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  • Zune HD vs. iPod Touch
Technology Articles > Gadgets > MP3 Players > Zune HD vs. iPod Touch

Almost everyone has an Mp3 player in this day and age. There is nothing more convenient than being able to hold hundreds, if not thousands, of songs on a small handheld device. What can sometimes be inconvenient, however, is choosing an Mp3 player when there are so many different brands to choose from. Two of the biggest and baddest Mp3 players on the market today are the iPod Touch from Apple and the relatively new Zune HD from Microsoft. While both of these nifty gadgets allow you to do much more than simply play Mp3 tracks, we’ll focus on which is going to be the best all around Mp3 and user experience. That means we’ll compare sound quality, storage space, battery life and more.

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The Zune HD offers a screen resolution of 480 x 272 pixels while the iPod Touch clocks in at 480 x 320 pixels. The Zune has a 3.3 inch screen with a glass covered OLED display and the Touch has a 3.5 inch LED display screen. The Zune HD has HDMI or composite video output and the Touch comes with a 480 x 576 pixel output. Both devices support H.264 and MPEG4 video formats but the Zune HD also supports Microsoft’s WMV format videos.

Storage & Battery Life

Both the Zune HD and the iPod Touch come with 32GB and 64GB storage capacity memory cards, but the Zune has a 16 GB flash memory card with the Touch comes with only an 8MB version.

The Zune HD audio battery life is specified to be 33 hours compared to the 30 hours offered by iPod Touch. The video battery life is also longer at 8.5 hours compared to 6 hours in the latter. Take these statements with a grain of salt however as each battery is going to last dependent on what you are using the device for.

So Which Do I Choose?

While both devices are excellent Mp3 players, the iPod Touch stands out ahead of the Zune HD and really any other device on the market today. The Zune is so new to the market that it simply doesn’t offer the same high quality of applications, online music, podcast support and ease of use that the Touch does. Apple Mp3 players obviously come with the user friendly Apple iTunes and over 75,000 applications to choose from. The Zune HD applications are very limited and the device does not have a robust online music marketplace and storage system like iTunes. While both are visually stunning, the Zune HD currently is great for portable video use it simply cannot stack up to the overall quality and ease of use of the iPod Touch. If you want an Mp3 player that could be used by anyone in the family and can turn your entire music library into a great interactive experience then go with the iPod Touch and you will not be disappointed. Just make sure you know if you need the 32GB or 64GB version as they vary greatly in price!