Microsoft’s Zune: A Competitor to the iPod?

Microsoft entered the fray in the competitive world of MP3 players not too long ago, and recently have made changes to the new and improved Zune. However, whether this relatively new entrant into the MP3 player market is a true competitor to the unbelievably popular iPod is quite debatable.

Feature-wise, it would seem that the Zune is very close in quality to the iPod. They both offer wonderful portable video playback capabilities, as well as humongous hard drives for extreme music lovers, and the standard features such as smart playlists. Whether you prefer iTunes or the Zune’s own marketplace is more of a matter of taste than anything, as both offer about the same features as well. Many do think the Zune is a better value than the iPod because of its sharing capabilities, FM radio tuner, and other features that the iPod lacks.

However, the Zune faces a huge uphill battle when it comes to name recognition and public recognition. The term “iPod” has become almost synonymous with “MP3 player”, and that will be the hardest obstacle for the Zune to overcome. So far, they’ve put up a good fight, but whether they’ll be able to take on the iPod when the going gets tough is a much harder thing to predict.

MP3 Player Showdown: Three Popular Models

The one horse race in the MP3 player world is now over. Although Apple’s iPod remains the top dog of them all, competitors such as Microsoft’s Zune and Creative Zen’s MP3 players have made the race much more interesting. Let’s take a quick look at features and differences between the three.

The iPod offers a wide variety of players from small players designed for working out and easy transport to huge, 80 gb behemoths that also offer video playback and other options. Therefore, one of the advantages of the iPod (along with the award-winning iTunes store and software) is the variety which Apple offers.

Meanwhile, the Zune provides similar features to iPod’s high-end video MP3 players, as the Zune offers a large screen for video playback, a store for purchasing new tracks, and other standard features. Also, with the Zune you get an FM radio tuner, which the iPod doesn’t offer, and wireless communicating with other Zunes.

Creative Zen’s players offer smaller storage sizes, but a huge 2.5-inch screen for video playback, as well as the FM tuner that the Zune offers (and the iPod does not). Creative Zen’s MP3 players also offer interesting bonus features such as a voice recorder, and come at a much lower price than most comparable options.

Inexpensive MP3 Players

If you’re looking for an inexpensive MP3 player, you’re in luck. There are now more options than ever for cheap MP3 players that still pack plenty of bang for your buck. Let’s take a look at a few popular options.

The Creative 2 gb MuVo V100 MP3 player is available for under fifty bucks, and gives you a decent amount of space with some features that you’d expect with more expensive players. It plays not only MP3 files, but WMA files as well, and has a 5-band equalizer so you can customize the sound to your taste. Also, it provides a voice recorder (like many of Creative Zen’s MP3 players) and can play 18 hours of music off a single AAA battery! Not a bad deal, if you want a good MP3 player at a low price. If you like Creative Zen’s products, but want video playback as well, they have 2 gb and 4 gb video models that are still under 100 bucks.

Also for around 100 dollars, you can get Sony’s 4 gb Walkman Video MP3 player. It features a 2 inch screen for video playback, along with an equalizer, a wide range of supported music formats, and good battery life at 33 hours of music (or 8 hours of video) on a single charge.

These are just a couple of examples of the cheap MP3 players that are available, so if you’re a bit strapped for cash, look around a bit and you’re bound to find an MP3 player that you and your wallet will love!

Creative Zen’s MP3 Players Provide More Alternatives

If you’re looking into MP3 players, it’s good to know that you have more choices than before, when you were basically limited to buying either an iPod or a second-rate product. Products like Creative Zen’s 4 gb MP3 player provide the same options the iPod does, at a lower price and with a different flavor than what is offered with Apple’s popular product.
Some of the features provided by Creative Zen’s player include a 2.5-inch screen for excellent video playback capabilities, great battery life, and excellent file compatibility. Also, unlike the iPod and many other MP3 players, the 4 gb Creative Zen player offers FM radio options and a built-in voice recorder with a microphone. Best of all, the player connects easily to your computer, just like an iPod or Zune would.
If you want a great MP3 player at a lower price than what you get with an iPod, there are options for you. Check out Creative Zen’s products, as well as the many other MP3 player alternatives out there, and you’re sure to find something that will work for you.

Better Than the iPod? The Archos 605 160 Gigabyte Media Player

The Archos 605 media player is not just an MP3 and video player, but an experience unto itself. Although this serious product has a price tag fitting its overwhelming number of features, it’s hard to argue that the sum of the Archos 605’s parts don’t exceed the selling price nonetheless. What features, you ask?

Not only does the Archos provide you with more supported media formats than any other MP3 player, but it also revolutionizes portable video. With a 4.3” screen, you’ll get more viewing area than with other MP3 players that have video playback, and you’ll also be able to stream videos from your PC, or watch web videos from sources like YouTube as well. It’s hard to beat that.

Considering the power of the device, the battery life (17 hours of audio, 5.5 hours of video) is not too shabby, and the ability to download music and videos directly to the player is pretty awesome indeed. If you can stomach the price and want a full-featured MP3 and media player, definitely check out this product.