Zune FTW!
Got my 2nd generation 80GB Zune last weekend, thanks a ton to Sony for getting it from the US. A few people have been asking me, why the Zune? Why not the iPod? Which company makes Zunes?
Most people here haven’t heard about the Zune mainly because its sold only in the US and since recently in Canada, unlike the iPod which is more of a global product. And the 2nd generation was released in October of 2007, so its quite a new product. Unlike the first generation, which became the butt of all mp3 player jokes, this one has been received well by most critics, some even stating it to be better than the iPod.
The main features I was looking for were
- Minimum 80GB
- Would be used to play videos as well
- Radio would be a plus,though not a necessity
- Should handle a decent number of file types
- Value for money
Had to do some research to narrow down on my selection. Wikipedia has a comparison chart that can be a great starting point. In the end, some of the options I had were the iPod( Touch and Classic), Zune, Archos 605 and a couple of others like the Cowon A3. The iPod touch has only 16GB and is way expensive, although it is a much more capable device. Between the Zune and the iPod, the Zune costs almost the same, has an FM tuner and has a 3.2″ screen compared to a 2.5″ for the iPod. The Archos 605 seems to be the favourite for many reviewers, but it costs 100$ more, is quite bulky and you need to pay extra for each plugin, even the web browser. But again, its almost in a different class of device, more closer to the iPod Touch. Plus I had read a lot of negative feedback about the Archos player especially regarding their customer care. Surely, an MS or Apple product would be more reliable and will have better support than say an Archos or a Cowon device. In the end, the cost plus the big screen made me select the Zune.
