For a very long time, iPod is a well-known company in portable equipment. Microsoft comes into existence and launches its product with the name ‘Zune.’ These two giant companies influence people to a great extent. They have some differences which set them apart and different from each other. Microsoft and Apple stood as tough competitors.
Microsoft Zune vs Apple iPod
The main difference between Microsoft Zune and Apple iPod is that Microsoft Zune was launched or introduced in the market as a 30GB Zune, and they make the launch announcement on social media websites to encourage the social media presence and reach. On the contrary, Apple iPod is a portable media which is developed by Apple and launched in the market in the year 2001. This amazing brand covers a whole spectrum in the market and has a stylish interface as well.
Microsoft Zune is developed by the Microsoft Corporation, and the first Zune is launched in the market in the year 2006. Later on, the company launches its Zune HD in the year 2009 by enhancing some features. In the design aspect, the company adopts the mixed design result that resembles with iPod only. The major advantage of this product is its big or large screen.
Apple iPod is a standardized product in the market developed and launched in the year 2001. This amazing product has an enormous range to provide a tremendous user experience. The favorite part of the iPod is its simplicity and its design. Apple’s iTunes Store is the Major reason for iPod dominance in the music mp3 market.
Comparison Table Between Microsoft Zune and Apple iPod
| Parameters of Comparison | Microsoft Zune | Apple iPod |
| OS Compatibility | PC | PC and Mac |
| Other Products | It includes Zune HD (which is discontinued) | It includes iPod, shuffle, U2 iPod, and nano |
| Photo Format | It supports Jpeg | It supports jpeg and BMP |
| FM radio | It has an FM radio | It doesn’t have an FM radio feature |
| Vendor | Microsoft | Apple |
| Audio Format | It supports WMA, mp3, aac, and mp4 | It supports wav, m4a, mp3, aac, mp4 |
| Battery Life | Zune has a battery life of 14hrs | In iPod, battery life varies from shuffle (12hrs), U2&iPod (14hrs), and Nano (24hrs) |
What is Microsoft Zune?
Microsoft Zune is developed by the famous brand Microsoft Corporations and launched in the market in the year 2006. The journey of Zune was started with MSN music and continued till the fourth generation. Although this portable music device is discontinued in the year 2011 and till then, no further development is noticed.
The Microsoft Zune is majorly a d-pad in a circular design which is considered as an innovative iPod click wheel. Zune’s software is the adapted version of windows. The major advantage of this product is its large screen which is compatible with watching movies. Users can enjoy the amazing wi-fi feature for sharing music.
The basic features include-
- OS Compatibility- PC
- Audio Format- WMA, mp3, aac, and mp4
- Video Format- MPEG-4, DivX, WMV, h.264
- Photo Format- jpeg
- FM Radio
- Battery Life- 14hrs
What is Apple iPod?
Apple iPod is one of the amazing music equipment product series launched in the market by Apple Co. It is a portable music player with an enormous design. The range of products starts from standard iPod to nano, and even the iPhone-like touch iPod is also available. This product is seamlessly easy to use with simplicity. The interface allows the users to easily search their favorite songs and videos.
Apple iTunes store is one of the major reasons behind the popularity and market dominance of the iPod. The hassle-free method influences the users to quickly sync up the music files. Users found this product very stylish. Other product ranges of the Apple iPod include iPod, shuffle, U2 iPod, and nano, and consequently, these products vary from each other in various aspects.
Apple iPod feature includes-
- OS Compatibility- PC and Mac
- Audio Format- wav, mp3, aac, mp4, m4a, and Apple lossless
- Video Format- mpeg-4, m4v, h.264
- Photo Format- jpeg and BMP
- Battery Life- It varies from shuffle (12hrs), U2&iPod (14hrs), and nano (24hrs)
Main Differences Between Microsoft Zune and Apple iPod
- Microsoft Zune and Apple iPod are two amazing portable music players that are developed and launched in the market. The Operating system of these products varies from each other. The OS compatibility of Microsoft Zune is PC, and on the contrary, OS compatibility of Apple iPod is PC and Mac.
- Various products are included in the product range of Microsoft Zune and Apple iPod. Zune HD is the other product of Microsoft Zune, which is currently discontinued. While on the other side, Apple iPod has other products like iPod, shuffle, U2 iPod, and nano. Each of these products varies from the other in certain aspects.
- Microsoft Zune and Apple iPod has quite similar design interface and vary from one another in certain criteria and features. The photo format supported by Microsoft Zune is jpeg. On the contrary, Apple iPod supports two photo formats, jpeg, and BMP, respectively. Even the radio feature, Microsoft Zune, has an FM radio connectivity feature, while on the other side, Apple iPod does not have such an FM radio feature.
- Microsoft Zune and Apple iPod are music players who are portable, and hence their battery life plays a significant role. The battery life of Microsoft Zune is 14 hrs. On the Contrary, Apple iPod has various products in the market, and each of them has different battery life, which varies from shuffle (12hrs), U2&iPod (14hrs), and Nano (24hrs).
- Microsoft Zune and Apple iPod are two tremendous products by amazing brands, namely Microsoft and Apple. These products have a good appearance and display. Microsoft Zune has a colored OLED display. On the contrary, Apple iPod has a classic display with an LED backlight, and the iPod touch screen product has an amazing 3.5 inches widescreen.
Conclusion
Microsoft Zune and Apple iPod are both enormous and portable music players available in the market and launched by famous brands Microsoft and Apple. Users can select any of these products that suit their budget and requirement. The Wi-Fi-enabled feature would be a plus point for Microsoft Zune that conveniently allows users to share music with other Zune owners. In the same way, the Apple iTunes store is a competitive advantage for iPod.
References
- https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/1645953.1645960
- https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/1240624.1240665