Apple iPod Classic vs. Microsoft Zune 120

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

Round 1: Navigation

Wheel vs. Pad

Zune 120 (3G)

Which navigation system works better: the iPod's click wheel or the Zune's touch 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
iPod Classic (2G)	3 I've said it before, and I'll say it again: the click wheel is not my cup of tea. I find the accuracy to be tetchy. Still, I will say that the menu structure is clear and the split-screen navigation is nice.	3 The Classic's click wheel isn't as responsive as the Zune (or even the iPod Nano). The menus look a little bland and the Cover Flow browser feels out of place. Still, the navigation is intuitive and the search feature helps with large collections.	5 The click wheel is still the best navigation interface; I wonder if it's a little stale or is it just me? It still gets the edge, but the Zune is a very close second.	3.7
Zune 120 (3G)	5 Possibly my favorite navigation experience ever. The touch pad is nice to have as an option, and I love the Twist interface--it makes everything super quick.	4 The Zune's large screen and Twist menu system feels more natural to me. Audio and video podcast organization is more logical and attractive on the Zune. The Zune pad also makes for a better game controller.	4 Touch pad is easy to use. I like the larger text menus, and the pad felt a little more responsive at times.	4.3

Winner: Microsoft Zune 120 (3G)