Zune 120 / iPod Touch?

[Wraith]

Has anyone had hands-on time with the Zune (specifically, the new 120GB model) and the iPod Touch? I kinda like the Zune's non-touch-screen controls, but the Touch has a higher res screen and web browsing. How does the Zune's screen compare in everyday use?

Right now, I've got a 2nd gen iPod Nano 8GB, but I'm looking for something bigger, for photos and videos.

Zune:

+ Lots more space
+ No need to smudge up the screen
+ About the same price as cheapest Touch (~$230)
+ Music subscription available
+ Wifi sync available
+ Lets you set your wallpaper (a small thing, but I like it)


iPod Touch:

+ Higher resolution screen (480x320 vs. Zune's 360x240)
+ Works with (some) existing iPod accessories
+ Flash-based drive
+ Wifi web browsing
+ I have all my stuff in iTunes already (and like the software well enough)
+ Other electronics generally more iPod-friendly (receivers, car stereos, etc.)


Other considerations:

The Zune's color depth is 18-bit, or 262,144 colors. I haven't found a good source for the Touch's specs, seeing both references to 24-bit (16m) and 16-bit (65k). Does it matter?
Does it matter whether photos are at full resolution (say from a high-res digital camera)?
My music collection isn't huge, but adding video would make 8GB a bit too small, I think.
While my songs are in iTunes, I don't think any are in Apple Lossless, and I've only got one song with iTunes DRM.
iPod Touch kind of has bluetooth, but it's only there for some Nike addon. (If they opened this up in the future for connecting to your PC's bluetooth, I'd be interested.)
I understand there are games for both platforms. Touch might end up having the larger library, but Zune's format is a bit more open?
I would've liked to have gotten this stuff in a phone, but I'm more or less stuck with Alltel as a carrier. They have a few smartphones, but nothing that great for music/video. I don't use my phone that terribly much to begin with. Just would've been nice to have in one device.

[KingGorilla]

You will pay out the ass for a 16 or 32 GB iPod, just so you know. If you are getting cramped on an 8GB Nano, watch the data disappear as you put video on the touch.

Photos will look like ass on either one, basically highly compressed thumbnail quality most of the time.

You did miss one feature of the Touch, most of the iPhone apps work on the Touch, so long as they do not need motion control, GPS, voice, etc.

[Wraith]

You will pay out the ass for a 16 or 32 GB iPod, just so you know. If you are getting cramped on an 8GB Nano, watch the data disappear as you put video on the touch.

Photos will look like ass on either one, basically highly compressed thumbnail quality most of the time.

You did miss one feature of the Touch, most of the iPhone apps work on the Touch, so long as they do not need motion control, GPS, voice, etc.If a Touch, I'd probably be looking at the 16GB model ($300), rather than the 32GB one that's $100 more.

And yeah, the Touch does have a lot more application flexibility. I think it does have the same accelerometer as the iPhone...

[Hexxagonal]

I have become such a fanboy with my 30 GB Zune. I dropped the iPhone at Gen 4 for the Zune and never looked back.

Here's some more ups for Zune
- FREE updates.
- Radio
- Software is faster (at least for me)
- Wirelessly sending your music / podcasts to buddies

Plus, I just want to point out that wifi syncing is amazing. If I were you I would go for an iPhone and not a touch. Everyone I know who has gotten an iPod touch wishes they got the iPhone instead (of course that may mean switching cellphone providers)

[Sandman]

Why not consider the new iPod 120? It's what I have and I'm loving it.

[Smoof]

Nevermind...

[Wraith]

I have become such a fanboy with my 30 GB Zune. I dropped the iPhone at Gen 4 for the Zune and never looked back.

Here's some more ups for Zune
- FREE updates.
- Radio
- Software is faster (at least for me)
- Wirelessly sending your music / podcasts to buddies

Plus, I just want to point out that wifi syncing is amazing. If I were you I would go for an iPhone and not a touch. Everyone I know who has gotten an iPod touch wishes they got the iPhone instead (of course that may mean switching cellphone providers)As I mentioned earlier, iPhone isn't really an option for me, due to the carrier.

Agreed that the software update fee for iPod Touch is a ripoff. Not terribly interested in the wireless sharing, but wireless sync sounds good. Radio is kinda nice, but probably won't get a lot of use.Why not consider the new iPod 120? It's what I have and I'm loving it.I like the big screen. While the difference between 2.5" and 3.2"(Zune)/3.5"(Touch) isn't huge, I'd say it's noticeably bigger.

[Gormanimal]

I'm a pretty big fan of my Touch, and my girlfriend takes it on me enough that I'm guessing she's likes it even more than I do. The web browser is really easy and effective. I've read that Adobe is working on a version of Flash for it which will really open it up I think. The app. store is also full of some really impressive applications. Wireless podcast syncing is coming in the next update supposedly, and I wouldn't be surprised if a jailbroken app doesn't already do full wireless sync.

[pomeroy]

It all depends on what you want it to do. When I was weighing an iPod classic or a Touch, I ultimately went with the classic because it was cheaper and had way more storage. I didn't need the internet browsing or the other perks of the Touch.

[Disgustipated]

The Zune is amazing. Just do it. Don't feed the Apple shit-machine.

[Dark Prince]

I had this same exact decision going through my head. I had an old probably 3rd gen 20 gb Ipod that I wanted to get rid of.

I've been seriously considering getting the Gears of War 2 Zune because I'm a gear head and have been playing Gears 2 a lot lately.

I haven't had much use for the iTunes software save for downloading podcasts since I don't really care for downloading the movies an such and I want to be able to have some extra space when I start getting into buying music again.

I'd say go with your gut and what you think you'll get the most out of. Personally I'd go with the Zune...

[KingGorilla]

I will add this, same thing I say to most folks deciding between a Zune and some other player. Play around with the Zune software as your media hub for a week, and see how it treats you. Some like it, some are indifferent, I fall into the hate it category. If you hate iTunes, there are alternatives like RockBox(only up to iPod 5.5. support right now, I would expect Classic support soon, Touch much later).

[Shadowstorm]

The Zune is amazing. Just do it. Don't feed the Apple shit-machine.

I second this notion.

[Disgustipated]

I will add this, same thing I say to most folks deciding between a Zune and some other player. Play around with the Zune software as your media hub for a week, and see how it treats you. Some like it, some are indifferent, I fall into the hate it category. If you hate iTunes, there are alternatives like RockBox(only up to iPod 5.5. support right now, I would expect Classic support soon, Touch much later).

Except that suggestion is only half right. For one, you are wrong in saying it needs to be a media hub. You don't have to use the Zune software as your media hub. You can use just about anything else. The Zune software's primary purpose is syncing to your Zune and organizing your library.

Sort of funny that people think you're forced into using the Zune software for your main video/music needs. ;)

[Dark Prince]

Except that suggestion is only half right. For one, you are wrong in saying it needs to be a media hub. You don't have to use the Zune software as your media hub. You can use just about anything else. The Zune software's primary purpose is syncing to your Zune and organizing your library.

Sort of funny that people think you're forced into using the Zune software for your main video/music needs. ;)

Although, I doubt you can use itunes with your Zune though.

[Skull3r]

I'm sure that the Zune can hold a lot more, but if you're not the type of person who wants to carry his entire music collection with him, I would highly recommend the touch. It just can do so much more than just an mp3 player. I check my email on it all the time ( I live on a college campus).

[Gormanimal]

The Zune is amazing. Just do it. Don't feed the Apple shit-machine.
I think we should try and avoid the MS vs. Apple mud slinging in this tread. It's about a simple media player, not the business, or moral, or whatever practises you have issue with for either company.

[Wraith]

I'm sure that the Zune can hold a lot more, but if you're not the type of person who wants to carry his entire music collection with him, I would highly recommend the touch. It just can do so much more than just an mp3 player. I check my email on it all the time ( I live on a college campus).I don't feel the need to have every single music/video file on my player. 16GB would be plenty for the music I'd want, plus a few videos. WiFi browsing is a benefit, but not sure where I'd be able to use it, outside of home or a hotel with WiFi, or a store that happens to have an open signal...

[Wraith]

For photos, it looks like both the Touch and the Zune resize synced photos to a maximum of 640x480, and both apparently have a limit of 25,000 photos (at least this is the case with the Touch and the Zune 30).

Neither of these points seem to be very well documented anywhere, but this page (http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/the-complete-guide-to-ipod-photo-pictures/P1) (iPods) and this page (http://blog.retrosight.com/OptimizingPicturesForYourZune.aspx) (Zunes) seem to explain it about as well as I can find. That second link seems to suggest that manually resizing your images to 640x480 works best for viewing quality on the Zune, especially for photos.

It sounds like for iPods, your images will be resized regardless of the source file size (so an image that was only 640x480/60KB will get run through the resizer and be 640x480/660KB on the iPod). iPods supposedly have the option to also store the full-resolution images as well (not sure if this is there on the Touch or not; it doesn't have Use as Disk mode like other iPods), though these won't be used for display on the device itself. That first link says that you can't manually sync photos with an iPod (like you can music), so unless this has changed in more recent firmware, you have to let it auto-sync whatever photo directories you've specified or not sync at all. The Zune can manually sync photos (and music and videos), as of firmware 3.0. The iPod can take several image formats, including JPG, PNG and GIF, though I assume the resized versions are all one format. The Zune only takes JPGs, apparently.

[Everyone vs Dinosaurs]

I have a Zune 30.

I love it.

It is fantastic.

No complaints whatsoever.

I also like the zune software, so that is a plus.

[KingGorilla]

Wraith, I would not put photo analysis as a high priority for your buying decision. It is a feature that is there, not sure what the point is. Maybe if you need to demo some picture you took, then ripped your computer, and synced with your media player. Maybe if you hack around for custom backgrounds and themes, I get the point of them.

[Wraith]

Well, photo viewing certainly isn't the main priority, but I would use it.

At least on the Zune side of things, you don't have to do any hacking around to use a custom background. You just sync a picture, use as background. On the iPhone/Touch, you can set a background, but it only shows on the "locked" screen.

But yeah, coming down to the two players, it'd just be nice to use them both for a while and see how they compare. Or just buy one of each...