I was originally unconvinced, figuring the iPod is more popular, and therefore, of course, it must be better. Well, my wife got a free Zune 4GB from work, and gave it to me. (She already had one, and a Zune 30GB.) Well, I'm a convert. Zune is definitely a great device... it has gotten me back into music in a way that nothing else has, since I was in college.
I was also originally unconvinced about the Zune subscription. Well, again, I'm a convert. There is only one greater feeling than clicking that Download button knowing that you can download as many songs as you'd wish without it costing a penny more: And that's listening to a song you've downloaded, decide you've changed your mind, and just delete it, without any concern that you've "wasted" money. That's not a big deal now, but will be six-seven months from now when the new music I just downloaded no longer is "hot" in my mind. I'll keep the two or three songs I like from an album and clear the rest off my hard drive and off my Zune. No qualms, not guilt.
And I'm amazed at all the artists -- artists who I've never listened to before -- that I've gotten interested in in just a few weeks, just because I've had unfettered access to enjoy their music: 3 Doors Down, Coldplay, Breaking Benjamin, Linkin Park (just a couple of songs, though), Eagle-Eye Cherry, Default, Hinder (also, just a couple of songs), Lifehouse, Michelle Branch, Nickelback, Paramore, P!nk, Sara Bareilles, Saving Abel, Switchfoot, Three Days Grace, Tristan Prettyman, Vanessa Carlton, and (amazingly) Avril Lavigne. I haven't listened to any of these artists before a few weeks ago, and now I have practically whatever I want of their repertoire on my Zune.
And the subscription costs about 1/4 what I spent on
buying music the first month I had the Zune before having the subscription.