Microsoft's Zune makes strides to catch Apple's iPod

— -- Apple has dominated the digital music scene with its iPods. Microsoft msfthas been an also-ran with Zune. But that hasn't stopped Microsoft from competing. On Tuesday, it unleashed a fresh lineup of Zune players along with enhanced social features designed to help you discover music and buy songs you hear on FM radio.

Microsoft's foray comes on the heels of Apple's own refresh of the iPod line and a new version of iTunes called iTunes 8, which sports an addictive, if imperfect, Genius playlist and recommendations engine I've been testing.

The Zune 3.0 software release on the PC looks pretty slick: The Now Playing screen, for instance, shows a montage of album covers. Microsoft emphasizes community in ways Apple does not and is improving how Zune takes advantage of Wi-Fi. The first Zunes had lame restrictions. You can now buy tracks directly from Zune devices, provided you're connected to Wi-Fi. You can also wirelessly stream full tracks if you opt into the $15 monthly Zune Pass subscription.

Still, I encountered a few problems. It took a long time to synchronize the device with the music on my PC, and the progress indicator showing the percentage completed bounced all over the place. My "Zune Card" profile, which is viewable by other members, failed to update songs I was listening to and other user data.

But there are features in Zune I'd love to see on iTunes, notably the monthly subscription plan that lets you listen to downloaded songs as long as you remain a paying customer.

Microsoft hasn't mucked with the physical appearance of the latest Zune, other than to introduce new colors and capacities. I tested a black, 4.5-ounce, 120-gigabyte, $250 Zune and a black, 1.7-ounce, 16-GB, $200 model. They have the same capacities and prices — and are thicker and larger — than their iPod Classic and Nano counterparts. You can navigate through Zune's menus by sliding your finger against a Zune Pad controller up and down or left and right.

A closer look at key features:

•Buy from FM. This may be Zune's most touted new feature, but it has a way to go, in part because of how radio stations transmit data feeds. The idea is to buy music you hear over Zune's FM radio on the spot (if you are near Wi-Fi) or, at the very least, to tag songs to buy when connected to a PC. If a station displays the name of the song you are interested in, you click the center of the Zune Pad and choose "buy" from a menu.

Zune Pass subscribers can download songs without purchasing them. Others have the option to buy the songs using the silly Microsoft Points system.

Alas, only a few of the New York City radio stations I listened to broadcast song identifiers — sporadically at best.

I tagged Aerosmith's Dream On. But when I connected Zune to my PC, it couldn't find the track even though it's for sale in the Zune Marketplace. Instead, I was shuffled off to an MSN Shopping page. The problem was likely in the way the song was tagged — "wxrk 92.3 k-rock aeroesmith dream on," with the station name preceding the misspelling of the group's name. Microsoft says it is working with stations to better handle such situations.

•Channels. The folks at Zune have put together a series of channels you can push onto the device wirelessly (again, in Wi-Fi territory), each with just about 20 songs that are updated weekly. Some channels are aimed at a broad audience (e.g., Billboard Chart Hits, Grand Ole Opry).

But after you've been listening awhile, Zune will customize channels just for you. Microsoft will also serve up recommended picks in the Zune Marketplace, based on your listening habits.

•Mixview. I enjoyed trying this fun and visually appealing music-discovery tool. When you click on an artist or album in Mixview, a square appears in the center of the screen, surrounded by other squares that are somehow related. These may be artists who influenced a performer or artists he or she, in turn, has influenced. As you click on a related item, it pivots to the center and is surrounded by new selections. And so on.

A Peter Gabriel square was surrounded by albums by Phil Collins and Talking Heads and squares for The Beatles (they influenced Gabriel) and Jon Hassell (Gabriel influenced him).

Microsoft has a way to go to catch Apple. But Zune has enough lively features to keep the music playing at Microsoft.

E-mail: ebaig@usatoday.com