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This was a good book, but the Zune 30 doesn't work with Windows 7 so it wasn't that helpful. I made a mistake buying the Zune 30 so the book was of no use. If you do need help I'd recommend online help.
I wish the author pointed out the free podcast downloads available to the Zune, through Zune Marketplace. Starting from the basics (turning the Zune on) it proceeds from the easiest workings to its most advanced. The author speaks from a easy-to-follow and everyday consumer point of view. I would love to see this manual updated, as I, again, loved the author's manner of speaking. Even the information given on the opening Zune screen is outdated, as since my last Zune update, my basic screen no longer looks as shown in the book. Maybe the ZM was not offering the freebees when the author researched.
However, I found only half of this book useful. The wit and honest opinions included made for nice reading. Why. Information (esp., problem solving) in it is becoming outdated, IF you have been updating your Zune online. I love the format of this book. I tried every suggestion and ended up using a website the book recommended for help. And I found help with my own online searches.
Technology marches on. But being knowledgable in the workings of gadgets, I was able to use the information, with online searches to fix a few problems. The information for downloading YouTube vids was useless. Well outlined. And how to use the ZM, because ZM doesn't have a help or first users tutorial.
That is, using Zune Marketplace, which asks you to "update now" perdiodically before you can proceed. Er, mostly useless. BAH. The book seemed more like a sort of enjoyable, entertaining tome rather than an boring educational read.
The book is outdated. It offers no real new information. I believe the same information could be found online.
But I needed to know how to use my Zune now; and not wait for whenever an updated version would become available. This book definitely needs to be updated. Mine is 120. I debated about whether to purchase this book or not because I was worried that once I did, a newer version would be announced. As I mentioned before, though, it's a gazillion times more informative than anything Microsoft purports to give as a 'resource'. Plus, the pictures of what the Zune software looks like in the book is nothing like it is now.
If it was current, I'd defintely give it 5. For one thing, when it was written, the biggest Zune you could buy was a 30 GB. I'm only giving it 3 stars because of the outdated information. Still, since I purchased my Zune about a month ago, this book has been an invaluable resource; primarily because it has way more information than anything Microsoft provides on the internet (and can I just say, that is the stupidest thing about the Zune as a product, that there is no hard copy user's manual packaged with it). It has provided many useful tips and at least pointed me in the right direction on more than one occasion. As far as making up for the outdatedness, I've learned more, I think, from simply playing with my Zune to find out what it will do, talking with other Zune owners (I have two other family members who own one) and going online to the various Zune forums and Google.
My friend owns an iPod and is jealous since I've shown her everything that the Zune has to offer, but as she pointed out as well when I showed her this book, "if there's enough stuff for you to learn about the Zune that this guy wrote a 300+ page book about it, you'd think the company could give you some type of an owner's guide for free when you bought it." Good point.
this book has everything you need to know to get started with ur zune, it shows you the basics and beyond. the only reason i gave it a 4 star was because the book is a liitle out of date due to all of the new zune updates but it still works since everything is basicly the same. Hope this helped
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