IPod History

• The iPod family. http://www.flickr.com/photos/dantaylor/58703002/
  
  The first generation of iPods came with a 5 GB drive. Apple soon began expanding the product line with new models like the iPod nano and iPod shuffle. In 2007, Apple brought the concept of touch technology to its digital media line with the launch of the iPod Touch.
  
  

Zune History

• The first model, the Zune 30, held a 30 GB hard drive. Microsoft soon introduced other models, some of which used a compact Flash drive for storage, eventually upping the storage space to 120 GB on their Zune 120 models.
  
  

IPod Advantages

• As an Apple product, the iPod enjoys all the advantages that the company brings to market, including a stable running platform and innovative design. The click wheel used to navigate through the screens revolutionized the media player industry. The iPod touch uses a touch screen similar to the iPhone. All of the iPod models integrate seamlessly with Apple's iTunes music software, which allows user to purchase digital music and manage their playlists.
  
  

Zune Advantages

• One of the major advantages of the Zune is the fact that it comes with built-in wireless support. This allows Zune users to share music, pictures and media files with other Zune devices. The latest edition of the Zune, the ZuneHD comes with a built-in browser that allows user to access the Internet. The Zune models also feature an FM tuner, which includes RDBS (Radio Database System). This picks up digital information broadcast by radio stations, such as information about the current song being played.
  
  

Criticisms of the IPod

• The major complaint of iPods stem from battery issues. Although some models are advertised with a battery life of up to 14 hours, many users have reported that the batteries will only last for up to eight hours. Furthermore, the iPod battery is not user replaceable. Apple has a battery replacement program that allows users to send their iPods back to Apple for refurbishment.
  
  

Criticisms of the Zune

• Many of the user complaints about the Zune stem from the software that the player requires to run. All PCs that run the Zune software have to be at least Windows XP with Service Pack 2. In addition, Microsoft requires users to use their Internet Explorer web browser software.