by Ed Z. Ved

Created on: November 08, 2010

            Given a choice of computer I would take one developed by Microsoft over one by Apple in a heartbeat. Given a choice of gaming consol I would choose Microsoft’s Xbox360 before I looked at anything else. But when choosing at a media player I wouldn’t even think to buy a Zune from Microsoft. Along with over 150 million people, I would buy an iPod.

            Apple has been developing the iPod since October 23, 2001 and as of March 2008 has sold over 150 million worldwide.  With many models to choose from, an easy to operate user interface, 24/7 customer support, and many available accessories, the iPod is clearly the best of all media players.

            The iPod comes in many shapes and sizes for all of your needs. The smallest iPod is the 2ed gen shuffle which can hold up to two gigs and is only a little over one by one inch and starts at $49. The best Zune can offer to a person seeking a cheap, light weight media player is the out-dated Zune4 which is almost two inches across is only available in four colors, and goes for $129. For people that are looking for more storage out of their device, iPod makes the 6th Gen Classic with 80 or 160GB that starts at $249, the same price that the largest Zune player, Zune80, goes for. Sure the Zune80 can play videos and music like the iPod Classic, but it only has half of the storage. Those seeking a large device storage-wise are also out of luck. iPod also offers the new iPhone which encompasses the use of a touch screen and has phone and internet access, along with everything that an iPod has.

            The iPod comes with another attractive feature that gives it the push over Zune, and that is its iTunes software. The iTunes user-built music, radio, TV show, and movie library is something that rarely goes un-downloaded on people’s computers, and can be downloaded to a PC or Mac. iTunes allows you to burn and rip CD’s and import your music and video files. iTunes comes with a built in converter that lets you convert songs you import into most other formats for other uses. iTunes also hosts the popular iTunes store, which allows users to purchase songs for $0.99. Though I think it is always better to buy the actual CD from a music store, many people are drawn in by iTunes’ exquisite offer of having the freedom to buy just one song, or the entire album for a very low price. The Zune software is only PC friendly and therefore cannot be accessed at all from a Mac. The Zune player does have a store but iTunes is a much friendlier user-interface. Zune does not support as many formats as iTunes. Zune player can not burn discs and has much lower maximum quality settings. The iTunes is much more compact and thus takes up less space. Zune software is what you are stuck with if you have one of their devices but the only other use that the Zune software would ever have is streaming songs to your Xbox.

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