The Gadgeteer have published a review of the Zune 8GB digital media player. ‘The Zune truly is a full-fledged competitor to the iPod. For the average user who isn't particularly tech savvy, the iPod provides an all-in-one solution: hardware, software, and proprietary DRM. A user can be up and running right out of the box, buying music, ripping music, and dumping it onto their new player with minimal effort and fuss. There are plenty of other DAPs on the market, but until the Zune, they were all the same - MTP and MSC support, and Windows Media DRM compatibility.
The Zune line is much like the iPod - there is software for the hardware and, like iTunes, the Zune software will only sync with Zune hardware. Unlike the iPod (and this is where the tiny market share is a disadvantage), the Zune has no real software alternatives. So, since use of the software is inevitable with the purchase of a Zune, I'll be covering that, as well.’
Read: A week with the 8GB Microsoft Zune – The Gadgeteer