Apple iPod Classic vs. Microsoft Zune 120

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

Round 3: Compatibility

File formats, music services, software

iPod Classic (2G)

This is a subjective take on the MP3 player's compatibility with software, hardware, and music services we personally like to use. Both of these MP3 players require their own software, and both Apple and Microsoft still sell DRM-protected music and videos from their stores. Pick your poison.

Player	Jasmine	Donald	Brian	Total
iPod Classic (2G)	3 iTunes has a good selection of content, but the iPod is a bit limited in terms of format support. That it works with both Windows and Mac is a plus for me.	4 Apple's iTunes software is a bit restrictive and sluggish, but its store offers an outstanding selection of music, movies, podcasts, audiobooks, and TV shows at reasonable prices. Last.fm compatibility is also nice, and the range of iPod hardware accessories is unbeatable.	4 iTunes is PC and Mac compatible. It has the biggest catalog of music and media content. There's no subscription service.	3.7
Zune 120 (3G)	3 I definitely prefer subscription to a la carte, so the Zune wins points for that. Minus 2 points for the lack of Mac support, though.	2 There's only a handful of accessories made for the Zune and virtually no compatible software beyond Zune's own jukebox. The Zune is PC-only and I can't use it as an external hard drive.	3 Zune's software is only for the PC. That knocks a point off for me automatically. You can get single tracks or go with its subscription service.	2.7

Winner: Apple iPod Classic (2G)