Zune Vs. iPod - Which player is right for you?

So, are you the start of the Zune viral marketing program for Applefritter? You are a pretty new user, so I have little to base any assumptions on than just a few posts... all about the Zune. Viral marketing works best when it's from a trusted source. No offence, but "new user making first two posts about brand new product with hyped viral marketing campaign" is not a trusted source.

But, this may just be the skeptic in me. I haven't run Windows as a main OS in my house since 2002. I don't own a copy of XP. There is no way I can use a Zune even if I wanted one, short of buying a $199 OS and maybe some hardware upgrades to make it useable. Unless they get the Zune software working under WINE for Linux. I think many users of this forum are in a similar situation. "Switching" us to Zune is much more than just picking up a $249 player. I've already got a 3G and a 5G iPod in my home. Zune has zero interest for me, other than as a point of interest in the computing/media marketplace. An Apple forum is a very hard sell for a product that doesn't work with the machines of discussion...

Same boat, here. Even if I wasn't happy with my Nano, a Zune wouldn't be a practical choice, at all. I have neither the hardware, nor money to buy it, nor interest in owning it, to use a Zune. Oh shucks.

And just out of curiosity... why is this in the Apple II forum?

Moved to other tech.

Astroturf

The best reason to buy an iPod is that it's *not* a Zune. This sort of thing makes my bull***t detector bury the needle. :^b

--Peace

I tried a Zune at Target a couple times this week. One thing that peeved me is the landscape mode. It only goes one way, so that the controls are on the right. As a lefty, this sucks. A quick addition of a config option and some quick software mods and they'd make at least 10% of the population happier. The interface (ie. buttons) aren't bad, but as an iPod user I kept wanting to use the circular directional controller as a scroll wheel. Oops. No luck. That's bad design if a user must make mistakes to learn that a control doesn't function like the shape of it implies. A 5 button cross or even raised bumps would give the impression of separate buttons and facilitate better tactile feedback of which button will activate when you press it. Both my wife an I commented on the thickness. It was the first thing she noticed.

leave it to a woman to notice the thickness

The one thing that bugs me most about the zune, is that it has wifi but can only connect to other zunes, and that songs shared only work for 3 plays. Also it uses a whole new marketplace system that doesn't work with the old music stores.

now you can correct me, but I thought I heard from someone that got one said he couldn't even get his Podcasts or CDs ripped onto it and get it to play (it just gave some circle with an "x" through it.) He says the only way you can get music for it, is to get a subscription and pay at the M$ Store.
Am I wrong about this?
I also see from some sites reporting, that M$ is coughing up $1 for every zune they sell to "Universal recording" because the device "may" carry illegal songs.
What does this mean for people who DON'T pirate? Does this mean they are being guilty as charged because they "might" put illegal songs on the zune? This is a bunch of BS

I also see from some sites reporting, that M$ is coughing up $1 for every zune they sell to "Universal recording" because the device "may" carry illegal songs.
What does this mean for people who DON'T pirate? Does this mean they are being guilty as charged because they "might" put illegal songs on the zune? This is a bunch of BS

Was this meant to be a quote of someone? If not, why did you use italics here?

Let's use a bit of logic. Assuming songs can only be bought through the Microsoft store, how could you get 'pirated' songs onto your Zune in the first place? So if this is enough of a worry to be paying fees to Universal then getting non-Microsoft-sold songs onto a Zune should be trivial.

That was an afterthought. Sorry, forgot to put the "Edit" before it.

Now, I might have this wrong, but I seem to remember reading on El Reg that Zune is not compatible with Vista, nor is there any roadmap to make it compatible. If this is indeed true, am I the only one that finds this completely absurd? Not only can I use my iPod on my OS X rigs, (should I fall and hit my head, or something :-P) I can also get my iPod to work with my Windows machine (through reformatting, etc.)

iPod seems much more flexible. I use my mini for music, either through headphones or through the input jack on my car stereo. I've tried Minidisc players, PSPs, Zen Micros, but the iPod does everything I need it to, and a darn sight better than anything else.

Cheers,

The Czar

I don't like the Zune as much as the next person, but this is patently false. From everything I have seen and read, the Zune plays back unencrypted MP3 and WMA, an addition to anything purchased at the Zune music store.