
We pit both corporate offspring against each other to see which reigns supreme when the cards fall.
Microsoft has made no attempt to hide which trendy little MP3 player lay in the sights of the recently released Zune HD: Apple’s iPod Touch. Apple turned the market upside down when it released the Touch back in 2007, and while Microsoft let its own Zune line languish for two years before responding, the silver bullet Microsoft has finally offered up has clearly been engineered to drop Apple. But will it succeed? With both players in hand, we ran down the key advantages of each to determine which truly makes the ultimate portable video device.
Price
Microsoft may have had Apple firmly trounced in the price department when it lifted the lid on the ZuneHD pricing back in August, but since Apple responded with a price drop on the Touch in September, the gap has narrowed significantly. Apple technically holds the lowest entry-level price with the 8GB iPod Touch, marked at $199, but only because Microsoft’s cheapest Zune sports 16GB of memory, and sells for $220. (Apple no longer offers a model in that size capacity, but you can still snag a 16GB iPod Touch through Amazon for $248).

The two players only match up head-to-head in the 32GB size, where Apple’s iPod sells for $299 and the ZuneHD sells for $290, and almost-negligible price difference for most folks debating between the two. Apple’s top-shelf 64GB player sells for $399, but Microsoft offers no comparable ZuneHD in that capacity. Although Apple has the cheapest entry-level model, we have to hand the price war victory to Microsoft, which has managed to skim just enough off the price to make non-Apple-devotees look twice before leaping.
Winner: Microsoft
Display
The generous 3.5-inch screen on Apple’s iPod Touch has long made it the de facto player of choice for on-the-go video, but Microsoft set out to challenge that lead with the ZuneHD. Not by offering a bigger screen, but a better one. Although the ZuneHD screen measures a slightly smaller 3.3 inches diagonally, it’s uses cutting edge OLED technology, which delivers brightness and contrast unlike anything you can find in a LCD. It’s the same technology that sizzled before our eyes on the Samsung Impression and it looks even more impressive here, where Microsoft has crammed more pixels (480 by 272) into a similar space for a crisper look. You’ll really only need to watch Microsoft’s demo video to realize that this is no gimmick – it absolutely shimmers with color. If this thing were a miniature TV, it would be the Pioneer Elite Kuro Pro 111FD.

Will you notice the lack of 0.2 inches diagonally? Absolutely. And technically, Apple has more pixels (480 x 320), too. But we think the brilliance of an OLED display more than makes up for it.
Winner: Microsoft
Battery Life
No matter how small or how capable, a personal media player does no good if you’re constantly running back to the wall to charge it, making battery life one of the most important specs that you’ll never truly appreciate until you take a device into the field. In this department, Apple didn’t have it half bad to begin with, boasting 30 hours of music playback and six hours of video playback for the iPod Touch. That’s a very respectable three movies, provided you use modest settings. But Microsoft has one upped Apple here as well, claiming the Zune HD will deliver 33 hours of music and 8.5 hours of video. However slight another three hours of music may look, the extra 2.5 hours of video stands out to us as a significant advantage – and it makes sense, given that OLED displays are more efficient than their LCD counterparts. Even if you don’t want to watch Titanic back to back, the extended battery life should allow you to pump up brightness past the most miserly settings to a more pleasant level.

Although most PMP owners we know tend to leave their players overnight for a little R&R when it’s charging time, Microsoft claims the Zune HD will fill up faster, too: two hours when fast charging from a wall adapter, three when suckling from a computer’s USB port. Apple claims the iPod Touch can fast charge to 80 percent capacity in two hours, but requires four for a full charge.
Winner: Microsoft



















Showing 450 comments
RSSThey don't even talk about the weight which a Zune is 2.6 ounces and 4 for the iPod.
Also the Video Formats they can handle. And don't forget the HD Radio that iPod doesn't even have a regular radio.
Which in all of these the Zune is better.
I'm mean only thinkin' of the LED Screen.
F**k the rest.
And even the rest f**k the iPod.
Screw it. I'm gonna buy a Zune.
1200 points for $15, about 80 points for $1
songs cost 79 pts or 99 pts on zune
songs cost .99 or 1.29 on itunes
now zune has its own problems... but it is only its 1st gen.. the ipod is in its 4th.. and in my opinion just barely able to compete with zune. zunes firmware is MUCH more organized, cleaner, just easier to use. most of the apps you get on your precious little ipods are available for zune too btw... they just arent being uploaded to the zune software currently.. you gotta do some work [i know.. googling is difficult] and with the upcoming windows phone 7, the zune hd's will be getting a firmware upgrade to probably support flash
[woot, go youtube]... and many more apps will be produced to support both devices.... oh.. did i mention zune's support 3d like gaming with graphics that are equal to and could surpass a psp? and a new lil thing is coming to microsofts handhelds... something called XBOX LIVE... thats right.. xbox live on zune... so go ahead and play your guitar hero like games on your ipod while i play the real thing... apple has been overrated for to long... start looking at the facts
This is article is definately biased. Its comparing such insignificant specs that no one cares about. A price difference of $10 - MICROSOFT WINS!!!!!!!11 Okay there, easy boy. How many cool kids do you know who say "LoOK Ah ME EVrY1 I GOtS A zUNE!!!oneoneone"? Some cool kid huh?
xbox rules in online play
ps3 rules in audio/video quality (Blu-Ray)
they both have awesome games
the fact that they took so long to do it just shows that they put their all into it. and before anyone calls me an "apple hater", i would like to say that on some points, apple wins. their computers are far better than anything else out there, and their os is far ahead of windows 7.
1- how about the collective sum of human knowledge- see wiki2touch (jailbroken), or encyclopedia (app store)- download all of wikipedia on to your device for offline viewing
2- nes, gba, playstation emulators as well as an n64 and SNES emulator that have bluetooth WII-MOTE SUPPORT and may soon have PS3 controller support
3- Remote Desktop- self explanatory
4- check out xGPS- an app that lets you download google maps. I have the google map of my entire city- 16 zoom levels (only 100 mb). You can download a map of pretty much anywhere.
5- ebook reader, web radio, full dictionary, google earth, comic book reader (.cbr and .cbz files), a new york times app that automatically downloads the latest news so i can read anywhere.
6- the games are great- check out NOVA, one of the best mobile fps, Plants vs. Zombies, Need for Speed, GTA chinatown wars, etc...
Lets see what is coming soon to the ipod:
Core Player 2.0- will allow the touch to play back nearly any video and audio file type (xvid, divx, flv, etc..)
Novell is releasing software that allows easy conversion of xbox 360 XNA games to the ipod touch.
More and more games- i have heard that there are more developers making games for the ipod touch then the psp and ds combined
For fun, check out the icontrolpad.
Anyways, the point is that the ipod offers a heck of a lot of functionality (even more so if jailbroken which i found to be surprisingly risk free). If all you want if a portable mp3/video player then the zune is probably a better choice. If you want a pocket-able computer, get the ipod touch. Also, i wouldn't get your hopes up too much for more zune hd apps. Microsoft will be releasing the windows 7 phone and zune hd 2(not sure) which will be running a different operating system and they will be likely focusing on these new platforms, but thats just a guess (well they already announced the zune hd wont support the new XNA 4.0).
Why would you say Nick is a Microsoft geek? Have you read any of his other articles? What makes you come to that conclusion? Sounds like you are just trolling.
The ipod touch is obviously better.
I for one didn't expect to use ANY. I was shopping for JUST A MUSIC PLAYER. But now, I use:
-TextFree linked with my Google Voice number
-The best facebook app
-Mail app with push notifications (way superior and faster than the gmail mobile site, can also be used offline)
-Youtube
-Caledar that syncs with my google calendar
-Dictionary (which is usable offline)
-Twitter app
I use my touch more for other things than music, and I listen to music a ton. The apps are the type of thing that you can't live without until you start using them.
PS: And, the only app I listed that cost money is TextFree. Also, I didn't mention any games, which are actually GOOD on the iPod touch (ign.com has a whole section of their site devoted to iPhone games).
The size difference is not that noticible the weight is a little though.
Seriously. Software is a draw? Gee, I wonder if you have actually used a Zune HD or whether you're just looking at some specification tables. the iPod touch is intant to open a calculator. The Zune HD takes around 15(!) seconds. I'll even admit it, the Zune HD has better hardware, but it's Apple's software that makes it stand above all else. And the App Store is a VERY big feature of the Apple iPod touch. 3 billion downloads!!! I wonder if the Zune HD will ever even rack up 100,000 in its whole life span? It's doubtable.
Try getting a reasonably cheap Zune HD Dock with built in FM Radio and Alarm Clock. There are over 500 different models compatable with the iPod touch. They said that accessories will just come over time. I can say for sure that they won't. There are too many MS fan boys on the internet, but I assume that is just normal.
In conclusion, don't bother actually taking this comparison into account when considering which one to buy. Yes, the Zune HD has its trumps and so do the iPod touch, but just try one where LITERALLY EVERYTHING is biased towards MS.
As far as battery claims, all manufacturers tend to stretch their battery claims as much as they can. There's nothing unusual in that. Thank you for bringing up one entirely unimportant point as to why this article is "completely misleading" you were so helpful to the discussion. I will NOT buy a Zune HD now because you convinced me that they ALL LIE!
Apple is hardware company with some software. Apple makes their own phones and PC.
Microsoft is software company with some hardware. Microsoft...let others make phones and PC.
PC that is Personal Computer.
- Huge selection of applications
- Built in speaker
- Larger screen
- Focus is more on gaming and wireless internet
Zune HD:
- OLED screen
- HD radio receiver
- Lighter (Zune 2.6 ounces, Touch 4.05 ounces)
- Focus is more on audio and video content
Both devices have unique features that the other lacks. Preference depends on the person.
For example, I have a SSH application, pingdom application, news applications (yahoo, nytimes), google, twitter, IM, Yelp, dropbox, movie times, and more. All non-music/video related an all extremely useful to me.
sorry
you can do apps for zune with the visual studio? if that the case i wanna buy one because with the tegra you had all to play around
stick with whatever you like...!
sure crack out some 10 bucks more and you got a portable pc...
or be 10 bucks cheaper and get the hd output and stuff...
why does anyone have to suck and the other one has to be awesome?!
why doesn't anyone say... they are both awesome..
don't bring that mac vs pc feud over here!!
they are PMP's and are meant for ENTERTAINMENT!!!
and they are both great
stick with whatever you like...!
sure crack out some 10 bucks more and you got a portable pc...
or be 10 bucks cheaper and get the hd output and shit...
why does anyone have to suck and the other one has to be awesome?!
why doesn't anyone say... they are both awesome..
don't bring that mac vs pc feud over here!!
they are PMP's and are meant for ENTERTAINMENT!!!
and they are both great
dsi r4
Apple, on the other hand, put iTunes on windows because Windows has a 96% market share on computers, so obviously, that and the fact that the iPod is pretty successful, they will reap benifits from putting it on Windows.
Microsoft probably knows too that people who have Macs are probably hardcore Apple people who hate anything with the word 'Microsoft' in it, even if they haven't used it.
Give the Zune time and it'll mature. It's only been out for 3 months for heaven's sake! Obviously there won't be many apps and there will be some teething problems.
We now have the same thing but it is a Zune it cost 3/4 of the price and it has lasted 2 years and is still going strong. I am now giving this to my mother of an exchange a Zune HD.
I am very very happy and I believethis is a great brand.
And i think it is unbiased!!!You can be the judge over which is better...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CW-1H0nrjOY
I would like to point out that unlike and Iphone, Ipod touch does not have a build-in GPS as the author mentioned in the 'App Support' category above.
and the zune Hd is axactly the same shape and size as the ipod touch
besides microsoft will never match the # of costomers that apple has
As far as I understand "wireless", and "wifi" in terms of internet connection is the same thing.
Personally, I am glad to see an in-depth comparison of the two.
Zune HD= The Ultimate Music, video and gaming device.
It comes down to what you are looking for in a handheld device. I want a device that plays my music, vids and games. Sure the Touch can do all that but the Zune HD has a step up with the OLED screen, which is amazing, and a more responsive Accelerometer, as shown with Audiosurf.
everyone else might outdo certain iPods in certain areas, but it's all just playing catch up.
I mean the Apple's internet WiFi for the touch is a LOT faster than the Zune HD.
However, most of these facts are seemingly true. I am more of an Ipod Person but this review gives me little doubts about the ipod now. =)
I WENT TO YOUTUBE TO WATCH SOME AMAZING VIDEOS FOR THE HD I WANT ONE CAUSE IT HAS A SCREEN SAVER MORE RADIO STATIONS THE PICS SLIDE AND ROTATES WITH THE ZUNE HD. THE HD HAS INTERNET, SLIDESHOWS, MUSIC,VIDEOS, PICS,APPS, ALREADY INSTALIED FOR U. I LIKE THE MICROST IT COME WITH. I HAVE A 30GB ZUNE I HAVE HAD FOR 3 YEARS NOW. THE HD LOOKS AWESOME. I LOVE THE PRICE. 219.99 I THINK, FOR THE 16GBHD AND THE 32 GB IS CLOSE TO $300.
I LIKE THE HD CAUSE IT HAS DIFFRENT COLORS IT'S COMING IN RED SOON
All this talk of which is better is really just matter of preference or intended use. If you are only interested in pmp, then clearly zune is a better package. If you already spend 10 a month in itunes, then 5 more gets you unlimited access to explore new music without risk, plus you get to keep 10 songs each month (based on the review anyway)
If you want a pocket pc that surfs the web, plays games and apps in addition to playing music then the ipod is a better value. If the zune had bluetooth as the 3G touch now has, my decision would be made. Unwired headphones has been such an important feature for me, I use my nano with a dongle not to have to deal with tangled wires. Either way the existence and success of the zune will only benefit ipod fans, forcing apple to continue it's innovations so everyone wins if zune HD succeeds.
Then it got stolen. But you have to admit that the Zune HD is pretty awesome.
Im getting 1 soon.
Lets look at both sides of the story first. The Touch has been around alot longer than the HD soo think of it this way, it was way ahead of its time, and not one single portable player out there could touch it, it has since been almost 4 years now. Mac has alot of ideas they can throw into a new touch. On the other hand the HD has been under design for over 2 years now, with one thing in mind, crush the ipod touch. Yes its has OLED , HD output, and more batt life. But think of it this way. Do u think APPLE has just been selling them making rediculous amounts of money without one second thinking about all the new technology they can throw into it? Back to microsoft, With the new atom processor out, who knows WHAT MS will do next, The HD is the first step towards new platforms and new standards for all PMPS out there
(NO ONE) Enough said
zune hd = pretty good pmp
gordan 47 = fanboy who has no idea what hes talking about
zune hd = pretty good pmp
gordan 47 = retard fanboy who has no idea what hes talking about
ill admit, the ipod touch has SOME things above the zune. but simply stating that the zune HD can never be as good as the ipod is very ignorant. My vote is very much on the Microsoft Zune side.