Zune vs. Ipod

The Zune player, Microsoft's version of the Apple Ipod, is probably a better product, but will it ever dominate the market and become synonymous with the name MP3 player, the way that the Ipod has? Unlikely.

The Onion, "America's Finest News Source" recently poked fun at Microsoft for trying to compete with Apple in the MP3 category, with a news story titled "Thousands Wait Overnight at Microsoft Stores for Second Generation Zune." True? No. Familiar? Yes. Reminds me of the time, not too long ago, when thousands waited in line for the Apple iPhone.

Since the birth of the Ipod, Apple products have become a way of life for the cool and hip or for people who want to feel cool and hip. In addition to the fact that Apple is arguably North America's #1 brand, the Ipod was also the first MP3 player of its kind. The Ipod has revolutionized the way we listen to music and is a leader in the market. Most consumers want the original product and not the imitation.



Contrary to the Ipod, the Zune player is black with black ear buds. It has a larger screen and weighs slightly less. Like the Ipod, it comes in different sizes with different amounts of available memory. It's extremely easy to use. You simply glide your finger up or down to scroll through the settings which include two additional features than the video & photo Ipod, those being radio and social.


The Zune is trying to create an online social community where music fans can share music with each other. One of the best features of the Zune is the ability to send a song to a fellow Zune buddy simply by pushing a button. This makes getting new music very easy and cheap. There is also a Zune shop, similar to Itunes, which offers unlimited music for only $14.99 a month. Not bad considering that the average album on Itunes costs $9.99.


The Zune also has cool accessories like the Ipod, including the ability to have a design engraved onto the back of your Zune to help customize it as you please.



So, even though consumers want to feel unique by controlling what kind of music they hear through their own playlists and engraved music players, they also want to feel connected to something larger. The Zune offers an online social community whereas the Ipod offers a membership into the Apple brand, which seems to be the more popular choice.

What should Microsoft do?

Why not give out free Zune players to people who buy Microsoft computers? This could be a limited time "back to school" offer but will not only offer incentive for students to buy PC's, it will also put the Zune in the hands of more consumers.

This idea will enhance the unique song sharing feature that makes the Zune desirable since the more friends you have with a zune, the more songs you'll get for free.

To make the product even more accessible, Microsoft should make the Zune's software compatible with Macs. Then maybe we'll start to see more of a balanced competition.