I haven’t heard one major complaint about the Zune HD. Have you? Everyone seems to love it. My only iPod – the original iPod Mini – needs to be retired. I’m debating between the iPod touch and the Zune HD right now. The rebellious side in me wants to get the Microsoft Zune HD, which is kind of ironic if you think about it. However, the sensible side says that the iPod touch is the smart buy primarily because of the vast range of accessories available.
Last Christmas I got my 14-year old sister-in-law a Zune 80 over an iPod touch or classic. She got the Zune because it offered more storage than the flash-based touch, but had a bigger screen than the iPod classic. Plus I’ve never had a Zune act funky or die on me, which is something I can’t say that about an iPod. But then her birthday rolled around and we wanted to get her a speaker dock. Yeah, there are five speaker docks on the market and either they sound like poo, or they are made by Kicker and therefore out of our price range. She ended up getting a 2.1 computer speaker set with a y-cable.
The issue I have is that I like all the extras you can do with these devices. I have an Onkyo iPod dock along with a Belkin RF car dock that I used to use all the time with the iPod Mini. I expect to have the same capabilities with my new purchase, but I don’t think I can get that with the Zune HD.
Right now the Zune HD has a $90 docking kit that includes a remote, cables, and of course a dock. That’s cool, but will A/V companies produce their own dock that utilize digital transport for the audio and controlled by the receiver’s remote? Or will car audio companies make head-units that can control the Zune HD? Or even when will the first speaker dock be available because the five for the older Zunes aren’t 100% compatible. All these unknowns and are holding back my Zune HD purchase.
But really the same concern about 3rd party accessories for the device can be translated into the App world as well. Right now there isn’t a clear-cut way for developers to release applications for the Zune Marketplace. But there are billions of apps waiting for me Apple’s App Store. To be honest I don’t care that much about this facade, but it’s still on my mind.
If I lived a headphone life, I would have already purchased the Zune HD. I’m sure of that. But I sit at my desk where I have wonderful Polk Audio RTi150 speakers hooked up to an Onkyo receiver. I only breakout headphones during my kid’s naptime and even then, they are used via the receiver. I want the new portable device primarily for around the house with my various A/V setups (I’m an audio nerd), for in-the-car music listening, to entertain my 2 year-old son with classic Donald Duck shorts, and for the occasional plane ride.
I still don’t know which one I’m going to purchase. Available accessories are an important feature in my mind and the iPod wins that point by a mile, but the Zune HD is just so eff’n cool. IDK.
“she got the Zune because” as opposed to, “she wanted the Zune because”.
Nobody wants a Zune.
Ouch.
Give her the iPod touch and keep last years Zune for yourself.
That would be the right thing, just say’n.
Actually, I have both a Zune (1st Gen) and iPod Classic. I never use the iPod anymore because I had some lock up problems and the interface on the Zune is SO MUCH better. The only problem that I have is with the desktop software/marketplace. I have a Macbook Pro so have to run Zune in a Windows virtual. Second, I hate, hate, hate the points system so I just buy DRM-free via Amazon usually (its normally cheaper than iTunes) or iTunes.
I’m thinking about buying the Zune HD too. Similar concerns for me are the availability of applications (which will come in time) and a big one for me is Internet Explorer on the device. I haven’t used it yet so the browser may be better than the piece of sh*t the desktop version still remains.
I am loving my Zune HD
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwweesomeeeeee!
was going to buy a ZHD,but bought iPod Touch.Because i love its design and iTunes store support.I want a perfect PMP.And ZHD is not a perfect player.I dont have mac computer but I love my iPod touch.iPod software is also very good.I have around 30 games with ipod touch and all are very nice.And other productive application also.I use apps a lot.And it also has bluetooth.
I know iPod Touch doesnt have HD radio,but i dont listen to radio,so i dont care for HD or FM radio.My brother wants to wait for next years iPod touch launch.He belives Apple will launch iPod Touch with 5 Mega Pixel camera,HD Support and GPS with OLED screen.
I dont want to say much about ZHD, but I’ll prefer iPod Touch over ZHD as a perfect PMP.
Enjoy paying 99 cents a song on iTunes while I pay $14.99 a month for literally hundreds of CDs on my Zune Pass
People who buy an iPod Touch instead of an iPhone are just as retarded. Why buy the one that lacks functionality? Might as well have bought a Zune HD and got a better UI and overall experience.
3rd-party content is actually actively supported by Microsoft, there is just no system for developers to release their content legally at the moment. But the development of content is underway.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=48f7ba37-8ba7-4d16-8873-0b7f83ef77f9&displaylang=en