Consumerist: Players

Microsoft Is Very Sorry You Won't Receive Your Valentine's Day Edition Zune On Time

Carey — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 19:29:04 EST

Cupid is helping Microsoft whisper sweet apologies to customers who may not receive their Valentine's Day edition Zune until after February 14. Even though the players are en route, the company has promised full refunds to any scorned Zune buyers.

Ars Tech reprinted Microsoft's letter:

We wanted to provide you with an update on your order status. Due to some issues in our fulfillment center there remains a chance we will miss getting your Zune to you by February 14th. We are working hard to get your order to you as quickly as possible and we currently plan to ship your Zune within the next 3-4 days. Once your order is in transit, we will send you a shipping confirmation with a link for tracking.

Our goal is to provide a smooth customer experience for ordering, customization, and delivery. We sincerely apologize for not meeting that goal in this specific case. We will be refunding the entire amount of your order, which you should be able to see on your credit/debit card within 7-10 days. We hope you love your Zune and that you will accept our sincere apology.

If you have additional questions, please call 1.877.GET.ZUNE. For fastest service, press 5 then press 1 and have your order information ready.

The Zune Originals Team

We're not saying there's a connection, but this is the same response we featured last week from Tiffany & Co. Good work, Microsoft.

Microsoft says "sorry" with free Valentine's Zune 80 players [Ars Technica]

In MP3 Showdown, Winners Are iPod Touch And Sansa View

Chris Walters — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 14:02:23 EST

Okay, so it's not like there aren't 15,000 MP3-player reviews already on the web, but SmartMoney decided to jump on the bandwagon and rate five 8-gigabyte MP3 players. Instead of hard stats and lab tests, they handed the devices to an NYU music instructor and audiophile and asked him to walk around the city playing with them. The Apple iPod Touch—at $300, the most expensive of the lot—came out on top, which probably doesn't surprise anyone, but the SanDisk Sansa View performed well too.

Microsoft's Zune actually came in second place, but when you compare price and battery life, the Sansa View is the better value.

Apple iPod Touch - great sound and interface
Microsoft Zune - great sound, great UI but hypersensitive
SanDisk Sansa View - half the price of the Touch, navigation mimics traditional iPods, great sound
Creative Zen - large screen but requires too much button mashing
Samsung P2 - touchscreen is "finicky", sound is "flat"

"Closing In on the iPod?" [SmartMoney]
(Photo: Getty)

Buyers Beware: Current Blu-ray Players Won't Correctly Play Future Discs

Chris Walters — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 22:11:56 EST

After the past week, it seems more and more likely that Blu-ray will be the movie disc format of the future. But with the exception of the Playstation 3, current Blu-ray disc players were built without future-compatibility capabilities, so come this October owners won't be able to take advantage of features like Internet connectivity or enhanced interactivity (whatever that means—details are sketchy). "One key Blu-ray developer told BetaNews that although he builds discs for studios including Fox and Lionsgate, he did not buy a Blu-ray player for personal use." Regarding current Blu-ray player owners, Blu-ray developers told BetaNews, "They knew what they were getting into."

Representatives at the Blu-ray booth at CES told BetaNews that the PlayStation 3 is currently the only player they would recommend, due to upcoming changes to the platform. But Pioneer, Samsung, Panasonic and Sony have all been selling standalone Blu-ray players to customers.

So here's how it's going to work: current players are Profile 1.0, and can play future hi-def discs but no bonus stuff. Profile 1.1 dics will include additional bonus material that won't play on 1.0 players—these discs will have a "Bonus View" sticker. Come October, Profile 2 capability will come to the market, which includes Internet activity, but only on Profile 2.0 players—these discs will have a "BD Live" sticker.

When asked why current players were released to the market when in such a primitive state, manufacturers blamed the release of HD DVD and said it forced them to come to market too soon. "We should have waited another year to introduce Blu-ray to the public, but the format war changed the situation." Okay, well how about we just don't buy any Blu-ray players for a while (not counting the PS3) until you guys decide to get your act together?

"Blu-ray: Early adopters knew what they were getting into" [BetaNews]

How About Not Buying An iPod?

Chris Walters — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 14:08:12 EDT

Okay, we'll say it, and understand that we're writing this post on an old iBook: the iPod line is starting to look tired. Sure, that Touch is elegant in the same way as the iPhone—but its capacity is similar to the Nano, and what if don't want to carry around a Kubrick-style slab of minimalism? There are now some really nice alternatives out there if you're willing to walk away from the perks of being a member of the Apple camp.

For example, the revamped SanDisk Sansa View has double the memory and a slightly bigger screen than the new iPod Nano, plus an FM tuner, microphone, and expansion slot, and it costs the same amount. Is it as nice looking? Meh, it's getting hard to tell at this point, if you value functionality over form. Even the Zune—with a capacity and price equal to the iPod—is starting to look decent, with its well-designed interface, strong styling, and broader format support.

The one thing you'll miss out on is the ease-of-use of being locked into the iTunes/iPod symbiotic relationship. Depending on how comfortable you are with figuring out a new syncing set-up, this may or may not be an issue for you.

The article brings up another potential drawback, depending on how you look at it: you won't find anywhere near the same aftermarket support when it comes to accessories and cases. But then again, if the product is made properly, it doesn't really need a case, whereas digital audio players that are designed to wear when working out usually come with straps or attachments.

(Disclaimer: we rely on a screenless Shuffle, which has its own obvious drawbacks, and our Nokia phone, which would be perfect if not for the battery drain.)

"Don't want an iPod? Lots of choices available" [Reuters]
(Photo: Getty)