Is $200 for a Microsoft Zune worth it?
- Thread starter RiCeBo1
- Start date
reibeatall
CAGiversary!
- Feedback
- 8 (100%)
I just got mine from CC for $210 with that coupon. I think it's awesome.
optimolife
Banned
I bought mine for $220 and I LOVE it. I got 5 Weeds episodes, 5 Transformers episodes and at least 5 other random videos, plus like 13,000 songs, 1000's of pictures and still got 17GB or so free.....the 30GB is plenty for me.
Definitely get it if you need an MP3 player and have been checking out the Zune.
Here's some Zune message boards you can check out for more info:
www.zuneboards.com
www.zunescene.com
Definitely get it if you need an MP3 player and have been checking out the Zune.
Here's some Zune message boards you can check out for more info:
www.zuneboards.com
www.zunescene.com
lionheartck
CAG Veteran
The Zune has a full line of cases and the such. I bought my Zune for $200, and it's definately worth it. Check out the following sites.
www.zunescene.com -news and links
www.decalgirl.com -skins
also, encode360 definately makes it worth it.
With a little searching, you'll find it has already been hacked, and can be upgraded to an 80gb harddrive, and can be used as a portable harddrive. Hope you enjoy it too.
www.zunescene.com -news and links
www.decalgirl.com -skins
also, encode360 definately makes it worth it.
With a little searching, you'll find it has already been hacked, and can be upgraded to an 80gb harddrive, and can be used as a portable harddrive. Hope you enjoy it too.
Yes, best compatibility with 360, can and will play games, beautiful screen, networking features, and much more future than any iPod has
I'm a minidisc girl and also have a cheap Panasonic flash player and a clearance Zen Photo Sleek...but the Zune is probably the only serious, high end mp3 player I'd consider
I'm a minidisc girl and also have a cheap Panasonic flash player and a clearance Zen Photo Sleek...but the Zune is probably the only serious, high end mp3 player I'd consider
chemical
CAGiversary!
Apple refurbished 30gb video ipod...$179, free shipping.
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wa/RSLID?mco=32DAAC51&nclm=Certified
The Zune is awful. I don't know if they've updated the software for it, but it was just plain garbage when I tried it a couple months ago.
And every video I've seen converted to play on it looks like crap. It's not like WMV is a bad codec...I think the Zune just uses a really low bitrate.
If you just really don't want an iPod, get a Sandisk Sensa or something else.
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wa/RSLID?mco=32DAAC51&nclm=Certified
The Zune is awful. I don't know if they've updated the software for it, but it was just plain garbage when I tried it a couple months ago.
And every video I've seen converted to play on it looks like crap. It's not like WMV is a bad codec...I think the Zune just uses a really low bitrate.
If you just really don't want an iPod, get a Sandisk Sensa or something else.
[quote name='sarausagi']much more future than any iPod has
[/QUOTE]
Pardon me while I guffaw. Guffaw. Thank you.
The Zune is an embarrassment. Aside from an FM radio and a slightly bigger non-widescreen display, the main feature it has that the iPod doesn't is the ability to share a song with another Zune user, who can then play it 3 times over the course of the next 3 days. Oh, and you can't even do that with all songs because of rights restrictions. There's also the "monthly pass" thing that the Zune Marketplace provides, but there are so many restrictions on it that it's not nearly as attractive as you might think.
Here's what you CAN'T do on the Zune, but can on the iPod:
You can't use iTunes (widely regarded as one of the best music programs around)
You can't use the iTunes Store (by far the most popular online music store)
You can't buy TV shows or movies from any online store to watch on the Zune
You can't listen to Audible.com audio books
You can't view standard video formats without transcoding to WMV
You can't use it as a hard drive to store or backup your files (at least not without a hack)
You can't use any of the thousands of iPod accessories out there
You can't play games ("sometime in the future" doesn't cut it)
You can't buy your music in actual dollar amounts -- you have to us MS points
You can't have podcasts downloaded directly to your device or have them automatically managed
You can't listen to tracks without gaps in between them
You can't use any PIM functions (calendar, address book, etc)
You can't use it on a Mac
You can't... Well, you get the idea.
With the iPod, you also get a slimmer device with a scroll wheel and easy-to-use OS. Yeah, some of this stuff may be fixed in future updates (although I wouldn't be surprised if they do most of it when they bring out new models instead of providing software updates for the early adopters). But why on earth would you want to subject yourself to such a clearly inferior device in the meantime? It's not even any cheaper than the iPod.
[quote name='yukine']Yes, anything but an iPod.
[/QUOTE]
Why? I never understand this attitude. Is it because the iPod is popular? It's popular because it's good. I know that isn't always the case with these things, but trust me, it's true.
[/QUOTE]
Pardon me while I guffaw. Guffaw. Thank you.
The Zune is an embarrassment. Aside from an FM radio and a slightly bigger non-widescreen display, the main feature it has that the iPod doesn't is the ability to share a song with another Zune user, who can then play it 3 times over the course of the next 3 days. Oh, and you can't even do that with all songs because of rights restrictions. There's also the "monthly pass" thing that the Zune Marketplace provides, but there are so many restrictions on it that it's not nearly as attractive as you might think.
Here's what you CAN'T do on the Zune, but can on the iPod:
You can't use iTunes (widely regarded as one of the best music programs around)
You can't use the iTunes Store (by far the most popular online music store)
You can't buy TV shows or movies from any online store to watch on the Zune
You can't listen to Audible.com audio books
You can't view standard video formats without transcoding to WMV
You can't use it as a hard drive to store or backup your files (at least not without a hack)
You can't use any of the thousands of iPod accessories out there
You can't play games ("sometime in the future" doesn't cut it)
You can't buy your music in actual dollar amounts -- you have to us MS points
You can't have podcasts downloaded directly to your device or have them automatically managed
You can't listen to tracks without gaps in between them
You can't use any PIM functions (calendar, address book, etc)
You can't use it on a Mac
You can't... Well, you get the idea.
With the iPod, you also get a slimmer device with a scroll wheel and easy-to-use OS. Yeah, some of this stuff may be fixed in future updates (although I wouldn't be surprised if they do most of it when they bring out new models instead of providing software updates for the early adopters). But why on earth would you want to subject yourself to such a clearly inferior device in the meantime? It's not even any cheaper than the iPod.
[quote name='yukine']Yes, anything but an iPod.
[/QUOTE]
Why? I never understand this attitude. Is it because the iPod is popular? It's popular because it's good. I know that isn't always the case with these things, but trust me, it's true.
[quote name='icruise']Pardon me while I guffaw. Guffaw. Thank you.
The Zune is an embarrassment. Aside from a slightly bigger non-widescreen display, the main feature it has that the iPod doesn't is the ability to share a song with another Zune user, who can then play it 3 times over the course of the next 3 days. Oh, and you can't even do that with all songs because of rights restrictions. There's also the "monthly pass" thing that the Zune Marketplace provides, but there are so many restrictions on it that it's not nearly as attractive as you might think.
Here's what you CAN'T do on the Zune, but can on the iPod:
You can't use iTunes (widely regarded as one of the best music programs around)
You can't use the iTunes Store (by far the most popular online music store)
You can't buy TV shows or movies from any online store to watch on the Zune
You can't listen to Audible.com audio books
You can't view standard video formats without transcoding to WMV
You can't use it as a hard drive to store or backup your files (at least not without a hack)
You can't use any of the thousands of iPod accessories out there
You can't play games ("sometime in the future" doesn't cut it)
You can't buy your music in actual dollar amounts -- you have to us MS points
You can't have podcasts downloaded directly to your device or have them automatically managed
You can't use it on a Mac
You can't... Well, you get the idea.
With the iPod, you also get a slimmer device with a scroll wheel and easy-to-use OS. Yeah, some of this stuff may be fixed in future updates (although I wouldn't be surprised if they do most of it when they bring out new models instead of providing software updates for the early adopters). But why on earth would you want to subject yourself to such a clearly inferior device in the meantime? It's not even any cheaper than the iPod.
Why? I never understand this attitude. Is it because the iPod is popular? It's popular because it's good. I know that isn't always the case with these things, but trust me, it's true.[/QUOTE]
Zune can play both iTunes and Audible, it supports the codecs: it's iTunes and Audible itself which doesn't want Zune to play its formats..you know..kind of like Apple hates every non iTunes music service..
As for "slimmer", yes, the iPod is slimmer but the zune is lighter and has a solid build. As for the accesories, would you dismiss a Motorola phone because it can't use the hundreds of thousands of Nokia accesories out there?
What impresses me about the Zune is that this is a first release, the absolute first Zune revision. iPod has, what? 4 generations?
I realize the Zune will never achieve the level of penetration the iPod will. Once you strike a chord with the public, there is no turning back, so Apple's won, a long time ago.
However, there's room for different in the world, especially the tech world: I don't think anyone can argue that Apple has a near monopoly on MP3.
The Zune is an embarrassment. Aside from a slightly bigger non-widescreen display, the main feature it has that the iPod doesn't is the ability to share a song with another Zune user, who can then play it 3 times over the course of the next 3 days. Oh, and you can't even do that with all songs because of rights restrictions. There's also the "monthly pass" thing that the Zune Marketplace provides, but there are so many restrictions on it that it's not nearly as attractive as you might think.
Here's what you CAN'T do on the Zune, but can on the iPod:
You can't use iTunes (widely regarded as one of the best music programs around)
You can't use the iTunes Store (by far the most popular online music store)
You can't buy TV shows or movies from any online store to watch on the Zune
You can't listen to Audible.com audio books
You can't view standard video formats without transcoding to WMV
You can't use it as a hard drive to store or backup your files (at least not without a hack)
You can't use any of the thousands of iPod accessories out there
You can't play games ("sometime in the future" doesn't cut it)
You can't buy your music in actual dollar amounts -- you have to us MS points
You can't have podcasts downloaded directly to your device or have them automatically managed
You can't use it on a Mac
You can't... Well, you get the idea.
With the iPod, you also get a slimmer device with a scroll wheel and easy-to-use OS. Yeah, some of this stuff may be fixed in future updates (although I wouldn't be surprised if they do most of it when they bring out new models instead of providing software updates for the early adopters). But why on earth would you want to subject yourself to such a clearly inferior device in the meantime? It's not even any cheaper than the iPod.
Why? I never understand this attitude. Is it because the iPod is popular? It's popular because it's good. I know that isn't always the case with these things, but trust me, it's true.[/QUOTE]
Zune can play both iTunes and Audible, it supports the codecs: it's iTunes and Audible itself which doesn't want Zune to play its formats..you know..kind of like Apple hates every non iTunes music service..
As for "slimmer", yes, the iPod is slimmer but the zune is lighter and has a solid build. As for the accesories, would you dismiss a Motorola phone because it can't use the hundreds of thousands of Nokia accesories out there?
What impresses me about the Zune is that this is a first release, the absolute first Zune revision. iPod has, what? 4 generations?
I realize the Zune will never achieve the level of penetration the iPod will. Once you strike a chord with the public, there is no turning back, so Apple's won, a long time ago.
However, there's room for different in the world, especially the tech world: I don't think anyone can argue that Apple has a near monopoly on MP3.
[quote name='sarausagi']Zune can play both iTunes and Audible, it supports the codecs: it's iTunes and Audible itself which doesn't want Zune to play its formats..you know..kind of like Apple hates every non iTunes music service..[/QUOTE]
Well, the Zune marketplace doesn't support the iPod either. And I forgot to add above that the Zune doesn't even support Microsoft's own PlaysForSure music format. How's that for bizarre?
I know that the Zune just launched and you can't expect parity in the number of accessories or whatnot, but my point is that when you look at what the two devices offer you, the Zune has practically no advantages over the iPod (or over any other MP3 player for that matter).
Well, the Zune marketplace doesn't support the iPod either. And I forgot to add above that the Zune doesn't even support Microsoft's own PlaysForSure music format. How's that for bizarre?
If the Motorola only had a handful of accessories and the Nokia had thousands of truly useful accessories, yeah I would.
I know that the Zune just launched and you can't expect parity in the number of accessories or whatnot, but my point is that when you look at what the two devices offer you, the Zune has practically no advantages over the iPod (or over any other MP3 player for that matter).
[quote name='icruise']Well, the Zune marketplace doesn't support the iPod either. And I forgot to add above that the Zune doesn't even support Microsoft's own PlaysForSure music format. How's that for bizarre?
[/QUOTE]
Quite strange, at first I thought it's simply because the PlaysForSure certification is a Microsoft standard for portable devices that intend use WMA/WMV codecs, while the Zune supports them natively...but...
That's not the case, I haven't found on real reason it doesn't work, when it should work, because Microsoft built the hardware, especially around their own Windows Media content
[/QUOTE]
Quite strange, at first I thought it's simply because the PlaysForSure certification is a Microsoft standard for portable devices that intend use WMA/WMV codecs, while the Zune supports them natively...but...
That's not the case, I haven't found on real reason it doesn't work, when it should work, because Microsoft built the hardware, especially around their own Windows Media content
boyboy1080
CAGiversary!
- Feedback
- 62 (100%)
i like the zune. i got mine on sale for 123.47 w/ no tax
?
.......
Guest
I would reccomend an iPod over a Zune.
[quote name='icruise']Why? I never understand this attitude. Is it because the iPod is popular? It's popular because it's good. I know that isn't always the case with these things, but trust me, it's true.[/QUOTE]
The main reason why I despised the iPod was mainly due to iTunes. The performance and features of iTunes on Windows was absolutely miserable. For the most part, it still is (especially the performance part). Window Media Player has a much more usable library and performance is outstanding. Not to mention the requirement of having Quicktime installed, which I have traditionally viewed as malware, similar to Realplayer and the like.
Quicktime and iTunes 7, along with the 5th generation of iPod made them palatable and even desirable. I had been anxiously awaiting the Zune since its announcement, but after its features and issues became clear, it was no longer the obvious choice. On Black Friday, I bought a 30GB 5.5G iPod and I don't regret it in the slightest. I look forward to coupling it with a new MacBook once Leopard is released.
Sure iTunes still has terrible performance (on Windows, anyway) and I don't use the Apple store, but overall, the iPod is really the only viable choice.
$200 for a Zune is $200 down the drain.
The main reason why I despised the iPod was mainly due to iTunes. The performance and features of iTunes on Windows was absolutely miserable. For the most part, it still is (especially the performance part). Window Media Player has a much more usable library and performance is outstanding. Not to mention the requirement of having Quicktime installed, which I have traditionally viewed as malware, similar to Realplayer and the like.
Quicktime and iTunes 7, along with the 5th generation of iPod made them palatable and even desirable. I had been anxiously awaiting the Zune since its announcement, but after its features and issues became clear, it was no longer the obvious choice. On Black Friday, I bought a 30GB 5.5G iPod and I don't regret it in the slightest. I look forward to coupling it with a new MacBook once Leopard is released.
Sure iTunes still has terrible performance (on Windows, anyway) and I don't use the Apple store, but overall, the iPod is really the only viable choice.
$200 for a Zune is $200 down the drain.
I'll admit that I use a Mac most of the time, so I don't know much about iTunes performance on Windows. On the Mac, it's great (although it still has occasional hiccups when used to play video on slower machines). I will say that I can't stand Windows Media Player -- the interface is atrocious.
GuilewasNK
CAGiversary!
- Feedback
- 110 (100%)
Listen to Leo LaPorte's take on the Zune. :lol:
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZXiLY4bo80[/media]
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZXiLY4bo80[/media]
IMHO buying a zune is like buying a ps3, you pay for promise and "future potential". At the moment its gimped to high hell im many features including:
- wifi is ultimately useless, 3 plays or 3 days....it feels as if they included wifi just to have a nice bullet point over iPod, but didnt bother to fully develop it, as some reports are saying many songs arent even sendable
-can play videos on a big screen, but putting your own videos is an incredible pain. I think the accepted specifications for wmv videos is 700 kb/s with 192kbps audio, yet half the time those videos will sync up with the zune easily, and the other half the software will have to reconvert it, which takes ages.
- also you can resume on videos if you stop midway, yet if you listen to a podcast...goodluck you have to scroll through from the beginning, as the slider does not get progressively faster.
Theres a numerous amount of little annoyances in the software, which at the moment make it an incredibly inferior machine. With increased ubiquity, Im sure these issues will be ironed out, but at the moment, I just have a collective "meh" about my zune. All can be changed with some nice firmware changes, but who knows when that will happen?
- wifi is ultimately useless, 3 plays or 3 days....it feels as if they included wifi just to have a nice bullet point over iPod, but didnt bother to fully develop it, as some reports are saying many songs arent even sendable
-can play videos on a big screen, but putting your own videos is an incredible pain. I think the accepted specifications for wmv videos is 700 kb/s with 192kbps audio, yet half the time those videos will sync up with the zune easily, and the other half the software will have to reconvert it, which takes ages.
- also you can resume on videos if you stop midway, yet if you listen to a podcast...goodluck you have to scroll through from the beginning, as the slider does not get progressively faster.
Theres a numerous amount of little annoyances in the software, which at the moment make it an incredibly inferior machine. With increased ubiquity, Im sure these issues will be ironed out, but at the moment, I just have a collective "meh" about my zune. All can be changed with some nice firmware changes, but who knows when that will happen?
I don't really understand the iPod hate here.
I've had an iPod photo for more than 2 years now and have never had a problem with it. You couldn't ask for a sleeker setup between the iTunes Music Store and the iPod. I'll give you that iTunes is a bit of a resource hog, but even the newer version of Winamp take time to boot anymore (I miss 2.9).
I've seen nothing useful on the Zune that isn't available on just about every other DAP out there. I'd image you can get others for cheaper. I'd go a different route for now.
I've had an iPod photo for more than 2 years now and have never had a problem with it. You couldn't ask for a sleeker setup between the iTunes Music Store and the iPod. I'll give you that iTunes is a bit of a resource hog, but even the newer version of Winamp take time to boot anymore (I miss 2.9).
I've seen nothing useful on the Zune that isn't available on just about every other DAP out there. I'd image you can get others for cheaper. I'd go a different route for now.
[quote name='daroga']I don't really understand the iPod hate here.
I've had an iPod photo for more than 2 years now and have never had a problem with it. You couldn't ask for a sleeker setup between the iTunes Music Store and the iPod. I'll give you that iTunes is a bit of a resource hog, but even the newer version of Winamp take time to boot anymore (I miss 2.9).
I've seen nothing useful on the Zune that isn't available on just about every other DAP out there. I'd image you can get others for cheaper. I'd go a different route for now.[/QUOTE]
Hey, some of us still run Winamp 2...well I used to until I wanted it to support some new codecs natively [no plug ins]
Right now I run a barebones 5, no library, no agent, no shell, modern gui disabled, encoding/burning support disabled...brings down the install quite a bit and makes it as light weight as Winamp 2
I guess that's my thing, I just don't like or really "need" a program to archive my music...I do well enough by setting up a folder structure in "My Music", and sorting everything myself...
I don't understand mp3 myself..I use CD in the car...I use minidisc when I'm out, the only time I use my mp3 players is when I travel long distances. I've seen the ITMS but even if it looks nice, I'd never bring myself to pay $1 per song..mostly because I'd rather buy the single, the album, etc
I've had an iPod photo for more than 2 years now and have never had a problem with it. You couldn't ask for a sleeker setup between the iTunes Music Store and the iPod. I'll give you that iTunes is a bit of a resource hog, but even the newer version of Winamp take time to boot anymore (I miss 2.9).
I've seen nothing useful on the Zune that isn't available on just about every other DAP out there. I'd image you can get others for cheaper. I'd go a different route for now.[/QUOTE]
Hey, some of us still run Winamp 2...well I used to until I wanted it to support some new codecs natively [no plug ins]
Right now I run a barebones 5, no library, no agent, no shell, modern gui disabled, encoding/burning support disabled...brings down the install quite a bit and makes it as light weight as Winamp 2
I guess that's my thing, I just don't like or really "need" a program to archive my music...I do well enough by setting up a folder structure in "My Music", and sorting everything myself...
I don't understand mp3 myself..I use CD in the car...I use minidisc when I'm out, the only time I use my mp3 players is when I travel long distances. I've seen the ITMS but even if it looks nice, I'd never bring myself to pay $1 per song..mostly because I'd rather buy the single, the album, etc
?
.......
Guest
[quote name='Zing']The main reason why I despised the iPod was mainly due to iTunes. The performance and features of iTunes on Windows was absolutely miserable. For the most part, it still is (especially the performance part). Window Media Player has a much more usable library and performance is outstanding. Not to mention the requirement of having Quicktime installed, which I have traditionally viewed as malware, similar to Realplayer and the like.
Quicktime and iTunes 7, along with the 5th generation of iPod made them palatable and even desirable. I had been anxiously awaiting the Zune since its announcement, but after its features and issues became clear, it was no longer the obvious choice. On Black Friday, I bought a 30GB 5.5G iPod and I don't regret it in the slightest. I look forward to coupling it with a new MacBook once Leopard is released.
Sure iTunes still has terrible performance (on Windows, anyway) and I don't use the Apple store, but overall, the iPod is really the only viable choice.
$200 for a Zune is $200 down the drain.[/quote]
I dont know what the hell you are talking about, but I use an iPod on Windows and it works great. iTunes is by far the best choice for a media player on a computer, and is far superior to Windows Media Player.
Quicktime and iTunes 7, along with the 5th generation of iPod made them palatable and even desirable. I had been anxiously awaiting the Zune since its announcement, but after its features and issues became clear, it was no longer the obvious choice. On Black Friday, I bought a 30GB 5.5G iPod and I don't regret it in the slightest. I look forward to coupling it with a new MacBook once Leopard is released.
Sure iTunes still has terrible performance (on Windows, anyway) and I don't use the Apple store, but overall, the iPod is really the only viable choice.
$200 for a Zune is $200 down the drain.[/quote]
I dont know what the hell you are talking about, but I use an iPod on Windows and it works great. iTunes is by far the best choice for a media player on a computer, and is far superior to Windows Media Player.
[quote name='sarausagi']
I don't understand mp3 myself. [/quote]
MP3 has totally changed the way I and a lot of people listen to music. With iTunes you can type in any word and get just the songs that contain that word, or you can sort by genre, artist, album, etc. You can have playlists that only contain the things you have rated highly, only the things you haven't listened to lately, only the things that you recently added to your library, and many more, and all of these things can be automatically synced to your iPod. If you're just using a "file and folder" approach to MP3s, you're missing out on most of what makes them great. (And yes, the Zune in this respect is similar to the iPod. Even the Zune would be vastly superior to CD or minidisc.)
The main issues with the iTunes Store are that you don't get physical media (which means you need to back up your music, and you also don't usually get liner notes), the fact that the music is compressed compared to CD (although I can't really tell the difference) and the fact that it only works with iPods (unless you want to burn and re-import). If you're OK with these issues (and I am), it is just fantastic. The convenience of being able to download practically any song and at any time is amazing.
I don't understand mp3 myself. [/quote]
Perhaps that explains your opinion about the Zune and iPod. (Not to be condescending or anything, but if you don't really use MP3 players, it's not surprising if you don't understand how relatively "trivial" things can really add up.)
MP3 has totally changed the way I and a lot of people listen to music. With iTunes you can type in any word and get just the songs that contain that word, or you can sort by genre, artist, album, etc. You can have playlists that only contain the things you have rated highly, only the things you haven't listened to lately, only the things that you recently added to your library, and many more, and all of these things can be automatically synced to your iPod. If you're just using a "file and folder" approach to MP3s, you're missing out on most of what makes them great. (And yes, the Zune in this respect is similar to the iPod. Even the Zune would be vastly superior to CD or minidisc.)
You can buy albums all at once on iTunes and you usually get a discount (so it might be closer to $0.50 a song or something) so I'm not sure that I understand, unless you mean that you would rather have the physical object, which I can understand.
The main issues with the iTunes Store are that you don't get physical media (which means you need to back up your music, and you also don't usually get liner notes), the fact that the music is compressed compared to CD (although I can't really tell the difference) and the fact that it only works with iPods (unless you want to burn and re-import). If you're OK with these issues (and I am), it is just fantastic. The convenience of being able to download practically any song and at any time is amazing.
[quote name='daroga']I don't really understand the iPod hate here.
I've had an iPod photo for more than 2 years now and have never had a problem with it. You couldn't ask for a sleeker setup between the iTunes Music Store and the iPod. I'll give you that iTunes is a bit of a resource hog, but even the newer version of Winamp take time to boot anymore (I miss 2.9).
I've seen nothing useful on the Zune that isn't available on just about every other DAP out there. I'd image you can get others for cheaper. I'd go a different route for now.[/quote]
iPod hate? Not really, the majority of posts here are to lick the iPod's figurative asshole.
Apple probably has fixed some of the problems I had with mine (would constantly freeze while playing music.) But I've been much happier with my Zen in general.
I just think iPods are overrated, but not there's anything wrong with that!
I've had an iPod photo for more than 2 years now and have never had a problem with it. You couldn't ask for a sleeker setup between the iTunes Music Store and the iPod. I'll give you that iTunes is a bit of a resource hog, but even the newer version of Winamp take time to boot anymore (I miss 2.9).
I've seen nothing useful on the Zune that isn't available on just about every other DAP out there. I'd image you can get others for cheaper. I'd go a different route for now.[/quote]
iPod hate? Not really, the majority of posts here are to lick the iPod's figurative asshole.
Apple probably has fixed some of the problems I had with mine (would constantly freeze while playing music.) But I've been much happier with my Zen in general.
I just think iPods are overrated, but not there's anything wrong with that!
[quote name='yukine']Apple probably has fixed some of the problems I had with mine (would constantly freeze while playing music.) [/QUOTE]
Sounds like either a hardware problem (defective) or an issue with the songs themselves. I've had several iPods and have never had any issues with them. Still, I guess if you sell 100 million or so of a product, some of them are bound to have issues.
For the record, think it's perfectly fine to choose another music player, but it annoys me when people dismiss the iPod simply because it's popular, because it's made by Apple, or because of a false impression that it's overpriced or somehow shoddy compared to other players.
Sounds like either a hardware problem (defective) or an issue with the songs themselves. I've had several iPods and have never had any issues with them. Still, I guess if you sell 100 million or so of a product, some of them are bound to have issues.
For the record, think it's perfectly fine to choose another music player, but it annoys me when people dismiss the iPod simply because it's popular, because it's made by Apple, or because of a false impression that it's overpriced or somehow shoddy compared to other players.
OH.MY.GOD
I miss Leo Laporte! CFH and TSS were my shows back in the day.
err anyway back on topic, I personally am an iPod fan (until mine was stolen) I jsut prefer iTunes and the service over WMP, and from what Ive seen of the Zune so far it looks really uninteresting, but it shows alot of promise, which is why if I decide to get one Ill wait for future versions of it.
I miss Leo Laporte! CFH and TSS were my shows back in the day.
err anyway back on topic, I personally am an iPod fan (until mine was stolen) I jsut prefer iTunes and the service over WMP, and from what Ive seen of the Zune so far it looks really uninteresting, but it shows alot of promise, which is why if I decide to get one Ill wait for future versions of it.
crystalklear64
CAGiversary!
- Feedback
- 7 (100%)
iPod hate:
Design looks non sexy.
The price.
Design looks non sexy.
The price.
Duncanzits
CAGiversary!
- Feedback
- 7 (100%)
I fought the culture for so long but now I'm an Ipod boy.
crystalklear64
CAGiversary!
- Feedback
- 7 (100%)
Apple's Stuff:
iPod (large) 30GB, $249/ 80GB, $349
Nano (medium) 2GB, $149/ 4GB, $199/8GB, $249 (wait a sec... the 30 GB was the same price!)
Shuffle (small) 1GB, $79
Not Apple's Stuff:
Creative ZEN VISION:M Blue (large) 30GB, $209.99
Kanguru Media X-change Pro (large) 80 GB, $249.99
SanDisk Sansa c150 Black (medium) 2GB, $95.99
JetAudio iAudio6 Black/Silver (medium) 4GB, $175.99
ZEN Nano Plus (small) 1GB, $69.99
[quote name='Rozz']I dont know what the hell you are talking about, but I use an iPod on Windows and it works great. iTunes is by far the best choice for a media player on a computer.[/QUOTE]
Dear god.. no.
iPod (large) 30GB, $249/ 80GB, $349
Nano (medium) 2GB, $149/ 4GB, $199/8GB, $249 (wait a sec... the 30 GB was the same price!)
Shuffle (small) 1GB, $79
Not Apple's Stuff:
Creative ZEN VISION:M Blue (large) 30GB, $209.99
Kanguru Media X-change Pro (large) 80 GB, $249.99
SanDisk Sansa c150 Black (medium) 2GB, $95.99
JetAudio iAudio6 Black/Silver (medium) 4GB, $175.99
ZEN Nano Plus (small) 1GB, $69.99
[quote name='Rozz']I dont know what the hell you are talking about, but I use an iPod on Windows and it works great. iTunes is by far the best choice for a media player on a computer.[/QUOTE]
Dear god.. no.
Where are you getting this price? Creative's own site lists the MSRP for this as $249.99.
This device uses a 2.5" notebook hard drive, so its not in the same class as the iPod or the Zune.
As for the rest, we were talking specifically about the hard drive-based iPods (since they are the closest to the Zune).
xghostsniperx
CAGiversary!
- Feedback
- 18 (100%)
I've used all of the "top 3" hard drive-based MP3 players on the market (iPod, Zune, Zen Vision M) for at least a week, and I can say that the Zen Vision M is easily the best.
I found the Zune to be a complete step back from current MP3 players. In a market dominated by touch controls and intuitive interfaces, the Zune is the odd one out. I won't go over how poor I think the interface and the controls are, but my biggest complaint was how buggy the player felt. Not only is the navigation annoying, but the going from a "now playing" screen all the way back to the menu can cause the Zune to take 10+ seconds to load or sometimes it'll freeze altogether. Would not reccomend it at all.
iPods are great. I find them reliable, well-built, and now at an affordable price. I really like iTunes and how easy it is to change ID3 tags and stuff. I don't think I have to comment on how well it controls. My biggest complaint though would have to be the video support. The iPod supporting only one video format is inexcusable.
Again, the Zen is my favorite. I absolutely LOVE the navigation on the thing. The ability to scroll through songs and then click on them without moving your finger is great (lazy, but great). Playlist features are awesome, included micropone is useful, and I think it sounds great. If you're a big video watcher, the inclusion of support for tons of video is amazing. You can download a DIVX file and just throw it on with no clumsy conversions. If there's anything I don't like about the Zen it would be the includd software. While it is ok, I find it very difficult to change the names of songs and I usually have to manually change the ID3 tags.
So, go with either an iPod or a Zen. Just stay the hell away from Zunes.
I found the Zune to be a complete step back from current MP3 players. In a market dominated by touch controls and intuitive interfaces, the Zune is the odd one out. I won't go over how poor I think the interface and the controls are, but my biggest complaint was how buggy the player felt. Not only is the navigation annoying, but the going from a "now playing" screen all the way back to the menu can cause the Zune to take 10+ seconds to load or sometimes it'll freeze altogether. Would not reccomend it at all.
iPods are great. I find them reliable, well-built, and now at an affordable price. I really like iTunes and how easy it is to change ID3 tags and stuff. I don't think I have to comment on how well it controls. My biggest complaint though would have to be the video support. The iPod supporting only one video format is inexcusable.
Again, the Zen is my favorite. I absolutely LOVE the navigation on the thing. The ability to scroll through songs and then click on them without moving your finger is great (lazy, but great). Playlist features are awesome, included micropone is useful, and I think it sounds great. If you're a big video watcher, the inclusion of support for tons of video is amazing. You can download a DIVX file and just throw it on with no clumsy conversions. If there's anything I don't like about the Zen it would be the includd software. While it is ok, I find it very difficult to change the names of songs and I usually have to manually change the ID3 tags.
So, go with either an iPod or a Zen. Just stay the hell away from Zunes.
[quote name='xghostsniperx']My biggest complaint though would have to be the video support. The iPod supporting only one video format is inexcusable.[/quote]
Well, technically it's two (depending on how you define "format"): MPEG-4 and h.264. But yeah, support for DIVX is a very nice feature on the Zen. Of course, the iPod-compatible video formats are way more common now than when they first introduced the video iPods, so it's possible to watch all sorts of stuff without converting now.
Well, technically it's two (depending on how you define "format"): MPEG-4 and h.264. But yeah, support for DIVX is a very nice feature on the Zen. Of course, the iPod-compatible video formats are way more common now than when they first introduced the video iPods, so it's possible to watch all sorts of stuff without converting now.
[quote name='icruise']Perhaps that explains your opinion about the Zune and iPod. (Not to be condescending or anything, but if you don't really use MP3 players, it's not surprising if you don't understand how relatively "trivial" things can really add up.)
MP3 has totally changed the way I and a lot of people listen to music. With iTunes you can type in any word and get just the songs that contain that word, or you can sort by genre, artist, album, etc. You can have playlists that only contain the things you have rated highly, only the things you haven't listened to lately, only the things that you recently added to your library, and many more, and all of these things can be automatically synced to your iPod. If you're just using a "file and folder" approach to MP3s, you're missing out on most of what makes them great. (And yes, the Zune in this respect is similar to the iPod. Even the Zune would be vastly superior to CD or minidisc.)
You can buy albums all at once on iTunes and you usually get a discount (so it might be closer to $0.50 a song or something) so I'm not sure that I understand, unless you mean that you would rather have the physical object, which I can understand.
The main issues with the iTunes Store are that you don't get physical media (which means you need to back up your music, and you also don't usually get liner notes), the fact that the music is compressed compared to CD (although I can't really tell the difference) and the fact that it only works with iPods (unless you want to burn and re-import). If you're OK with these issues (and I am), it is just fantastic. The convenience of being able to download practically any song and at any time is amazing.[/QUOTE]
Well, I am quite obsessed with physical media. I have about 150 albums, from all over the world, and I take quite good care of them. The only time I'd ever consider downloading a song would be a guilty pleasure [a Hannah Montana song, or some sort of hip hop] but if I like the band or artist even a little I prefer the album
I do prefer minidisc, mostly for audio reasons: I find mp3 to sound rather shrill while all my minidiscs are rather warm and very life like. There's a bit of psychoacoustics involved, but typically, MD does better at all ranges than the average mp3. I also require less music when I'm out and about within the local area, so taking one or two minidiscs and swapping them out is not a hassle to me. Plus at least my MD, has a 75 hour battery life on one NiMh AA battery, and my Japanese model has 50 hours on a sleek gumstick nimh battery. Plus the remote/mic is amazing. I have a cute little pink 1GB panasonic player [similar to a shuffle or a nano, about the size of a lipstick, does 50 hours on one double A, nice 3 line screen] that I use a day or two a week but my real problem with is that I'm always afraid I'll lose it unless I wear it on a lanyard
As for file/folder naming, it's just what I've always done and what I'm used to. I've been having a hard time with my 360 [and its mp3 features] because it reads the genre off the CDDB and as well as the tags, so if I browse by genre, I have domestic [J-POPS] and J-POP for example, the songs are all scrambled up and it took me about half an hour to reedit the tags and just have one category for J-pop and not two. Also, my main problem with the software is that if you listen to foreign music, it's very hard for the software to keep up with it: moving from korean/japanese text, keeping it romanized, or showing the characters themselves [and not just messy debug language] The first time I ever tried iTunes for Windows, it was okay with the English albums but totally lost [unknown artist, unknown song] with anything made outside the US
Like I said earlier, I own a Zen Sleek Photo, and it's good for trips as well as for back up purposes, I realize it's not exactly the same thing as an iPod, but it's a very well made device. I'd say on message boards like these, the Zen has a huge fanbase: I'd "kill" for one of the 30 gb pink ones. Quite impressive, especially since I got it on sale. I think it'll be a good decade before I'm used to having my entire CD collection in the palm of my hand. It just seems...weird..almost out of this world...I can see why some people could never go back to earlier portables. Definitely a convenience
MP3 has totally changed the way I and a lot of people listen to music. With iTunes you can type in any word and get just the songs that contain that word, or you can sort by genre, artist, album, etc. You can have playlists that only contain the things you have rated highly, only the things you haven't listened to lately, only the things that you recently added to your library, and many more, and all of these things can be automatically synced to your iPod. If you're just using a "file and folder" approach to MP3s, you're missing out on most of what makes them great. (And yes, the Zune in this respect is similar to the iPod. Even the Zune would be vastly superior to CD or minidisc.)
You can buy albums all at once on iTunes and you usually get a discount (so it might be closer to $0.50 a song or something) so I'm not sure that I understand, unless you mean that you would rather have the physical object, which I can understand.
The main issues with the iTunes Store are that you don't get physical media (which means you need to back up your music, and you also don't usually get liner notes), the fact that the music is compressed compared to CD (although I can't really tell the difference) and the fact that it only works with iPods (unless you want to burn and re-import). If you're OK with these issues (and I am), it is just fantastic. The convenience of being able to download practically any song and at any time is amazing.[/QUOTE]
Well, I am quite obsessed with physical media. I have about 150 albums, from all over the world, and I take quite good care of them. The only time I'd ever consider downloading a song would be a guilty pleasure [a Hannah Montana song, or some sort of hip hop] but if I like the band or artist even a little I prefer the album
I do prefer minidisc, mostly for audio reasons: I find mp3 to sound rather shrill while all my minidiscs are rather warm and very life like. There's a bit of psychoacoustics involved, but typically, MD does better at all ranges than the average mp3. I also require less music when I'm out and about within the local area, so taking one or two minidiscs and swapping them out is not a hassle to me. Plus at least my MD, has a 75 hour battery life on one NiMh AA battery, and my Japanese model has 50 hours on a sleek gumstick nimh battery. Plus the remote/mic is amazing. I have a cute little pink 1GB panasonic player [similar to a shuffle or a nano, about the size of a lipstick, does 50 hours on one double A, nice 3 line screen] that I use a day or two a week but my real problem with is that I'm always afraid I'll lose it unless I wear it on a lanyard
As for file/folder naming, it's just what I've always done and what I'm used to. I've been having a hard time with my 360 [and its mp3 features] because it reads the genre off the CDDB and as well as the tags, so if I browse by genre, I have domestic [J-POPS] and J-POP for example, the songs are all scrambled up and it took me about half an hour to reedit the tags and just have one category for J-pop and not two. Also, my main problem with the software is that if you listen to foreign music, it's very hard for the software to keep up with it: moving from korean/japanese text, keeping it romanized, or showing the characters themselves [and not just messy debug language] The first time I ever tried iTunes for Windows, it was okay with the English albums but totally lost [unknown artist, unknown song] with anything made outside the US
Like I said earlier, I own a Zen Sleek Photo, and it's good for trips as well as for back up purposes, I realize it's not exactly the same thing as an iPod, but it's a very well made device. I'd say on message boards like these, the Zen has a huge fanbase: I'd "kill" for one of the 30 gb pink ones. Quite impressive, especially since I got it on sale. I think it'll be a good decade before I'm used to having my entire CD collection in the palm of my hand. It just seems...weird..almost out of this world...I can see why some people could never go back to earlier portables. Definitely a convenience
[quote name='sarausagi']Also, my main problem with the software is that if you listen to foreign music, it's very hard for the software to keep up with it: moving from korean/japanese text, keeping it romanized, or showing the characters themselves [and not just messy debug language] The first time I ever tried iTunes for Windows, it was okay with the English albums but totally lost [unknown artist, unknown song] with anything made outside the US[/QUOTE]
That's odd, since I've found iTunes to work surprisingly well with Japanese music, assuming you want the actual Japanese and not romaji. (Apple's fan base in Japan of course helps with this, and maybe the fact that the iTS is now available there as well). I haven't tried other Asian countries' music much.
That's odd, since I've found iTunes to work surprisingly well with Japanese music, assuming you want the actual Japanese and not romaji. (Apple's fan base in Japan of course helps with this, and maybe the fact that the iTS is now available there as well). I haven't tried other Asian countries' music much.
[quote name='icruise']That's odd, since I've found iTunes to work surprisingly well with Japanese music, assuming you want the actual Japanese and not romaji. (Apple's fan base in Japan of course helps with this, and maybe the fact that the iTS is now available there as well). I haven't tried other Asian countries' music much.[/QUOTE]
Well, this iTunes trial I did was about a year ago, so I'm guessing things have changed.
I do wonder though, what the marketshare for the iPod is in Japan. They've had mp3 players for years and MD is a million times more succesful in Japan than here, so how is the ipod doing in japan versus the US? In US the iPod is THE mp3 player, THE portable media/music device, but in Japan, the sheer number of md/himd players, their cell phones, and their own pmd and mp3 players. I imagine that it's not nearly as big in japan as it is here
Well, this iTunes trial I did was about a year ago, so I'm guessing things have changed.
I do wonder though, what the marketshare for the iPod is in Japan. They've had mp3 players for years and MD is a million times more succesful in Japan than here, so how is the ipod doing in japan versus the US? In US the iPod is THE mp3 player, THE portable media/music device, but in Japan, the sheer number of md/himd players, their cell phones, and their own pmd and mp3 players. I imagine that it's not nearly as big in japan as it is here
[quote name='sarausagi']
I do wonder though, what the marketshare for the iPod is in Japan. They've had mp3 players for years and MD is a million times more succesful in Japan than here, so how is the ipod doing in japan versus the US? In US the iPod is THE mp3 player, THE portable media/music device, but in Japan, the sheer number of md/himd players, their cell phones, and their own pmd and mp3 players. I imagine that it's not nearly as big in japan as it is here[/quote]
Taken from: http://mmislueck.com/WhatsNews.htm
I use both iPod and MD/HiMD. But, I'd be willing to try out a Zune for $200.
I do wonder though, what the marketshare for the iPod is in Japan. They've had mp3 players for years and MD is a million times more succesful in Japan than here, so how is the ipod doing in japan versus the US? In US the iPod is THE mp3 player, THE portable media/music device, but in Japan, the sheer number of md/himd players, their cell phones, and their own pmd and mp3 players. I imagine that it's not nearly as big in japan as it is here[/quote]
Taken from: http://mmislueck.com/WhatsNews.htm
I use both iPod and MD/HiMD. But, I'd be willing to try out a Zune for $200.
[quote name='jackul']
Taken from: http://mmislueck.com/WhatsNews.htm
I use both iPod and MD/HiMD. But, I'd be willing to try out a Zune for $200.[/QUOTE]
Very interesting, this graph is units shipped in the millions.
One thing is for sure, the portable CD player is just about dead
CAC? What is that? Like DAT or something? [What Shinji has in EVA]
Is there a graph for actual owner ship? I can see why minidisc shipping would decrease, most people already have one, not that much of a need for new ones, while on the other, mp3 is being adopted very quickly and is very much the tech of the moment, and is shipped out on a mass scale.
Taken from: http://mmislueck.com/WhatsNews.htm
I use both iPod and MD/HiMD. But, I'd be willing to try out a Zune for $200.[/QUOTE]
Very interesting, this graph is units shipped in the millions.
One thing is for sure, the portable CD player is just about dead
CAC? What is that? Like DAT or something? [What Shinji has in EVA]
Is there a graph for actual owner ship? I can see why minidisc shipping would decrease, most people already have one, not that much of a need for new ones, while on the other, mp3 is being adopted very quickly and is very much the tech of the moment, and is shipped out on a mass scale.
blueaurora
CAGiversary!
Office Depot was selling it at that price but it just went back up if you didn't buy it.
[quote name='sarausagi']CAC? What is that? Like DAT or something? [What Shinji has in EVA]
Is there a graph for actual owner ship? I can see why minidisc shipping would decrease, most people already have one, not that much of a need for new ones, while on the other, mp3 is being adopted very quickly and is very much the tech of the moment, and is shipped out on a mass scale.[/quote]
Couldn't find any ownership graphs. CAC = compact audio cassette, I think.
I think minidisc shipping also decreased because companies like Sharp, Panasonic, etc haven't released a new MD model in a long time or as much as they used to. The latest tech of 1GB HiMD is only available from Sony. The MZ-RH1/M200 is the newest release and it's getting harder to find offline. And, lately, Sony has shifted HiMD use for recording rather than playback.
Is there a graph for actual owner ship? I can see why minidisc shipping would decrease, most people already have one, not that much of a need for new ones, while on the other, mp3 is being adopted very quickly and is very much the tech of the moment, and is shipped out on a mass scale.[/quote]
Couldn't find any ownership graphs. CAC = compact audio cassette, I think.
I think minidisc shipping also decreased because companies like Sharp, Panasonic, etc haven't released a new MD model in a long time or as much as they used to. The latest tech of 1GB HiMD is only available from Sony. The MZ-RH1/M200 is the newest release and it's getting harder to find offline. And, lately, Sony has shifted HiMD use for recording rather than playback.
[quote name='sarausagi']Well, this iTunes trial I did was about a year ago, so I'm guessing things have changed. [/quote]
Well, I've been using the iPod and iTunes for years (bought my first iPod in Japan in 2001) and I don't think things have changed drastically. It's always worked pretty well for Japanese. Of course, the more obscure the album, the less the chances that it'll be in the database.
Well, I've been using the iPod and iTunes for years (bought my first iPod in Japan in 2001) and I don't think things have changed drastically. It's always worked pretty well for Japanese. Of course, the more obscure the album, the less the chances that it'll be in the database.
If you're talking the market share of the iPod versus other MP3 players, it's 50%+. If you're talking about the iPod as a single product versus all other music playing devices, that's hard to say.
bread's done