In my experiences, people are wowed by two things:  the screen size, and how nice the album art displays.  They also say that it's too thick and heavy.  Generally speaking, they're really impressed by the display and GUI.  I don't even mention the wireless nonsense, except to friends who are capable of understanding the hacker community which will unlock it someday in the near future.

Most people that I know just say "that's kinda cool" but that's where most interest dies.  Some folks perk up at the FM radio and Wireless... but most find the current wireless underwelming.  Streaming wireless seems to be a frequent question I get... unfortunately, the wireless does nothing unless you buy everyone you know a zune. oh well.

Cesar, any updates on when the Zune software will get updated? Mainly, when Vista support will be included? Yes, I know by January 30th, but those of us with MSDN subscriptions that are already running Vista hate waiting! :D

they pretty much start off with, "so you got the brown one huh........."

The album art is great, but it's too heavy are the other bits o' feedback.

Overall I don't hang out with mac fanboys or MS fanboys, so they don't really care about who made it...

People seem to like my zoune.

Maybe they're just being polite.

Most people i show are amazed by the video playback & think the wireless is pretty neat ... but i think it will take time to build momentum around sharing music that way.

Overall most iPod users i show really like it ... but some just stick with their inferior iPod because of the name.

I will convert them eventually :) Right now i have 5-6 friends who have one and i dont even live in a country where they are sold :)

I'll echo some of the same comments from above..

- Screen size and album art.  Amazed at the quality of both

- FM Radio.  Intrigued by the prospect of using it at the gym to workout.

- Actually, some were surprised that it wasn't as blocky as they heard.  It's the same size as their PDAs, which seemed alright with them.

That having been said, I haven't convinced anyone in person to buy one yet.  My online friends however?  I've got at least 5 of 'em sold because of what I've posted with at least 10 more very interested (when their mp3 players  die)

Just a suggestion, but is there a way for you guys to set up something online to simulate the Zune?

So people can see how the interface works.. it'd be like putting one in their hands without physically having to do so.  Let them upload a background (temporary), shuffle some pre-selected tunes to see how much easier it is to shuffle songs/playlists.  Etc..

Most folks are suprised how good the video looks.  Some frieds say they had not considered it, but might now.  Others say they have to get one.

BTW, I have found Zune's via the wifi in an airport.

Everyone I have shown it to has liked it a lot. Several people who own ipods actually said they might pick one up next time they are in the market for a new purchase.

They ask me how I like it and I always say I love it.... except...

No Gaaaplesss Playyybaaack!

Fix it already. No Christmas vacations, parties or weekends off. Just fix it.

Funny, a receptionist (not a techie) at my job and I was talking about this today: The screen size and the wifi are the impressive parts for most people I talk to. They also enjoy the fact that the device doesn't show fingerprints.

One thing they all seem to be surprised by, though, is how little you can do with Zune's wifi.

First and foremost, everyone says its big... then they say, how is it different from the ipod.  then, it's either i want one or i'll stick with my ipod.

Ok..I have something positive to say here. Right now at my work we have four Zunes. I bought the first one and the rest were bought when people saw mine. I did not try to sell Zune to them. Just told them the plus and minus and what features to expect. They held the Zune in their hand. Played with it a couple of times and bought it. Its been great.

Rohit

Most people I talk to have one of two reactions.

1) wow that is nice. ( they love the big screen, the 30gb, and the fact that I can watch movies on it )

^^ that is the response I get from the average nano/cd user at my school.

2) some negatives I get ( about 10% of the people ) " it is too big ", then I explain to them it isn't a nano and plays video....

" it cost too much " normally coming from the cd/dvd users...

All in all, I have convinced about 5 people to get one/want one and now they just need money.

funniest response I got was a kid who said " did it come with this case wrapped around it? "

^it took me a sec to figure out he was talking about the double-shot effect, which isn't exactly easy to explain to a 13 year old...

@Travis: I completely agree about the online tutorial/trial. I did that on the sony site for a sony ericsson phone I wanted, and now that I have seen its interface, I am convinced that I am going to get it. ( unless they come out with a cooler one before I can get it )

unfortunately, I have 1 more year on my contract.

*sigh* You know, if Microsoft PR had made the collective decision to come out with the content from Paul's Zunestory sooner (and more publicly), you might have swayed the decision of some of those negative reviews to at least neutral: potential and feature set keep appearing in all of the reviews I've read so far.

As it stands, that blog post by Paul did more to convince me to buy a Zune this season than anything I've read so far (my concerns are to get my first PMP, listen to my CD collection, and consume -- and hopefully create -- podcasts, in roughly that order). So thank you, Cesar, for posting the link; but, as a new customer, I do have to wonder why the Zune team made the decision to be less open rather than more initially...

Again, thanks for the link.

I have a black zune and most people ignore it.  But when they don't they usually say:

1) "What kinda ipod is that?!?!"

to which I respond "it's not an ipod"

and they say "oh..." and dont ask anything else about it.

2) Something along the lines of "Is that another ipod ripoff"

to which I respond "please stop talking to me"

3) MAN THAT THING IS SO HUUGEEE

4) Why didn't you just get an ipod?!??

Yea people around here are pretty brainwashed by pop. culture.

My wife loved it, now she wants one.  She's brand neutral and doesn't care much about the iPod vs. anyone else debate, she just picked it up, used it, wanted one.

I just found out my younger cousin has one, which means he must like it.  He's getting MS Points for Christmas.

From others, mostly iPod users I get these things:

"Wow, that finish is cool, you probably won't even need a case for it."

"I like the screen, it seems a lot bigger."

"Can you..." followed by a lot of curious questions, which is positive vs. being iDefensive.

"Found anyone to beam songs to?"

"The scroll wheel doesn't work... oh, wait... oh, ok, there we go."

No one has said anything negative about it and honestly after a 5-minute show-and-tell we get down to talking about what's really important, the actual content on the thing vs. the thing itself.

True story, I showed one to my former employer, we were on a trip together last week.  He bought 2 that same day.  He doesn't count though cause he's loaded and can buy anything.

My girlfriend really likes it and wants one.  Her only problem is the size.  She wants one that is smaller and thinner.  She would love a flash version of the Zune.  She doesn't care about video playback.  Just music and FM radio.

Everybody loves Video and FM Radio. I was able to convince 4 iPod Video users:

- 2 bought Zune's

- 1 will get one for Christmas

- 1 will actually sell their iPod on Craig's list and get a Zune (because of video difficulties with Quick Time) ...

A few others are tired of iPods because they break and everyone has them. They will wait to see next version of Zune before deciding to switch. Even iFanBoys had to admit it was good!

I have noticed that a lot of stores selling the Zune have it attached to a display, but have no power to it.  All the other pmp's will have power so people can try them.  At those stores, the sales people say "We haven't sold many".  At the very few stores where they have the Zune powered up and ready to use, the sales people say "Yeah, we have sold a lot of them".  It's a new product.  People want to see it work before buying it.  MS needs to start slapping around their retailers and get them to spend a half-hour to run a power source to the Zune display.

Why does the Marketing stress the Wifi as a way to find strangers?

It seems to me the best use of the Wifi currently is among friends. I know many people who swap ipods (actually take them home for the night) to share songs. I like the idea of just beaming the tune. If your friend has a Zune pass subscription then the DRM issue really isn't an issue at all.

But as a way to meet people? Nah...don't really think so...

People tend to ask me ALOT of questions that i get asked all day long. Being in feild merchandising for MS, i get this from everyone, even off the clock. Zune it up baby!!!

most people are impressed by the interface and the video quality. to which they say is "beautiful" or "gorgeous". other think the RDS feature of the radio is cool. my IT friends/co-workers like the hacking potential of the zune.

Well I did an unboxing ceremony of my black zune infront of my fellow college students (23 - 27 years). There were mainly iPod owners and 1 Playsforsure owner.

They were impressed at how neat the packaging was. When the saw it, they first thought that it was heavy. I guy took out his 5G Video iPod and placed in one hand while holding the zune in the other. Conclusion? One girl said the zune is lighter than the iPod, the guy said it wasn't noticeably different.

Everyone loved the screen and the fact it had pre-loaded content. The also thought the wifi sharing was cool. The also liked the built-in FM and the customizable backgrounds.

I recently told a few of them of the "all you can eat" subscription for the zune. They were silently impressed. I think that they would have bought a Zune if they knew about it a while ago.

To me, I think that if the Zune were out 2 years ago, it would have been a BIG hit by now.

Many people have bashed the wi-Fi thing saying its a dud. Its definitely not a dud, trust me its just ahead of its time. I am certain t will become so popular esp. in schools, colleges that iPod will have to copy it. give it a year or two.

If you want to meet people with your Zune, take a picture of your telephone number that says CALL ME and send it to attractive people.

I agree with Mark, that when it's powered on, people seem to be interested in it.  Brookstone charged it once, and when it ran out of power, they took it off display.  Sears, on the other hand, has it attached to an outlet, so it's always charged.  They have yet to have a player in stock on Saturdays, but they did have one Travel Pack left there last week.

I have just received my brown Zune from the US, and most people, here in Finland, realize what a difference reading a review and seeing the real stuff it makes. They actually think that the Zune is not as big or heavy as described in some reviews.

I just love it! The feeling in my hand is simply amazing!

I should say however that I do not expect to meet this early many people "squirting".!

everyone i have shown my zune to love it. the are impressed by the screen size and resolution. when i tell them about the wireless feature most think it is neat but there were a few people that were really excited about it. i recently bought the toughskin case for my zune and it looks really neat and the protective plastic doesnt detract from the beautiful screen and has eased my worries about scratching it. my friend is acctually going to be buying a zune this week so i am really looking forward to using the wireless feature. i hope it is quick and simple...

I just read the Sun-Times article on Zune by ANDY IHNATKO. OMG I have never read a more biased article in my life. This guy must have sunk his entire retirement fund or all his bank savings into Apple stock.

After reading this, my opinion of the press is so negative now. I will never read another newspaper/magazine article without wondering if the writer is not telling the complete picture.

It shouldn't be like this. This is quite sad.

my best friend has been thinking about getting an ipod for her husband, but when i showed her my zune, she was like, "wow.  the screen and picture quality is amazing.  and it's cheaper than an ipod?  i'm definitely gonna have to look at that." and i hear from her husband that since i showed it to her, it's the only tech thing she talks about... so i'm guessing her ipod focus is gone!

I was at a MSFT Zune kiok and the first thing people do is try to turn the fake thumb wheel.  Guess what, they stand there and think the Zune is broken.  A MSFT rep has to explain what the user is doing wrong.  Why would MSFT put a fake thumb wheel on their device?  It's crazy and makes the whole Zune seem like a Chinese clone of the iPod.  The problem is that you can get the real iPod for about the same money.  And the real ipod plays podcasts, etc.

I actually work in retail, and have been trying to push the Zune this season.  My company doesn't sell iPods, and that's what most are coming in to find.  When they ask, I say "no, we don't sell iPods, but we have the new Zune.  It's definitely worth a look, let me show you."  To which I generally get a condesending sneer from teenagers, a polite 'no thank you' from parents, and a chuckle from the young adults.  It pissed me off at first, but now that I finally own my own Zune (I work in retail so I had to save up) I laugh on the inside at their prejudicial behavior.  They don't refuse or reject the Zune based on anything credible, but rather on the belief that it is a status symbol of sorts to own an iPod.  As for the technical differences between Zune and iPod, they have no clue.  Most of them don't even know what either device can do.  I have to conclude, that although it is nice that the tech community is eating crow, my customers don't know the tech community exists.  They know iPod commercials, they know that Bono has a 'RED' iPod, they know Oprah does "what's on your iPod" shows.  They don't know Zune.  That's where I'm losing support to drive Zune sales, where is the marketing?  Screw the tech community, most of the reviewers probably got their's free.  Real people will drive Zune sales, and I can't sell it unless Zune is all over every television station in America, screaming "WELCOME TO THE SOCIAL!!!"  

On a sidenote, I did talk a co-worker into buying one.  She likes it, but has no idea what to do with it.  She doesn't understand how it can benefit her, or what the WiFi thing is about.  She has yet to bring it to work so I can show her.  But she does like listening to her music on it, although it's a bit bulky for working out.  I also have to type out a step by step process to subscribe to the Zune Pass, because she can't figure how to do it on the site.  She's a good example.  She likes the device, and wants to do more, but she just doesn't understand it.  This is your customer, not tech gurus.  Help me, help you.  Where is the marketing?  

I showed one of my friend my Zune after he has shown me his newly bought iPod. I showed him what the Zune could do. His immediate expression was *WTF*. He loved the way Zune allows you to go back and forth in the menu to select songs. What got to him the most was the LARGER screen size. He is now one pissed off eBay customer as his new iPod is not returnable for an exchange of a Zune.

He did mention that if had known about the Zune he would have gotten it instead of the iPod. Microsoft obviously is not doing enough advertising; nowhere close to the amount of commercials Apple has been put out.

I'll let you know once I can buy one. I still can't find where to do so down here in New Zealand. None of the online retail shops I visit sell it yet.

M.

Will an ipod blend? haha..

http://www.engadget.com/2006/12/14/will-it-blend-if-its-an-ipod-you-betcha/

Well the people who have seen my Zune have liked it, at least 5 liked it enough to buy one and gave their Ipods over to family members for XMas presents (of course to be honest everyone I work with are "geekified" gamers who have zero in common with the "hip" Apple crowd).  Though I also have to admit, every place that I have been to here to get another Zune for my wife has been sold out the past 2-3 weeks and they pretty much sell out within a day of getting their shipments (this is in Tulsa, Ok.) so I have actually found quite a few people to "share" with.

Most people who have stopped by my office and noticed it try to use the directional selection button to scroll like an Ipod. But people who have taken some time to play with the UI say its easy and looks good. One guy said he was going to buy one for his dad. lol. I said good for you. I think he'll like it....

I have actually met one person with a Zune in my area.... sort of.

I was at the house of a friend of a friend whose other friend lent him his Zune to try out. I took it upon myself to send that Zune the track "He's a Pirate" from the Pirates 2 soundtrack.

I think that most people who will think about purchasing a Zune will be those people who shop at Gamestop. All the Gamestops I have been to have their Zunes tuned into the radio all day long now and people are taking notice.

"Hey... is that an iPo-... what is this thing....?"

How do I return my Zune?

Update #3,

So I've gotten a few of my friends to by the Zune. I'm the most experienced Tech guy they know so they respect my opinion. I also run a School district so there are a lot of people I've talked to about my white mp3 player.

Well now music and video won't load. I've synced it three times. I'm going to Miami tonight and this was going to be my best opportunity to use the zune. NOPE. It freezes and nothing will sync. Though the software says it synced.. on the zune it reads: "No items" not even preloaded content.

I even uninstalled Vista and switched to XP SP2 for this.

I'm pretty upset right now...

So I'll refrain from yelling and saying I'm posting a bad review to every site I'm aware of. I'll wait till I get back from Miami on Monday and see if I was able to get the Zune working.

So far this is a huge let down. I used to call my self a "Microsoft Whore" because of how strongly I defended the company. With Vista and this Zune product I still prefer MS products because there isn't a better competitor.. but my respect and opinion has deminished quite a bit. This is also an opinion that will be expressed to consumers I speak with on a daily basis.

I was at a NorCal Microsoft Event last night. Maybe 30 from MS and their customers. I thought I would find another Zune but no, I was the lonely Zune. Won't be for long - my wife has one under the tree.

The good thing is I didn't see any Ipods.

just heard that zune is coming to aus in the new year. holla!!!

"For all of your derisive commentary about "Apple Fanboys" and other such schlock, you lot certainly seem hypocritical. You all knock the iPod not because it's lacking in some way, or a bad product, but because everyone else likes it?"

Don't know about anyone else, but I knock it because they have tremendous marketshare when frankly they haven't done anything new or unique with it since... well ever....  There have been cheaper and more capable devices out long before the IPod craze (most notably the Creative line), yet Apple gets all of the "credit" simply due to having a bigger marketing budget (and if you don't think spending money on 3 Superbowl spots within a year of first release made a difference you're fooling yourself).

 Think of us as a balancing force, putting things more into perspective.  Are Ipod good? Yeah.  Are there superior products for the same or cheaper cost which offer more features?  Yeah... Unfortunatly no one bothers to mention them because they aren't getting slammed with ads for them whenever they go anywhere, or watch TV.

So my girlfriend got my the brown Zune for Christmas and she gave it to me last night. I love it, but I am really pissed off that I was not properly told that syncing would erase the preloaded content. I want it back, to the extent that I would even try bringing the Zune back to the store and getting another. Does anyone know how I can restore the preloaded content, other than purchasing it from the Zune Marketplace? Please let me know.

People people people remeber they said the same people who developed the 360s hardware developed zune so its expandedable so if its got wifi built in then eventually there will be some major connectivity between them O and has anyone else heard of the zune lite???? i guess it was just a rumor ill get back to my research PS zune overall blows ipod away.(period)

Well I mostly get "wow nice screen size is that the new Microsoft mp3 player?" like others say I don't really mention the wireless feature. Most people just don't understand on less I explain once I start to they tend to have A.D.D. I had a friend buy one because she wanted a mp3 player and she saw mine. I told her I get it because it's by Microsoft and who better to create a mp3 player for windows than Microsoft? Plus you get a bigger screen and FM tuner. I'm not a fan of the Ipod. Before the Zune I had Creative's Zen Vision: M which I think is such a stupid and long name for a mp3 player. Well anyway I had the chance to test out the wireless thingy. I like it, BUT. What I do not like is that you have to come all the way back out to community > inbox in order to play the music. I guess it's a good idea so that it won't mix in with your music but I would've liked the option to move the music into where all my other music is located. I'm sure there's a way when you dock. I didn't get the chance to try it.

A tidbit from Microsoft Watch:

"Baker and I discussed a number of tactics Microsoft could employ to generate sales and to gain market share. I suggested that Microsoft should give away Zunes for a promotional period to people committing to one year of the Zune Marketplace's $14.99 monthly subscription service.

"That's not a bad idea," Baker said.

Such a tactic could allow Microsoft to rapidly gain music player market share and also to increase the number of people able to share music. Right now, Wi-Fi music sharing is only as good as the number of people with Zunes."

http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/games_consumer/zune_ebbs_away_ipod.html

YOU GUYS HAD TO PAY HIM TO DO THAT...JUST LIKE MICROSOFT!