Laugh and make fun of Microsoft all you want but the NYTimes actually gave the 2nd generation Zune a great review last month from respected reviewer David Pogue. Of course nothing beats the iPod. However, not even Sony has ever produced nor had as good a review for an MP3 device and they have been in the portable business for decades. There are many people who simpy refuse to buy Apple iPods and have been waiting for this. I am not one of them, mind you.
Just how many times in one article can iSuppli show their ignorance?
"the new 80GB Zune competes directly with the new iPod Classic and the new iPod touch"
- In what way does the Zune compete with the touch? Talk about totally different beasts!
"disconnect raises the question of why Apple did not launch an HDD-based iPod touch"
- As Hobbes already pointed out, power requirements and responsiveness. Add to that weight, thickness, and Apple's general desire to eliminate hard drives in iPods.
"if the company will add a HDD-equipped iPod touch during the coming months"
- No, or at least so unlikely that any analyst who had a clue would know better.
"the customer would need to repurchase the content or reformat through a cumbersome process that degrades quality"
- Considering that the vast majority of music on iPods does NOT come from iTunes, both of those issues are moot. I only need to repurchase or reformat a very small percentage of my music. Yes, re-ripping CDs can be time consuming (except mine are already ripped as Apple Lossless, so converting to MP3 is a few clicks and an overnight batch job), but does not result in a loss of quality. Any music obtained elsewhere (not CDs or iTunes) is probably already in a universally supported format such as MP3s.
"and breaks the law"
- Only if the RIAA wins it's stupid, currently pending, lawsuit that claims ripping my own CDs is illegal. If I legally obtained my music, I can legally convert it.
I have to say here that several reviewers liked the 80Gb Zune more than the 80 GB Classic, saying that it was more fun to use.
You can't dispute that, because it was opinion. Opinions over usability are always valid for the person making them, even if others may not agree.
Funny... the only place I've heard 'anything but Apple' talk is from trolls on Apple rumor sites.
On the other hand, there's a very large 'anything but MS' contingent in the wild.
You need to read more sites then. There is a very large anything-but-Apple crowd with respect to music players. There will always be anti-establishment people that will not buy something just because it is the most popular. They mistakenly believe that they are "thinking for themselves" and call others sheep.
In my opinion, rejecting something because it is popular is just as sheepish as accepting it for the same reason. Think for yourself and buy what fits your needs - who cares what others think?
There is now a sizable 'anything-but-Apple' contingent out there that provides a strong customer base for Zune. (Indeed, it could soon become a matter of reverse snobbery to own a non-Apple PMP.)
Is it sizable? Is that size shown by numbers?
So how many zunes have been sold? This article doesn't mention any specific amounts of zunes getting sold (nor do I see numbers when people post about how well zunes are selling).
So what are the real numbers? How many, and what percent of the market?
Good lord, iSuppli is obsessed with the idea of HDD-based iPod Touch.
We don't even know if OS X Mobile is designed to *work* with HDDs. It may very well expect flash memory for its speed and power consumption (would not surprise me).
I'm sure it would work. It can slow some things down, but I don't think too badly. I know some people complain about the speed of Cover Flow on the Classics but I didn't think it's a problem.
Quote:
Seems obvious to me that HDD-based iPods are on their way out. As the price of flash memory falls, the capacity of the Touch will increase. By next year there will likely be a 64GB Touch model available.
Apple's pattern so far is to double every year at most. I'd say 64GB isn't likey until mid to late 2009.
So how many zunes have been sold? This article doesn't mention any specific amounts of zunes getting sold (nor do I see numbers when people post about how well zunes are selling).
So what are the real numbers? How many, and what percent of the market?
I don't have any numbers.
The beauty of it is, 'sizable' can mean anything!
PS: I do think that it could be a looming issue for Apple a couple of years down the road..... but I also think that Apple will be ahead of the game.
You need to read more sites then. There is a very large anything-but-Apple crowd with respect to music players. There will always be anti-establishment people that will not buy something just because it is the most popular. They mistakenly believe that they are "thinking for themselves" and call others sheep.
In my opinion, rejecting something because it is popular is just as sheepish as accepting it for the same reason. Think for yourself and buy what fits your needs - who cares what others think?
I have to say here that several reviewers liked the 80Gb Zune more than the 80 GB Classic, saying that it was more fun to use.
You can't dispute that, because it was opinion. Opinions over usability are always valid for the person making them, even if others may not agree.
Perhaps you should read my post a little more closely. I'm not saying you can't compare the Zune to an iPod classic. I clearly stated that saying the Zune competes with the touch is not a good statement. They aren't in the same capacity, screen, interface, or functionality classes. Capacity and screen size (and arguably functionality) are clearly quantifiable measures, not opinion.
And I'm not surprised reviewers like the Zune better than the classic. The iPod classic is a step back in every regard, except capacity, from the 5th Gen iPod w/video. Luckily, Apple's online store still has the 5th Gen in stock at a discount price (in the clearance section). I just picked one up.
My brother bought a Zune when they first came out, a full month before Vista even was available to the public- It was awesome until he realized you needed Vista or else you could do absolutely nothing with the Zune. We didn't even have a PC at the time which could run Vista not to mention you couldn't buy it yet. Needless to say it really opened my eyes a bit to Microsoft practices.
Not true - in fact, for a while (until a couple weeks before Jan. 30, Vista's consumer launch), the Zune software was incompatible with Vista - you had to use XP. So you're either lying or exaggerating.
This whole article's tone towards the Zune is sickeningly biased, even if it is expected given this site's target audience. I own both an iPod video 30GB and a Zune 30. The Zune blows the iPod out of the water in features and usability. The twist UI is so brilliant, I was surprised Apple didn't think of it. The whole interface is beautifully animated and efficient, and it works great. The new desktop software makes iTunes look like a copy of Access. Add in the Wi-Fi sharing and sync and the subscription music support (something Jobs is an idiot for not offering in the iPod, it's what finally enticed me into getting the Zune), and the Zune is light-years ahead of the iPod Classic, and until Apple finally realizes people need more than 16GB, the iPod touch.
Yea I think you hit the nail on the head there. Companies have always done that around the holidays ( You don't think they could have made enough tickle me Elmo's?)
My brother bought a Zune when they first came out, a full month before Vista even was available to the public- It was awesome until he realized you needed Vista or else you could do absolutely nothing with the Zune. We didn't even have a PC at the time which could run Vista not to mention you couldn't buy it yet. Needless to say it really opened my eyes a bit to Microsoft practices.
Thats not true at all. The zune software worked fine on launch with XP. If you remember, it actualy didn't work with Vista until Vista was released officially.
I own a Zune and love it. If they sold them here and it worked in OS X, I would have bought an 80GB version. With the new release of software they fixed my biggest issue with it, the software you use to upgrade it, its just a pain in the butt booting into Vista everytime I want to change the music, so I just bought a 2nd gen ipod nano off ebay for the 95% of the time when I'm in OS X.
Perhaps you should read my post a little more closely. I'm not saying you can't compare the Zune to an iPod classic. I clearly stated that saying the Zune competes with the touch is not a good statement. They aren't in the same capacity, screen, interface, or functionality classes. Capacity and screen size (and arguably functionality) are clearly quantifiable measures, not opinion.
And I'm not surprised reviewers like the Zune better than the classic. The iPod classic is a step back in every regard, except capacity, from the 5th Gen iPod w/video. Luckily, Apple's online store still has the 5th Gen in stock at a discount price (in the clearance section). I just picked one up.
I understand. But the Zune is hardly ever compared to the Touch. I've only seen reviews that compare it to the Classic. They may mention the Touch in passing, but that's not their device of comparison.
The Zune said right on the side of the box under requirements "Vista" and it didn't work with XP so I am not sure what the deal was. We did some Google searches and found a lot of people complaining about the same thing so for some reason it didn't work with Vista. Not trying to lie or exaggerate and I would call the Zune equal to the Ipod really.
The Zune said right on the side of the box under requirements "Vista" and it didn't work with XP so I am not sure what the deal was. We did some Google searches and found a lot of people complaining about the same thing so for some reason it didn't work with Vista. Not trying to lie or exaggerate and I would call the Zune equal to the Ipod really.
It did work with XP. It didn't work with Vista.
This is not all that hard to find out, if you really want to. Just go and look some early articles and reviews of the first Zune product.
I think the 80GB Zune is comparable to the 80GB iPod and they are both decent devices at this point. If you want tons of storage the obvious option is the 160GB iPod, however. And the iPod Touch shouldn't be compared with any Zune model honestly. The storage may be at an immature stage but we'll have 32GB this coming year.
Comments
Just how many times in one article can iSuppli show their ignorance?
"the new 80GB Zune competes directly with the new iPod Classic and the new iPod touch"
- In what way does the Zune compete with the touch? Talk about totally different beasts!
"disconnect raises the question of why Apple did not launch an HDD-based iPod touch"
- As Hobbes already pointed out, power requirements and responsiveness. Add to that weight, thickness, and Apple's general desire to eliminate hard drives in iPods.
"if the company will add a HDD-equipped iPod touch during the coming months"
- No, or at least so unlikely that any analyst who had a clue would know better.
"the customer would need to repurchase the content or reformat through a cumbersome process that degrades quality"
- Considering that the vast majority of music on iPods does NOT come from iTunes, both of those issues are moot. I only need to repurchase or reformat a very small percentage of my music. Yes, re-ripping CDs can be time consuming (except mine are already ripped as Apple Lossless, so converting to MP3 is a few clicks and an overnight batch job), but does not result in a loss of quality. Any music obtained elsewhere (not CDs or iTunes) is probably already in a universally supported format such as MP3s.
"and breaks the law"
- Only if the RIAA wins it's stupid, currently pending, lawsuit that claims ripping my own CDs is illegal. If I legally obtained my music, I can legally convert it.
I have to say here that several reviewers liked the 80Gb Zune more than the 80 GB Classic, saying that it was more fun to use.
You can't dispute that, because it was opinion. Opinions over usability are always valid for the person making them, even if others may not agree.
Funny... the only place I've heard 'anything but Apple' talk is from trolls on Apple rumor sites.
On the other hand, there's a very large 'anything but MS' contingent in the wild.
You need to read more sites then. There is a very large anything-but-Apple crowd with respect to music players. There will always be anti-establishment people that will not buy something just because it is the most popular. They mistakenly believe that they are "thinking for themselves" and call others sheep.
In my opinion, rejecting something because it is popular is just as sheepish as accepting it for the same reason. Think for yourself and buy what fits your needs - who cares what others think?
There is now a sizable 'anything-but-Apple' contingent out there that provides a strong customer base for Zune. (Indeed, it could soon become a matter of reverse snobbery to own a non-Apple PMP.)
Is it sizable? Is that size shown by numbers?
So how many zunes have been sold? This article doesn't mention any specific amounts of zunes getting sold (nor do I see numbers when people post about how well zunes are selling).
So what are the real numbers? How many, and what percent of the market?
Good lord, iSuppli is obsessed with the idea of HDD-based iPod Touch.
We don't even know if OS X Mobile is designed to *work* with HDDs. It may very well expect flash memory for its speed and power consumption (would not surprise me).
I'm sure it would work. It can slow some things down, but I don't think too badly. I know some people complain about the speed of Cover Flow on the Classics but I didn't think it's a problem.
Seems obvious to me that HDD-based iPods are on their way out. As the price of flash memory falls, the capacity of the Touch will increase. By next year there will likely be a 64GB Touch model available.
Apple's pattern so far is to double every year at most. I'd say 64GB isn't likey until mid to late 2009.
Is it sizable? Is that size shown by numbers?
So how many zunes have been sold? This article doesn't mention any specific amounts of zunes getting sold (nor do I see numbers when people post about how well zunes are selling).
So what are the real numbers? How many, and what percent of the market?
I don't have any numbers.
The beauty of it is, 'sizable' can mean anything!
PS: I do think that it could be a looming issue for Apple a couple of years down the road..... but I also think that Apple will be ahead of the game.
You need to read more sites then. There is a very large anything-but-Apple crowd with respect to music players. There will always be anti-establishment people that will not buy something just because it is the most popular. They mistakenly believe that they are "thinking for themselves" and call others sheep.
In my opinion, rejecting something because it is popular is just as sheepish as accepting it for the same reason. Think for yourself and buy what fits your needs - who cares what others think?
Buying a microsoft product is anti-establishment?
Buying a microsoft product is anti-establishment?
Yes- as when it comes to buying portables as the dude stated.
It's like buying iWork instead of Office!
Seriously, does anyone know of any company that uses Numbers'08 instead of Excel?
I have to say here that several reviewers liked the 80Gb Zune more than the 80 GB Classic, saying that it was more fun to use.
You can't dispute that, because it was opinion. Opinions over usability are always valid for the person making them, even if others may not agree.
Perhaps you should read my post a little more closely. I'm not saying you can't compare the Zune to an iPod classic. I clearly stated that saying the Zune competes with the touch is not a good statement. They aren't in the same capacity, screen, interface, or functionality classes. Capacity and screen size (and arguably functionality) are clearly quantifiable measures, not opinion.
And I'm not surprised reviewers like the Zune better than the classic. The iPod classic is a step back in every regard, except capacity, from the 5th Gen iPod w/video. Luckily, Apple's online store still has the 5th Gen in stock at a discount price (in the clearance section). I just picked one up.
Yes, but I'm returning them since they didn't put my engraving on them. They were supposed to say "I wish I was an iPod"
Excellent follow-up to an already great post....
P.S. What the hell is with AI's background popups??!!! Also, has anyone else noticed the crazy errors in their console from AI ads?
My brother bought a Zune when they first came out, a full month before Vista even was available to the public- It was awesome until he realized you needed Vista or else you could do absolutely nothing with the Zune. We didn't even have a PC at the time which could run Vista not to mention you couldn't buy it yet. Needless to say it really opened my eyes a bit to Microsoft practices.
Not true - in fact, for a while (until a couple weeks before Jan. 30, Vista's consumer launch), the Zune software was incompatible with Vista - you had to use XP. So you're either lying or exaggerating.
This whole article's tone towards the Zune is sickeningly biased, even if it is expected given this site's target audience. I own both an iPod video 30GB and a Zune 30. The Zune blows the iPod out of the water in features and usability. The twist UI is so brilliant, I was surprised Apple didn't think of it. The whole interface is beautifully animated and efficient, and it works great. The new desktop software makes iTunes look like a copy of Access. Add in the Wi-Fi sharing and sync and the subscription music support (something Jobs is an idiot for not offering in the iPod, it's what finally enticed me into getting the Zune), and the Zune is light-years ahead of the iPod Classic, and until Apple finally realizes people need more than 16GB, the iPod touch.
Yea I think you hit the nail on the head there. Companies have always done that around the holidays ( You don't think they could have made enough tickle me Elmo's?)
My brother bought a Zune when they first came out, a full month before Vista even was available to the public- It was awesome until he realized you needed Vista or else you could do absolutely nothing with the Zune. We didn't even have a PC at the time which could run Vista not to mention you couldn't buy it yet. Needless to say it really opened my eyes a bit to Microsoft practices.
Thats not true at all. The zune software worked fine on launch with XP. If you remember, it actualy didn't work with Vista until Vista was released officially.
I own a Zune and love it. If they sold them here and it worked in OS X, I would have bought an 80GB version. With the new release of software they fixed my biggest issue with it, the software you use to upgrade it, its just a pain in the butt booting into Vista everytime I want to change the music, so I just bought a 2nd gen ipod nano off ebay for the 95% of the time when I'm in OS X.
Perhaps you should read my post a little more closely. I'm not saying you can't compare the Zune to an iPod classic. I clearly stated that saying the Zune competes with the touch is not a good statement. They aren't in the same capacity, screen, interface, or functionality classes. Capacity and screen size (and arguably functionality) are clearly quantifiable measures, not opinion.
And I'm not surprised reviewers like the Zune better than the classic. The iPod classic is a step back in every regard, except capacity, from the 5th Gen iPod w/video. Luckily, Apple's online store still has the 5th Gen in stock at a discount price (in the clearance section). I just picked one up.
I understand. But the Zune is hardly ever compared to the Touch. I've only seen reviews that compare it to the Classic. They may mention the Touch in passing, but that's not their device of comparison.
Well, then you agree.
Funny... the only place I've heard 'anything but Apple' talk is from trolls on Apple rumor sites.
On the other hand, there's a very large 'anything but MS' contingent in the wild.
I have yet to see a Zune in the wild.
http://www.anythingbutipod.com/
The Zune said right on the side of the box under requirements "Vista" and it didn't work with XP so I am not sure what the deal was. We did some Google searches and found a lot of people complaining about the same thing so for some reason it didn't work with Vista. Not trying to lie or exaggerate and I would call the Zune equal to the Ipod really.
It did work with XP. It didn't work with Vista.
This is not all that hard to find out, if you really want to. Just go and look some early articles and reviews of the first Zune product.
And no, I'm not going to do your work for you.