Zune or iPod?

[Devante]

its really crazy how media-controlles you zune- and ipod-kids are. if any multi billion dollar business just creates a new product you fall for their nlp advertisement schemes that talk directly to your psyche and manipulate you.



i bet 95% of you kids would have fallen for hitler too. he was very good at manipulating the masses.

You have no idea how ironic these two statements are. ;>

 

[enarky]

Here is a review and here's the Slashdot discussion about it.

Yes, Microsoft's new Zune digital music player is just plain dreadful. I've spent a week setting this thing up and using it, and the overall experience is about as pleasant as having an airbag deploy in your face.

Squirt? I don't want to imagine a Zune covered in... nevermind. It's disgusting.

 

[Shinji]

I give my vote for the Independent party in this one and say Creative.

If you're looking for a widescreen, go for the Zen Vision W. Go check out the epizenter and tell ssjmichael whats up (he's a frequent poster on slickdeals and he can tell you anything and everything about your choices)

 

[Heito]

Actually I was just looking at creative stuff now, since many people here were suggesting that. How durable is the Zen Vision W? It looks like one big screen that could break easy. (I'm pretty careful, but i do tend to drop some things)

 

[Bowser128]

I've got no experience of the Zune, so I can't say anything about it either way, but I have had experience of the iPod in its many revisions. My advice is no matter what you buy, do not buy an iPod, it looks nice enough but honestly, if you want any sort of sound quality, durability, battery life or want your purchase to be 'top of the range' for more than a couple of months, look elsewhere.

 

[trebulator]

kingkong FTW

iAudio X5L is the shizzle

 

[Harsky]

Actually I was just looking at creative stuff now, since many people here were suggesting that. How durable is the Zen Vision W? It looks like one big screen that could break easy. (I'm pretty careful, but i do tend to drop some things)

Damn, I decided to look up the Vision W..... and I want it.....

 

[choupette]

I think it's microsoft's strategy, launch a product, lose a lot of money, adapt it better to the market a few months after and launche a new one.

it worked with the xbox360.

 

[wohoo]

oh my **** god, DON'T get an ipod! i hate em, many of my friends have one or two. i can't understand huw people can call itunes GOOD?! with my mp3 player i just put the file with songs on it - like if it was an harddrive. and then i play them just by browsing the map (i got and archos gemini xs 202, but whatever). basically, the computer treats the mp3 player as an hdd, and i just do what i want instead of be fighting with itunes to get all the songs on the same place.

i don't know about zune, but i think (or at least hope) it has a smarter system for everything. like an ipod, you have to start over with all the songs you have put on it when you're about to use it with your friends computer, or any other computer. i shuld definitetly go with a zune! just because i hate the ipod and everything it does - except for playing music when you have it all done, after all those hours of fixing

edit: i just had to add the last sentence

 

[Shinji]

Harsky, I did the same thing...and I got to check one out hands on, and I want it even more now :'(

Why is X-mas right around the corner.... :'(

 

[Moneo]

I generally don't like everything Apple, however I like unsubstantiated claims on audio quality even less 8)

Here's a 5th gen ipod benchmarked with RMAA: http://hifiipod.co.uk/?page_id=65

The results are very good.

Here's a similar benchmark of a Creative Zen Touch (in russian, hehehe)

http://www.ixbt.com/multimedia/creative/ze...uch/touch.shtml

Looking at the numbers, I would say that there is an apparently noticeable difference between the two. As for the listening tests, it is wise to only trust those that are double-blind and properly conducted.

Overall, current-generation iPods are very impressive portable players. And nothing else on the market does gapless playback with official firmware

 

[mthrnite]

In defense of the iPod, I have four, a 1st Gen, a 2nd Gen, a new Nano and a 1st gen Shuffle. They all still work, and have decent battery life.

The 1st Gen iPod had a firewire issue that required me re-soldering a joint, but worked fine after that. They're not crap, and if you have a Mac they're a good choice because of iTunes and the Music Store. If you don't have a Mac, it probably wouldn't be my first choice since the software is a bit lacking unless you go 3rd party.

Cnet gave the Zune an 8 out of 10, and said for a new player it was looking good. I don't have any experience with Creative, but I have a little iRiver that I love to pieces (iFP 190.)

I guess what I'm saying is if anyone gives you "they're the shznit!" or "they're crap!", filter that out and realize they've all got good and bad points.

Boy, that didn't help much did it?

 

[Bowser128]

I generally don't like everything Apple, however I like unsubstantiated claims on audio quality even less 8)


Unsubstantiated

My wild accusations are based off my own audio experiences, actually

Here's a 5th gen ipod benchmarked with RMAA: http://hifiipod.co.uk/?page_id=65

The results are very good.

Here's a similar benchmark of a Creative Zen Touch (in russian, hehehe)

http://www.ixbt.com/multimedia/creative/ze...uch/touch.shtml

Looking at the numbers, I would say that there is an apparently noticeable difference between the two. As for the listening tests, it is wise to only trust those that are double-blind and properly conducted.

Overall, current-generation iPods are very impressive portable players. And nothing else on the market does gapless playback with official firmware

I have issues trusting the iPod test site because it asks you to buy iPods through their site so they get money via referrals

QUOTE(mthrnite @ Nov 28 2006, 04:14 PM)In defense of the iPod, I have four, a 1st Gen, a 2nd Gen, a new Nano and a 1st gen Shuffle. They all still work, and have decent battery life.

The 1st Gen iPod had a firewire issue that required me re-soldering a joint, but worked fine after that. They're not crap, and if you have a Mac they're a good choice because of iTunes and the Music Store. If you don't have a Mac, it probably wouldn't be my first choice since the software is a bit lacking unless you go 3rd party.

Cnet gave the Zune an 8 out of 10, and said for a new player it was looking good. I don't have any experience with Creative, but I have a little iRiver that I love to pieces (iFP 190.)

I guess what I'm saying is if anyone gives you "they're the shznit!" or "they're crap!", filter that out and realize they've all got good and bad points.

Boy, that didn't help much did it?

If I did have a Mac I'd probably stick with iPods for ease, but my 2nd and 4th gen iPods broke within months :'( Also, most of my mates who have had Minis, Nanos and Videos are also wishing they had stayed away (broken click wheels, battery leaks or just plain not turning on any more).

 

[Yerknutz]

iPods are ok, I am not a fan of the Zune or any Creative products. I think for my christmas present to myself I am going to get an Archos 604 WiFi.

http://www.archos.com/products/video/archo...=global&lang=en

 

[teH XeRO]

ive read the zune marketplace software at least right now is a load of buggy garbage..i personally think the zune is aesthetically ugly (with the exception of the black one) and for a piece of hardware with a soldered battery, its a little bit on the fat side. sound and video quality is supposed to match that of the ipod..so if u want the zune id hope for some nice stable software updates.

 

[aligborat69]

I use this:

http://www.miniplayer.info/

Because it plays xvids, mp3's and photos and more and has FM radio and its 4gb, but i dont need to carry my lifes music collection wherever i go! And its so tiny and looong battery! :-)

 

[dEC0DED]

i own a 30gb ipod video black.

i love it.

barely watch shit on it. i more got it for the music and the interface.

have no issues with it. and i go nowhere without it.

holds my calender and reminders.. better than my razr cellphone POS! :@

someone buy me a new sidekick and customize it kthnx.

 

[Hanafuda]

like aligborat69 above me, I don't really understand the need to carry around so much music at once, and also the portable video thing is something I really had to think hard about "would I use this?" I don't like watching reruns of anything, and if I'm watching a good movie or show for the first time I don't want it to be on a tiny handheld. After thoughtful analysis, I realized that the only use I would really have for a handheld video player would be to have porn I could watch in the toilet stalls at work. Since I am not gonna be that guy, it turns out I don't need a portable video player. I guess if I were a commuter on public transportation I could force myself to watch a program or movie during the ride, but I'd rather be playing a game on DS or GBA. (and incidentally, my DS w/ SCLite will do a pretty decent job of playing video anyway - batchdpg rocks)


Careful and deliberate thought about what I need, and not what the industry's fad machine is telling me I need, has convinced me that if I buy a portable media player, it will be for music only. The new ipod Nano's look pretty nice. 4GB or 8GB is more than enough music to have on me at once, and I prefer the concept of a solidstate flash player over a handheld device with a tiny hdd inside. Much better battery life too.

Of course, my DS w/ SClite will do a pretty decent job of playing MP3's too.

An ipod or zune might do it better, but I'm not sure they do it $250 better.

If you are that guy who watches porn in the bathroom stalls, get something that runs divx/xvid straight-up so you don't have to do all that converting. wanker.

 

[Mehdi]

best sound quality I heared was from Sony NW-E 002 F/B

Its small can support soo many songs and has quality sound.

 

[Harsky]

The temptation to go and get the Vision W is hampered by 2 things.

1. The price
2. A bit too big to fit in my pocket

Then again, watching videos on the go without needing to convert it to MP4 like I do for the PSP is tempting....