Odds & Ends & Technology Frank Ross on 15 Nov 2006 03:49 pm
Apple to Zune
Microsoft’s music player has hit the market with a mixed hoopla. I plan on checking it out over the next week as my iPod is rapidly in decline. As a longtime iPod user, here are few things I feel Apple could improve on to make their product better. (In the unlikely event someone from the Microsoft Zune product development team reads this blog, they might get some free ideas here.)
Battery - Much has been made about the iPod battery issue so I won’t belabor the point. It could have all been solved, Apple, if you would have ONLY built the iPod with a removable battery. Then people like me would have been happy to pay for a new battery to extend the lives of our iPods. Microsoft, are you listening?
Podcasts - I’m a far cry from the typical iPod user. I use mine mainly for listening to podcasts. On the iPod, podcasts are organized under … Podcasts. Makes sense. Except when you play one and the episode finishes what happens? The iPod goes back to home position. Oh I know, I can create a playlist to solve this, but Apple, why didn’t you set it up so that the next episode in line automatically plays? That would have been ever so handy. Microsoft, are you listening?
Wireless - Updating the iPod is nothing short of clunky. First you must update the iTunes software on the computer, then plug the iPod into the computer to update it. A 2 step process that really could be better. I have said for a long time that the iPod would be so much better if it were a wireless device and could connect to the iTunes directories wirelessly. Microsoft, I know you listened a little here but I mean really wireless.
My digital player needs are simple. Why are the devices stumbling over each other to be so complex?
Tags: Apple IPod, Microsoft Zune