You also don't have to DL software like i tunes since it's already an MS product.
I had to download a program much like Itunes for my computer to talk to the Zune.
It is huge and really slows my ol' computer down, I tried Itunes as an alternative and it was just as bad.
IMHO the Zune pad is 100X better than the iPod wheel..
The Zune software is much better than iTunes.
The radio has really good reception for me, better than most other portable devises.
On my 30G it has a button inside of a button, way more than I would like, when I go to skip to the next song by pushing the outside ring, I also catch the inside button which pulls up a menu... that is timed and you can't get out of until it has been up for so long and goes away on its own. When it is up you can't do anything but select something in it. The newer ones have a single big pad deal though, I have never used one.
Personally I like the size of mine, makes it harder to lose and easier for my big fingers to operate. I also like the big screen.
Just like every other small radio, reception comes and goes, most radio stations are 50-60 miles away and it is sort of hilly so I don't expect much. I almost always use it in my truck anyway, and the trucks radio can pick up stations better than a handheld radio anyway.