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| Attribute | Microsoft Zune | Apple iPod G5 | Creative Zen Vision: M |
| Front View (not to scale) |  |
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| Image Gallery | flickr | flickr | epiZENter flickr |
| Videos | Engadget YouTube |
CNET | YouTube GoogleVideo |
| Official Webpage | Zune.net | Apple.com | Creative.com |
| Reference info | Wikipedia | Wikipedia | Wikipedia |
| First Available | 2006-11-14 | Late October 2005 | Late January 2006 |
| Warranty | 1 year, limited. Details | 1 year, limited, from date of original purchase. Details | 1 year parts, 90 days labor, from date of original purchase. Details |
| Supported PC OS | Windows XP only | Windows XP and Macintosh, some older versions of Windows using 3rd party management software like Ephpod | Windows XP, Linux using libraries and apps that support MTP (libmtp, Gnomad) older versions of Windows using MTP drivers, more resources HERE (Microsoft). |
| Dimensions | 4.4 x 2.4 in 112 x 61mm |
4.1 x 2.4 in 104 x 61mm |
4.1 x 2.4 in 104 x 62 mm |
| Thickness | 0.6 in 15 mm |
0.43 or 0.55 in 11 or 14 mm |
0.73 or 0.87 in 19 or 22 mm |
| Weight | 5.6 ounces 159 g |
4.8 or 5.5 ounces 136 or 156 g |
5.7 or 6.3 ounces 163 or 178 g |
| Build materials | Plastic structure with a translucent rubber coating (scratch-resistant) | Polished steele base (easily scratchable), plastic face (easily scratchable) | Painted magnesium base (scratch-resistant), plastic face (easily scratchable) |
| ODM | Toshiba, based off of the Gigabeat S, with modifications specific to this model | Apple Computer | Creative Technology |
| Capacity (+ amount available to user) | 30gb (27.8gb) | 30gb (27.8gb) or 80gb | 30gb (27.8gb) or 60gb |
| Hard Drive | 1.8 inch, Toshiba, MK3008GAL | 1.8 inch Toshiba | 1.8 inch Toshiba |
| MSRP | $250 | $249 or $349 | $250 or $300 |
| Street Price (11-2006) | $250 Check Price | $240 Check Price | $230 Check Price |
| Included accessories | Earphones, Proprietary USB Cable, Pouch, Install CD | Earphones, Proprietary USB Cable, Dock adapter, Pouch, Quick Start guide, Install CD | Earphones, I/O Adapter (Mini Dock), standard USB cable, Pouch, User Guide, Install CD, USB Host dongle (60gb version only) |
| Attribute | Microsoft Zune | Apple iPod G5 | Creative Zen Vision: M |
| Basic accessories that are NOT included | AC adapter, AV cable | AC adapter, AV cable | AC adapter, AV cable (Note: original $330 retail pack did include an AC adapter, dropped in current retail packs) |
| Optional Accessories | List
at Amazon |
List
at Amazon |
List
at Amazon |
| Available Colors | White, Black, Brown | White, Black, more options from 3rd parties like Colorware | White, Black, Lime, Baby Blue, Pink |
| Audio Playback | MP3, AAC, WMA, Protected WMA (from Zune Marketplace) | MP3, AAC, AAC with FairPlay DRM, Audible, Apple Lossless, AIFF, WAV | MP3, WMA, WMA with PlaysForSure DRM, Audible, WAV |
| Gapless Audio Playback (tested with LAME encoded MP3) | No, but gaps are typically less then a half second | Yes, after processing audio tracks with iTunes | No, but gaps are typically less then a half second |
| Adjustable Playback speed | No | Yes, Audible format only (Slower, Normal, Faster) | Yes, Videos only (3 steppings) |
| Supports OGG Vorbis, FLAC, or AC3 (for movies) | No | No, although OGG, FLAC and other codecs are possible using RockBox firmware | No |
| Supports Podcasts | Only MP3-based podcasts. Not directly supported in Zune software. No Podcast sorting on device | Yes, MP3 and AAC based Podcasts | Only MP3-based podcasts. Creative calls them ZenCasts, and has a site set up to facilitate them - ZenCast.com. No Podcast/Zencast sorting on device |
| Supports music subscription services | Yes, one - Zune Pass, $15 per month | No | Yes, many services using WMA PlaysForSure DRM like Napster, Yahoo Unlimited, Rhapsody, etc, at $5 to $15 per month |
| Supports online music stores | Yes, one - Zune Marketplace | Yes, one - iTunes Media Store | Yes, many - any service using WMA PlaysForSure DRM like Napster, Yahoo Unlimited, Rhapsody, etc |
| Supports online video stores | Yes, one - Zune Marketplace | Yes, one - iTunes Media Store | Yes, one - Amazon Unbox |
| Device pre-loaded with audio and video samples | Yes | No | Yes |
| Video Playback | WMV Main Profile (1.5Mbps peak bitrate) or WMV Simple Profile (736Kbps peak bitrate), each at a maximum of 320x240 pixels and 30fps, with WMA audio (stereo) at 192kbps max | H.264-LC (1.5Mbps peak bitrate) at maximum of 640x40 pixels, or H.264-BP (768kbps peak bitrate) at a maximum of 320x240 pixels, or MPEG-4 SP (2.5Mbps peak bitrate at maximum of 640x480 pixels), each at 30fps with AAC-LC audio up to 160kbps | WMV9, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG4-SP including DivX 4 & 5, XviD, Motion-JPEG |
| Video Settings | None | Widescreen on/off | Fit to screen, Stretch to full (does not maintain aspect ratio), Zoom to Full (maintaining aspect ratio), Original size |
| Video containers | .WMV | .M4V, .MP4, .MOV | .WMV, .AVI |
| Video Out to TV | Yes, with optional AV cable accessory, NTSC and PAL | Yes, with optional AV cable accessory, max 320 x 240 pixels, NTSC and PAL. Max resolution reportedly increased to 640x480 in recent firmware | Yes, with optional AV cable accessory, max 640 x 480 pixels, NTSC and PAL |
| Image Support | JPEG, maximum 640x480 pixel resolution. Other image formats and resolutions are converted via software when importing to device. | JPEG, maximum 320x240 pixel resolution. Other image formats and resolutions are converted via software when importing to device | JPEG, imported to device at full resolution with limitations: JPEG Baseline up to 16 megapixel, JPEG Progessive up to 4 megapixel. |
| Image viewing features | Zoom in and pan around inside the full size image | None | Rotate, Zoom in and pan around inside the full size image |
| Slideshow with Music | Yes, including a simple fade transition | Yes, including transitions with various forms of fade and wipe, page flip, swirl, 3D cube | Yes, including fade and wipe transitions |
| Attribute | Microsoft Zune | Apple iPod G5 | Creative Zen Vision: M |
| Slideshow Settings | Time per slide (3-30 seconds), Shuffle on/off | Time per slide (2-20 seconds), Music (Now Playing, on-the-go), Repeat on/off, Shuffle on/off, Transitions (set active type or random) | Slide interval, Slide transitions (set active type or random) |
| Album Art display during playback | Yes. Large image displayed next to track info, using more than 3/4 of the screen space | Yes. Small image displayed next to track info. Album images can be stored within the audio files | Yes. Small image displayed next to track info. Album images can be stored within the audio files or saved as folder.jpg in an album's folder on the hard drive |
| Audio file details available through the GUI | Track number, Title, Artist, Album, Track length (time) | Track number, Title, Artist, Album, Track length (time) | Track, Title, Artist, Album, Genre, Year, Track length (time), Play Count, Codec type, Bitrate, Sampling frequency |
| Video file details available through the GUI | File name, File date, Video length (time), description | None | File name, Video length (time) |
| Image file details available through the GUI | None | None | File name, Image size (dimensions), File size, Shot on (date), Flash |
| Controls | Hold switch, 5-way thumb-pad, Back button, Play-Pause button | Hold switch, touch-sensitive 4-way click-wheel with center Select button | On-off-hold switch, Back button, My Shortcut Button (custom function), Menu button, Play-Pause button, touch-sensitive vertical strip with left and right click action |
| Backlit Controls, Buttons | No | No | Yes |
| Dedicated Volume Controls | No | No | No |
| Headphone Power Output | 30 mW per channel (estimated) | 30 mW per channel | 30 mW per channel (estimated) |
| Volume Steppings | 20 | Appoximately 30 | 25 |
| Volume Limiter | No | Yes | Yes |
| Screen | 3.0 inch TFT LCD, 320x240 pixels, requires backlight to be viewable | 2.5 inch Transreflective LCD, 320x240 pixels, 65k colors, viewable with or without backlight | 2.5 inch TFT LCD, 320x240 pixels, 262k colors, requires backlight to be viewable |
| Useful Viewing Angles | Horizontal:
+/- 160 degrees Vertical: +/- 160 degrees |
Horizontal:
+/-160 degrees Vertical: +/- 160 degrees |
Horizontal:
+/-160 degrees Vertical: + 70 degrees, - 20 degrees |
| Readable in sunlight? | Yes | Yes | No |
| Screen orientation | Portait for navigating the GUI and listeing to music, Landscape for videos and pictures | Landscape for all functions | Landscape for all functions |
| Display Settings | Brightness | Brightness, appoximately 30 steppings | Brightness (10% - 100%) |
| USB Standard | USB 2.0 High Speed | USB 2.0 High Speed | USB 2.0 High Speed |
| Hardware Interface | Proprietary Dock Connector | Proprietary Dock Connector | Proprietary Dock Connector, plus Mini-Dock that has standard mini-USB port, Video out jack, and power port (type C) |
| Built-in speaker | No | No, but has a minor noise maker (clicker) that sounds when scrolling through menus and lists | No, but has a minor noise maker (clicker) that sounds when scrolling through menus and lists |
| Hardware Reset | Yes, by holding the Back button and the center Select button on the thumbpad | by pressing a combination of buttons | Yes, through sticking a pin through the Reset hole |
| Battery | Internal, Lithium-ion, 3.7 V, 800mAh, Non-removeable | Internal, Lithium-ion, Non-removeable. Replacable through Apple for $59 | Internal, Lithium-ion, 3.7 V, 1250mAh, Non-removeable |
| Attribute | Microsoft Zune | Apple iPod G5 | Creative Zen Vision: M |
| Maximum Playback Time, MP3 audio at 128kbs | 14 hours | 14 hours (30gb) or 20 hours (80gb) | 14 hours (30gb) or 16 hours (60gb) |
| Maximum Playback Time, video | 4 hours | 3.5 hours (30gb), 6.5 hours (80gb) | 4 hours (30gb) or 5 hours (60gb) |
| Mass Storage Complient (aka UMS) | No | Yes | Yes, requires manual activation of Disk Mode through GUI |
| Import media to device via MTP | Yes, requires WinXP or MTP drivers for other OS | No | Yes, requires WinXP or MTP drivers for other OS |
| PC Software interface required to add media to device | Zune software | Apple iTunes or 3rd party software like WinAmp | WMP, Creative MediaSource, or Creative Media Explorer, or Windows Explorer (XP only) |
| Power Charging | via USB (or optional AC adapter, not included) | via USB (or optional AC adapter, not included) | via USB (or optional AC adapter, not included) |
| Remote control | Optional wireless remote, no LCD | Optional wired remote, no LCD, plugs into the dock connector port | Optional wired remote, no LCD, plugs into headphone jack |
| WiFi | Yes, 802.11 b/g transceiver. Function limited to transferring tracks and images to other Zune players. No web browser, online music store, email clients, etc | No | No |
| Direct player to player media transfers | Yes, audio and images only, one at a time, via WiFi. Can broadcast songs and photos to other Zunes within range. Received tracks are limited to 3 days or 3 plays (whichever comes first) before automatically becoming disabled (non-playable) | No | No |
| Transfer media from device back to PC (any) | Yes, requires Zune software, using a function called Reverse Sync | Yes, using 3rd party software or through Windows Explorer (although iTunes obfuscates file names on import). Not supported through iTunes | Yes, via Windows Explorer in WinXP or other OS with MTP drivers |
| Line-in Audio Recording | No | No | No |
| Video Recording | No | No | No |
| USB Host | No | No, but similiar functionality with optional accessory (Camera Connector) | Yes, 60gb model only |
| PIM Functions | No | Calander, Contacts List, To-Do List | Calander, Contacts List, Task List managed via PC software |
| Other Specialized Functions | Flag any track, image | Stopwatch | "Purchase this (song later)" available in the context menu while playing an audio track |
| Security features | No | Screen Lock function, can set a 4-digit code to lock device | Protected Content, set 4-digit password |
| Text View | No | Yes, standard TXT files can be placed in Notes folder (file size limit?) | No |
| Games | No | Yes, some included (Brick, Music Quiz, Parachute, Solitaire), additional games are optional, available only through iTunes Store | No |
| Customizable Main Menu | No | Yes | Yes, set any image as the background used throughout the GUI |
| Attribute | Microsoft Zune | Apple iPod G5 | Creative Zen Vision: M |
| Customizable Wallpaper | Yes, set any image as the background used throughout the GUI | No | Yes |
| Customizable Themes (GUI) | Yes, 3 preset themes | No | Yes, 6 preset themes |
| Customizable Controls | No | No | Yes, My Shortcut Button can be assigned to any screen or function for direct access. Also, sensitivity of touch-strip controller is adjustable (low, medium, high) |
| Custom message burned into body of device | No | Yes, option to laser-etch a message into back of device at time of purchase from Apple.com | No |
| EQ | EQ Presets only, 7 | EQ Presets only, 22 | 5-band Custom EQ and 8 presets |
| DSP modes | None | None | Smart Volume (normalizer), Bass Boost |
| Media rating system | 1-5 stars for Music | 1-5 stars for Music, Photos | 1-5 stars for Music, Photos |
| Voice Recording | No | Not with the native hardware. Yes, with optional accessories, including full GUI support with Apple brand recording accessory. 22khz mono and 44khz stereo recording modes | Yes, has built-in mic, records to ADPCM at 16khz, mono. Input meters displayed |
| FM Radio | Yes, including RDS data, autoscan, save presets | Not with the native hardware. Yes, with optional accessories, including full GUI support with Apple brand radio accessory | Yes, 87.5 - 108 Mhz in 100 Khz steppings, autoscan, 32 presets, can name radio stations with alphanumeric text entry on device |
| Radio Record | No | No | Yes, with original firmware, as 22khz WAV file. Feature was removed from some firmware versions but it is included in the latest firmware v.1.60.01. Read |
| Clock | No | Yes | Yes |
| Alarm Clock | No | Yes, beep using clicker speaker (fairly quiet) | Yes, Schedule: once or daily, Audio: FM radio or random track |
| Sleep Timer | No | Yes | Yes, 15-120 minutes |
| Languages | English. No language selection through GUI | Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Swedish, Traditional Chinese, and Turkish. Also, Bulgarian, Croatian, Romanian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, and Ukrainian for display of track information (tags) only | English, Portuguese, Danish, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, Norwegian, Finnish, Swedish, Japanese, Korean, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Russian |
| Audio Organization | Catagorical lists (Artists, Albums, Tracks, Genre) based on metadata tags from each audio file. Stored in a database on the device. Updated by Zune software when tracks are added or removed from device | Catagorical lists (Artists, Albums, Tracks, Genre, Year, Podcasts, Composer) based on metadata tags from each audio file. Stored in a database on the device. Updated by iTunes software when tracks are added or removed from device | Catagorical lists (Artists, Albums, Tracks, Genre) based on metadata tags from each audio file. Stored in a database on the device. Updated by WMP or other management software when tracks are added or removed from device. Also a Recording catagory for voice and radio recordings. |
| Image Organization | Create image albums using Zune software. Pages full of image thumbnails are displayed when an album is selected on the device | Create image albums using iTunes software. Pages full of image thumbnails are displayed when an album is selected on the device | All folders on the hard drive containing images are displayed on the device. Create new albums using Windows Explorer. Pages full of image thumbnails are displayed when a folder is selected on the device |
| Attribute | Microsoft Zune | Apple iPod G5 | Creative Zen Vision: M |
| Video Organization | Movies, Music Videos, All Videos. Zune software assigns which group a video goes in. Not user-selectable, however 3rd party apps like TigoTago can be used to edit metadata in the video files so that they can be listed in a particular catagory | Movies, Music Videos, Video Podcasts | Video, TV, Recently browsed |
| File-folder tree based media navigation through the GUI | No | No, although you can using RockBox firmware | No, only for images |
| Text Search for media in device library via GUI | No | Yes, via alphanumeric text entry | Yes, via alphanumeric text entry |
| Manage physical organization of media on device's hard drive via files and folders in Windows Explorer | No, Zune software handles physical organization of media files as they are imported to device | No, iTunes handles physical organization of media files as they are imported to device. Files are accessable through Explorer but location and file names are obfuscated - changing either would disrupt the device's database | Not as with a fully UMS device, although media files and folders can be arranged to suit under specific parent directories as dictated by MTP standards |
| Delete media from within the GUI | No | No | Yes, any audio, video, or image file via context menu |
| Play Modes | Repeat, Shuffle | Shuffle Songs/Albums, Repeat One/All | Normal, Repeat Track, Repeat All, Shuffle, Shuffle Repear, Track Once |
| On-the-fly Playlisting (audio) | Yes, Add single tracks or track list from any Artist, Album, or Genre. One playlist called Quick List. | Yes, Add single tracks or track list from any Artist, Album, Genre, Year or Composer. Can save multiple playlist | Yes, Add single tracks or track list from any Artist, Album, or Genre. Can save and name multiple playlists |
| On-the-fly Playlisting (video) | No | Yes | No |
| Nested Playlisting | No | No | No |
| Smart Playlists | Yes (created in Zune software and maintained by Zune software) | Yes (created in iTunes and maintained by iTunes) | Yes, manged on the device through the DJ feature: Album of the Day, Most Popular, Rarely Heard, Highest Rated, Lowest Rated |
| Bookmarking | No | Audio: Yes, one per track (audible only), Video: No | Audio: Yes, 10 bookmark slots total, up to 10 bookmarks per track |
| Auto-bookmarking | Yes, Videos only | Yes, Videos only | Yes, Videos only |
| Alternative Firmware | No | Yes, RockBox for iPod | No |
| Animated GUI | Yes, very similar to Microsofts's Media Center application for WinXP | No | No |
| DAC | Wolfson Microelectronics WM8978G | Wolfson Microelectronics WM8758 | Integrated |
| CPU | Freescale MCIMX31LVKN5 | PortalPlayer PP5021 | Texas Instruments TMS320 DM320 |
| Official AC Adapter Input/Power Output (optimum power for charging) | ? | Input: AC 100-240 volt Output: 12 volt, .67 amp |
Output: 5 volt, 2.4 amp |
| Fan Site, Forums | ZuneScene |
iLounge | epiZENter |
| Reviews | Engadget Gizmodo |
dapreview iLounge |
dapreview AnythingButiPod |
| Dissection Gallery | dapreview iPodMods BunnieStudios |
informit ArsTechnica howstuffworks |
AnythingButiPod |
| DAPreview.net Score | 75% | 80% | 90% |
| Recommended by DAPreview? | Yes, for people that want a player that "just works" - and something other than an iPod. We like the big screen, FM radio, animated GUI and full-screen album art during playback. | Yes, for people that want a player that "just works", or for those who want the highest capacity available (80gb) in the thinest package. iTunes has the widest selection of downloadable music, movies, and TV shows - and they only play on an iPod. | Yes, for people who want the same kind of functionality as the iPod Video but with additional features like FM radio and WMA playback, including compatibility with a wide variety of online music stores and music subscription services. We like the ability to play Divx/Xvid type videos without having to transcode, as is required for the iPod and Zune. |
| Attribute | Microsoft Zune | Apple iPod G5 | Creative Zen Vision: M |