Ipod vs. Zune
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Re: Ipod vs. Zune
Posted by smackintosh on Sat Dec 30th at 2:35am 2006


no polls, just asking opinions...

Ipod vs. Zune

I'm torn between the two. I have a 6gig Ipod mini, and I like it alot,
but I want a 30 gig+ player.

I don't hate I-tunes, but its not my favorite program either.
In all honesty, I still use an old version of Winamp to play music.
Ipod is in its 5th generation I believe, so I tend to lean more that way.

I haven't heard much about sound quality comparison or the software the
Zune uses. Someone said you have to purchase "Zune Marketplace?"
Any personal experiences with both?




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Re: Ipod vs. Zune
Posted by Jinx on Sat Dec 30th at 3:10am 2006


I haven't read reviews, but I dislike iTunes and the "style" of Apple products so I'd look into the Zune.

There are other options, too, though. I'd look around, you might not want either.



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Re: Ipod vs. Zune
Posted by Campaignjunkie on Sat Dec 30th at 4:24am 2006


I think Zune wraps everything in DRM, whether you legally own the license to the music or not - which can be unconvenient, to say the least. However, I think there's probably a way to circumvent that by now. May I remind you that there are options other than those two? The Creative Zen players, or the smaller Creative MuVo players that double as USB drives, for example.



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Re: Ipod vs. Zune
Posted by French Toast on Sat Dec 30th at 5:48am 2006


Yeah I'll offer from personal experience that I suggest the iPod. I have a 30G Video, and it really is well designed. Had it for about a year now, not one problem with it. I personally love iTunes, and it's organization. It plays videos fine, sound quality is great, been steadily throwing on full length movies and whole albums and have yet to delete one item for lack of HDD space.

I've dropped it a few times, sat on it a few times, really given it some accidental beatings. Still no problems yet. Really a fine piece of machinery, and I'd suggest that above a Microsoft product.

Cheers!




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Re: Ipod vs. Zune
Posted by Crono on Sat Dec 30th at 6:26am 2006


I'd look for more in a personal player than just MP3 or video capability. I'd probably get a PocketPC at some point. But from those two, an iPod. Apple is tremendously talented at hardware design, they always have been. Also, like any other device, you can put a different OS on it if you tried. (I wouldn't, but it is possible)


Blame it on Microsoft, God does.



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Re: Ipod vs. Zune
Posted by DrGlass on Sat Dec 30th at 6:28am 2006


I don't trust microsoft to make any system better than itunes, which I find works quite well. Also, you can use Winamp in place of iTunes which is great. Drag and drop songs and play songs off the ipod.

I don't know much about Zune, but seeing how they are trying to fight the iPod like 5 years after its launch... there is just more stuff for iPod.

I'd say iPod+Winamp is the best bet.




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Re: Ipod vs. Zune
Posted by ReNo on Sat Dec 30th at 7:02am 2006


I was drawn to the Zune from the get-go, but the more I've heard about it the more put off I've been. I wouldn't really want to go the iPod route either though, to be honest. If you are used to, and like, the interface and necessary file syncing setup, I would suggest the iPod will be the altogether more painless option to take, however.

Myself, I just got a 4Gb Samsung YP-Z5 which, with the latest firmware, I've found to be a great little player. I've got a PSP for using as my video/games player on the train or on holiday, so to compliment that the YP-Z5 is a wonderful little solid-state MP3 for using on the move or while doing sports, etc... 4Gb doesn't hold a vast quantity of music compared to the iPod/Zune style player, but as I can simply drag and drop files through windows due to it being treated as a USB key (only on recent firmware - reviews often state this can't be done due to older firmware) I don't find it much of a hassle to chop and change when needed.

I you do go for the Zune be sure and let us know your thoughts, as I'd like to hear some first hand experience with it.






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Re: Ipod vs. Zune
Posted by Jinx on Sat Dec 30th at 9:05am 2006


Yeah, I prefer the "USB key" sort of interface. I don't trust a program like iTunes or Windows Media Player to organize my files and whatnot, I don't want to have to use some annoying interface just to load some music. It's pretty easy to drag and drop stuff to your player when your music is actually organized on your hard drive.


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Re: Ipod vs. Zune
Posted by wil5on on Sat Dec 30th at 9:16am 2006


I would suggest neither, I agree with Jinx about organisation. However, if it simply must be one of the two, the ipod is, from what I've heard, better. Zune locks you into DRM and all sorts of nasty stuff from what I've heard, and uses a program instead of itunes which is like WMP, but worse. Of course, Creative have offerings which roughly match apple for hardware quality, and dont have software getting in the way.




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Re: Ipod vs. Zune
Posted by Crono on Sat Dec 30th at 9:36am 2006


The one thing I didn't mention before is that iPod has a lot of support. Even from independent developers (average people). This, for example, eliminates the need for iTunes and allows you to do everything from Windows. (if you use Windows, I'm sure there's an alternative for all sorts of OSs).

Not a big deal. As long as you can connect a device to your computer, you can get into it and do what you want. The popularity of the product, however, determines the amount and quality of support you will find.



Blame it on Microsoft, God does.



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Re: Ipod vs. Zune
Posted by Loco on Sat Dec 30th at 1:07pm 2006


I've just got a 30gig iPod video, which is brilliant, and I'm even starting o use iTunes a bit more.

Haven't tried the Zune, but I have seen this review from the Chicago Sun-Times which absolutely slaughtered it. Final line from the review:

? quote:
Result: The Zune will be dead and gone within six months. Good riddance.






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Re: Ipod vs. Zune
Posted by reaper47 on Sat Dec 30th at 1:23pm 2006


If you want to pay stupidity taxes to a large music empire before even buying any of their songs get Zune. Basically the whole copyright slavery invents values that do not exist. I'm not uncritical towards the iPod but letting Mircosoft capture the MP3 market is surely a very, very bad idea.

Plus the iPod has years of experience ahead and a better usability. You don't have to use iTunes. You can get xPlay or any other of the many third party tools for managing iPod MP3s. iTunes is evil, I don't use it.

iPod!






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Re: Ipod vs. Zune
Posted by Jinx on Sat Dec 30th at 2:50pm 2006


DRM is the work of Satan!!!


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Re: Ipod vs. Zune
Posted by reaper47 on Sat Dec 30th at 3:06pm 2006


It's crap. You can't sell a "license" for sharing something privately.





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Re: Ipod vs. Zune
Posted by Jinx on Sat Dec 30th at 3:53pm 2006


Does it stop your from sharing mp3s that have no DRM? How does it react to mp3s that you ripped yourself?

Also wonder if the software for these players doesn't 'call home' about what music you have.



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Re: Ipod vs. Zune
Posted by French Toast on Sat Dec 30th at 5:09pm 2006


What's the gripe about iTunes? I absolutely love it. It organizes everything perfectly, downloads album artwork automatically, syncs your library with your iPod etc.

I don't see the big problem with it. To me, it's a lot more convenient. I just add songs to iTunes, edit their names so that they organize well, auto download the artwork and then plug in my iPod. Bam, I have 2 new albums and a season of the Simpsons... y'know?




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Re: Ipod vs. Zune
Posted by spkka on Sat Dec 30th at 5:26pm 2006


i recently bought an creative microphoto which is 8 gig. I really like it. Maybe consider to buy sth from them?




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Re: Ipod vs. Zune
Posted by smackintosh on Sun Dec 31st at 1:26am 2006


wow. alot of opinions.

I think I'm going towards the Ipod then... DRM pisses me off too much, I
had no idea they were doing that. I thought the only way that files kept DRM info was if they were WMAs or AACs, I always rip them to MP3s...

I already own a 360, so I guess I paid my MS tax this year. lol
I-tunes doesn't bother me, but its nice to know I can use other programs to load up the ipod. I'll have to checkout some of the other players before I purchase though.




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Re: Ipod vs. Zune
Posted by wil5on on Sun Dec 31st at 1:32am 2006


I dont like itunes because it is a less transparent system than organising your music in folders on your hard drive. I dont want it doing mysterious shit behind my back. For example, it locks the ipod to a particular PC, which for someone like me(who has machines changing, dying and being reborn constantly) couldnt make things more difficult.


&quot;If you talk at all during this lesson, you have detention. Do you understand?&quot;
- My yr11 Economics teacher



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Re: Ipod vs. Zune
Posted by Jinx on Sun Dec 31st at 3:55am 2006


? quote:
I dont like itunes because it is a less transparent system than organising your music in folders on your hard drive. I dont want it doing mysterious shit behind my back. For example, it locks the ipod to a particular PC, which for someone like me(who has machines changing, dying and being reborn constantly) couldnt make things more difficult.


Yeah, I keep my stuff well-organized by folder structure etc. I don't want a program moving anything around, or getting 'confused' when I shuffle stuff around myself, which I've seen WMP do.

There is also the matter of BACKING UP your mp3s. I have a careful system for how I do this; some stuff is archived on dvd, other stuff is mirrored on an external hard drive (I have over 120GB of mp3s). If a program moves them around on me, I would be lost.



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