally make me budge... i'm a huge halo fan.

@ApeofGods and Kyle81:

so what makes the zune so "useless" and a "crappy ipod wanna bee?"

I would get a Zune if it weren't so expensive and huge. I still kinda want one, mostly for the big screen and wireless capabilities, but I am very much against DRM and I don't really like the idea of "squirting." so I just use my phone as my mp3 player, which now that I think about it, is a Sony Ericsson. even mp3 players can't escape the console war, heh.

@goomba478:

dude i can't believe you're actually saving up that many tickets...

just get all the candy they have and a Super Soaker and you'll be set!

w00t

@BigChiefSmokem: I can't believe it either. It started off as a sort of "I wonder how many tickets I can get" after reading that article about the guy who saved up 85,000 tickets to get an Xbox 360. I originally thought about getting the Xbox until the Elite was announced and then I realized it probably wouldn't be worth it. I probably could get more use out of the candy and the super soaker (I don't think the Providence RI has the super soakers though), but my heart is set on the Zune. Maybe by the time I have enough tickets the "Zune 2" will be released ^_^ Then it just may be worth it.

Zune's actually been a great player for me... the unit itself is remarkably solid and performs very well. There were some skipping issues when I first had it, when playing a long album, but that was fixed in the first firmware update. I haven't had a problem since.

The main bonuses of the Zune are the rugged form factor, excellent UI, and the sound quality. I've got a decent collection of Hi-Fi headphones and have been around the block a few times in terms of audio quality... I owned a Grado RS1 and a Melos tube amplifier with Amparex tubes for a bit, and a AKG K1000. The Zune can't really compare with those, but the quality is pretty remarkable when compared to any other portable player I've tried. Well rounded sound, fairly quick, with no harsh etching in the upper treble that made the iPod squak like an angry child with my Etymotics.

I've had it for I suppose half a year now... and it's doing very well with my Sennheiser HD580s (un-amped, blasphemy!) and my Etymotic ER4P. Works well with Grados too.

But again, the software is still pretty iffy, and I can't see Joe Consumer giving a crap about audio quality.

*drools*

I AM A HUGE HALO FAN, back to the days of marathon, but i can say this from the bottom of my halo addicted heart, IPOD IS WAY BETTER, i have all my pics and music from halo on my iPod and it never skips. just because i am a walking halo-encyclopedia does not mean you (Microsoft) can convince me to buy an inferior zune just because it has halo slapped all over it.

HALO FOREVER

Let's get started on the display? That line is right about up there with "Those new glasses are super neato!", so yeah Halo dudes will love it, but myself...I'll just tape a picture of master cheif on my ipod if I'm that desperate

What I find lacking in this Zune-Halo marketing fallacy: Where is the H3 soundtrack? Why not? Oh, that is right, you just dropped a few bens and now need to wait some several months (eons in marketing terms) and then ante up some more money for the downloads...way to go, you MS tool.

I am really loathing Halo 3 - the weapon balance isn't quite there yet. And the graphics are really subpar compared to other games like Gears of War. You could do so much with that world, and yet it's a halo 1 or halo 2 with better materials. Sad!

Also, are you literally writing this review on the road? That's pretty impressive.

Per the picture: Lets hope you weren't driving when you either took the picture or wrote the post. ;-)

@axiomatic:

That's how I totaled my first car, (1997 honda accord), looking at my phone. Now i drive a tuned up 1997 mitsubishi Eclipse. v-6 with turbo, yeah you try and catch me

Halo Zune: When suckage collides!

I reserved one a couple days ago, i hadn't really wanted a zune untill my ipod became completely un reliable. Turning off when it wants to, not turning off when i want it to, always over shooting the song i'm looking for with the touch wheel, and alot of lag when i want to skip two or three songs ahead. don't get me wrong my ipod has served me greatly while i've had it, but i'm ready for something new, and the halo 3 zune is that something new. Bummer they don't put the halo3 OST on it though, that'd make the package perfect.

what's a zune?

Wow that, looks cool. Also suprised at the people posting about Halo 3 beta no living up to their expectations when that is in no way related to the article. Isn't there some rule against completely erroneous posts?

@coin_operated_boy: The current iPod is a crappy iPod wannabe, too...because the wide-screen, touch sensitive "true video" iPod will be releasing shortly after the iPhone.

@Necron117:
So, Necron, you spent a good deal of time with both units before coming to your all caps conclusion? I've had iPods since the days when people asked me "what's up with your white tape player?" and I can tell you... the current Zune hardware is really pretty decent if you don't mind a little more bulk. Once you try the UI, there's no going back.

@Kittyhawk:
Maybe if you provided reasons as to why they suck, you'd be taken more seriously, but right now you just look like you're jumping on the bandwagon.

It looks very cool but thats a lot of money to spend on a product with a questionable future. There really needs to be a high quality Ipod competitor and the Zune looks like it has potential but I'm not normally an early adopter of unproven platforms.

@NitrousO:
You have to realize that there are a group of posters out there that feel the need to let the world know that they do not like Halo every chance they get. They saw Halo in the headline and had to post a comment even though the article was a review of a Halo 3 themed music player (nothing about the game itself).

Showing your hate for a popular franchise lets everyone know how hardcore you truly are.

lol felixlighter that struck me as unusually wise. I feel as though I learned something today :)

Wow. I got my iPod video on eBay as I write this... I can't wait to get my new Halo Zune! I think everybody disses the Zune without giving it a fair chance, and that's just immature.

@lcman92: "I think everybody disses the Zune without giving it a fair chance, and that's just immature."

oh jeez. poor, misunderstood microsoft product.

If it didn't have the Halo 3 or Bungie logo on it I would say it's pretty cool, at least design wise.

@yurlittlepony: I know! I mean poor multi billion dollar Apple needs your fanboyism... do you see the irony yet? :P I can also substitute Nintendo, Sony, EA, Ubisoft, whoever! You know all these poor downtrodden billion dollar companies.

Seriously though whats wrong with open minds towards another companies product?

It's one of those things where it's only a good idea if the game turns out to be good. Multiplayer (at least on the beta) bites and I'm not holding out any hope for the single player now either! So having a halo 3 zune and saying I paid money for it would be a risky thing to do!