Apple’s iPod has easily taken over the MP3 player market over the span of its lifetime. The iPod brand has become a generalization word for music players, joining the likes of Google for Internet search engines and TiVo for digital video recorders.
Though Apple has (finally) started to add more reasonably priced hardware to its lineup, there are other options for travelers looking for some entertainment on the road.
But how do they measure up?
IPOD
Let’s face it. Unless you have been living under a rock for nearly a decade, you have heard about the iPod. The best-selling digital audio player didn’t take the title overnight. The first generation iPod was released in 2001 and was capable of a 10-gigabyte maximum storage capacity. As of 2008, iPods see a maximum storage capacity of 160 gigs.
Apple has released a line of iPods to appeal to many audiences, the smallest of which is the iPod Shuffle, which starts at 1 gig and $49. One step up is the miniature iPod Nano, which is available in several colors (as with the Shuffle) and starts at four gigs and $149 and offers music, video, games, and photo viewing.
If you’re looking for tons of space, the current generation iPod Classic is the way to go. These pretty little packages come packed with either 80 gigs at $249, or the whopping 160-gig model at $349. Both of these iterations come loaded with the aforementioned features in the iPod Nano.
Last but not least is the iPod Touch, Apple’s latest iPod incarnation. The most versatile of all, the Touch wields touch-screen navigation, viewing capability of all forms of media, and Internet browsing capabilities that rival the likes of Apple’s very own Mac computers, with more still to come. The iPod Touch comes in models that range from eight to 32 gigs, and range from $299-$499.
www.apple.com
ZUNE
Compared to Apples MP3 goliath, this Microsoft-developed product is still a newbie in the portable entertainment market. Released in 2006, the Zune has garnered more attention than most non-iPod portable music players. This is, in part, due to the broad features that it contains within its plastic walls. The Zune shares with the iPod music playing, video, and photo storage capabilities, also throwing an FM radio into the mix.
What really separates the Zune from the rest is its connectivity features. If you and your friend are both carrying one, you can wirelessly send trials of music to one another that expire after several days.
The Zune also contains the ability to connect to the gaming platform Xbox 360 (also owned by Microsoft) via USB. Speaking of gaming, Microsoft has recently announced an upcoming line of mobile games for the Zune (in case the music, video and photos didn’t keep you occupied enough). The Zune comes in a variety of colors, and is priced from $129.99-$249.99, varying with storage space. www.zune.net
By Ben Benjamin for PeterGreenberg.com.
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