The Screen

When it comes to screens the first question is always: How big is it? Well looking solely on size the iTouch takes the prize with an extra .2″ on the Zune HD but, as the Zune HD attempts to point out, size is not everything. Both devices have a relatively easy to use touchscreen and very quick reacting accelerometers, making the biggest screen difference the type. The iTouch has the typical LCD screen which originally allowed for crisp images, but makes the user pay with battery life. On the other hand the Zune HD has a new OLED screen. This screen allows for the same quality images, but does not drain the battery nearly as fast. What good is an iTouch without battery life? The Zune HD delivers users a longer battery, and in turn more use between charges.

Radio

Radio? why would anybody want radio on a music player, a device where users put music they want to hear in order to avoid radio. Well the way that Microsoft looks at this point is that added functionality can’t hurt. The Zune HD has an HD radio receiver built in and gives users the newest of radio technology. The Zune can even be used with a car kit to deliver HD radio to cars without buying a new car radio. If iTouch users want radio they Will be forced to purchase a FM tuner that plugs into the bottom of the iTouch.  So if radio is something you are looking for then why not get it built it?

WiFi and Web Browser

All that we know, at this time, about the Zune web browser is that it exists, and supposedly will allow for flash support. However, it will be hard to compete with the well established iTouch browser, Safari, that so many people are used to. The fluidity of Safari is unprecedented and it will be hard to live up to those expectations, but we will just have to wait and see.

Video Output

When portable video players first came out, nobody cared about playing it on a TV or friends computer, but as technology advances it is becoming a more desired function. iTouch users can buy a special cable in order to plug into a TV and watch stored movies, shows or music videos. The only problem here is that the video is in the same resolution as those stored on the device, which is relatively poor quality. The Zune, on the other hand, comes with a cable that allows for up to 720p HD output to a television. It can even connect to an Xbox 360 console via USB and stream video to a television.  It will be one of the first portable devices to offer this feature. Imagine walking over to a friends house and wanting to rent a movie. You could rent it on the zune, plug it in and instantly have a HD quality movie playing on your television.

Marketplace

Since we are already on the topic of renting movies, the Zune will be compatible with both the Zune Marketplace and Xbox live marketplace, blurring the line between console and portable device.  Zune users will be able to rent movies, shows, buy music, or even queue game downloads to their consoles. The only thing that is not mentioned yet is whether or not apps will be available for download on the Zune. This is where the iTouch really comes in to take the gold. The iTouch offers an unbelievable app store and when linked with the popular iTunes service makes up an unstoppable team.

Hard Drive, Speakers

These two categories are pretty self explanatory and therefore I grouped them together. Both devices come with the same hard drive options except the Zune lacks an 8gb device. Along with lacking the smaller size it is also without built in speakers, that the iTouch has.  The reasoning here is that if you need to play music over speakers, you might as plug it into some, instead of pushing the wimpy built in ones to the limit.

Price

Now onto the Zune’s strong point. Microsoft claims that, when released, the Zune HD will be at least $99 less than the comparable iTouch. The hope here is that users will turn to the cheaper device, given that the specs are similar. Is the iTouch really worth $100 more.