10 Reasons The Zune Beats The iPod. Seriously.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Every time I show people my Zune, they're intrigued. Perhaps they've never heard of it. Most don't even realize it's made by Microsoft. Few have ever seen one. So with the shopping holidays right around the corner, I wanted to make sure that everyone has the information they need to make the best decision. The Zune really is a better choice.

1) The Zune Pass

This is, by far, the single greatest reason to get in on the Zune Social. A song from the iTunes store costs 99 cents. Let's call it $1 for simplicity. Get 15 songs this month? That's gonna cost you $15. What if you could take that same $15, and instead have access to ALL the music? That's Zune Pass.

The Zune Pass is a subscription service that allows you to download all of the music you want for a $15 monthly fee. And here's the best part: each month, you get to pick 10 songs to keep FOREVER. In the iPod world, you can get 10 songs for $10, but you can't download thousands of other songs for $5 more.

In case that's not enough...you can use ONE Zune Pass to fill THREE Zunes. So you and your two children/siblings/parents/friends/roommates/strangers/colleagues can now get all the music you can listen to for $5 per person. You'll just have to fight over the 10 songs you're going to keep every month.

2) No Generational Gaps

Have an old iPod? I don't mean the oldest one, I mean anything but the newest one. Ever crave some of the new features? Wouldn't it be nice if Apple would update your iPod's firmware to do some of the neat things the new ones do? That's not going to happen. They're counting on you buying the next one too. That's how you sell millions of devices each year. Just get your customers to buy a new one. Again.

The first Zune to be released was the Zune 30. Today, there's also 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, 80GB, and 120GB models. But the great part of each new release is that the firmware is updated on ALL of them. Including the Zune 30. It has all of the features of the newest Zunes, and will continue to be upgraded as new software features are added. There's no such thing as an "old" Zune.

3) Price

For all of my comparisons here, I am using the prices at zune.net and ipod.com. Retailers will probably have sales, but the device's site will be official record. I am also only comparing similar models by size. There is an iPod Shuffle in 1GB ($49) and 2GB ($69) sizes, and a Zune 4GB ($99) and 80GB ($229) that do not have comparable models. In every case, the Zune is cheaper, with more features, and is forward-compatible with new versions. The iPod costs more, does less, and does not receive upgrades in the future.

8GB Models
2,000 songs | 25 hours of video
Zune 8GB ($139)
iPod Nano 8GB ($149)

16GB Models
4,000 songs | 50 hours of video
Zune 16GB ($179)
iPod Nano 8GB ($199)

120GB Models
30,000 songs | 375 hours of video
Zune 120GB ($249)
iPod Classic ($249)

4) Wireless Sharing

Some call it "squirting," because you can "squirt" a song over to someone else's Zune. This feature not only allows you to detect other Zunes in your vicinity, but also send songs from your device to the other one. The recipient can then listen to the song 3 times over 3 days before it goes away. This same technology also allows you to play games (like Texas Hold'em) with the other Zuneheads in the room.

This feature also allows you to see what other people are listening to, so you can find recommendations for yourself in the Zune Marketplace.

5) Wireless Sync

All of these devices are still dependent on using a computer as well. You've got to plug your device into the computer with all of your music in order to get new songs, podcasts, audiobooks, etc. With the Zune though, as long as it is charging, it can get your new stuff. Leave it plugged in your car's power outlet. Charge it in the kitchen. Set it in the dock near your stereo. It will use your wireless network to get everything you've added to your collection since the last time you synced up.

6) Wireless Shopping

Ever been sitting in a coffee shop with your device, and wish you could just get that song your friend told you about? Instead of writing it down, sending yourself an email, etc. and getting it later? The Zune Marketplace is completely available on your device when you've got access to a wireless network. And McDonald's has made their internet access free to Zune users. So just look up that song, and add it to your cart. It'll be on your device in a few seconds, ready to play.

In addition, you can go out and get the latest podcasts, audiobooks, etc. that you may not have had time to get and synchronize the last time you were home. This makes it even easier for you to get the content you want, when you want it.

7) Customization

Sure, engraving is all the rage. You've got this gorgeous, expensive device, surely you want to make sure everyone knows it's yours. But text just isn't enough. In addition to the cool face I put on mine, there's about 75 other designs to choose from. But if you just want text, you can do that too. One other thing (that might only be important to me), the iPod has a shorter character limit than the Zune. So those of us with long names (or URLs) might not get them to fit. The 'm' in my .com wasn't allowed.

8) FM Radio

Sometimes, we just want to listen to the radio. Or the TVs at the gym. Being able to tune in to the local radio stations is a big plus. Even with thousands of songs at our fingertips, sometimes they get mundane.

Now let's say you hear a song that you don't know. And it's good. Just click the "Add to Cart" button, and you can have it. (And if you have the Zune Pass, you don't even have to pay for it.) If you're in a wireless hotspot, you can even download it right away! It takes the RDS data from the radio station and finds that track in the Zune Marketplace. Easy.

9) Xbox 360 Compatibility

One of my favorite features of the Zune world is its compatibility with my Xbox 360. I can use the music on my Zune to replace the in-game music from a game. The game makers generally choose good music, but sometimes it just gets old to hear the same 5 or 6 tracks OVER and OVER. If I can use the thousands of songs on my Zune instead, why shouldn't I? I can even use my Xbox controller to change the songs once the Zune is plugged in.

In addition, the points that I use to buy games from Xbox Live Arcade, movies from the Xbox Marketplace, etc. are the same points I use to buy stuff from the Zune Marketplace. And my usernames, login information, profile info, etc. are all linked. Very cool.

10) You can create your own games for it.

This is a blog for software developers, and I need to make sure there's something in this post for you. Using XNA (the same .NET technologies for building games for the Xbox 360), you can create games for the Zune as well.

You just need XNA Game Studio 3.0 CTP and the Zune software. There's even a sample game for you to download and toy around with the code. Here's a link to the project files.

11) Free television and movies.

[UPDATED] I'm not sure how I missed this originally, but this is a major point that needs to be added. If you are running Windows Media Center (if you're running Vista Home Premium or higher, you are), you can record live television to your hard drive. Those files can be synced to your Zune as well, making your Zune a place to watch all of your favorite TV shows and movies, for free. I find that I record shows that I don't have time to watch during the week, but that provide plenty of entertainment on an airplane, or shows where the audio is plenty for while I am driving. Sometimes podcasts just aren't what I'm in the mood for. So there you go. A bonus eleventh point!

Overall, I see the Zune as the choice for more features for the same or less price. Add that to the Zune Pass, and you've got something amazing: a feature-rich device with all the music you can handle. And because of the forethought spent to decide on a hardware platform, there will be plenty of new surprises coming in the future, without the need for another purchase. I'm looking forward to it.

The iPod is a good device. I'm not saying it isn't. Clearly, as everyone seems to have had an iPod at one time, they are popular. But being popular just because you're popular isn't enough. Some of this innovation will certainly be copied, just as some of the things the Zune does were certainly inspired by Apple. But after reading this post, if you don't agree that today's Zune is the superior device, I'd love to hear your side. Please leave me your comments.

Labels: ipod, jeff blankenburg, microsoft, xbox, zune

posted by Jeff Blankenburg, 8:33 AM

90 Comments:

Very nice list of reasons. I've given these all at one point or another to a friend, but I didn't realize how many good reasons there were until you compiled them together.

I got my wife an 8GB Zune for her birthday and, after setting it up, I'm really jealous. After all, I'm "stuck" with a brown 30GB. ;-) My wife wasn't sure about getting a Zune since her sister has an iPod, but after using it she really likes it.

She had already been using the Zune software as a media player since I had it installed, and the transition of moving music from there to her device was as easy as you can get. This was very important for me because if there's any problems with someone the first time she uses it, the deal is off. I'm very happy with my purchases.

commented by

Matt Casto, 1:26 PM

What about OSX compatibility? Or AppleTV compatibility?

"Mac OSX with BootCamp (running either Windows Vista or Windows XP)." -Zune Website
That doesn't count....

commented by

Anonymous, 1:58 PM

Out of all those, there are only 2 I would consider advantages. The Zune Pass and maybe the FM Radio. All that other stuff I don't need or care about - and people (like my parents) don't need or care about all that either.

The iPod's overall experience is so good - it is hard to beat. Most of what you talk about here is not what I would use the device for 90% of the time.

commented by

Dave, 2:01 PM

Dave,

Are the Zune Pass and an FM radio not compelling enough to consider a Zune the next time you buy an MP3 player?

I'm truly writing this because I don't understand the undying allegiance some people have to Apple.

Heck, I WORK for Microsoft, and I would hardly say I have an allegiance to them. I buy and use plenty of competitive services and products, primarily because they're the best choice...not the one with the once-bitten apple on it.

What makes the iPod experience so good? What am I missing? I'd love to see a list of 10 reasons why iPod is better than Zune...

commented by

Jeff Blankenburg, 2:27 PM

Nice list of reasons, Jeff! Thanks for writing this up!

commented by

Brian Moore, 2:39 PM

Number 9 isn't much of an advantage. The 360 has excellent iPod support. The PS3 only supports the iPod and the support sucks.

#2 is why I bought a Zune 30 after I outgrew my 1st gen iPod Nano. I was pissed that the 2nd gen Nano could play videos but they didn't update my 1st gen. I knew my 1st gen could handle it - 3rd party firmware supported it.

#5 is one of those features that sounds cool but I doubt it is used much. Syncing using USB is a lot faster. If you are within range of your network it doesn't take much to then plug it into the computer.

Some of the features you listed the iPod Touch supports.

The features I miss from my Nano are the calendar, sleep timer, and alarm clock. Those were great when on trips.

commented by

Kevin, 4:09 PM

Hey Kevin.

Just to play devils advocate. I prefer to sync my zune wirelessly since sometimes I just don't want the hassle of hooking the thing up to a valuable (valuable to me) USB port. But the big bneifit here is in the fact that you can play wirelessly. According to the XNA spec, you could easily have social games of folk 16 or more (i believe the bit limit can get you to like 50 some odd people). On top of that there is the ability to share via wireless tech.

So, it may not be the best solution every time you want to sync your zune, but it sure is really nice to have. Especially at McDonalds.

~Dave Redding

commented by

Dave, 4:33 PM

I've been watching the twitter debate that followed this and wanted to throw in my 2 cents.

I'd agree that the Zune has some really compelling features. And there are some that I can't believe that Apple hasn't opened up yet on the ipod/iphone. You can share itunes libraries on a lan, why not ipod libraries? Why not share itunes library to ipods on the same lan? Since MS has to be aggressive against the market leader, they've stacked the Zune with some good features.

That being said, the technically superior device rarely wins the battle. Look at the Nintendo DS market vs the PSP market. VHS beat out a technically superior Beta. PS2 vs GCN and Xbox1. Xbox 360 vs. PS3.

Market picks up momentum, and sometimes for the wrong reasons, but sometimes for the right. If I have a problem with my ipod and I wasn't a tech guy, I could ask anyone in my office what to do. I can by all kinds of attachments for car stereo, etc, because of market share.

Lastly, I've always been nervous about MS devices and platforms (especially that involve DRM) for one reason. If it doesn't win the market, they seem to abandon quickly. If my music is tied up in MS drm, what happens when they decide that the zune department is no longer worth it. After all, the XBox had one of the shortest console lives around (despite a heavy price tag). It's the same nervousness I would have had if I had jumped on J# and not C# when getting into .Net. (I add that last example because it doesn't have to have an official end-of-life to be irrelevant.)

Anyway, I own and love the 360. I program in .Net every day. I like MS and recommend some of their products. I'm just explaining why I think someone might pick an ipod/iphone even if they were aware of everything on that list.

commented by

Tim, 5:02 PM

The Zune Pass is the big advantage it has over iPod for getting new users, but the point you make about Apple's planned obsolescence of each iPod generation, plus their terrible after sales support and horrible warranty polices, is what I think will see Apple lose market dominance to something like the Zune eventually.

commented by

Zoon, 6:15 PM

Come on man, don't fudge the numbers to make your point. Amazon has market prices for all of these devices:

8 GB nano = $135
8 GB zune = $135

16 GB nano = $185
16 GB zune = $175

120 GB iPod = $225
120 GB zune = $240

Price is a non issue as are a lot of your other points. I'll give you three off your list though: ZunePass, Wireless Sync, and FM Radio. Those are great examples of innovation in the market.

commented by

Todd Kaufman, 6:57 PM

Todd,

I'm not fudging numbers. Those are the prices the manufacturers are selling the devices for. As I said in the post, each retailer is going to have their own sale prices. I thought that those prices, the MSRP, would be the most fair comparison. Not the random discounts that sites like Amazon and Best Buy are able to give.

commented by

Jeff Blankenburg, 7:33 PM

Good post Jeff. I totally agree with you. I owned two Ipods in the past (30G and 1st Generation Nano). They both broke just after one year of use. I bought a brown 30 Gig Zune last year and have never been disappointed. To this day it has never locked up on me. How can you not go wrong with the radio? Think about it, you are on your way to work and get caught up with the morning show talk show radio. All you have to do is turn your Zune on and walk into work and listen while you work. Other pros that I totally love are the wireless synching and sharing, games, better and easier application that Itunes, the ability to create and develop games, Zune pass and the list goes on.

Honestly I was very unsure what I was getting into when I purchased my Zune but I am glad I made the right decision.

Seriously, would a Ipod enthusiast please come up with a list of ten items why an Ipod is better than a Zune.

Still waiting.....

commented by

Ian, 9:26 PM

I love the Social features too, that you can find out the songs your friends are listening to. This adds variety as well gives you something to talk about next time you see each other. The channel subscriptions are also great for variety, it automatically pulls down the top downloaded tracks based on genre, I've discovered some new favorites this way as well.

commented by

Carey Payette, 9:32 PM

Very good points. Unforunately, Zune was not around when Apple IPod originally was. Lots of people have extensive protected AC3libraries that its just too much of a hassle to convert to Zune. Zune may be a technically superior product but it was not first to market. I am a pc user and .NET head so provide me with a cheap / easy migration path from IPod to Zune and I might consider one.

scott

commented by

Anonymous, 11:13 PM

I started with an iPod, and now I have a Zune, and honestly, I won't go back.

After hearing so many people talk about the Zune Pass, that was the main thing that got me to switch.

I did go with the customization at ZuneOriginals.net, mostly because customizing still appeals to me (as if my license plates don't give that away). From a female's perspective, they have a decent selection of girly designs too - which is nice for a change when it comes to electronics.

As for the FM Radio, I've actually found that quite useful. Nothing like sitting at work going "I should download that" and add it to my cart. As soon as I sync back at home, I can get the songs I've been meaning to get but just couldn't remember.

But those are what I personally like - the other points really didn't factor in as high when I originally weighed the two.

And I have to agree with Carey - I too like the Social aspect of the Zune and seeing what my friends are listening to. It's interesting to see what kind of music people listen to, and it definitely opens doors to interesting conversations.

Thanks for posting this!

commented by

Sarah, 11:44 PM

I am a long time Zune user having purchased both 30Gb and 80Gb Zunes at their launch. I agree with almost all the points Jeff makes and would add that IMO the Zune software is head and shoulders above iTunes which I consider to be tantamount to Malware.

However there is one area where the iPod totally reigns supreme - 3rd party accessories. If there is one thing that Apple has done well, it is to line up a huge stable of 3rd party vendors who offer add-ons to the iPod.

commented by

jbrinkman, 5:40 AM

Seriously, you pull prices from different websites and don't call that fudging the numbers? Amazon isn't running a sporadic sale on any of the items I listed. You'd have a stronger argument if you just listed 3 or 5 reasons that are valid and accurate. Weak pricing, the ability to "squirt", etc... are all just fluff.

commented by

Todd Kaufman, 8:56 AM

To follow up on my earlier post, there was one thing that I did like about the Ipod Nano that I owned and it was the Nike + Ipod Sport Kit. I am a avid runner and was pretty amazed how it saved and uploaded all your time/runs to the Nike web site. But that even had some flaws.

/*
* TODO: Create similar application using XNA
*/

commented by

Ian, 8:57 AM

To everyone that needs 10 reasons why an ipod is better than a zune is missing the point. People want an mp3 player to listen to their music. I think the ipod is still the easiest way to do it. The UI for itunes and the ipods is hideously simple. Also, Tim makes a great point about market momentum. It's easy to get help with an ipod. Especially with apple stores around that can help people in person.

You don't need 10 reasons, you only need 1 or 2. For some people, I think the FM radio or the Zune pass are all they need to make them switch. Just not me - since I don't find a ton of value in either.

commented by

Dave, 9:19 AM

What about the iPod touch? It really beats any Zune hands down! or any other player in the market for that matter.

commented by

Imran Hussain, 10:15 AM

Frankly I find that many ipod users (especially teens of which I'm exposed to many) are entrawled with the "I'm cool" peer pressure factor more so than the actual overall user experience.

I have had two ipods and two zunes, but quit using the ipods after the lastest round of zune software and hardware released.

The reason is because the bang for buck scale now predominately favors the zune. I shun peer pressure and beat to my own drum which I'm very proud of.

An ipod is still a good value, it's just not the best any more in my opinion.

commented by

Anonymous, 12:04 PM

Jeff, I'm glad you included 11 reasons, because wireless sync is the biggest piece of crap ever created (aside from white-out). It's slow, it drains my battery, it's an attempt at a recipe for laziness.
The Zune Pass owns, though.

commented by

Ben, 12:13 PM

Hey I got your 10 reasons an iPod is better than a Zune right here. I got them from my girlfriend who has an iPod and thinks its better than my Zune.
1.Pretty colors (Just like the rainbow)
2.All your girlfriends have one!
3.What if computers scare you? iPod's are idiot friendly
4.Lots of products that say iPod (despite the fact most 3rd party products work with any device that has an 1/8 line output, even most iPod products have a line in jack)
5.In no time your iPod is vintage (you wouldn't upgrade your '65 vett, would you?)
6.Bill Gates has enough money
7.Cool accessories, like a nifty Hello Kitty case yea!
8.Games made by other people, this is a combination of lazy and lack of creativity.
9.The Mac store, a whole store devoted to products I could get anywhere, how dose this not make sense?
10.Product comparing is boring, if everyone says its cool especially mtv; I have to have it.
Now iPoders don't get pissy, I may not love all of you but I love my girl!

commented by

Anonymous, 12:39 PM

"Reverse Sync" is another nice feature of the zunes. You can copy your songs from the zune to a friend's pc without any problems and the Zune Software really makes it easy for you.
And I prefer the touchpad. I think that it's much more intuitive than the click-wheel.

commented by

Anonymous, 12:56 PM

To anyone that says "what about the iPod touch?" The Zune was never meant to be a competitor to the Touch hence the lack of touch screen and incredibly large price tag. And no, I personally don't believe the iPod Touch is better than any player on the market, seeing as how Archos has had players with far more capability and a considerably lower price than the Touch for years, yet, as Tim said, the market does not always favor the best product, which is why you have a nation flooded with mediocre merchandise (whoo alliteration).

commented by

Anonymous, 1:05 PM

I have a 30 GB Black 1st Gen Zune but like you said it is no longer 1st Gen. With the latest firmware my oldie is as good as a new zune.

One feature that I love about Zune is its connect as a guest feature (This feature could easily sneak into your top 10). I can sync songs from any damn PC I want. All I'll need is the Zune software which can be downloaded from its site in 5 to 10 mins max :)

commented by

Varun, 1:22 PM

The 3-day restriction on shared songs has been dropped, for your information. Now you can play a shared song 3 times and take as long time as you need to do it.

commented by

bernard, 1:28 PM

When you send a song to someone, they can listen to it 3 times over any number of days. The 3 day rule was taken out in v.2.0

commented by

Jim, 1:31 PM

I'm on my 2nd zune and I couldn't be any happier with them.

commented by

Anonymous, 1:33 PM

only reason why people love the ipod is because they are to far in with itunes and its DRM. People don't want to have to buy their music over again. I almost didn't buy a zune because of that. But I did, a zune 80, and it is so much better than my brother's 60gb Ipod. (My other choice for an mp3 player)(I don't like the touch because it doesn't have enough memory for its price. I think its about $200 for a 16gb. That is a lot of money for something that will be out of memory within the year)

commented by

Anonymous, 1:35 PM

so true man.. and for that guy that said "I'd love to see a list of 10 reasons why iPod is better than Zune..." the only reason is every one has one, imagine if everyone had a zune damn... peace on earth for sure!

commented by

Anonymous, 2:16 PM

I own a Zune and am very pleased with how it works. I originally got it for the wireless syncing capabilities and the Zune-to-Zune music sharing, but it drains your battery life so quickly it is almost not worth it. The zune pass is a good deal because you can have unlimited access to the music in the Zune Marketplace, but the apple store has almost 1 million more songs. In the end most of the features between both the Ipod and Zune cancel each other out, so really the only thing the zune has better than the Ipod is the wireless and the FM radio.

commented by

Anonymous, 2:20 PM

pingback

http://www.zuneboards.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=575&Itemid=1

commented by

Joel, 2:29 PM

THANK YOU FOR THIS POST! There should be more posts like this in the blogging world! i hate ipods :P

commented by

Hazel, 3:16 PM

The thing i like most of the Zune is the
wirless sync. Because on the days i cant find my usb cable i dont have to go crazy looking everywhere for it.
I can still sync it.

commented by

erillanos, 3:39 PM

How can you record TV shows on your vista?
I had no idea I could do that...

commented by

Lindsey, 4:03 PM

Nice list of reasons but you forgot one. The Zune Marketplace will be 99% drm free in a month according to the Zune team.

commented by

Anonymous, 5:07 PM

Basically the list is a comparison of Zune to iPod features. But can you reverse and compare the iPod to Zune and make a case? That's the struggle iPod users have when defending their product to me. I never had an iPod, my daughter has one and I tell you it seems to perform just fine for her. She does not buy her music off iTunes, she rips off purchased CD's...again works fine. I don't like the iTunes store. I think it is cluttered, too busy, really does not direct you anywhere...kinda stab in the dark.
I bought my Black 30GB on Black Friday 2006, after researching the Zune in October 2006. What sold me was the Zune Pass and wireless feature....and everything else has since confirmed that I picked the right mp3 player, music store and the shear pleasure of listening and exploring new and old music thru the Marketplace. All the other stuff is a bonus..at the end of the day the main reason Zune is better than iPod is the Marketplace software, store and the Zune Pass...oh and now I get 10free songs every month. And the Social is a very cool place to discover new music..whether old or new artists... Led Zeppelin is only available for purchase on ZMP and iTunes..but now with the 10 freebies...I can get Zeppelin at "no charge".
I have been a music listener for 30+ years...sure I have more than enough vinyl and CD's to last a lifetime....but listening to them thru the Zune experience just makes it pretty cool.

commented by

JPRushFan, 5:22 PM

Being a fairly unbiased person, I can give you a few fairly good reasons to consider an IPod Classic over a Zune. IPods can be hacked. Just that simple idea allows for a multitude of cool things to be added to your IPods. And even though the screens are smaller, they also look crisper and brighter in comparison. And due to the fact that it's been out for a while, the games and apps on the IPod look multitudes nicer than that of the Zune's. Since Apple takes up most of the market share, it's much less likely that Zunes will get as fair of a share of quality games coming to it from XNA developers. People can make games for the Zune, but it will take some time before individuals will be able to make anything that rivals that found in current IPods.

I have a Zune myself, and I consider it to be an ok product. I love the large screen and the UI. Probably the two biggest things about the Zune that I appreciate most. I keep my Zune on my belt, and it's easy to change the volume and switch songs without having to look down and fiddle with it. I also watch alot of shows and movies on it, and the screen is perfect for just such. But I'm not completely satisfied with the software. It's a slow beast, and having to convert videos is no fun at all. Just allow multiple formats already, christ. All of my music which I had organized methodically with ID tags went into complete disarray when I tried to organize them in the Zune software. There's many mislabelled things I cannot get to label properly, and I probably spent two days fixing my library when I had to change the drive letter on my external HD. I figured simply changing the location settings would have worked, but instead it turned my podcasts and videos into finely ground hamburger. As far as the hardware is concerned, I had to take three trips to Best Buy get a Zune 80 that didn't have a crippling problem, only to have to send that one in for a warranty 3 months later after it had broken. My latest one has had no problems at all, so it may have been a spread of extremely bad luck on my part.

All that being said, I still like Zunes better. The IPod's screen size and craptacular-to-navigate UI are terrifying. Makes me feel like I'm using a miniaturized version os a Macintoch Classic. They also look as funky as most Apple products do. I don't like my technology to look rounded, flowery, or fruity :|. I just wish Microsoft wasn't so adamant about locking down the Zune.

commented by

Anonymous, 5:46 PM

I agree completely that the zune beats ALMOST all ipods. in my opinion the zune 80 beats every ipod except the touch. the itouch is just on a different level than all the other mp3 players out there. however i think a zune touch or zune phone could easily match, if not excell the itouch and iphone. but we'll just have to see....

commented by

Anonymous, 5:59 PM

I upgraded from a gen2 20GB Ipod (was about $900 back then btw) to a 8GB Zune in April.
The feature you're missing is the "go to artist" option on the Zune - it Rocks!
I put my player on Random, but then I hit a song from an Artist and think, hey I want to hear their other song. This on the Ipod was painful, you have to go back and find it all manually. The Zune takes you to that artist and you can change to play their songs or add a song to your current playlist. Awesome.
The only thing missing is a CrossFade option between songs to remove silence, I loved this on PC based MP3 players 10 years ago - why don't the Zune or Ipod have this?

commented by

SoulSolutions, 6:04 PM

One thing you didn't say is that you can move music and things from your zune to your computer. You can't do that with an iPod.

commented by

Anonymous, 6:28 PM

The reason I bought my zune was to keep from being part of the fad of iPods. Now that I have one, I can easily confine my friends in to buying them, because they are amazing.

As for apple, I have an iPhone, which I wouldn't have if I had bought it myself instead of getting it as a gift. If you look at it, it has no songs on it, but that doesn't make it any less of a piece of junk. It crashes constantly, and just generally doesn't like me, which I hear is exactly the same with the touch. Apparently they all suck.

commented by

Adam, 6:52 PM

I've had a 80 GB Zune for about a year now. Here are some of my reasons why.

Big Screen (I have about 30 Movies on my Zune, and 4 seasons of
Television shows)

Touch pad (I prefer it over crApple's circle.

The games (MS has release 6 and there are some awesome applications and games made by fellow Zuners)

Screen Lock

I can choose any picture I want for my background.

Radio (I use it everyday while I do my school)

I can download music straight from a wifi hotspot.

Even though I don't have the newest Zune, I can still download the new firmware and have all the features of the 120GB Zune.

Zune pass (All the music I want for $15/month)

I know that the Zune is a WIP and that MS is working all the time on a new update for my Zune. (I'm hoping for a half-decent web browser for the 4.0 Firmware)

I can tag music that I like off the radio and add it to my shopping cart to be downloaded the next time i'm near wifi.

The Zune software is easy to use and works fine as an all-purpose media player.

commented by

Anonymous, 7:47 PM

I bought the Zune 30GB model when the Zunes first came onto the market. Back then the Zune didn't have a huge amount of stuff to offer over the Ipod but I bought it anyway only because Apple has brainwashed about 77% of the Mp3 player buyers out there. So I feel special and different. But if Zune did ever overcome the Ipod I probably wouldn't switch because of most of the new features of it. ESPECIALLY the free firmware updates.

Another point you could make is that the Zunes are built with MUCH more quality than the Ipods are.
-Zunes are built to be able to hold the newest firmware and graphics
-(Zunes are built to last) The 30GB model is like a BRICK, dropped multiple times onto pavement while riding bike, skateboard or getting out of the car. The 80GB not as much experience (because I care so much for it) but still no destruction after being dropped off my desk a few times.

Great post btw, keep it up

commented by

Nick in NY, 8:39 PM

I really don't think there's anything I can say that hasn't already been said. The Zune is a fantastic player that has made one with my pocket for just over a year and a half now. I will not ever trade my 30GB in for an Ipod. Nope. Just won't happen.

commented by

Mike, 10:05 PM

I had a choice between and iPod and Zune. Dollar for dollar I chose the Zune and everytime I use it I am SOOOO glad I made that decision. Now THAT is nice Trivia that the ORIGINAL Zune get's updated with the same firmware as mine. There's a bonus to be had on eBay! Sweet!

commented by

fridayfunnyguy, 11:49 PM

Ok, some good points. Some bad points. Firstly, you won't find old Zunes that don't support the new features because the Zune has only been out for about a year. The ipod has been out for 7 years, and technology has changed. You can also update ipods to the newer features, as people have done with iphones/touch to support applications.

Also, there is no zune to match the ipod touch, the best ipod out there.

Zunes don't have wifi, can't browse the web, some ipods can.

Microsoft is a dodgy company. Just look at them removing playforsure servers, so all those people who spent $100 on buying songs from them, can no longer play them. There is no guarantee that they won't do the same again.

Also, you can write software for the ipod. It is great to see Microsoft allowing this, but so does Apple.

commented by

cakesy, 12:42 AM

I own both an iPod Touch and and a 2nd generation Zune 80 Gig model. The current 120 gig model is actually a 3rd generation device.

Here are my thoughts on the matter:

The Zune is a better Music Player and Media Player for a number of reasons still not supported by the iPod Touch..

I can bring my Zune into the room with my Xbox 360 and if there is wireless present I can play any music on the Zune's hard drive over my 5.1 Xbox 360 stereo hookup just by being in the room thanks to the Zune's support of Universal Plug N Play Music Sharing over wireless.

If I bring my iPod Touch into the room I have to sync it up to my PC to work there is no UPNP capability on the IPOD TOUCH.

The IPOD TOUCH with it's applications makes a better PDA, but I bought the device as a Music Player and on the merits of music play alone it wins.

As far as a connected device goes, I also think the Zune is far superior. Even though my new 2008 Ford Focus with Microsoft sync supports any IPOD, the experience is much better with the Zune plugged in. Mostly no one knows what a Zune is, so I can leave it in the car not hidden like the ipod.

The big difference that people who are IPOD folks really don't grasp is the connectivity with Windows Media Center and being able to take Media directly to and from the Zune including music.

I like the IPOD Touch's built in stores, that work over wifi but lets face it everytime I get something through that it's like Apple is nickel and diming me.

I don't have to buy TV programs to watch later with the Zune, I just record em with Media Center and send it on over (no confusing Itunes syncing software to deal with either).. The Zune has no problems with my music collection licensing or ever finding music art if I didn't buy it from Itunes either..

Games on the Zune are top notch, and are developed on the same system as PC and XBOX 360 games.

I like the IPOD Touch's PDA functionality, but it suffers on the music side of things.. For music it's just not as functional..

There isn't a lack of content for either system. I can't wait to see Microsoft and Netflix get together for a streaming movie client on the Zune. Yeah I am dreaming, they haven't announced it but I think since how popular it is on the Xbox already it shouldn't be long before it makes it to the Zune..

The IPOD TOUCH IS A GREAT PDA, but not such a powerful IPOD..

commented by

Don.NET, 8:18 AM

the zune is a fantastic player i had bought a 30gb and brought it to canada through the border and i must say it was worth it i am an audiphile and zune to me has superior sound quality apples just distort and clip also having a zune 30 i have goten four of my friends to buy zunes 2 have 80gb 1 has a 4gb and one has a 16gb. and as a pratical joke on apple we went into their store and just started sharing songs it caught peoples attention and they strted to ask what it was well we told them and we got some people very interseted but then of course mr manager got angry so we had to leave but it was worth it

commented by

Anonymous, 4:07 PM

Fellow anon:

Just used go to artist today! NEVER noticed it but something by Serj came on and I needed to hear his other stuff. Hit the center button and BOOM at the bottom hiding was GO TO ARTIST! Whoh! :D

Great reasons. Pretty much, Zune Pass, WiFi, Radio.

BEATS IPOD TOUCH IN:
Zune Pass, Radio

*Typed days ago, never posted. Anyways, just used Go To Artist again today for Boys Like Girls :D

commented by

Anonymous, 8:58 PM

The Zune Pass = Not really a great idea

The moment you stop paying for it, those songs are no longer yours and you can't listen to them anymore. Buy a song on iTunes, it's yours forever.

commented by

jessehardesty, 12:54 AM

Interesting just posted to my blog.
polel.net

commented by

Anonymous, 6:10 AM

Jesse,

With the Zune Pass, you get access to a ton of music, and yes, it expires if you stop paying.

However, you also get to keep 10 songs a month FOREVER. In my opinion, this makes it WAY better than buying individual songs from iTunes.

commented by

Jeff Blankenburg, 8:04 AM

What about the Creative Zen? It beats the iPod with it's 16.7 million color screen, FM Radio, Microphone, supports more formats - windows. Creative invented the iPod interface, which Apple stole.

commented by

DP, 12:10 PM

Creative Zen Vision M is the best player. If they were to be continued and had a 80 or 120 GB version, it would definitely be number one.

Creative, bring back the M!

commented by

Anonymous, 5:09 PM

itunes is the worst software EVER
itunes is on like what version 8

in my opinion zune software 2.0 was better then what itunes is now

the only nice thing about itunes is the giant store, because local bands put their music one there through tunecore

and have you ever went through a long list on an ipod? it takes FOREVER, on a zune just one brush of the thumb down and you have jumped like 30-40 items

commented by

Jordan, 4:01 AM

srry for the double post but...

the only thing microsoft has yet to do is to sell worldwide and to have compatibility on OSX

and of course feed us those awesome updates :P

commented by

Jordan, 4:05 AM

The Zune is to the iPod as Windows Mobile is to iTouch. They are very different devices and as such you really cannot compare media players (Zune) to PDAs (iPhone).

Personally, I feel that the iPhone/iTouch doesn't hold a candle to Windows Mobile. First gen iPhone were far off, 2nd gen are close. But what finishes the debate (for me at least) is that I can pull the microSD card (used with an SD adapter) from my digital camera (it has a real flash and higher quality than any cell phone) and pop it into my HTC TytnII and edit it and send it via email or post it to Picasa Web or Facebook.

In that same regard, the iPod is also bested in many regards by my Tilt, but my phone is not as good as my Zune when it comes to being used as a dedicated device, though being able to stream local radio on the Tilt via the cell network in my office where I can't get FM reception and where we have a net admin(me) that blocks internet radio via the filters.

commented by

Anonymous, 10:36 AM

Uhm, it's not hard to transfer songs from iTunes to the Zune. All you have to do is burn a CD (or CDs) and then import them from there to the Zune software. Simple. *shrug*

Here's another reason: Service. I had an 30G iPod video that I loved. I bought it in 2005 and used it for entertainment and photo storage when we went to Brazil that fall. In 2007, just two years later, it stopped working. I couldn't get it past the iPod "sad face" screen, no matter what I did. I called Apple support and was told that since it was outside of warranty they could not talk to me. NOT they could not fix it for free - THEY COULD NOT TALK TO ME ABOUT IT. They refused to offer over-the-phone help, and further said that if I took it in to an Apple store, they could not help me either. I had to buy a new unit.

My husband bought me a Zune for Valentine's Day this year, and I've been a fan ever since. I've had a few problems w/ syncing and such (my fault-not the Zune's), but MS has always been GREAT about helping. I'm done w/ Apple where MP3 players are concerned.

commented by

Laura, 2:16 PM

I tunes sucks. I got the Ipod from the fiancee who loves it. Loves it!

Every time I try to mess with itunes I want to throw it in the garbage. I do not use the store because the quality sucks really bad. I burn my CDs so I have the best quality. I hate that I can't get the music I already own off my ipod when Vista crashed my computer! WTF I already own it. It came from my CDs which I already own.

I hate itunes with a passion.

commented by

Anonymous, 5:57 PM

#12: Mixview
I love the Mixview feature, which shows you artists/albums similar to an album you're looking at. Great to find similar sounds and artists.

#13: Picks
Shows you songs you may like, based on your current collection. Pretty hit and miss, but I usually get 2-3 new songs per pick-list, which is enough to make me love it.

I was a little iffy about the Zune pass before, but now that we can keep 10 songs a month, there is no better deal. I download songs when I hear them playing on the radio somewhere, since most places have a wireless signal you can pick up. Zune really is setting trends that I expect everyone to pick up.

commented by

Ivan, 1:32 AM

Reason 11 you added is really big for me. I travel frequently, so I set up my media center to record the TV shows I want to watch. Every weekend I sync them to my Zune 80 and take them with me on the road.
I believe Microsoft needs to show people how simple this is. It really beats paying for free brodacast TV, as most Apple users do.

commented by

Anonymous, 7:00 AM

I started off with a first gen black 30gig, and since then I've upgraded to the black 80gig, as well as convincing 4 of my friends to buy 80gigs as well. Some of the features that got them hooked? The fact that Zune is designed for people with friends. I don't need to say "Hey man whatcha listening to?" because i can just check on my zune. More than music, we send each other pictures constantly, and they dont have any time limit. And now the five of us can all sit around and play Texas Hold'em with each other, or have a Checkers tournament. And for anyone who says that ipod has more games with better quality, I'll direct you here: http://www.zuneboards.com/forums/download-completed-games-174/

These are regualr people who love their zunes and know how to program, and a few of these games are flat out amazing.

commented by

Lupus, 2:51 PM

i have an 8gb zune, and i really like it for the most part. i dont really care for being pigeon-holed into using the zune software though.

a few things that i think would round out the zune player are:

1. expandable memory - every recent sandisk player ive seen has a micro-sd expansion slot. this would make them much more appealing, seeing as how the price of new players with more memory drops every year. that way you could get several years out of a player, without running out of space.

2. create and save playlists on the player - i often find myself remaking the 'now playing' list with the same tracks. it would be really handy to be able to create a playlist and save it on the player (and import it to the player on the next sync).

3. .avi/.divx/.xvid support - i have a ton of media in the most popular format... avi. the zune player not supporting these formats is a real pain. it sucks having to transcode a video to mpeg (and store it twice). this is the same thing we went through with the xbox 360. ms needs to have universal standards when it comes to supported media on their devices.

commented by

Anonymous, 12:44 PM

"This feature not only allows you to detect other Zunes in your vicinity" - then I hope it has a range of several miles.

commented by

Darren, 4:57 PM

Wow this post really left a smile on my face.

As being the only kid in my highschool with a zune (zune 80) i've been teased, since apparently the "Ipod" is better. I had an 80 gig video ipod before. Let me tell you, this came no where near the quality of the zune 80.

My ipod's hard drive went bad a week after warranty ended. Whoop de doo apple, of course I'll pay you $150 for another hard drive!

Fuck off apple. The xbox console was microsofts debut into the console market. It was weak. The Xbox 360 came out afterwards, and it's the most popular system out right now. It's fanbase and online game community is incredibly large.

The zune was microsofts first entry, and it was good. The zune 80 was the second product released, and it was better.

Now when the zune 3 comes out, microsoft will handle apple easily.

About time OSX brats.

commented by

Ron, 12:06 AM

Oh, and Itunes is a sorry excuse for software. The main reason I switched to zunes, instead of caving in and buying another Ipod

commented by

Anonymous, 12:07 AM

Fuck you Ron
Apple

commented by

sam, 12:51 AM

Jeff, the Zune Social. That for me is one of the most compelling things. To see what my friends are playing, what new music they are finding, and with one touch add it to my collection of music. Its a great way to find new stuff and express yourself. The online presence added to socials like Facebook, MySpace, Spaces. Its a great feature that is very unique and very fun.

commented by

Anonymous, 9:35 AM

DRM is not an issue with Zunes. Roughly 90% of the tracks on the Zune Marketplace are DRM-free mp3s. The only time DRM is in play is when using the Zune Pass. The 10 songs you get to keep are DRM free as well...

commented by

Ranger_000, 11:38 AM

Wow, Obama uses a Zune! http://www.citypaper.net/blogs/clog/2008/12/02/cardio-with-obama/

commented by

Jennifer Marsman, 4:14 PM

Thank you for posting these reasons. Hardly anyone I know owns a zune. Thats why I'm not turning my wireless on as much as I should be. NO ONE OWNS ONE. Maybe with the upcoming holidays people will reconsider the zune.

commented by

Taylor, 5:12 PM

Thanks Jeff. I didn't realize how good the Zune is.

commented by

jamie, 5:15 AM

Solid post Jeff.

I have a zune 80 and have had it for about 6 months, and so far I have nothing to complain about. I have had 4 ipods in the past and none of them were as good as the zune. For one i don't lick the click wheel on the i-pod and secondly the UI on that thing is terrible. The zune on the other hand is perfect for me. Nice big display, and it is very simple to use. Also iTunes is much less usef friendly than the zune software.

I'm never buying another i-pod again!!

commented by

Josh, 6:36 PM

Jeff, XNA Game Studio 3.0 is now at its final version; it's no longer a Community Technical Preview.

And yeah, I love playing games on my Zune. Heck, I liked how one guy has made an RPG for the Zune. (Sure, RPGs may not be liked by everyone, but they are good time-killers.)

commented by

KC, 9:43 AM

As much as I love my Zune, I have to say that the most annoying thing for me is that it won't sync with Windows Media Player. But otherwise I find at least half your points valid to me.

commented by

Anonymous, 9:07 AM

Very good point of view. Well articulated.
In the Road Ahead, Bill Gates details why #2 (obsolescence) is the fuel of the (software) industry. I think Apple learned that lesson very well from the teacher Microsoft.
The Zune is after all a very good value but one that competes against its own kind in the personal media player realm stealing market share from other manufacturers.

commented by

Frank Bruce, 9:48 AM

As a general rule, I agree with your reasons Jeff, my personal fav's are the pass and the fact that my original Zune is still usable.

Apple has one true advantage over the Zune IMO

- Acessories, iPod has a lot of docks, cases, add-on that the Zune unfortunately can't match at this point.

BTW, if MS wants to push the Zune pass, IMO they should extend the marketplace to support Windows Mobile devices, would be great to have my music sync'ed to my two Zunes and my Windows Mobile phone. It would also give the marketplace an instant potential audience in the millions.

commented by

Anonymous, 8:17 PM

Zune Rules, but one negative point is that it is not as widespread as ipod so ipod has an advantage in univerality among the public.

Oh and one more reason: the zune touchpad is much better

commented by

Anonymous, 12:30 PM

I think your reasons are pretty good. The most compelling ones for me are software differences, Zune Pass, Zune PC software, wireless shopping. On hardware the iPod Touch wins hands down. I don't care if it's a little more expensive, it is simply a more useful device. That plus the huge number of apps available for the touch and it makes the zune less interesting to carry around. What MS should do is write a Zune app for the iPod-Touch/iPhone.

commented by

Anonymous, 7:31 PM

To all of the people comparing the Zune 80/120 to the Ipod touch, please dont. My friend and his brother both own ipod touches and I think that they summed it up best. I quote "The Ipod Touch is not a MP3 player, it is a PDA that can play MP3s." That is really what it is. The itouch should be compared to PDAs, not MP3 players, simply because it does not appear to be focused on music, but instead the main selling point is the appstore. The comparison that SHOULD be made however, is between the Zune 120 and the Ipod Classic, since the Classic is sold as an MP3 player. Just thought I'd join it. Great article by the way.

P.S. To the person who said that the 30GB is a brick, you got that right. I've had mine for 2 years now, and dropped it (accidentally) on blacktop, cement, and floors. This is usually caused by it falling out of my shirt pocket. Each time it happened, I was horrified, yet each time it happened, it came out with barely a scratch. I swear that it is the most durable MP3 player I have ever seen.

P.P.S. Note that my last MP3 player was a Creative 20GB Zen Sleek Photo the broke simply because I had the gall to use it consistently for a year.

commented by

Erik, 10:33 AM

I have had my zune for about a year. (Seems longer though.) I love it and since the games came out, I have used it even more. (Though I still haven't figured out how I could use it more than 24/7...) I had a creative 256mb muvo before my 4gb zune. The only problems that I have is that I need more storage space on my zune. (Which will be fixed as soon as I can buy a 30gb.) And that when I watch a movie or play a game, the battery gets sucked dry really fast. But those are minor problems.

The biggest thing I have with Ipod: It CRASHES AND WON'T REBOOT. You have to wait hours for the battery to be fully drained in order to reboot the damn thing. Oh and why did it crash? It fell or it had firmware problems. (This was my brothers ipod...)

I don't really do this, but since people keep comparing the Itouch and the Iphone with the zune. (Even after it has been stated that the Itouch and the Iphone are not dedicated music devices like the zune.) All those after this post that compare the Itouch and the Iphone to the zune are lazy people that don't know what they are talking about, so just ignore them.

commented by

Logon Bays, 3:50 PM

@erik
Sure if you only want to compare against hardware that only plays mp3s then the Zune does indeed stack up nicely. However, that isn't a very interesting category in my opinion. It's sort of like coming out with a brand new analog tape format to replace VHS after the DVD came out.

commented by

Anonymous, 8:53 PM

The reliability of this player is unquestioned. For the previous comments about the Zune being a "brick." I've dropped this thing so many times and it still works amazes me. I'm in the USAF and I've been to Iraq on 2 deployments already with this thing and its still going strong. Right now I'm on my third deployment with it (hell, I'm upgrading from my 1st gen 30gb to the new 120gb). I had a iPod once, and I'm glad that it got lost in the desert or I wouldnt have gone to the Zune. Thank you Microsoft, now get me an alarm clock dock for it and I'll be a happy man.

commented by

Air Force Cop, 9:49 PM

@cakesy: the zune does have wifi. it had wifi before anyone ever thought of putting wifi on a portable media player.

that's actually how the zune can send content to other zunes, or how it manages wireless sync.

as for support for Divx and similar, i expect the next update may include support. Windows 7 already has it built in (with support for transcoding) so i figure the next version of ZMP may use these and devices can get that axxo rip of Dark Knight easy.

commented by

ikyouCrow, 6:18 AM

@eric

That is an excellent point. Let's compare MP3s to MP3s and PDAs to PDAs.

And there are ways to get around the protection on those Apple tunes. Plug the output of the iPod into a sound card input and re-record. Plenty of freeware music software out there.

commented by

Anonymous, 2:47 PM

I've owned both iPod and Zune and am most happy with my current 80GB Zune. I also currently have an iPhone, which, while it does play music, is not even close to being a replacement for the Zune. I love that I can use Media Center to record 12 hours of the Disney channel, sync the video to my Zune and play it through the DVD players in my wife's SUV while we're driving 12 hours to Ohio.

My wife loves that she can wirelessly sync her 30GB Zune while it's in the cradle in the kitchen.

One more thing I really like? The fact that I can plug my $400 Ultimate Ears direclty into my Zune, while the stupid iPod needed a $20 adapter cable to use a standard 1/8" headphone plug.

commented by

Joshua Perry, 1:54 PM

@cakesy

Wow, you're ignorant.

The Zune absolutely has WiFi. In fact, the primary feature of Zune since day one has been the availability of WiFi - something Apple only recently added with the the iPod Touch.

Any BTW: If you consider storage to be an important element in choosing a media player, my 120GB Zune beats the holy CRAP out of the iPod Touch's 32GB maximum for the same money.

Don't go talking about things you know nothing about, child.

commented by

la_bizzle, 11:01 PM

@ AirForce Cop

Alarm Clock Dock for Zune? You mean like this?
http://www.zunescene.com/ihome-zn9-zune-alarm-clock/

iHome's had it available since June.

commented by

la_bizzle, 11:06 PM

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10 Reasons The Zune Beats The iPod. Seriously.

Monday, November 24, 2008

1) The Zune Pass

2) No Generational Gaps

3) Price

4) Wireless Sharing

5) Wireless Sync

6) Wireless Shopping

7) Customization

8) FM Radio

9) Xbox 360 Compatibility

10) You can create your own games for it.

11) Free television and movies.

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