zune or ipod?


zune or ipod?  

58 members have voted

  1. 1. Which do you prefer?

    • Zune - Microsoft
      30
    • iPod - Apple
      28


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Please don?t vote unless you actually own one of these items and know how both items work.poll fixedi>

Edited by John S.
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i mest up on the poll just post what one u prefer i chose zune because of its big screen and wireless capabilities i love the radio function pictures video loads of space yay

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There are a lot of things I like about Zune, it's a very robust, solidly designed piece of hardware, and the giant screen is nice (though the same resolution as iPod)... But for me it just can't quite match up to the iPod... The main reason: The software.

iTunes works perfectly for me, it behaves in exactly the way I want it to, and is pretty damn reliable. The Zune software however, is a bit of a pain. My brother was given an import Zune by a friend, and I helped him set it up... The first problem: Not software for his Mac mini (hardly surprising), so he had to set it up on it work laptop (or buy Windows and use boot camp). The Zune software installation process takes forever and a day, and the result is a slightly flaky iTunes wannabe that's clearly built off Windows Media Player (why not just make it WMP compatible??).

The device itself, save for a few annoyances (no MP4 support as far as I could see, only WMV), is very nice... but without decent software to work with, I wouldn't ever consider it. I only bought an iPod because I like the way iTunes works, though I know many can't stand it. As far as I'm concerend, if you dislike iTunes, you'll hate the Zune's software, so if you don't want to work with iTunes, you're better off with a device that works as a removable drive, not one that works through a horrid blend of iTunes and WMP.

Still, software aside, Zune's a nice enough piece of hardware (bit chunky, but solid).

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There are a lot of things I like about Zune, it's a very robust, solidly designed piece of hardware, and the giant screen is nice (though the same resolution as iPod)... But for me it just can't quite match up to the iPod... The main reason: The software.

iTunes works perfectly for me, it behaves in exactly the way I want it to, and is pretty damn reliable. The Zune software however, is a bit of a pain. My brother was given an import Zune by a friend, and I helped him set it up... The first problem: Not software for his Mac mini (hardly surprising), so he had to set it up on it work laptop (or buy Windows and use boot camp). The Zune software installation process takes forever and a day, and the result is a slightly flaky iTunes wannabe that's clearly built off Windows Media Player (why not just make it WMP compatible??).

The device itself, save for a few annoyances (no MP4 support as far as I could see, only WMV), is very nice... but without decent software to work with, I wouldn't ever consider it. I only bought an iPod because I like the way iTunes works, though I know many can't stand it. As far as I'm concerend, if you dislike iTunes, you'll hate the Zune's software, so if you don't want to work with iTunes, you're better off with a device that works as a removable drive, not one that works through a horrid blend of iTunes and WMP.

Still, software aside, Zune's a nice enough piece of hardware (bit chunky, but solid).

I agree with Spielo there :)

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I've personally had both of these devices. I owned an iPod Mini a few years ago, and I currently own a Zune. I can compile a short list of the good and bad things about each device:

iPod

Good Points:

  • Strong history (currently in 5th generation)
  • Support for podcasts
  • More widely used
  • Gapless playback
  • Can play games

Bad Points:

  • No radio, unless you pay about ?40 for an add-on
  • iTunes software is slow on Windows
  • Doesn't support open source audio formats (.ogg, etc.)
[bZune[/b]>>
Good Points:>
  • Bigger screen compared to the iPod, despite same resolution, but also widescreen
  • Zune software runs quicker than iTunes
  • Large album covers shown when playing music
  • Customisable backgrounds
  • Built-in FM radio
  • Good battery life (14 hours music, 4 hours video)
  • Wireless Zune-to-Zune sharing
Bad Points:>
  • Delays often occour when moving to another track
  • No support for games until 2008
  • No WMP11 support
  • Only supports .wmv and .mp4 movies, and won't convert other formats
  • Doesn't support open source audio formats (.ogg, etc.)

Overall, I'd say the Zune is the best and the worst at the same time. Another downside is that it's very under-rated. There are only over 255,000 owners worldwide at the moment, whilst the iPod has over 70 million owners, but they have a 6 year advantage. One of Microsoft's foolish selling points is that it's the same price as the iPod. If they lowered it by about $50, it would increase sales very quickly. This would be because it's similar to the iPod in many aspects. Size-wise, they're just about the same. The Zune is a tad longer, but that's about it. The iPod has support for games now, though, which Microsoft aren't planning until 2008, which I'm very disappointed about.

Nevertheless, it's a very close contest. You've gotta hand it to Microsoft, as this is their 1st outing into the market. I know it's actually a Toshiba, but technically, this is a 1st generation model, compared to the iPod's 5th generation model. You could say that Microsoft might get a leg up on Apple soon with the 2nd gen model. The iPod started off as a firewire-only connection player, but it quickly gained popularity with the 2nd gen model. If Microsoft can do a similar thing with their 2nd gen model, like bigger hard drives, or better batteries, or even an even bigger screen, they might be able to take away a small market share from Apple.

Long story short: The Zune vs the iPod is like Internet Explorer vs Firefox, but this time, the other way around.

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I know nothing about the Zune, so I guess I am not allowed to express an opinion as per the OP's orders.

(I do like my shuffle though).

i have an ipod but i voted zune since ipod is more of a fashion accessory now days

Slightly flawed logic there. Being a fashion accessory doesn't of itself reduce the quality of something.

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The Zune wins hands-down in my book.

* Comparably priced.

* Much better sound quality, I can clearly tell the difference.

* Infinitely better interface.

* Way cooler design. (I know, this is strictly my opinion on this matter)

* Better battery life.

* Only takes 3 hours to charge from dead to fully charged.

* Currently upgradable to 80 gigs. Search google for this info.

MS has easily converted me with the Zune. I can't wait to see what the 2nd Gen model will bring us!

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I know nothing about the Zune, so I guess I am not allowed to express an opinion as per the OP's orders.

(I do like my shuffle though).

Slightly flawed logic there. Being a fashion accessory doesn't of itself reduce the quality of something.

ye, i should of commented a bit more :p my mate has the zune and i like it more than my ipod mini

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