[super_lee]

Zune Vs. iPod - Which player is right for you?

Microsoft and Apple are finally going to be going head to head in the MP3 player market this holiday season. The price wars have already begun with Apple throwing the first punch by dropping the price of the newly upgraded 30 Gig iPod to $249.00. Microsoft returned fire by shaving the final price of the Zune to $229.00 (down from a previously reported $284).

Microsoft appears to be bringing out the big guns with this player, adding features like WiFi sharing that the iPod doesn’t have, pricing themselves below Apple’s dominant Mp3 player, and backing the Zune with a major media push that, so far, has included giveaways on The Ellen DeGeneres show, tech sites like Engadget and more. Plus they’re setting birds ON FIRE, so you KNOW they’re serious.

But the real question is…which device is right for YOU? Putting all hype aside for a minute, let’s look at the specs of the system, the features and services we know about, and the prices involved with each device. By comparing what we know now, you can get one of these bad boys on your wish lists early…and hope they don’t sell out.We’re going to be comparing the 30 Gig iPod to the 30 Gig Zune, since they are closest in price, storage, and battery life.

Storage - This is one category where the two players are even. Both are capable of storing 30 Gigs worth of date

Winner: n/a

Battery Life - The iPod sports a 14/4 hour battery life, while Microsoft’s Zune comes in just slightly under with 12 hours of power.

Winner: iPod

Screen - the iPod features a 2.5 inch diagonal screen, while the Zune has a slightly larger 3.0 inch diagonal screen.
Winner: Zune

OS Support - Zune only supports Windows. iPod, on the other hand, supports both Windows and Macs.

Winner: iPod

WiFi Connectivity - The current iPod features no Wifi connectivity whatsoever, Zune, however, is 802.11g Wifi enabled, and features a slew of sharing and broadcasting features.

Winner: Zune

Brand Stability - This may not seem important at first, but the iPod is THE standard in MP3 players. It is an established brand that has little to no chance of going anywhere anytime soon, no matter how the “war” with Microsoft goes. Zune, however, is a new brand, and a new way of doing business for Microsoft. If it fails, this time next year you might not have a place to buy Zune content.

Winner: iPod

Content - This category is the one that has the opportunity to change the most. Right now the iPod, through iTunes, has thousands of songs, hundreds of TV shows, dozens of movies, and a handful of games to download for the device. As of this writing we still don’t know what all the Zune Marketplace will hold for Zune owners. It is safe to assume that the Zune Marketplace will feature TV and MOVIE content, but right now we don’t have any idea how that will go.And as usual, i can as well as use xilisoft DVD to ipod suite to convert all video and audio files easily.,but zune converter suite may already be Released. So, for now at least, this one goes to Apple.

Winner: iPod

Navigation - The iPod clickwheel is simple to use, and an intuitive interface. The Zune circular buttons, are merely a directional pad. While video of the Zune UI looks stylish and eye catching, without a “clickwheel” styled nav control, it won’t be as smooth as the iPod.

Winner: iPod

FM Radio Capability - Zune comes with a built-in FM tuner. If you want to listen to radio on your iPod, you have to buy an accessory.

Winner: Zune

Download Choice - With iTunes, if you want to buy music, it will cost you .99 cents per song, or you can purchase by the album. With Zune, you’ll be able to choose from buying songs individually, or purchasing an “all-you-can-eat” subscription, allowing you to listen to as much music as you want. Microsoft’s decision to give users a choice, gives Zune the edge.

Winner: Zune

Size - The iPod is slimmer, mainly due to the lack of Wifi and FM Tuner built into the design.

Winner: iPod

Price - Apple just dropped the price of the 30 Gig iPod to $249. Microsoft has responded by, reportedly, marking down the Zune price from $284 to $229 $249. Twenty bucks isn’t a HUGE amount of money…but it is enough to give Zune the edge in this category.

Winner: n/a

Final totals:

iPod - 6

Zune - 4


Does that mean the iPod is your best buy ?

That depends. If the social aspects of Zune are appealing to you, and you’re a Windows user, then Zune is probably your best choice. If you’re not interested in the Wifi features, you will definetly want to look at the iPod, but in several important areas (screen size, download choice, price…) Zune is a clear winner.

Believe me when I tell you, I’m not a big Microsoft fan. I’m typing this on a Mac right now. If the mythical “True Video iPod” ever shows up, it might blow Zune out of the water…but right now, it’s a close race - which can only be good for all of us.

[Jackonicko]

Nice try, but the Zune is big, clumsy and ugly, with a poor interface and with real problems when it comes to DRM.

The units that have shipped have already seemed to suffer problems, and Microsoft's iTunes equivalent crashed on its launch day.

The Zune will not even be a good choice for the anti-Mac Zealots who want anything, as long as its not an iPod, and as long as it doesn't have an Apple logo on the back.

You're quite a Zune cheerleader, with your five posts......

[khufuu]

Originally Posted by Jackonicko 

Nice try, but the Zune is big, clumsy and ugly, with a poor interface and with real problems when it comes to DRM.

The units that have shipped have already seemed to suffer problems, and Microsoft's iTunes equivalent crashed on its launch day.

If you build it; they will come....

[icruise]

Reposting something like this verbatim from another web site without even attributing your source is not cool.

My TECH Lists � Zune Vs. iPod - Which player is right for you?

And please direct all discussion about the Zune to this thread.