Zune vs. iPod
By Ryan Block 
posted Oct 1st 2006 10:44PM
posted Oct 1st 2006 10:44PM
We're kind of surprised it took this long to get the two of 'em side by side, but here they are. The Zune is, of course larger, but it's kinda weird how much more exaggerated those size differences are when you're really eyeing the extremely-curved corners of the iPod. Ok, we're done, go ahead, get it all out.
well i have owned both the ipod and the zune i would say the zune is better but they both have good things and bad things about them like of corse the ipod is smaller and itunes is far better than the zune program but i do like the radio that they have on the zune and the ability to share music because i have quite a few friends that have zunes so i share music all the time.
The ipod is much better than the zune. The zune isn't even made by microsoft. The zune was made by Toshiba and then microsoft bought the
junky mp3 player out.
Pshh, the zune's are way better. I'm getting a thirty gig. I already have a four gig and that thing holds MASSIVE amounts of songs. It rocks!
;D
I have over 3600 songs and over 250 pictures on my 30gb Zune. I have 247 CD's literally in the palm of my hand!! I plug my Zune into the AUX in my car and IT'S ON! Endless CD quality music. The bulkiness of the Zune that some complain about is fickle. I can run and work out with my Zune in my armband with no problem.
I've never owned an ipod, so I can't tell you what's wrong with it. Funny, when I finally broke down and decided to get an ipod they were sold out, and all they had in the store was Zunes. I 'settled' for one and haven't looked back since. I don't even leave the house without it, and if I do I'll turn around and get it (never know when I might get the urge to hear a particular song. I'd hate to be caught offguard). The only 'problem' I have with it is I want to store MORE music, so now I have to get the 80gb.
Ok... want to know who wins between zune and ipod. Honestly, ipod. And I am not just saying that because I like macs, or because everyone and there mother has an ipod. I am saying that because it is the honest truth, I have had both. Don't get me wrong Zune is a sick competitor but honestly ipod wins. I did a bit of research and found a website http://bestcovery.com/node/8282 that has a list of the best mp3s and ipod>zune. I would love for Zune to have been the better one... like when the underdog wins but point blank period-it's not happening!
Well after I put an iSkin on my ipod to protect its delicate (and famously easy to scratch) surface, they are actually pretty similar in bulk.
That's a good point.... although it seems like the iSkin makes iPods bulkier than some others (of course, the inivisbleshield is probably the best option for adding no bulk at all.... I also like the Agent18 and Contour Design Showcase cases for things that don't add as much to the bulk).
I'd be curious about the scratchability of the Zune; it appears that the rest of the surface looks like it shouldn't be too scratchable, but I'd be curious about the screen. Seems like it would at least warrant a screen protector, but I'd be curious if they've come up with a really good scratch-resistant screen technology.
Yeah, but they should have compared it to 30GB ipod, which is even more slim.
got rid of my ipod because i didnt like going on itunes for everything,but saying that if you want just a music player the ipod would seem the right choice,but i put pics on so i like the larger screen--
I don't mean to sound fanboyish, but the Zune looks wicked oldschool next to the ipod.
nah i dont think you sound fanboy : )
Built in WiFi, and first generation model. That's all I'm going to say.
"Built in WiFi, and first generation model. That's all I'm going to say."
that's really not saying much considering how late in the game this is.
wifi for sharing tunes with other zune users ONLY. No "real" wifi for the internet.
Its funny you mention product attributes. That is something Apple has yet to do with their advertising. They sell "sexy" and they are damn good at it. I would expect that trend to continue. With as solid of brand recognition as iPod has, they would be crazy to walk away from that. Apple has some LOYAL customers. I think they'll keep up with the Joneses and give the iPod the transfer capability. I'd be shocked if it happened in less than a year. For now, Zune has superior attributes over iPod. Apple will keep the market share because of their loyal base.
note its an 80 gig ipod
Am I the only one surprised by the "slightly thinner" phrase used Jake Ludington to describe the difference? Maybe it is different in person, but it at least looks significantly thinner (and this is the 80GB iPod..... I'd be curious to see a comparison of a 30GB iPod with the Zune).
Interesting about the weight difference, that the Zune feels lighter. I wonder if it's a materials issue?
Also interesting to see some real photos of what stuff looks like on the Zune screen. It does look OK, although definitely shows the difference between the product mockups and promotional shots and the real product.
I wouldn't want to judge any more though without seeing it in person. I'm also kind of curious why he didn't show some side-by-side shots with both the Zune and the iPod actually on........ might be good for comparison's sake; the Zune screen looks kind of washed out to me, but I think that is probably more just poor photo quality; would be easier to tell if the iPod screen was on in the same shot for comparison's sake (seems like a standard thing to do for things like brightness comparisons, etc.).
I don't think you get a Zune this far in advance by being a wee bit unbiased (other than winning the Engadget contest or going to the Ellen show).
IOW, he picked the "right" iPod to make the Zune look good.
The Zune really is only slightly thinner than the 80 GB iPod, despite the deceiving (and not well done) photos. (The photos should have been done against a seamless, featureless background with diffuse lighting from both sides to eliminate the reflections--e.g., in a light tent.) Here are the published specs:
Zune 4.4 x 2.4 x 0.58 inches, 5.6 oz
iPod 30G 4.1 x 2.4 x 0.43 inches, 4.8 oz
iPod 80G 4.1 x 2.4 x 0.55 inches, 5.5 oz
So, the Zune is 0.03 inches thicker (thickness of about 6 sheets of 24 lb paper or half the thickness of an US penny) and 0.1 oz (about the weight of a typical postcard or a US penny) heavier than the 80 GB iPod.
Had I known I was going to have 5 minutes with the Zune, I'd have done a million things differently - like bring a real camera.
This whole thing is a complete shambles!!
Forget about the 80Gb entirely, that's right completely forget about it altogether!
Now! Compare the the 30GB iPod with the zune, why? Well because the Zune is 30GB too. And both of them are the same price.
What do you get?
With the 30GB iPod you get a more intuitive, more minimilist player, with a more intuitive and more minimilist interface. You also get a "MUCH" slimmer more sleek, more stylish, more iconic player, with better integration with its native software, iTunes. Which in turn has much more store music, better jukebox software, and movies too, with the best way to listen to podcast ever. And you get you full music library in your pockat.
With the Zune you get a fresh, different looking alternative, with bigger screen. You get a decent looking, more customizable and reasonably easy-to-use UI, but nothing as simple as the iPod's minimalist/Clickwheel set-up. You get a store that has less content, and is less appealing. You get cool WiFi sharing capabilities, where you can share your music or get your friends for 3 days or 3plays, but you may lack a friend to share with.
With a forceful push you may get your msuic collection in your pocket, but it will most likely be difficult to fit the Zune in most pokceks (jeans).
There you have it, enjoy!
I had an Ipod first (when I say "first generation" what i mean is the first version of ipod. ever. it came in 4gb and 8, it was bulky, came in electric blue, pink, and green, you know what im talkin about?) 4 years later, count them, 4 years later, my ipod (Poddrick) is still ticking. Granted he's getting a little loopy in the functioning department...sticky sensors, corrupted files, freezes more often yaddya yaddya yaddya) one day I decided id switch to Zune, just to try it out. looked interesting as hell. bought a used one off ebay for 120 (30g, not bad). good condition, scratched up a little. I had it for 3 months. and it died. no charging, no restarting, no messages, errors, nothing. just seeya. I called zune, thankfully whoever owned it before me had a good warrenty and I was able to get a brand new one (HHAAAAHAHAHA ultimate win) for free. this one starts. I don't know about the building materials, and I'm not here to make waves. simply sharing my personal view on ipod vs zune. Poddrick is 4 years old and gamely plugging on (despite being left on the side of the high way (a busy highway) for the weekend, being left at ferry terminals and dunked in a cup of old tea) meanwhile Zoey kicked the bucket without so much as a single iota of water damage or anything else in just a month. as for the zune's design, i love that it's not a touch thing. i hated having to take off my gloves to change the song on my ipod or turn up the volume using my nose)
love,
me.
As we speak, I can almsot gaurentee apple is making a widescreen ipod...Ill wait for that, even if it takes clsoe to a year..or when the new zune comes out (v2)...prob like 1 year from now...im sure theyll both kick this zunes ass
I hope people realise that Zune had to accomodate a larger screen (probably battery too).
-iPod owner.
That's a good point, it certainly explains the larger size (also of course the wifi is in there). I wonder if he will post anything about the battery life either; the early reports about battery life weren't good, but those probably aren't worth much since they weren't final.
I think the question will be what do people ultimately care about with a device like this? A larger device with a larger screen, or a smaller/thinner device with a smaller screen?
How big will video capabilities be in terms of demand and desirability? And in that case, how does the Zune compare to the Zen Vision W, the Archos PMP's, etc?
Personally I have at least decided that ultimately I care about portable music more than portable video, one reason why I sold by 5G iPod and got a 2G Nano. I just realized that I didn't really have many opportunities to use it for video, and music is my primary use of a portable device.
I'm not sure if this is a new issue; the Walkman was always a lot more popular than the Watchman, for example.
the video quality on zune though is phenomenal. if you have a dvd that was ripped and uploaded into zune (what pisses me off is you can't just upload the dvd like you can with a cd, you need external software to convert the data into mvw or something) the picture is hd quality. course, if you download it off lime wire and upload it THAT way (kind of sort of beats having to mes around with converter softwares) the quality's not as good.
im buying one!
yuck. zune looks like a vcr. after seeing these photos, i think i'll wait.
I would probably still get a Zune, provided it works with the format of music that I want and the price is right. Even though the iPod has a great design, I am just tired of everyone and their mother having one.
WHY? who cares if people own ipods? does that REALLY make them bad? people started buying ipods because they are good (the best), and because of their quality people kept buying them, which eventually brought them to 'trendy' status, that however, does NOT make them less quality.
get over your 'im cool because i go against everything' lifestyle and accept quality things can still be trendy.
Btw, about the curved corners; from looking at the other product shots, it seems like the Zune corners are similarly curved as well (although you're right, it does still seem to have a slightly boxier appearance for whatever reason).
Why are you comparing a 60g iPod to a 30g Zune? Sounds a little bias to me.
I definitely dont like that black color, but id love to see some real shots of the brown/green Zune. If it werent fully "apple-integrated" right now Id consider a Zune for sure.
'true' ipod video for sure. when that hits the market the zune will be old news.
i think someone should take the pics with a zune next to the old school scroll wheel ipod, and that still has (had) no wifi, so tape a airport card to the back too and then well talk size, still ipod is in top no matter what comes out
i am seeing some talk about "scratchability" it looks like the zune has a raised panel or lowered screen that should protect the zunes massive (compared to ipod) screen
That side view makes me wonder about the plastic used in Zune. The dull sheen from it makes me think it is that rigid, crappy plastic.
The iPod looks more rounded because not only are the edges around the face of the unit more rounded, you can also see in the side view that the anterior-posterior aspects (i.e., the depth) of the unit is *also* rounded. So, the iPod almost ends up looking more like a dome-shape while the Zune looks more brick-like with slightly rounded corners.
FWIW, I agree that the linked article is biased pro-Zune. I think engadget was keeping it much more real. My impression from the photograph (Before reading anything) was that the iPod is much thinner and smaller. For these types of machines, at these sizes, every tiny bit matters in terms of how it will:
-Feel in the hand
-Fit in the pocket
-Be perceived as cumbersome or not...
But please--no flames! I'm excited about the Zune and it's about time that Apple had a true competitor--the Zune really seems worthy!
:)
I want to start this post off by stating that I am not, and never have been an apple fan boy (quite the opposite really), but next to the zune in these pictures I must say that the ipod does look better superficially.
It might just be the lighting in the picture but personally I like the appearance of the ipod more than the zune.
However, if I were to choose one to carry around with me I would pick the zune just because I like the features more, and the design is nice.
Despite saying this, I will not be shelling out the $200+ to buy one, my 1 gig SD card driven MP3 players work great. (players because I have one for work, one for school.)
musanti - Do you really think it's fair to compare the Zune, which came out in 2006, to a 2001 scroll wheel ipod? That's five years man, even if this is just a first gen product, it needs to compete with *current* players.
you know i read somewhere that brown is a slimming colour..
I just want to say something about the screen on the Zune that has been bothering me. It has one of those "fake out" black boarders around its screen to give the illusion that it is larger. My Motorola RAZR has the same thing and I notice most cell phones has some sort of bezel around the screen to give the illusion of a larger screen. Now notice how the screen on the iPod has no fakey boarder on it. Flip the iPod screen the other way and add a fake out boarder around it and I don't think the sceens would look all that different. I know the Zune's screen is a little bigger but there is some obvious eye trickery going on to make it seem even more that way. Not good design in my opinion.
Oh, it has a "dock connector" too.
How innovative.
It's just dumb to try and compare the 2001 ipod to the 2006 zune. You are talking about 5 years of technological innovation! You don't compare your first computer to the one you have now simply because it was the first of its generation to come out... that is completely flawed logic.
I think the Zune looks very good on the front, but it really does seem much too thick compared to the ipod.
That being said, Apple really needs to come out with a widescreen ipod.
This iPod is a 2005/2006 model, so they're not comparing with the 1st generation iPod from 2001.
Secondly, while it would be nice to see a widescreen on an iPod, people don't really have a feel for what a widescreen really looks like. On first blush, the screen on the Zune may look like a widescreen, perfect for movies, but it's really 4:3, just like the iPod, same resolution as the iPod even.
2.5 vs 3 is VERY deceiving its actually more then 40% digger which is a HUGE difference...
How huge is the difference though when the resolutions are the same? That's one thing that puzzles me about the Zune; why put in a larger screen but use the same QVGA resolution, rather than something higher? Again, I'd want to see this in person, but at least from the screenshots it seems like this might make the screen look less crisp than it could. It seems like the Zen Vision W, for example, would be crisper overall than the Zune for video playback.
I'm assuming you actually meant that the zune is 'bigger', rather than 'digger', because I have no idea what that means. I also have no idea where you come up with 40%. Obviously, you have never heard of this thing called math.
3/2.5=1.2 Thus, the zune screen is 20% larger. Thats really not a huge difference. And its not deceiving at all. It is just 2.5 vs. 3.
just get a toshiba gigaBEAST s and observe how much smaller then both of them it is with similar features.
zune looks great!!! man it would be kool if i win one!! :-)