Can't decide between a Zune 80 and iPod Classic

[DJGeorgeT]

I wondering if the Ipod classic can work with software OTHER than Itunes for transfering music to the player ?????????????????????????????????????????????????? ????????????????

 

[tstarn06]

As an FYI, Zune owners aren't alone in choosing it over the iPod Classic. Now, this PC Mag review doesn't say anything about software, but it certainly addresses the many facets of the Zune80 vs. iPod Classic choice - not just one.

Stars of the Small Screen - Microsoft Zune 80GB - Reviews by PC Magazine

Quote:

Originally Posted by DesertInTheShape /img/forum/go_quote.gif who me? ha. yes, this is MY second response to someone who had the same question...for your information i own a trekstor vibez chief. why is this worthless? because YOU own a zune. idiotic? lol. i think the software IS the main issue regarding zune owners and buyers, hmmmm??? I have owned both a zune and an ipod and i can tell you that as far as audio is concerned the zune sounds grainy and hardly defined. there was no "bottom" as far as i am concerned. This was actually a gift I bought for my brother (i would never buy one for myself, EVER), and he said after hearing it "I think i need to get some new headphones cause these suck." Meaning, straight of the box, the audio sucks. bad. I'm not an apple fanboy CHIEF, i just bought an ipod two days ago to rockbox. SEE, with this ipod i can change the software. SOMETHING ZUNE SHOULD LOOK INTO. (although the classic cannot be rockboxed, apple still makes almost PERFECT software in ITUNES) let's be honest here, i like the way the zune looks, but that's as far as it goes. IN MY OPINION, the zune is a terrible buy BASED ON THE SOFTWARE ALONE. add to that the audio IS NOT on par with an ipod (NOT EVEN CLOSE TO A TREKSTOR VIBEZ), there are many more options besides a zune. I will make this statement a million times zunefanboy. no need to get so offended over your cheap toy. let's keep head-fi friendly, i offered my opinion, if you feel you need to call people names go somewhere else. to the original poster, and to you, let's go into detail with a few software issues. 1) took me about 2 hours until the software finally came to realize my zune was hooked up. (i'm not a computer moron either, google it, this is a repeated issue with zune owners) 2) once it was hooked up took another 2 hours until it would let me put songs on it. (hard to explain, because YES it should be as easy as say "drag-n-drop", but it's zune) and this was not a human issue, this was a SOFTWARE ISSUE. plain and simple. 3) all of my songs were properly ID3 tagged. UNTIL i popped it into the zune. somehow my MILES DAVIS became my John Frusciante, and somehow I had three miles davis albums of the same name. amongst many other examples. COMPLETE disaster. I told my brother it was his problem and he had to deal with it. it would have taken who knows how long to figure out what the hell the software was doing. Basically there was NO fixing it. Changing id tags would only make things worse.... 4) songs and albums would delete from the zune for no reason. 5) as songs became missing so did my patience. It became apparent that not only were songs missing, mistagged somehow by zune and other complete disasters, unplugging the zune and plugging it back in I found that it began to rename them again and take off even more songs. all of this sounds unbelievable but it is true. read other horror stories using google. I am only trying to help by offering my honest opinion of this awful machine. I honestly would rather have ANY other mp3 player than the zune, let's leave apple out, just don't get a zune.

 

[DesertInTheShape]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tstarn06 /img/forum/go_quote.gif It was a worthless post because it was advice totally based on just one aspect of the Zune. Yes, the software alone, that one aspect is reason not to buy it. Hey, you love iTunes, I think it sucks (for many reasons). I don't love itunes, it's better than zune software. It's good, not great. I like winamp and others that play flac files.And I have used it plenty (used to own an iPod Mini and use the latest version all the time with a 5.5g). But I wouldn't tell anyone not to buy an iPod under any circumstances because I don't like iTunes. Saying the Zune sounds grainy, etc., may just be your objectivity being tainted by your obvious frustration and problems with Zune software.Yes, I thought it sounded grainy but so did my brother, as soon as he fired it up. I never said the software was great. I just said it wasn't that big a deal (for some of us). The latest version fixes some problems (including some of the tagging issues you mentioned). It does create problems, but none that are so overwhelming that they make me (or apparently other Zune owners) send it back for a refund. I guess if you happen to be a fanatic over album art, tagging, etc., then it might make you nuts. Me, I just like good sound quality and the ability to get my songs on the DAP.Properly tagging songs and albums, etc. IS important to me. VERY. In fact, it sounds fantastic, and the screen and form factor are, for me at least, better than what Apple currently has to offer in an HD player. Sure, the Zune can't compete on video content (vis a vis iTunes), but that's not a concern for me. You say you have owned both a Zune and an iPod, but then you say you bought a Zune for your brother. You owned it, or not? And why did you do that, considering your believe that iTunes is the perfect software. Okay, so i played with it for a couple days after I bought it for my brother. I only bought it because it was 130.00 bucks at fry's and my bro doesnt care that much about what's what. Next, you said you owned an iPod, but then said you just bought one two days ago. iTunes software perfect? But you are not going to use it.I've owned a few ipods. Ended up selling them for money during broke times. My player of choice is a trekstor vibez, and it's sound quality is the best I have heard. Unfortunately, it only holds 12 gigs. I wanted a player with 80 gigs-rockboxed for more flac files... Anyway, I'm not saying the Zune is perfect. I just believe it's the better choice between it and iPod Classic 80GB. Your opinion of the software is fine, but your opinion of the SQ really is out there all alone for the most part.I have compared sound quality to both the zune and ipod (stock) side by side for two days straight. The ipod sounds better plain and simple. Plus, your original opinion was friendly? Some people seem to like the Zune (just a bunch of morons, me included, I guess). Fact is, we have iPods at my house too, and when I listen to them, they don't sound as good as my Creative ZVM, my Sony DAP, or the Zune. If software is what the OP cares about most, great, maybe he should get an iPod. If it's SQ (and software that will get better in time, no doubt), then I believe the Zune is the right choice. Nothing more than that. But I would never tell him that under no circumstances should buy an iPod. Guess I haven't suffered all of the pain you have in your Zune experience. There are some issues, no one denies that. But I guess all the Zune buyers out there must be just losers who love spending their time problem-solving. It just isn't that bad is the point. Too bad your experience was so traumatic.just saddened, that's all. You hit it right on the head. You would rather have any other DAP than the Zune. But some idiots, including me and me too right? and apparently a lot of other who have purchased and kept their Zunes, don't really feel that way. Hard to believe? It's true. You came out blasting, and when someone called you on it, you blasted again. Notice, I didn't need to use upper case to make a point. Keep it friendly? I guess you could have just outlined your problems, said you'd choose the iPod, and leave it at that. Instead, you made it sound like anyone who buys and keeps a Zune is a moron. Nice and friendly, right? And please, don't call me CHIEF.

...and chief, sell your zune, mmmkkayyyy? .

 

[tstarn06]

Whatever. Your response says it all.

And re-reading your post, I notice you aren't even talking about the Zune80 (or the updated software), since you admit you bought the Zune30 ($130 doesn't get you an 80 GB model), which is not the model the OP was even asking about. That fact alone pretty much disqualifies any opinion you have on the Zune80, since you never have owned one.

 

[Fuzzy OneThree]

I used to own a Zune and I have had plenty of experience with iPods, so heres my take. Both of the players are excellent, they do what you want and they are easy to. They are pretty much the same size and they both look fine.

So if neither one beats the other in the player part, then it must come to the software. Even if you don't like iTunes, you know that it is easy to use and has what you need. The Zune software is prettier and has nice little frills and it is still easy to use. However, the Zune software is limited and I personally used 3 other programs to make everything the way I wanted (I am really anal about my mp3s being organized). I used EAC to rip my music, MP3TAG to fix all the tags, and dSHARPiE to add metadata to my videos (this is a nice feature that the iPod doesn't have). If you are fine with using a couple of programs to make the Zune perfect, then go for that, otherwise, I would stick with a iPod.

 

[tstarn06]

I also use a couple of programs to get tags fixed, including MP3Tag, and for ripping, EAC (for important tracks; otherwise I use WMP11 and use WMA192/256 CBR), and that gets it done. If I could ask, what DAP are you using now? Notice you only have phones in your sig.

 

[Barry]

Having experience with the earlier Zune and a bunch of ipods, including the classic, in my mind there is no clear unequivocal answer here. I did like the sound of the Zune more than I did the earlier ipods - the Zune seemed more focused, but a bit less lively. I have not heard the Zune 80 and the sound may have changed from the 30. I can tell you that the IPod classic sounds better in a variety of ways than the earlier ipods - more dynamic, less background noise, much more focus, but there is more apparent high end there. My suggestion is almost trite, but I think that you need to hear both yourself if you possibly can. That said, I don't think that either would be a "bad" choice - only that you might prefer one over another.

As far as the software - the new Zune software is pretty easy to use, but it does have a different set of keystrokes, etc. than itunes - I did not have problems with the Zune software reliability, but others report significant problems. That said, I am not a big itunes fan - but it does work reliably. I doubt that I was much help here - my main point is that I would not agree with others who take a very polar view of one unit over another.