The Zune 80 and Zune 120 are

portable media player A portable media player (PMP) (also including the related digital audio player (DAP)) is a portable consumer electronics device capable of storing and playing digital media such as audio, images, and video files. The data is typically stored o ...

s developed by

Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washing ...

in its

Zune Zune is a discontinued line of digital media products and services marketed by Microsoft from November 2006 until its discontinuation in June 2012. Zune consisted of a line of portable media players, digital media player software for Windows Per ...

series of media players. The Zune 80 was announced on October 2, 2007 and was released on November 13, 2007. It, along with the Zune 4, 8, and 16, is part of the second generation of Zune devices. It features music, video, and podcast support, and comes with

Wi-Fi Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols, based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by radio wave ...

and

FM Radio FM broadcasting is a method of radio broadcasting using frequency modulation (FM). Invented in 1933 by American engineer Edwin Armstrong, wide-band FM is used worldwide to provide high fidelity sound over broadcast radio. FM broadcasting is cap ...

. The Zune 120, part of the second generation of Zune devices, was released September 16, 2008. As of January 2010, the devices run the 3.3 firmware.

Overview

Aiming to improve on the design of the original Zune, the Zune 80/120 is 3.6 millimeters thinner and 31 grams lighter. It also has a slightly larger screen (3.2 inches instead of 3) and higher battery life (up to 24 hours for music, versus up to 14). Although similar internally battery life improvements were possible due to a reduction in the refresh rate (30 Hz down from 60 Hz) and CPU clock speed (499 Mhz down from 524 Mhz). The D-pad of the original has been replaced by the patented

Zune Pad The Zune Pad, which is a squircle, is the primary control mechanism for Zune 4, 8, 16, 80 and 120. The pad lets users of this device scroll through their song list with the use of their finger, then press the button to select tracks or change ...

, which supplements 5-way clicking using a

capacitive A capacitor is a device that stores electrical energy in an electric field by virtue of accumulating electric charges on two close surfaces insulated from each other. It is a passive electronic component with two terminals. The effect of a c ...

touchpad A touchpad or trackpad is a pointing device featuring a tactile sensor, a specialized surface that can translate the motion and position of a user's fingers to a relative position on the operating system that is made output to the screen. Touchp ...

similar to the

iPod Click Wheel The iPod click wheel is the navigation component of non touch-screen iPod models. It uses a combination of touch technology and traditional buttons, involving the technology of capacitive sensing, which senses the touch of the user's fingers. Th ...

and only responding to human touch. The Zune 80 shipped with a newer firmware version than the original Zune, but a firmware update for the original restored parity. The Wi-Fi antenna could be used for buying music on the device, playing with others in games via Wi-Fi, wireless synchronization and to share photos, podcasts, and music with other Zunes, although shared songs may only be played three times on the receiving Zune.

Reception

The Zune 80 has been reviewed more positively than its predecessor and on par with the

iPod classic The iPod Classic (stylized and marketed as iPod classic and formerly iPod Video or just iPod) is a discontinued portable media player created and formerly marketed by Apple Inc. There were six generations of the iPod Classic, as well as a sp ...

, its primary competitor during the period.

CNET ''CNET'' (short for "Computer Network") is an American media website that publishes reviews, news, articles, blogs, podcasts, and videos on technology and consumer electronics globally. ''CNET'' originally produced content for radio and televi ...

's review said, "The Zune has blossomed from an ugly duckling into a worthy iPod alternative."

Wired ''Wired'' (stylized as ''WIRED'') is a monthly American magazine, published in print and online editions, that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. Owned by Condé Nast, it is headquartered in San Fra ...

's head-to-head review said the Zune 80 edged out the iPod classic due to its screen, Wi-Fi, radio, and navigation. However, some reviews have also been critical of the

Zune Marketplace Zune is a discontinued media management software for Microsoft Windows that functions as a full media player application with a library, an interface to the Zune Marketplace, and as a media streaming server. The software is used to sync with all ...

, which lacked movies (though it later began carrying TV shows and movies), and the lack of Mac support.

Availability

Most stores did not stock the player during its launch as they were delayed for 6 weeks. However, there were limited numbers of Zune 80s in some stores like

Circuit City Circuit City is an American consumer electronics retail company, which was founded in 1949 by Samuel Wurtzel as the Wards Company, operated stores across the United States, and pioneered the electronics superstore format in the 1970s. After m ...

and

Wal-Mart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...

, and most were sold out as soon as they were available. As of June 13, 2008 the Zune was available in Canada at most major retailers including The Source, Best Buy, and Future Shop. The Zune has since been discontinued at these retailers from mid-late 2009 as they were being phased out due to Marketplace issues. The 80 was available in Black and Red, and the 120 was available in black and red, with matte black on the back and glossy black on the front, and glossy red front available from the Zune Store.

Durability

The Zune 80 and 120 have scratch-resistant glass displays, and the back can withstand fine scratches if dropped on the floor. The premium in-ear earphones (available only with the Zune 80 unless purchased separately) are highly durable and have a magnetic back so they can stay together instead of coiling around each other to prevent damage to the wire.

Modification

As with many hard disk based media players Zune owners have a few options regarding upgrades. Using a pry tool will allow the user to access the hard disk and battery for replacement/repair. Note that the battery is soldered with 4 wires and incorrect wiring will likely harm the device. Due to Windows CE limitations the maximum drive size seems to be 120GB (including 128GB based solid state drives). Note that compatibility is limited to 1.8" PATA drives and uses a specific ZIF interface. The ZIF connector is plug and play but users will have to host their own firmware update server to allow the Zune software to load firmware onto the new drive due to Microsoft's discontinuation of all Zune services.

External links

Tech specsZune information questions about the spec

References

{{Microsoft Portable media players Zune Audiovisual introductions in 2007