Are iPods really the best MP3 players on the market?
Sure they've got the funky cool "click wheel", and tons of accessories, but does that mean you should ignore other MP3 companies when you are looking for a new device? Competitors like Microsoft Zune, Creative Technology Zen, and Sony Walkman MP3 products are very similar to the iPod design, in aspects such as large hard drive space, intuitiveness, and ease of use. They are definitely formidable competitors, but can they help sway people away from iPods?
(not actual size comparisons)
It has shown that advertisement for the iPod brand has relied largely on word of mouth- everywhere you turn; you can see an iPod strapped onto a wrist, in a pocket, in a hand, and plugged into a car, is the demand really that big?
Many complaints of product reliability have shown that Apple's iPod is not the most durable product in the MP3 sector, statistics show that iPods have an average failure rate of 13.7%, and early generation Nano iPods could receive deep scratches on the faceplate and are rendered useless. Even the battery doesn't stand up to advertised estimate, but then again, no MP3 is that accurate.
But since the popularity of iPods has grown, major auto manufacturers from Honda to Bentley have put in new iPod integrated USB ports in their new models, while competitors can only offer after market packages which help dock the MP3 to the cars speaker system. iPod even has its own online store (iTunes) to buy music for a small fee, but many just download the songs from their own cd's or other online services.
Electronic companies are struggling to stay ahead when produce iPod docks, battery chargers, headphones, FM transmitters and other new inventions for iPods, selling them to users who are dieing for more accessibility and convenience.
As new models are being introduced into the market, you can be sure that it will be an improvement on the earlier generation models, but does that make current iPod's obsolete? Take the Shuffle for example, the first generation model was the smallest and most compact of any MP3 player, matching the size of a normal flash drive and still having enough room to house the signature "click wheel" and music shuffler in the back.
Today the Shuffle has been shrunk even more, to the point that the only way to know where it is is to clip it onto your shirt or pants , while still being able to store 2 gigs of music (pretty impressive if you ask me), but as a old fashion Shuffle owner, this makes me feel behind, I mean sure- it still works, the music is the same quality, and the size is perfect, but seeing newer versions on the streets (and happy faces listening to them) makes me wonder if I rushed too soon to buy a then new iPod shuffle.
Having friends and acquaintances who own products from Apple's competitors lets me compare my iPods from their Zune's, Walkman's and whatever they use to stay in tune.
Over a span of two weeks, I had the chance to swap my Apple iPod Classic (sixth generation) 80 gig with a friend's Microsoft Zune 80. Both are well matched, same hard drive space, capable of viewing video files, music files, very competitively priced (around $250 each), and released at around the same time (Sept-Nov 2007). The two models have their ups and downs, some being for Zune: the lack of customer service Microsoft provides compared to Mac, and the smaller selection of entertainment available to Zune (when compared to iPod). But Zune pulls ahead of iPod in screen size (3.2 inches compared to only 2.5), durability (highly scratch resistant face and back), Wi-Fi connectivity (file sharing), and radio options.
My friend told me that over past few months of owning the Zune he hasn't encountered any problems with software or hardware, saying that he dropped it a couple times, and accidentally swung the earpieces into a steel door and nothing was damaged that he could notice. Hands down, I would choose a Zune over a Classic when it comes to buying a video MP3 player.
Conclusion
Currently, from market specs and high demand, I think the iPod will be the fore runner for a long time, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't shop around, have fun- and remember, that whatever your choice is, you're still getting a great gadget.
