Zune 4.8

Zune Software is, essentially, Microsoft's answer to iTunes. At it's initial release, Zune was used to playback, purchase, and sync music to and from the Zune devices backed by Microsoft. It hasn't changed much since then, except for now there's compatibility with Windows phones and tablets.

Zune's interface has always been beautiful. It was a bit too modern for it's time when it first came about, but it hasn't changed much and it can still compete with other modern media players on the market. When it was first released, the average PC user did not have a screen that was clear, crisp, or sharp enough to take advantage of the application's design. Resolutions weren't quite where they are now. In fact, the average PC user was still operating on a display that could not even achieve playback of 720p. You can only imagine how pixelated the, now beautiful, Zune design was.

There have been some minor user interface changes over Zune's lifetime that have done wonders for the overall user experience. The interface feels a bit polished now as well, it scrolls fluidly from left to right as you move your mouse respectively along its axis. The marketplace is a bit more organized as well with tracks being a bit easier to find then they once were. I remember when there was a time when I had never heard of any of the tracks that Zune listed as "top tracks" in the marketplace. Now the featured songs are a mix with more modern and recently popular songs populating the list.