The iPod has finally met its match! Well, not really.
With the introduction of the Zune HD, many Microsoft cronies are quick to proclaim that it will finally be the device that can take on the iPod. Yes to most this feat seems impossible, especially for Microsoft, the company famous for introducing copies, albeit ugly nonfunctional ones of other peoples hard work and ingenuity. The Zune HD, although better than the brick it replaces is still nowhere near the iPod in functionality and practicality. It is no surprise that Microsoft introduced a full touchscreen device, just like the iPhone and iPod Touch did years ago. The only real feature that Microsoft included that Apple has not and will not use is RADIO which works great on the ZUNE. However navigate anywhere else within the Zune’s impossibly complex UI and you will see why the iPod has become the clear choice for 87.3% of the population. Some other things which Microsoft has tried to copy from Apple include an “App Store” which has a total of......... NINE (yes a single digit - 9) applications, all of which were developed by Microsoft. At this time Microsoft is not going to allow outside developers to make apps for its ZUNE. These 9 apps hail in comparison with the 75,000 FREE applications in the App Store from Apple. Im sorry but these 9 applications do not allow enough expansion for the cluttered Zune. The Microsoft Store had about half as many songs as the iTunes Store, about 15 times less the videos (500) and about 10 times less TV Shows available for download. YES the Zune does have the price advantage over the iPod, a measly 10 bucks!!! Laughable in my opinion. All in all, the Microsoft Zune is one of the worst “iPod killers” to come out in years.
phammybly Sep 17, 2009 at 9:36 PM
Reader Comments (7)
Could you be any more biased? Why didn't you mention that the Zune has a WAY better screen than the Touch, an HD radio, and the Zune pass which is better than the iTunes store. It also has a better interface than the Touch. I have the 2nd gen Touch, and i will not be buying the next generation after Apple consistently screws up the upgrade. They barely even changed ANYTHING since the Touch launched. I will be buying a Zune Touch next.
"The only real feature that Microsoft included that Apple has not and will not use is RADIO which works great on the ZUNE" I did mention the radio.. Zune Pass is a joke, you pay 15 bucks a month and if you decide to cancel you cant keep any of the things you downloaded.The screen.. Zune's is 480 by 272, the iPod Touch's is 480 by 320.... hmmmm I wonder which is more high res????? thats a tough one.. The interface is menu style which has proven to be a failure on touch devices. Why do you think that the only great touch phones include the iPhone, the G1, and the Palm Pre??? none of which have the menu style UI. Im sorry but I was not being biased, only fair to the facts
If you're fair to the facts, you would know that Zune pass gives you 10 free songs every month for keeps along with being able to have any song you want as long as you pay the monthly fee. So you get 120 songs every year along with unlimited rentals for under $180. Amazing deal.
What you are reading is the scaled down specs of the resolution, as stated by even Wikipedia. There is a reason it has HD after its name, it can play videos that are 720 x 576 at 30fps as well as 1280 x 720 in 720p high def. Videos that aren't HD will be scaled down to that of the iPod Touch.
Your article is a fact fail, and the iPod Touch interface can get extremely cluttered.
There is no point in having HD video on a screen with measly resolution. The only way you can play the HD content is by connecting it to your HDTV via the 90 dollar dock
Patrick is right. The iPod Touch is way better than the Zune HD. He is not biased. He is just telling the truth. It was a very well written article that expressed his opinions about this iPod Touch "competitor."
No, Patrick is not right. This by far is one of the most biased articles I've ever read. As of now, the Zune HD launch is probably off to a better start than the original touch. You're comparing a first generation device, to a third generation device. Let's not forget that when the iPod Touch first came out, it featured ZERO apps for download, was slow and laggy, and didn't have very good menus. Oh, and it also had a pretty ludicrous price tag too.
All the reasons you listed as "bad" on the Zune, were just as "bad" on the original iPods (and most aren't even that much better now...).
Trying to compare these two devices is just absurd, and I think many people need to realise this. Give it time.
I'm going to have to agree and call this review just a tad bit biased. Even if Microsoft released a device that feature holograms and a built in pancake maker, that was the size of a cell phone, I have a feeling you would find something wrong with it.
Let's be reasonable here. The Zune Pass is considerably better then iTunes because of the reasons stated above. 120 songs you get to keep, and unlimited rentals. I'd say that's a pretty good deal. And your App comparison is totally out of line. Zune HD just launched. Do you honestly expect it to have anywhere near the number of the iPod, which has been building it's App store for what, 2 years now? And also: Palm didn't let people develop for the Pre right off the bat, neither is Microsoft. The UI is INCREDIBLE on the Zune HD. It makes the iPhone OS look like a joke. Granted the menu system might seem odd at first, but they made everything nice and large, so it's not hard to hit. And the way things load out are just a bit jaw dropping at first.
Also you failed to mention the fact that the Zune HD has an Nvidia Terga processor inside. That means this thing will kill the iPod Touch in 3D gaming, considering it's capabilities in that area. Just saying. However I'll give you this. The iPod has name recognition and a loyal fanbase, and a very good system backing it up, making it hard for anything to ever "kill" the iPod. So I wouldn't worry about this being the iPod Killer, rather then "the better option for people who love music".