My wonderful family blessed me with a black Zune for my birthday last night, and what a great gift it is.

Having been an iPod user for the past three or four years, I was excited, yet nervous about trying out this new device. Much to my surprise, the install process went as smooth as silk with absolutely zero issues. I signed up for the free 14 day Zune Pass last night and have been downloading music and syncing to my Tablet PC throughout the day. One of the things I like most about the Zune is the user interface. It feels more intuitive and easier to operate than the iPod. The bigger screen helps a great deal. Getting to my music and navigating is quicker as well. I've got several of our InkShows on the Zune and they play wonderfully without any extra work or configuration on my part.

My only disappointment is in the audio book area. Much to my dismay, I learned that Audible.com does not support the Zune, yet. So, to listen to audio books, I'm going to have to buy them on cd and import them from the cd into the Zune. Microsoft and Audible.com needs to get this fixed. When visiting the Zune Marketplace, I should be able to buy books there just like I can on iTunes.

Much has been said about the handicapped wireless and it is true. Not being able to surf the Zune Marketplace and buy stuff using the Zune itself is a definite handicap. However, I would expect Microsoft to address this with a firmware update in future releases.

Until then, I'm going to enjoy the heck out of this new Zune. Thank you Kathi, Dax, Maggie, Anna Kathryn, and Zoe.