IOI Tech

Apple and Microsoft have battled for technological supremacy in the past years. They have been at each other’s throats since the 1980’s or when the age of computers was just starting. Both companies have been releasing software and hardware one after the other that the public has been mesmerized with their intense competition. However Apple took a decisive advantage with its release of the iPod. This portable multimedia player took the world by storm with its nifty design and impressive engineering. Now almost every one of us is seen holding an Apple iPod.

For many years Apple was the sole leader in the production of portable multimedia players. Its iPod was virtually unchallenged. But all of this time its fierce rival, Microsoft, did not attempt to challenge the iPod. It concentrated on doing other things such as developing mobile software and coming up with the Windows OS. But in 2006, what was thought to be unimaginable finally happened: Microsoft designed its first ever portable multi media player called the Zune.

Unlike the release of new versions of the Apple iPod, Microsoft kept a low profile on its new product, opting not to put much hype on its release. But what makes Zune different from its counterparts? And why do a lot of gadget freaks drooling over this new gadget?

Microsoft’s Zune can play music, show off pictures and images, as well as play video clips. It can even receive FM radio signals, as well as share files through wireless connections with other Zune units. It can even share files with the Xbox 360, the gaming platform of Microsoft.

The latest Zune models are referred to as Zune 4, 8, and then 80. All models are up for release sometime October 2007. These units have a new touchpad surface. It can support podcasts, as well as Mpeg4 formats, and can sync even without cables. The Zune 80 boasts of a large screen, with new firmware up for release to complement and improve the performance of the unit.

Many experts are all praises for the Zune since unlike the iPod, it is not strict with formats. It also offers more features than the iPod, particularly the wireless syncing which has caught the fancy of a lot of people. Others agree that Microsoft has given people a good alternative, and freeing people from the so-called tyranny of the Apple iPod.

But Apple didn’t rest on its laurels. With the release of the Zune they made their iPod smaller and thinner. They also designed it to accommodate more music and video, what with its 160 gigabytes capability. It has also made its iPod Nano capable of playing videos. This is a resounding move, although many people were still disappointed with the fact that the Apple iPod is not compatible with other video formats. To top it off they made the iPhone, a cross between a phone and an Internet communicator. It also introduced the iTouch which is basically an iPhone without the capabilities of a phone.