I'm an Industrial Design major and I have to back Typoink on this one... the new Zunes are really well proportioned from a design standpoint, heck the old zunes had good proportions too, just a bit thick. MS is definitely going minimal black on this stuff and its far more appealing than sanitary white-pod lemme tell ya. The squircle is also a really appealing shape as well. By not be obvious the zune becomes distinct in its design. Think of an ipod...what is it? Its a rectangle divided in half, on top is half the rectangle and on the bottom is a circle. They are predictable primitive shapes that are poorly placed. Its like trying to be minimalist and really just drawing shapes. I commend them for marketing it well, just from a designer standpoint, its not that attractive.

PS: the iPod interface up until the touch is god awful design wise... white backgrounds are poor for anyone. I also agree with typoink, the Zune UI has logic, form, and function. It is a pleasure to use.

leadster618

I'm always puzzled by people who claim the new Zunes are ugly. They're very minimalist, with extremely clean lines. I can understand not LIKING them, but it's too clean a design to really complain about. They're intentionally understated -- MS is trying to position them more as an A/V device than a pocket gadget.

The real selling point of the Zune is the device's UI, though, which I won't hesitate calling the best on the market. It's fast, easy to use, nice to look at...really just darn functional. More than makes up for any perceived ugliness of the device, IMO.

typoink

It's not my cup o' tea aesthetically, but I'm just going to go out on a whim and say that this is probably *the* most solid iPod alternative out there. Sansas are OK, but don't seem nearly as compelling.

Kaiser-Machead

@AdmNaismith: The "S" is in cursive script. Couldn't tell ya why.

Rhainor

Horrible color. Very, very close to what my family and I call "puke green".

That said, if it weren't for the color, I would very much not mind owning one.

Rhainor

'Pocial'? 'Docial'? What am I missing?

AdmNaismith

Looks a lot like an early Garmin GPS - in 'help I'm so bleepin' lost with this Zune' yellow.

Or something from Dewalt to help you level the fluid cooling system for your over-clocked PC

Or a promotional link-up with Colemans English mustard - 'it's hot, so is my Zune....'

Or it's for NY Taxi drivers to help them ignore the horns of other angry drivers... which they do already!

Or it's part of a 'marketing strategy' from Redmond, to make it more likely that a Zune will, one day, be spotted in public...

MINI Driver

@bitfactory: Actually Microsoft is based in Redmond which makes the tag just a little more sketchy. Perhaps because no one has ever heard of Redmond? Even here in Seattle, we just refer to them as East-siders.

ikelleigh

Almost as ugly as the shit-brick-pod.

OldCrow

Damn.

All my Sansa e280 says is, "Made in China by some asshole."

Doh.

strider_mt2k

Oh man... I want that one. I wouldn't mind paying what the Zune 80 costs if I had the money... Too bad we can't have it. I think it's the best-looking out of all the Zune 4's-8's. It'd probably sell "like hotcakes".

jak2rocks

One came first, I think was his point.

kyanges

"Designed by Apple in California"

Is different?

Brandnew70x7

I like how the back says, "Hello from Seattle"

Shameless assholes.

bitfactory

It looks like some sort of barcode scanner from a construction site. Microsoft's products are ugly.

Pender

Dude, I was just looking at the engravings, and now I want one even more. i can completely brand it with my favorite picture and name/address/ etc. nice!

vicsells

@strider_mt2k: come to the social side!
actually the reason I went for a zune rather than ipod was the devices interface. tragically that was the same holiday season I recommended ipods for my parents curse first run hardware/software!

rususeruru

Uh, people *have* been warming to them, just so you know.

DetergentDinners

@strider_mt2k: no you don't have to feel bad. I want one too. (though I've had a history of ipod avoidance - first a samsung yp, then my current: Creative Zen Vision: M. I really liked my Creative, but I'm looking to replace it now, and the new zune is looking like a great choice.

vicsells

Is it bad to be warming to these things just a little?

I mean I still don't want one, but they aren't THAT bad.

strider_mt2k

If one was released, based on the current pricing model it's safe to assume that it would be priced the same as the Zune 80, which for me is small enough anyway.

DetergentDinners

It's pretty slick looking.

A pity I can't really afford anything right now.

Mio

@leadster618: I have a love/hate relationship with the white background of the ipod. Sometimes I turn it on in the dark and it glares in my face painfully, other times it has worked as a much-needed flashlight.

I certainly would rather the pleasant look of the zune's interface.

goo2

i want a citron or white 80GB zune 2 without the engravings

AndersonBMX

what the fuck is it with microsoft and releasing things in horribly ugly colors?!?

First we have the shit-brown original zune, now the puke-and-piss yellow zune mini...whats next?!?

Rob C

@LEADSTER618 : I'm curious about your opinion of the black border surrounding the screen. It seems to me that it just cheapens the look of the Zune by trying to make the screen appear larger when it is off. However, is their an aesthetic or design rationale for the border? Other than that, it's the best looking Zune to-date.

chonnes

@leadster618: If only Apple had gotten your design insight, perhaps the iPod wouldn't have been such a flop.

@Rob C: The zune color palette is designed around organ meats. Apparently, Microsoft is appealing to some primitive part of our insect brains to hunt and gather these things like flesh-eating neanderthals.

frigg

@Rob C:

well, if you dont like something it doesnt really mean that we ALL agree with you...

I personally kind of liked the brown zune (it was different)

And this time around, the Citron version doesnt look that bad either

:-)

Twenty5

@leadster618:
"Think of an ipod...what is it? Its a rectangle divided in half, on top is half the rectangle and on the bottom is a circle. They are predictable primitive shapes that are poorly placed. Its like trying to be minimalist and really just drawing shapes. I commend them for marketing it well, just from a designer standpoint, its not that attractive."

oh, come on. not that attractive? i could say the exact same thing about the Zune, and instead of saying "bottom is a circle", it would be "bottom is a squircle". i would think that as an industrial design major, you would see how incredibly similar the Zune and the iPod are, in that they both have a physical minimalistic quality, and focus more on usage and interface.

it's okay to admit that the iPod is attractive, even thought there are many people out there who bought one just because they saw everyone else had one. and it's okay to admit that the Zune interface is designed well, even though there are many people out there who think the whole idea of Zune is just Microsoft bullshit. but just be aware of how the dreaded "designer arrogance" can creep up, and cloud your views of things.

and this is coming from an industrial designer, by the way.

tr

Citron sucks bollas ugly ass color. How about a nice white color with a chrome backing to give it that something special look.

Azteck

Ugly as a Zune.

gizmodome

@gizmodome: You said it. Zunes still don't get me hot and bothered the way iPods do...

slingblade

@mlmorg: the iPod touch is one of the most overpriced mp3 players out there. It's a good device, but for the price, they don't offer enough.

gokor

i do not like the zune

but the ipod classic is even worse

and anyone who thinks an ipod touch is even worth it is an idiot

so the zune is growing, but 5.5g ipod is the best

mlmorg

iPods are much better all around.

I like the way the new Zunes look, but the colors piss me off. Why am I not legally allowed to punch people in the face for having an mp3 player that is fecal matter brown or puke green?

gokor

i think that the Brown Zune was a good change in looks for an Mp3 player. Sure it got the "pile of crap" rap, but I personally liked it and that's all that matters to me. I will not get the green Zune 8, but the red one because that color appeals to me more.

I think this yellow one is ugly, but looks good next to the orange one. I would like to see more color choices in the Zune lineup, but what they have is a simple variety.

Oh...and the Zune is a great design...I agree.

joshhawaii

I've always felt - even before I saw the Zune - that the iPod was all wrong proportionally. It just looks weird.

Connor

I can't believe there are idiots in here who actually thought, "Brown. Like poop! LOL!!!!!!!"

Also, the black outline is to make the image "pop" more--the same reason most LCDs and plasmas are black.

Kered

I can't believe you idiots are so juvenile that you see something brown and go, "Huhhuhhuhu, that looks like poop!"

And the black outline around the screen is there for the same reason that LCD TVs and such are black: it makes the image "pop" more.

Kered