Updated 26 May, 2012, 4:18 pm IST

iPod vs. Zune: Get, Set, Go!

20 Sep, 2006, 3:13 pm IST | by Aalaap Ghag

We'll drag the current king of digital audio players, the iPod, with the new kid on the block, the Zune, spec by spec, and tell you who will win.

Price
The new pricing for the 30GB iPod stands at $249 (converted, around Rs. 11,700), while early rumored prices of the Zune are pegged at $299 (converted, around Rs. 14,000). If the recent Wal-Mart "leak" is to be believed, then it may cost $284 (converted, around Rs. 13,400). Update: According to some more recent news, the Zune might just be up on the racks for $229 ! Today, you can buy a 30GB iPod off the street for around Rs. 13,500, so if you calculate the price for the Zune, it should be somewhere between Rs. 15,300 to 16,000. Yes, the 30GB Zune is around Rs. 1,800 to Rs. 2,500 more than the 30GB iPod, but you're getting a) a bigger screen, b) FM radio and c) Wi-Fi connectivity. On the other hand, just around Rs. 2,500 to Rs. 3,200 more than the Zune will get you the 60GB iPod (at Rs. 18,500), so you have to decide if the specifications are more important to you, or capacity. Personally, I would prefer a media player with as much as storage as possible, so I would be attracted to the 60GB iPod (or the 80GB once it comes to India), but if you pit the 30GB ones head to head, the Zune catches up again.

iPod 4, Zune 4!

Conclusion
Both the iPod and the Zune cross the line at the same time! After a careful, spec by spec comparison of the two devices poised to become the most talked about gadgets in the history of personal technology, we've come to the conclusion that both have an equal chance of winning over the other. But if you just look at it from the general perspective, the FM radio tuner, bigger screen and WiFi capabilities might just boost the Zune ahead a little bit. Like they say, it doesn’t matter if you win by an inch or a mile…

Update (21st September 2006): After the $229 price "news", you're going to talking about a portable media player that has WiFi, FM, larger screen AND it costs around $20 less than the iPod. What do you think of that?

Update (29th September 2006): The Zune has been officially priced at $249.99, which is just 99 cents more than the iPod. I think I'd put down 99 cents any day if I'm getting WiFi, FM and a larger screen. It's a done deal!

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Tags: Apple , iPod , Microsoft , Zune , Comparison