Maylin
IPod is one of the greatest brands of portable media players marketed and designed by Apple while Zune is a brand of digital music products which includes client software, digital audio players, and online music store. Zune is designed and marketed by Microsoft. Generally, Zune comes with three different styles and one interesting thing is that they can share files with other Zune brands wirelessly. The 30GB IPod and the Microsoft’s Zune have the same price tag, capacity and even the accessories are of the same price. Both Microsoft and Apple ship their music player with software for running and managing a music library on the PC. IPod software works both on the PC and Mac while Zune works only on a PC running Windows XP.
The iTunes manages a music library for IPod while Zune doesn’t work with either Windows Media Player music software or iTunes. Zune requires new Zune software to manage the music library. You need to move your music into the new Zune software if you are currently using iTunes or Windows software. Multiple IPods can be used with the same iTune in a computer. Music available on the IPod can also be burned into CDs by means of iTunes. The Zune’s technology won’t allow the device to play with other players that uses PlaysForSure online music stores which includes Amazon, Napster, MTV Urge, and Wal-Mart. There is only one model of Zune available while Apple offers few varieties of models such as IPod shuffle, IPod nano, IPod classic, and IPod touch. Regarding the accessories, both the Zune and IPod offer a variety of chargers and cables. IPod accessories are well designed in a way that all the accessories can be connected using the same connector. The IPod Camera connector allows connecting the device with a digital camera and stores images while Zune cannot be use to store files in the equivalent hard drive mode.
IPod has great features which are habitually based in the software. ITunes makes it easy for IPod to burn the music into CDs as well as get the music from CDs. It also makes it easier in getting music online and synchronizes other information which includes Calendars, Notes, Games, and Contacts. IPod is quite simple and comfortable to use. Zune’s features fall into hardware based units, including an FM Radio, larger display, and a wireless receiver. The wireless receiver will allow you to send photos or songs to other Zune users. Zune has a larger display and Video Playback as compared to IPod. Microsoft primarily announced that Zune will not be featured with video display, but added basic playback to it later on. It understood that the battery will go down faster when the video option is turned on. Zune has a round button which is similar to the IPod’s click wheel, but it doesn’t act in the same manner. Zune is dimensionally thicker than an IPod. Both Zune and IPod are excellent portable media players, but they have some basic differences in the features.
January 18, 2008
I don’t know about everyone else, but it seems to me like Zune is just a wanna be Ipod. I’ve never had a player quite like the Ipod and it would take a heck of a lot for me to switch to another player. From what I have read and heard, Zune will not be making the cut.
January 19, 2008
I think, though, that this development isn’t an unexpected one. Hot tech toys are often cloned or inspire competition from other companies. Look, for instance, at the iPhone. Now other companies are making phones that can do almost everything except maybe cook dinner.
January 19, 2008
well I own both and the iPod has to be the best hands down. The zune has crashed on me 3 times since I bought it witch reminds me why I love macs
January 21, 2008
Not to mention fardream, that no matter what comes out tech wise you can always count on Microsoft coming out with something similar, and of course advertising that their product is absolutely wonderful (though I beg to differ when it comes to a majority of Microsoft products).
January 21, 2008
Of course, leighdu, you’re absolutely right about Microsoft doing the hi tech equivalent of “monkey see, monkey do.” If I remember my early experiences with PCs versus Apple computers, in the late 1980s and up to 1992, most of my games and business applications required command line entries or whatever the heck the right term is to run a program on MS-DOS. With Macs, and my old Apple IIe, there was no need for such dribble, but when I needed a computer to run some of the latest software and at an affordable price, I had to go with a PC, for which I used a Mac-like Graphic User’s Interface (GUI or “gooey”) made by PC Tools so I didn’t always have to type in DOS prompts. Then Windows came out, and though Microsoft claims otherwise, it was their way of trying to copy Mac GUI stuff onto MS-DOS/IBM-clone platforms.
January 21, 2008
Wellyou know that Microsoft has to come with Apple in every market. They just cannot seem to have ideas on their own. They have to copy everyone elses (meaning apples) every move.
I would be surprised if they ever came up with something on their own that no one else was doing. It is all about money, and they cannot be creative enough to come up with anything on their own.
January 22, 2008
Attagirl, you took the words right out of my mouth. Microsoft is all about the money money money. Most companies ARE about the money, but the problem with Microsoft is that they rush new products out so fast “trying to keep up with the Jones’s” that the majority of their products always have issues.
January 22, 2008
Of course every company is about the money. Why would Apple charge for their products if they weren’t in it for the money. I doubt that Microsoft aren’t creative. I agree that many of their products are seemingly copied but its not like they don’t produce anything on their own. People like to hate them because they are very very successful. But this is one battle that they aren’t winning. Zune was rushed into the market and that probably is the reason why it cant compete with iPod. But I am sure Microsoft can deliver a better product than Zune.
January 22, 2008
Zune and Vista were rushed too fast. I suppose that’s because Microsoft felt if Apple was going to wow everyone with the iPhone in 2007, then by gum, they’d have something new out at all costs.
Unfortunately, quality wise, all the company ends up with is half-arsed product and resentful customers.
January 30, 2008
I’m not too sure about the Zune as I never had a chance to use it. The ipod is going to dominate for a long time as Apple did a very good job of promotion. It is a great product, so that helps. It is going to take something BIG to take ipod’s top status away.
February 3, 2008
I don’t like separate media players. I would rather get an iPhone rather than having two separate gadgets like a cell phone and an MP3 player. Well if I would choose between the two I’d still go for the iPod, Zune only has a wireless connectivity advantage which I think the file transfer is slow like blue tooth nothing more.
February 7, 2008
Yeah Ciereyes, I 100% agree. Separate media players suck. However, I have found that many of the phone’s media players (excluding IPhone) are just not as good as regular players.
February 12, 2008
And it’s not just Zune that was rushed, it was a plethora of their products that Microsoft put out there too fast, and in return had way too many bugs and problems. I couldn’t care less how successful Microsoft is. I just want products that are going to work right the first time.
February 14, 2008
I’m not surprised if Microsoft will continue copying other products and even services. It’s their way of doing business just look at their history, even their windows OS copied some other OS and for sure the pirate will continue doing that.
February 27, 2008
I’m actually quite happy that Apple dominates this niche over Microsoft. From the get go Apple did an incredible job marketing to the masses, whereas MS pretty much did a lame job with the Zune. I’m sure they know they missed out on this one.
May 15, 2008
My boyfriend’s work sells the zune…and I really don’t like it at all. And like you have to buy all the music you put on it…you can’t just download your own cds or if you do that there’s something that you have to do. It’s just wicked complicated and I don’t have the patience for it. At least the ipod, everything is so simplified I mean even my father could figure it out.