Contributed photos
LEFT: The Zune. RIGHT: The iPod.

Kenrick Josephs, Technology Writer

With Apple Inc. having a commanding hold on the portable music storage device market with their line of iPods, Microsoft has decided to compete with its recently released Zune.

Zune is not the first portable media player to compete with the iPod, but it has been the most compared.

"Zune will not come close to the iPod, not this time around. Maybe when the next version is released," said Christopher Smith, a self-professed gadget-freak and owner of a video iPod.

Zune hasn't hit the local market yet, so most of the comparison is done via the Internet, which has provided the critics to get on with the 'battle' and assist in making their selection.

The Zune offers more features than the iPod, it's thicker, but has the same width as the 30-gigabyte iPod with video.

Main difference

The main difference is the height - 4.4 inches for the Zune, and 4.1 inches for the iPod. The Zune weighs 6 ounces and is 0.65 inches thick, while the iPod weighs 4.8 ounces and is 0.45 inches thick.

The display screen of the Zune looks massive beside a 30 giga-byte iPod, but it is only approximately half an inch larger. They have the same resolution Ñ 320 by 240 dots.

The Zune is easier to navigate, as it uses a large centre button that can be pushed in four directions (left, right, up, down) or pressed straight down.

The iPod uses a click-wheel, which sometimes means backing out of multilayer menu choices one step at a time.

Popular electronics store, Watts New, has added the 30-GB Zune player to its line over the last week, selling them for $29,5000 (plus GCT), compared to the 30-GB iPod for $33,500 (plus GCT).

"Not many people know about the Zune. They are familiar with the iPod," said Tussant Tucker, technical sales representative and computer technician at Watts New.

"The styling is not attractive. It doesn't compare to the iPod."

Jamaicans are more fixed, said Tucker, on the "prestige" of having an iPod. "There are other players that do the same thing, but people love the styling and look of the iPod," he said.

The Zune looks similar to the iPod, he added, the dial looks the same, but it also appears bulkier, said the sales rep.

"... It should have more features than the iPod, but I haven't properly compared the two," he said.

kenrick.josephs@gleanerjm.com