Why Is The Zune 2 Better Than The iPod?

The PMP battle is now in progress and surprisingly, the new Zune is a worthy contender. I do hope the iPod is ready for some competition. Don't get me wrong, I love the iPod. However, I can't help realizing that Team Zune Luv from Zuneluv.com does have some valid points in their article 7 Ways Zune Beats iPod. Here are their two best points in my opinion...

Podcast as top-level entry. It always bugged me that Podcasts were a “category” in music (or video) in the iPod. That was just so wrong on so many levels that it is great to see that cleaned up. Don’t get me wrong, I have music and Podcasts on my Zune - there is just a time and place for everything (and now they both have their place).
Bonus – I can now shuffle music content and not worry that an episode of the Bitterest Pill will show up in the mix.

> I agree, I love podcasts and I think they should have their own top level menu entry. Lumping them in with Music and Videos just creates confusion.

Radio. I seldom listen to radio but found myself in the gym watching a news clip on the monitor that caught me eye. They do that broadcast the audio on FM thing so I switched over quickly, got my fix and went from there. 3 minutes of usage total – but it was nice to have.
Bonus – We live in crazy world where a radio nearby is never a bad thing. Usage will continue to plummet but having that option in the case of an emergency is a comfort.

> No matter how large our music library is, we do get bored with our music sometimes. For the freshest tunes, nothing beats the airwaves.

The Zune 2... Finally!!!

I've been waiting for Microsoft to announce the Zune 2 since May of this year. Finally they're almost here. I don't know about you but I personally think they look great. If you're hating Apple right now due to their recent antics, the Zune is a nice alternative to the iPod. I think the 80gig Zune model trumps the iPod Classic because of it's FM radio, huge screen and great-looking interface. Here are some more info about the new offering from Microsoft (via Engadget and BoingBoing):

• A slimmer new case design in both hard-drive- and flash-based models.
  
• Automatic syncing over Wi-Fi.


• The new "Zune Pad" is both a click button and a touchpad.


• "Zune Social," a Last.FM-like music tracking platform.


• Integration with Windows Media Center platform, for watching your recorded content.


• The Zune-to-Zune "squirting" will still be wrapped in three-plays-only DRM, even for content you ripped yourself, although the self-destruct timer has been jettisoned.


• All new features will be added to the original zoom via a firmware update.


• The new players will support lossless audio of the Windows Media variety (don't go screaming FLAC just yet).


• The WiFi is just b/g, so no n, a or x (the sexiest form of WiFi).


• Microsoft is still in the testing phase for battery life and will have numbers "later."


• All your old accessories are said to work with the new models.


• The screens are glass, not plastic.


• Green is the new brown... but brown is sticking around on the 30GB models.


• You can connect the Zune to an Xbox 360 to create "your own soundtrack."


• Podcast support! (Sorry, no over the air downloads -- sync only.) Podcasts can also be shared via WiFi.


• The Zune music store is going DRM-free, with over 1m MP3 tracks being made available for download. Other details (like which labels, whether there is a DRM-free upgrade path is for users who've bought music with DRM, price differences, etc.) are not yet revealed.

As of now, all I can say is whoohoo!!!

Hide-a-pod... An iPod/iPhone in Disguise

The Hide-a-pod is a product (albeit fictional) that claims to keep your iPods or iPhones away from theft by encasing it in a (brown) Zune. Am I the only one who thinks that this is totally mean? Although, I can't help but laugh too.

This is from their FAQ...

Can I choose my Zune color?

Sorry, no. We only use brown Zunes for the maximum anti-theft protection.

Haha. I'm really sorry but although I love the Zune and am planning on getting one if the iPod does not release a 6th generation soon, I agree that the brown one looks terrible. The red one looks great though.

U U U