The competition between Apple and Creative when it comes to portable media player is on the heat. If you are to look at it it's like both Creative is trying to kill Apple. Just recently, apple announced that they are able to sell 100 million pieces of iPOD making the iPOD the fastest selling music player in history. To divide the market shares, Creative began to introduce new media players to compete with Apple's iPOD. Because of that, the term “ipod killers” were introduced.
There is no doubt that the iPOD is dominating the portable media player category. Almost everywhere you can see an iPOD, it is starting to be a trend. It's like if you don't have an iPod, you're not in. Ever since portable media players started to sound like a necessity, people would always look for an iPod.
Now some people are starting to say that iPod is starting to become so common so previous iPod users switches to Zen. Creative hopes more and more people starts to realize that and that someday tables would be turned in favor of them making the Zen on top.
Still, Creative is trying to break that trend in order to “kill the iPod”. Creative Technology a company based in Singapore frequently releases new Creative Media Players. Their players often aim to make people think twice before buying an iPod.
The Apple iPOD
iPod is a portable media player by Apple. It can play both audio and video. It was launched last October 2001.Although before their launch there are already many portable media player available like players from Creative.Behind iPod's success is the iTunes. It helped iPod users download legal music one at a time. You do not need to buy a music CD, rip it and transfer it to your player. Plus, what if you do not want all the songs in an artist's album? You waste your money because of an unwanted song.Apple was able to understand that.
Ipod has also become a trend specially in teenagers because iPod is simple yet stylish, sleek and shiny. It's like a luxury media player. It's a must have if you don't want to be left behind.
Another good thing about the iPod is its customer support almost anywhere in the world you can find Apple service centers. Unlike, the Zen in order for you player to be repaired you have to ship it to a country that has Creative Center or most of the time in Singapore.
Although iPod dominates the market there are people who doesn't like the iPod because they are generally expensive. Plus another reason is that it doesn't have much features compared to other portable media players. You pay more for less features. It's like paying for the brand name.
The Zen known as the practical mp3 player. Like the iPod, it can play both audio and video. The Zen is a range of digital audio players made by Creative Technology. A Singaporean company. The Zen was evolved from the Nomad Jukebox Series, the earlier digital audio player line-up of Creative.
The Zen is packed with many features than Apple's Ipod. For others it is a cheaper but practical alternative of iPod. In the case of the Zen, you pay less for more features. Creative is trying to kill the iPod by adding more features and functionality to their players.
Technical people is most likelt to choose this player because it is flexible. Plus the great thing about the Zen it is very easy to share audio and video files to other people because they are not restricted by DRM(Digital Rights Management) Also, when it comes to playing different video formats, the Zen is the winner unlike the iPod that requires you to convert. In zen, you just copy and it will play.
Another advantage of this player is that it is compatible with subscription music services like Napster and Yahoo Music cheaper and better than an iTunes.
Legal Troubles with Apple
Creative applied for that patent in the year 2001, after a year Apple applied for the similar patent but it was rejected. When the Zen Vision M was launched Creative announced that they will seriously pursue companies that uses the same player navigation system.
Recently Creative Technology announced a law suit against Apple for the infringement of the ZEN music management interface patent. Apple counter-sued by filing two law suits for infringing the Apple patents. Apple lost and paid Creative Technology $100,000,000 dollars.
Recommendation
If you are a teenager, a person who wants style and is very brand conscious buy an Apple iPod.
If you like many features choose the Creative Zen.
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