iPod or Zune?

In My Humble Opinion
1

Hi guys, I want to buy my stepmother something to listen to music when she goes jogging or on the treadmill. She doesn’t do that well with technology and computers so I want to get her something easy (meaning easy to get music to from Dad’s PC). I was going to get her one of those iPod clips (in my price range, I see that the smallest is $80) but this guy at work says iPods are crap and Microsoft is coming out with a better player soon. I believe him I guess but I wondered what other people were thinking.

The loving are the daring. Dare to love and be loved! :o

2

I could give you several very biased reasons why you should avoid the Zune, but the most objective one I can offer is they haven’t hit the streets yet and haven’t been field-tested by the masses. It could be the iPod killer, or it could totally suck. But it will be months before that’s decided.

Of course, the only person it really matters to is your stepmother. Since she’s non-technically inclined, the tech details will matter: how to upload/delete songs from the music player, what restrictions there are to each player, how to use the software each player is compatible with, what music service options are available to her.

I have a 10GB iPod and use iTues and find the whole thing easy. To upload songs, I can drag and drop mp3 or m4p files from my music library to my iPod. To delete them, I highlight the song in the list and hit Delete. There are basically only two restrictions to your song files: one, m4ps can only be shared among five computers, and two, you cannot (legally) copy music files from an iPod to a computer.

iTunes works perfectly for me, although I notice Windows users seem to have issues with it. I own both a PC and a Mac, but only listen to music on my Mac, so I can’t comment on whether the Windows version does in fact have problems. I do, however, know there are alternative software programs to iTunes, so it’s not like you have no choice but to use iTunes with your iPod. I assume your dad’s PC currently has song files-- maybe you could download iTunes and play with it for a little while and see if your stepmother can use it/likes it.

From what I understand, the Zune’s restrictions are a little more complicated. Users will be able to transmit music (no idea if formats other than mp3 will be supported) and photos wirelessly between Zunes, but supposedly there will be a 3-play or 3-day limit on the playback of these shared songs. Once the 3 plays or days have gone, the files will remain on the Zune but be unplayable. (As far as I can tell, it’s unclear if the files will ever be playable again, even if you’re able to download them to a PC.) Not a big issue for those who won’t be sharing music wirelessly, but it is a drawback unique to the Zune.

I would also consider the iTunes Music Store into the equation. Microsoft is supposedly planning an equivalent to the iTMS, but it’s going to be a long time, if ever, before its library of music and video approaches that of the iTMS. I know you’re not considering an iPod capable of video playback, but there may be music your stepmother wants she might not be able to get as easily as she could from the iTMS. And since iTMS files are in the m4p format, which only iPods/iTunes can play, if she gets a Zune, she won’t be able to listen to them unless she converts them to mp3 first… something I don’t think someone not technically inclined will want to do. Hell, I am technically inclined and I don’t want to do that.

Assuming the mp3 player isn’t a surprise, if you’re able to, you should take your stepmother to the nearest Apple store and go play with the iPod models on display. (If you didn’t want to install iTunes on your dad’s PC, all the Macs at the store should have iTunes installed.) After playing with them, she might decide she loves them (or hates them) and make the whole debate a moot point.

3

AudreyK makes some excellent points. Personally, I’m reluctant to buy version 1 of a product, especially from Microsoft. The iPod is pretty thoroughly vetted by this point, and the Zune is brand-new. If it’s anything like the first Windows, the first MS-Word, or the first Internet Explorer, then you’d be well served by waiting for rev 2.

In looking over the specs on the Zune, I don’t see anything that would entice me to switch from the iPod. Additionally, I have both Mac and Windows machines, and given Microsoft’s support of the Mac lately, I don’t think the Zune would be an option for me anyway.

4

Early reports on Zune aren’t very favourable. To begin with, its music marketplace is rather sparse – not many albums/artists yet and no movies, TV shows, podcasts or audio books. Moreover while songs are the average $0.99c each, you’ll be required to buy them with “points” which are only available in blocks of $5, which will get you 395 points, since each song is 79 points. The wireless “sharing” feature is also rather crippled; while you can send songs to someone wirelessly, the songs will expire after 3 plays or 3 days, whichever comes first, and that person can’t share those songs with a third person. Not a bad idea, but ultimately a little pointless.

The Zune itself is said to be a fair bit larger and a bit heavier than the iPod Video which, despite its larger screen, might not appeal to some people. Since little else is known about the hardware itself though it’s impossible to compare it to an iPod.

Personally I’d stick with the iPod. I’m hardly a fanboy, but having tried a number of different MP3 players, I have to give props to the iPod. It’s quick, it’s simple, features are easily accessable, and changing tracks is almost as fast as playing them on your home computer since it caches a number of songs ahead. Battery life is great, design is simple and elegant, features are great – though I’d still really, really like an on-board EQ instead of a bunch of presets that mostly suck. Still, small complaint in an otherwise excellent device. I don’t know what to expect from Zune, but I find it difficult to imagine that it’s going to be any better.

5

Thanks for the info. One of my friends at work showed me how to work her iPod this afternoon and it looked really easy. She said she could show me on Monday how to get music to the iPod from her computer (she’s doing this on her work computer, don’t tell anyone! :slight_smile:

I’ve only used a portable CD player or a radio when I work out, but if it’s as easy as this, I might have to get an iPod for myself too.

It would be a drive to get to an Apple store so I don’t think I’ll make the trip but I appreciate the suggestions.

The computer guy said that the iPods break too easy but my work buddy said her iPod has lasted for years with no problems. Maybe she got lucky.

Dad is better with the computer than step-mom so if I can figure it out then he’ll be able to help her. My cousin just sent me an e-mail too saying that her son loves his iPod.

Can you take songs from a CD that you have and put it on the iPod or do you have to buy them from the iPod store? Does the iPod store have every album that you would find at Target or Best Buy?

6

Yes, you can import a CD you bought. Stick it in the CD drive, and hit the “Import” button. In most cases, it will even figure out what the name of the CD and tracks are from the Internet or code on the disk.

The iPod store (technically the iTunes Music Store) has an awful lot of music, but not everything. The Beatles, for example, have never signed on for electronic distribution (plus their company is perennial mad at Apple for one thing or another).

But you don’t have to ask us: you don’t need an iPod to browse (or even use) the iTunes music store. Just download a copy and take a look, it’s free until you buy something. If you don’t have an iPod and want to buy something, you can download it, and iTunes will burn it on a CD for you (but only songs, not video stuff).

7

Just to be clear in my last post: the “import” button I’m talking about is in iTunes. You don’t absolutely need to use iTunes with an iPod, but the alternatives are generally much harder and less supported. You can get iTunes for Windows or Macintosh at www.apple.com/itunes

8

Any mp3 can be played, regardless of where it was purchased/downloaded. I have thousands of mp3s from old Napster/Kazaa, converted from .wmv, ripped from audio CDs, from the iTMS, and ones my musician boyfriend created himself, and I’ve had no problems at all.

It depends, and as TimeWinder mentioned, there are some gaps in the collection. Apple negotiates with record companies to have music available for download. If an artist isn’t there, that means they either weren’t negotiated with, or they declined to have that artist’s music posted. It also sometimes happens that only part of an artist’s work will be available, such as only one album, or only one song that was on a soundtrack or compilation. It really depends.

Song will also occasionally have the annoying restriction of “Album Only”, meaning you need to buy the whole album to get the one song. I understand this is either at the artist or label’s insistence, though, not Apple’s.

9

I promise I’ll shut up after this one, but one more thing: If you’ve already got music in electronic form that you want to put on the iPod, it will need to be AAC or MP3 format. If it’s any of the Windows formats (.wma, .wmv), Ogg Vorbis, or anything more esoteric, the iPod won’t play them.

This is, in my opinion, what will kill the Zune. It doesn’t have the cache’ of the iPod, and folks are going to be leery of buying music that they will NEVER be able to play on an iPod, should they later get one. The same is true the other way around, of course, but the iPod has 70 or 80 percent of the market, so it’s less of an issue.

As for iPods breaking, yes they do. They’re small electronic devices meant to be carried while driving, walking, running, biking, etc. They’re subject to shocks, bumps, and accidents, and will therefore have a relatively high failure rate when used like that. But they are no different from any other device in that sense. My wife and I have owned four iPods between us over several years, and never had a failure – I attribute that in part to the fact that we basically use them in our cars and offices – not while exercising.

10

When I decided to import a few hundred CD’s into iTunes, I found a really useful preference option. Under Preferences → Advanced, there is a setting called “Upon CD Insert…” One option is “Import CD and eject.” For a few evenings, I would take a stack of CD’s, and put them one by one in the slot. Without any further instruction, iTunes would look up the CD name and track info, import and organize the music, eject the CD, and wait for the next one. The CD’s have all been on a shelf in the basement ever since.

11

If she’s going to be jogging and especially if she has a small music collection, I would suggest a Nano or even a Shuffle. They both use a flash drive instead of a hard disk, meaning they will be far more tolerant of shocks over time than the 30 or 80 gig iPod Videos that use a hard drive.

The only other caveat with iTunes is that it must be used using either OS X or Windows 2000/XP.

12

I agree the iPod Shuffle is very easy to use and great for exercising. I can’t see any point in getting something with video capability to use while exercising. Maybe on a stationary bike? But video would up the cost and just be something else to break. For exercising, you might want to consider a Shuffle with an armband and/or better headphones. For a lot of people (we just did a thread) the earbuds don’t stay in well when you walk or jog.

13

Boingboing has been tracking info on the Zune’s unfriendly DRM policies.

Zune violates Creative Commons
Microsoft Zune won’t play purchased Microsoft media files

14

If your stepmom just wants something to use while exercising, don’t get the Zune. Whatever its merits, it’s bigger and bulkier than the biggest iPod, not something you want on your person while you’re exercising. Get the new shuffle, or, if you think she’d do better with a screen, the cheapest nano (I believe it’s $150).

15

Yeah, the most important thing to come out of this thread with is to make sure that whatever you get is flash-memory based instead of HD based. I eventually ruined my first iPod by running with it… it took a while, actually, and was by no means fragile, but I just kept on running and running… :slight_smile:

16

Thanks for all the advice. My work buddy is going to show me how to use iTunes today and I’m going to try and download it to my work computer and see how it works. (My internet connection at home is still dial-up and I think it might be too slow to download CDs). I think I’ll get a shuffle, that’s more in my price range anyway and several of you have said that for exercising and running a shuffle is better.

You guys are the best!

The loving are the daring. Dare to love and be loved! :o

17

Two datapoints:

The iPod has had a consistent cable solution for 5 different models (a doodad purchsed for your 3rd gen ipod will with with your new 2nd gen Nano)

The Zune:
-Doesn’t support Microsoft’s ‘Plays for sure’ format…which was last years hot Microsoft music initiative
-It’s only big feature seperating it from the competition is the ability to beam music to other Zunes…that music, if purchased, can only be played three times and expires in three days. Does that sound like something she’d need?

18

It’s not limited to purchased music – any song you beam from one Zune to another is subjected to the play-three-times-or-three-days expiration limit, even if it’s music you composed on your own and uploaded as protection-free MP3s. Which makes it a bit odd that Microsoft is hyping that aspect of the Zune as a way for budding musicians to promote their music…

19

I wasn’t sure, and wanted to keep with the parts I was sure about.

IMHO, there’s iPod, and then there’s this huge fragmented group of companies all scrambling for the remainign 15% of the market. Some of them are GREAT at some specialized thing (FM transmitter, unlimited music downloads for $15 a month) but they don’t have the whole tamale like Apple does.

Apple’s not perfect, but what they do is a percentage better than everybody else.

20

That’s only true for songs purchased from the iTunes Music Store. If you choose to make your imported music in that format, there are no copy restrictions.

As far a fragility goes, you can punt the Shuffle 30 yards and I’m sure it’ll work just fine when you pick it up. It so small it would take a large amount of pressure to do any damage beyond aesthetic, and the only moving s are the clip and the slide switch.

I just got my Mother-in-Law a Shuffle for when she’s walking the dog. She’s just learned how to email, and get to websites.

Last week, I taught her how to use the ‘Enter’ key to leave paragraph breaks --and I have no doubt in my mind what so ever that she will be changing out the music on her new iPod almost daily, and without trouble.

It IS that easy.