IPOD Touch or Zune HD or other?

[Smooth Groove]

I would like some advice on my next MP3 player purchase. 

Previously, I had a Sansa Fuze and a classic Zune 80 GB.  Both were great players but are currently nonfunctional.  I accidentally dropped the Fuze and the Zune's hard drive died. 

My top 2 replacement choices right now are the Zune HD and the IPOD touch.  I love the Zune HD's screen and overall design but the top model only has 32gb.  The IPOD touch can hold up to 64GB but everything about it just seems less sleek than the Zune HD.

I would appreciate it if those of you that've owned either or both of these players let me know why I should or should not get either player.  If you've owned both, which one sounds better? 

I'm open to other suggestions as well since I'm not that familiar with portable media players.  My main criteria are good sound quality and that the player uses flash memory since I don't want another sudden hard drive death. 

[Phoenix Dark]

Zune

[Hitler Stole My Potato]

If you're purely concerned about using it as a MP3/media player and don't give a damn about playing games or having a zillion different apps, then go with the Zune.

[Smooth Groove]

How many decent games are there on the IPOD? 

[drew]

im thankful that i still have my circa 2005 30 gig ipod and because of it ill never have to buy another mp3 player

[Hitler Stole My Potato]

How many decent games are there on the IPOD? 

Eh, depends.  I used to buy a lot of games for my iphone but I've slowed down over the last 6 months mainly because I get bored with them pretty quickly.  I will say that they're getting better with big names putting more effort into their product.  The ipod/iphone market is massive so things are only going to get better in that area and there's so many games being released for the ipod/iphone that it's hard keeping up with it all.

[M3wThr33]

Wait for the next Zune HD or iPod Touch which should be coming VERY soon.

[Smooth Groove]

Hitler Stole My Potato, were you the one who owned the Shure 530 earphones?

Wait for the next Zune HD or iPod Touch which should be coming VERY soon.

There's going to be a new Zune HD?  Wasn't the last one just released about 6 months ago? 

[drew]

im listening to howard stern on circa 1990's cd player headphones that i found in the garage the other week and it sounds fine, spending a chunk of change on anything other than ear muffs is stupid because theyre going to break sooner or later

[Snuflupagulus]

Hitler Stole My Potato, were you the one who owned the Shure 530 earphones?

Wait for the next Zune HD or iPod Touch which should be coming VERY soon.

There's going to be a new Zune HD?  Wasn't the last one just released about 6 months ago? 

With the announcement of Windows Phone 7, there was speculation of a Zune HD2.  The current Zune HD isn't included in XNA 4.0, apparently.  The "rumor" is that a new Zune will replace it, compatible with the new dev environment.  But when, who knows?

[M3wThr33]

Hitler Stole My Potato, were you the one who owned the Shure 530 earphones?

Wait for the next Zune HD or iPod Touch which should be coming VERY soon.

There's going to be a new Zune HD?  Wasn't the last one just released about 6 months ago? 

There NEEDS to be one to help push the Windows Phone 7 platform. (Plus the Zune HD supports HD Radio, if you care at all)
The iPod Touch is great, aside from lacking a camera, so a few apps aren't as cool.

[Himu]

Why do you need a camera for a mp3 player

[M3wThr33]

Because I want it for apps, not an iPod. It's a shitty mp3 player.

Low amount of storage, poor access to buttons, huge cost, low sound quality and a clumsy touch interface.

If I had to get an mp3 player right now I'd get an iPod Classic.

[Draft]

Ipod touch sucks.

Don't let the Apple supplicants fool you. Maybe apps are better on a phone that's constantly getting 3G, but I doubt it. Most iphone games are total garbage. Most apps are just shit you can do in a browser. The thing only works with itunes, so you need to keep that garbage installed. Sometimes, plugging it in crashes my PC.

Just... awful.

[tiesto]

im thankful that i still have my circa 2005 30 gig ipod and because of it ill never have to buy another mp3 player

Till your battery dies

OP, I got a 16g Zune HD based on many recommendations (some here on EB, some through friends on Facebook) and I am really happy with it.

[Raban]

I want to get a 32GB Zune HD but I want to know more about this successor. Is it just rampant speculation or something that everyone's pretty sure of?

[Himu]

Well, we're pretty sure it's coming.

Zune og had a sucessor. Slimmer design, new look, bigger hd, same features though.

I'd just get a zune hd unless you want a bigger hd. If that's the case, wait.

[Raban]

Definitely want a bigger HDD. I filled my 16GB iPod in no time flat, and I'm sure I could hit 32GBs just as easily.

[Himu]

I'm getting a 16 gig zune hd.

My current 32 gig og zune is out of commission and honestly, 32 gigs is too much. I have a shit load of music on my zune and it all comes out to total a mere 8 gigs.

[Raban]

Yeah right before I got my 16GB iPod I had around 8GBs of music (early last year) and by the summer I had 15GBs.

I'm not getting as much music as I used to because I can't fit anything more on my iPod. 32GBs is already a lot, but I want to have enough capacity so that I won't have to buy another MP3 player (for that reason) later on.

[aoi tsuki]

The ZuneHD is EOL. As mentioned above, XNA 4.0 doesn't support HD development as MS is urging devs to code for WP7. i wouldn't be surprised to see them hit clearance in the next two or three months. It's a great product, and i'd personally still get one today over the iPod Touch if i weren't planning on getting a Windows Phone 7 Series phone. But it's nothing i'd want to be tied to for at least a couple of years as main player.

Zune HD2 hasn't been announced but mentioned to those in the know such as Mary Jo Foley, who says it might ship this year but i'm not holding my breath. The Zune team has been folded into the mobile division and they're focusing on getting Windows Phone 7 out the door on schedule.

[Smooth Groove]

So I decided to go with a Zune HD 32 gb.  Draft's ultra negative comments about the Ipod touch put me over the edge.  Also, there's a good chance that I'll get an Iphone later this year so an Iphone + Zune combo made more sense. 

So far, I'm loving the Zune HD.  It sounds even better than my classic Zune which already had great sound quality.  The amp is a little more powerful and there're no more annoying mechanical sounds from a hard drive.  The screen is as beautiful as advertised.  My main complaint right now is that the web browser is garbage.  It's a chore just to browse EB with that browser.  Hopefully, MS will fix it or I'll have to stick with the PSP for my bedtime surfing.  Also, it'd be nice if MS implemented drag and drop support.  The Zune software is great but sometimes I just wanna copy things over to the device as quickly as possible. 

The ZuneHD is EOL. As mentioned above, XNA 4.0 doesn't support HD development as MS is urging devs to code for WP7. i wouldn't be surprised to see them hit clearance in the next two or three months. It's a great product, and i'd personally still get one today over the iPod Touch if i weren't planning on getting a Windows Phone 7 Series phone. But it's nothing i'd want to be tied to for at least a couple of years as main player.

Zune HD2 hasn't been announced but mentioned to those in the know such as Mary Jo Foley, who says it might ship this year but i'm not holding my breath. The Zune team has been folded into the mobile division and they're focusing on getting Windows Phone 7 out the door on schedule.

Thanks for the info but I decided I couldn't wait 6 months to get a new player.  I'll just get another Zune and give the old one to my sister if MS comes out with a Zune that has more storage or much better apps.  32gb is just not quite big enough for a device that plays music and videos as capably as the Zune HD. 

[MCD]

http://www.dailytech.com/Microsoft+Finally+Set+to+Launch+64GB+Zune+HD/article17996.htm

[Smooth Groove]

Holy crap, I need to go return the 32gb now! 

Thanks, MCD.

[MCD]

but your sister 

[tehjaybo]

I have the iPod Touch, my friend has a Zune HD.  She really likes it, I like both of them...  If I had to go with another MP3 player, I'd probably get a Zune HD.

[Phoenix Dark]

what type of music do you even listen to smooth groove.

[aoi tsuki]

http://www.dailytech.com/Microsoft+Finally+Set+to+Launch+64GB+Zune+HD/article17996.htm

Not only that, but...

http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/29/zune-hd-v4-5-firmware-coming-soon-adds-smartdj-new-codecs-a/

i'm glad to be partially wrong on this.

i just wish there was an easy way to get FLACs into the Zune software that didn't include transcoding.

[Smooth Groove]

i just wish there was an easy way to get FLACs into the Zune software that didn't include transcoding.

Dbpoweramp easily converts Flacs into lossless WMVs.  It's a very fast program.  10 5-min songs convert in about 10 seconds. 

[aoi tsuki]

i just wish there was an easy way to get FLACs into the Zune software that didn't include transcoding.

Dbpoweramp easily converts Flacs into lossless WMVs.  It's a very fast program.  10 5-min songs convert in about 10 seconds. 

My entire CD library is FLAC. At least 1000 tracks. It's not that i can't or won't transcode, it's just that i have to decide what format will work best for me across devices and OSes in the future.

Even though i didn't really like the iPod, at least i could use Winamp to copy tracks over to it. i'm surprised someone hasn't figured this out for the Zune. It's not like i even want FLACs on the Zune itself, i just need a way to get the tracks on the device.

[GilloD]

Peole who don't answer "iPod Touch" are contrarian jerkwads. bubububu all mah flac files

[Reb]

Peole who don't answer "iPod Touch" are contrarian jerkwads. bubububu all mah flac files

Agreed.

GilloD

[Raban]

Peole who don't answer "iPod Touch" are contrarian jerkwads. bubububu all mah flac files

If you have a Mac computer, sure, but running iTunes on a Windows computer is like taking half your RAM right out of your case.

[M3wThr33]

Also, the new iTunes lets you strip down audio file quality AUTOMATICALLY on synced devices. (Used to be just Shuffles)

[GilloD]

Peole who don't answer "iPod Touch" are contrarian jerkwads. bubububu all mah flac files

If you have a Mac computer, sure, but running iTunes on a Windows computer is like taking half your RAM right out of your case.

I don't know what machine you're using, but I have no issues running iTunes on my Vista PC. I can run iTunes + Firefox + Lightroom without issue.


REAL TALK:

Anyway, people love to come up with goofy reasons to shit on the iPod because, uh. Because it's small? And it works really, really well? And it has a great app store?

I know it doesn't support OGG or FLAC or FUKU or whatever bizzare format you have your files in BECAUSE YOU SUPER HEARING and MP3 just CUTS OUT ALL THE HIGHS, MAN and I CAN HEAR IT I CAN HEAR IT, but how many people have FLAC or OGG files laying around? In concept I support your thesis. In practice, it's goofy. Just use MP3, I guarantee you we could have a side-by-side listening contest and you couldn't tell the difference. Get over it.

Also, I know the App Store is like SOVIET RUSSIA and you have to get past the guards and zomg its so hard to make money. I'm not a developer. I understand your woes. But as an iPod owner, the whole thing works well and no jerk off is trying to push Malware out to my music player. If it bothers you that much, stop developing for the platform. You could probably make more money as a freelancer unless your next project is a 3D iFart. Or a popping simulator. Maybe it's an app that shows you pictures of bikini babes while playing fart noises.

Point being: The iPod does everything right for 99% of people. The other 1% are weirdo special needs cases who don't need an MP3 player, they really want some kind of weird digital media center burned into their brains.

[Smooth Groove]

Sorry, Gillo but I can easily hear the difference with my Westone 3 LE. 

[demi]

iPod touch jailbroken for free games and apps

[Smooth Groove]

The games aren't that great though.

[demi]

Well if they aint worth buying, all the more reason

[Reb]

Peole who don't answer "iPod Touch" are contrarian jerkwads. bubububu all mah flac files

If you have a Mac computer, sure, but running iTunes on a Windows computer is like taking half your RAM right out of your case.

I don't know what machine you're using, but I have no issues running iTunes on my Vista PC. I can run iTunes + Firefox + Lightroom without issue.


REAL TALK:

Anyway, people love to come up with goofy reasons to shit on the iPod because, uh. Because it's small? And it works really, really well? And it has a great app store?

I know it doesn't support OGG or FLAC or FUKU or whatever bizzare format you have your files in BECAUSE YOU SUPER HEARING and MP3 just CUTS OUT ALL THE HIGHS, MAN and I CAN HEAR IT I CAN HEAR IT, but how many people have FLAC or OGG files laying around? In concept I support your thesis. In practice, it's goofy. Just use MP3, I guarantee you we could have a side-by-side listening contest and you couldn't tell the difference. Get over it.

Also, I know the App Store is like SOVIET RUSSIA and you have to get past the guards and zomg its so hard to make money. I'm not a developer. I understand your woes. But as an iPod owner, the whole thing works well and no jerk off is trying to push Malware out to my music player. If it bothers you that much, stop developing for the platform. You could probably make more money as a freelancer unless your next project is a 3D iFart. Or a popping simulator. Maybe it's an app that shows you pictures of bikini babes while playing fart noises.

Point being: The iPod does everything right for 99% of people. The other 1% are weirdo special needs cases who don't need an MP3 player, they really want some kind of weird digital media center burned into their brains.

GilloD

He types up the shit I can't be arsed to type.

[cool breeze]

Depends on what you want to use it for.  From what I can tell, the Zune HD is better if you just want a media player while the ipod touch had apps and all that.

I have an ipod touch but I only really use it for games or movies and for me it's something I need to plan to take with me.  For listening to music, I still use an old ipod nano because it's small, has a good battery life, and does what I need it to do.  That said, if they released an iphone with a good battery life, I'd ditch my cellphone and mp3 player for it.  It's not so much that I have anything against the ipod touch, it's just not a very useful device for my purposes.  I've since learned my lesson and won't buy the ipad...also because that thing is crazy expensive.

and itunes is awful on PC.  It has like four background programs running even when the main program isn't.  All I want to do is plug my device in, throw music, movies, or apps on it.   I don't do that daily or even weekly, so fuck having things constantly running so once in a while I can use the device I payed a couple hundred dollars for.  It's true that the average person doesn't mind this stuff, but they're the ones who download Bonzai Buddy and violate their computer. 

[MCD]

http://www.neowin.net/news/64gb-zune-hd-and-45-firmware-now-available

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

I am looking to shed my Luddite ways and get an MP3 player.  My MP3 CD player is cracked from years of accidental dropping and selectively plays some of the burns I made to the disc.

Basically I want a MP3 player with as little bullshit as possible.  I don't want to reconvert my MP3s to some distinguished mentally-challenged format, I don't want some huge bloatware app to transfer the stuff (drag and drop would be fucking excellent) to the player, I don't want to be forced to pay some prohibitively expensive amounts of money for headphones because the ports are proprietary, and I don't want some incoherent menu structure.  If I want to blast some fuckawesome music like Phil Collins, I want to do it as soon as possible.

With all of that said, what are my options here?

[Rman]

Try looking into the Sansa Clip, T EXP.  It supports drag and drop and it doesn't require a desktop syncing client like the Zune of iPod Touch.  They're also inexpensive.

[Smooth Groove]

The Sansa Fuze is great as well.  Its battery is a little better than the Clip's and you can opt for more memory on it.  I've also played around with a cousin's lower end Samsung MP3 player and it supported drag and drop as well.  The clip is probably the best option if you're the type that's always dropping portable devices.