I can only view this as a good thing, and to be honest, I hope the Zune goes well for this reason.

I own a Zune 80GB, Apple Ipod Nano, a Wii, Xbox, a couple Macs and a couple PC’s and…well im basically saying, i have experience with all the main brands.

For me, Apple is a great product, very original but MS is a more user friendly product and just give an edge that is indescribable(well personally, at least).

I think there really isn’t anything wrong with Apple or MS products, from Zunes to Ipod’s and from Mac to PC’s.

Personal preference is what it is.

I literally grew up around about 5 PC’s and im sure if you were born in the 90 or earlier you were to.

So these arguments defending Ipod’s or Zune’s are just fan remarks whether you like it or not.

If you have a product, you’ll most likely think it’s better and there’s nothing wrong with that.

P.S:Liam Cassidy: Yes, you were bashing Microsoft(Zune), the title says it all.

If you claim, Microsoft hasn’t released enough to know anything about the Zune HD, then why criticize something you know nothing about.

And if you don’t think so, read your second paragraph again.

P.S again:My Zune broke so i’m so getting this.

Nothing like opening your mouth to show your ignorance. One kind of file? I usually try to get to know my software before letting loose with my “wisdom”. Is there something wrong or difficult with using free, 3rd-party programs to move music from iPods to a computer?

To be precise, “a few million people who don’t know anything about computers in the first place” covers most of the Mac and Windows user base. They just call tech support or a knowledgeable acquaintance after abusing their computers until they wig out so what’s your real point? To beat your chest and proclaim to the world that you’re a “real” computer user? Dude, use what you want, I read both pro and anti-mac blogs to be better informed, not to be a mindless fanboy. I work in prepress and am a 100% Mac user that used to be a 90% Windows/10% Mac (at work) user. I like using Mac better but only you know what works best for your workflow.

This will definitely sell better then the first 2 Zunes versions, but it won’t outsell the iPod…NEVER

HD radio? get serious. local chain-owned playlist radio is crap everywhere nowadays. internet radio and podcasts are where you get global variety and quality music matched to your tastes. oh, and it’s HD quality sound too, if your earbuds can tell the difference anyway. of course, the touch you can plug into many dozens of boombox/desktop audio systems and hear the difference. the Zune, well there’s a few.

meanwhile, i’m getting live CATV and recorded TiVo on my touch via SlingPlayer – today. which actually is really useful. the Zilch? maybe next year.

one theory is the Zilch HD is a stopgap to keep a foot in the market until a true WinMobile 7 Zune device with apps is finally ready next year. so HD radio and the XBox tie-in is just making some lemonade with the existing Zune lemon in the meantime. but vocally taking on the touch explicitly – bring it on! – could well prove suicidal when what will likely be a sensational 2009 touch version is released at the same time as the Zilch this fall. the Zilch could get laughed out of the marketplace as utterly obsolete.

except for the MS fanboys of course. they’ll buy and clutch it close to their heart no doubt.

I am not sure Google can withstand MS, they don’t have enough political clout in the market.

Also, iTunes is a horrible application in my opinion. It is slow, bloated by features I will never use, and is complete crap when trying to share the library among my several Apple computers. Maybe if MS gains some ground with the new Zune they would actually make Apple try to make their software as nice as their hardware.

Also, possible integration with my Xbox is a huge selling point. If, and that is a big if, MS does this right it could take a nice chunk out of the Apple dominated market.

First off, HD Radio is pretty sweet. One of my BIGGEST complaints w/ the iPhone/Touch line is it’s lack of even an FM receiver. Sometimes, I just want to listen to the mindless dribble on the road instead of something from my music collection. FM coverage is strong even when cell coverage is not (read: no Pandora).

Next, OLED screen. SWEET. This is one of my biggest hopefuls for the new iPhone. They are simply beautiful and use less battery life. It’s cool that Microsoft is embracing this technology (although others, Sony, Samsung, etc. already have OLED media players).

I think the design is beautiful too. the original UI for the Zune was great, I think this will be too. Physically, it’s beautiful too.

As for custom apps, my guess is they’ll allow them. If they’re really pushing the Xbox relationship, you can bet on some multitouch handheld games. And, there are a lot more .NET programmers out there than Objective C.

While you can knock the original Zune’s shortcomings, keep in mind how buggy the original iPhone software was. It was only after immense market pressure and demonstration of ability (Jailbreaking) that Apple allowed 3rd party apps.

I know we can’t expect much in terms of praise for the competition, this is an Apple blog after all. However, let’s give praise where it’s due and take off the Apple blinders and really take a look at a potentially sweet product.

Zune to all intense purposes has for me always be an odd play by the boys in Redmond. It bastardised in a heartbeat it’s long established Play4sure format, isolated all of it’s partners building compatible devices bar Toshiba who manufactured the worlds original brown media player and finally carbon copied so much of Apple’s ipod player that it offered no real differentiation- please no one say ‘squirt’.

I guess the issue here is why? The xbox 360 yes i can see the synergy and I think the 360 is a great console and fills a longer term objective for networked play but what can the Zune ever offer that the ipod can’t. Personally i think Microsoft need to stop dicking around and deliver a solid Winmo device which happens to incorporate the Zune branding and functionality. What can Microsoft hope to achieve? If anyone can explain this to me I’d really appreciate it.

Sure, there’s no point reading something on “Theappleblog” and expecting it to be anything other than pro-Apple, but a slightly less catty and dismissive attitude towards other products would make the pieces come across as more balanced and carefully thought-out.