Apple iPod Nano vs. Microsoft Zune

• The Contenders
• Navigation
• Sexiness
• Compatibility
• Sound and Science
• Wallet factor
• The winner is...

Round 1: Navigation

Wheel vs. Pad

Apple iPod Nano

Microsoft Zune

Which navigation system works better: the iPod's click wheel or the Zune's Zune Pad? Is the onscreen interface intuitive? Our individual judge's ratings are based on a zero- to five-point scale, which are averaged and rounded for a total score.

Player	Jasmine	Donald	Brian	Total
Apple iPod Nano	3 I've never been a fan of the click wheel--it's just never quite accurate for me. The menu structure is clean and easy to navigate, though.	5 The iPod's click-wheel navigation is second-nature to most people at this point, and the Nano's wheel is very quick and responsive. Plus, the ability to use an enlarged font and spoken menus makes it one of the more accessible MP3 players you can buy.	4 Its click wheel and menus are touted as among the best interfaces, but on a Nano, scrolling on that small circle can feel really cramped... even for me.	4
Microsoft Zune	5 The Zune's navigation and menus are among the best I've come across. Touch sensitivity for the control pad is optional, which is nice, and the interface is slick.	4 I'm a big fan of the Zune's Twist interface, but the Zune Pad still misfires for me occasionally. The fact that controls reorient when watching videos is an advantage over the Nano.	4 It may not be as pretty, but the menus still look good. Scrolling up, down, and side to side with the Zune Pad is more comfortable and less confined.	4

Winner: TIE