Eight Great Ways to Get the Most from Your Zune

Erica Sadun

Copyright © 2006 O'Reilly Media, Inc.

December 18, 2006

Abstract

The Zune is Microsoft's new media player. It does music. It does video. It does pictures.

Are you ready to get the most out of your Zune? Do you know the best methods and secrets for managing your media, loading up your player and sharing your data with others? Do you know which accessories are vital—and which are not? Do you know how to hack your Zune and work around Microsoft's built-in limitations to take your Zune to the next level?

In this quick guide you'll learn the down and dirty truth about getting the most from your Zune. No holds barred. No stones unturned.

Getting the Most from Your Zune

The Zune. It's not just an iPod rip off. It's a media player with real strengths and weaknesses. It offers a new way to listen to music, to watch video and to view pictures. It does things that the iPod does not. It has an FM tuner. It offers an all-you-can-eat music subscription that provides access to a huge commercial music library. It's got menus that go way beyond what an iPod can do. It lets you browse your media in a whole new way. In other words, in and of itself, without comparison to any other portable music device, the Zune is a cool and worthy gadget that creates its own unique listening and viewing experience.

And that is a very good thing.

If you own a Zune and ...