Full Zune 2 coverage from Zunerama:
Zune 80 review
Zune 8 review
Tour the new Zune user interface ![]()
Watch how wireless sync works
Fun stuff:
Unboxing Zune 80 ![]()
Unboxing Zune 8 ![]()
Zune gallery - close-ups and 360o views
More stuff:
Zune software install
Walk through Zune's PC software
View Marketplace screenshots
Zune Software: Version 2.1 installation
The first step to installation is to download the latest Zune software from zune.net. If you already have an earlier version of Zune software installed, it will check automatically for the update, and prompt you for its installation.
The software screenshots are from a pre-release of version 2.1 that Microsoft provided to Zunerama.
Note: you don't need to uninstall your current version of the Zune software before proceeding with the Version 2 installation. And, if your Zune software happens to be running, the install process will automatically close it.
Here are the sequence of screens you'll see during the install. Clicking on any of them will bring up a full-size version of the screen-grab.
The preceding steps took about 3 minutes on my PC. After I pressed Launch, there was a delay of probably 90 seconds before the Zune software launched for the first time. (Thankfully, subsequent start-ups were much faster.)
When the Zune software starts, it'll need to rebuild your library (now more intuitively dubbed your "Collection"). It gives you the option of accepting defaults or customizing defaults. We accepted the defaults and proceeded on.
With that, Zune software scans your PC's media folders looking for music, playlists, videos, pictures, and podcasts. The software displays that list dynamically as it grows.
All of my playlists came across, except for an auto-playlist that I had that used the (old) one-to-five-star rating. (That rating system has been replaced in the new software with a simpler love-it/hate-it/unrated system.)
As your Collection gets loaded, you can view (and start using) your music, playlists, videos, pictures, and podcasts.
That's it! When you're ready, you can connect your Zune player to your PC. If it's a new Zune, you'll then be prompted to name your device and sync it for the first time. Let's continue the review with the device setup and sync.
Full Zune 2 coverage from Zunerama:
Zune 80 review
Zune 8 review
Tour the new Zune user interface ![]()
Watch how wireless sync works
Fun stuff:
Unboxing Zune 80 ![]()
Unboxing Zune 8 ![]()
Zune gallery - close-ups and 360o views
More stuff:
Zune software install
Walk through Zune's PC software
View Marketplace screenshots





