The following are feature comparisons between iPod models and their similarly-priced competition. I chose the models here (X5, EMX-900) because they are what the people I know use, so I have access to them for testing. Other models (Creative, iRiver, etc) are also very nice, offering more features than the iPods without any additional cost.
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iPod Photo vs. iAudio X5 |
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| Feature | iPod Photo | iAudio X5 |
|---|---|---|
| Storage Space | 30G | 30G |
| Price | $330 (street) | $330 (street) |
| Size (inches) | 4.1 x 2.4 x 0.63 | 4.08 x 2.39 x 0.56 |
| Standard Audio Formats | MP3, Wav, AIFF | MP3, Ogg Vorbis, FLAC, Wav |
| Proprietary Audio Formats | AAC, Audible, Apple Lossless | WMA, ASF |
| Plays Video | No | Yes, MPEG4 (xvid) |
| Display Photos | Yes, after re-encoding* | Yes |
| Voice Recorder | Requires $30-$40 accessory | Yes |
| FM Radio | No | Yes |
| FM Recorder | No | Yes |
| Line-in Recorder | No | Yes |
| Works as a USB storage device (without special drivers) | No | Yes |
| Copy files to/from a computer | In a limited fashion | Yes |
| Basic PIM functions | View contacts, calendar, to-do, text | View text files |
| USB 2.0 | Yes | Yes |
| USB 1.1 | No | Yes |
| Firewire | Yes; cable not included | No |
| Pull images from cameras | Requires $30 accessory | Yes |
| Compatible with Mac & PC | must reformat the drive* | Yes |
| Works without special PC software | No | Yes |
| Resistant to scratches | Not at all | Yes |
| Screen protectors included | No | Yes |
| Audio quality | Medium | High |
| All features work out-of-box | No, requires extra (commercial) software for some features | Yes |
| Physical interface | Touch wheel | 5-way joystick, and buttons |
| Known bugs | (detailed below) | (detailed below) |
Known iPod Bugs |
Sometimes erases itself. iPod must be completely wiped and reset to
recover.
Battery reliability is a gamble, from what I hear. The device may need to be exchanged in order to get a "good" battery.
This is not a bug (it's a feature, really!), but it seems that all iPod models explicitly forbid the user from copying any playable files, or playing any copy-able files. Dumping files to an iPod is a one-way road.
Scratches easily -- especially the Nano models, which get scratched by cloth, fingernails, and other soft objects. This review sums things up nicely:
Battery reliability is a gamble, from what I hear. The device may need to be exchanged in order to get a "good" battery.
This is not a bug (it's a feature, really!), but it seems that all iPod models explicitly forbid the user from copying any playable files, or playing any copy-able files. Dumping files to an iPod is a one-way road.
Scratches easily -- especially the Nano models, which get scratched by cloth, fingernails, and other soft objects. This review sums things up nicely:
Basically, while the iPod's design looks very nice when you first take it out of the box, it fails miserably at holding up that appearance.
My Cowon iAudio X5, on the other hand, still looks new after 4 months of daily use. The metal body is covered with a tough coat of paint, almost like a powder-coating. It doesn't easily scratch, which is easy to appreciate when you've owned an iPod.
Known iAudio X5 Bugs |
Charge state gets reset after turning device off, so it may try to charge
more than necessary if used while plugged into the wall.
Fails to skip zero-byte files.
Not a bug (a feature?), but it must be plugged into the "subpack" mini-dock in order to charge, transfer to/from a computer, or record from line-in. I'd prefer to have the usb client port and AC port on the main device, instead of the usb host port (pulls images from cameras).
Fails to skip zero-byte files.
Not a bug (a feature?), but it must be plugged into the "subpack" mini-dock in order to charge, transfer to/from a computer, or record from line-in. I'd prefer to have the usb client port and AC port on the main device, instead of the usb host port (pulls images from cameras).
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iPod Shuffle vs. ENOX EMX-900 |
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| Feature | iPod Shuffle | ENOX EMX-900 |
|---|---|---|
| Storage Space | 1G | 1G |
| Price | $109 (street) | $109 (street) |
| Size | a pack of gum | a pack of gum |
| Standard Audio Formats | MP3, Wav | MP3, Ogg Vorbis, Wav |
| Proprietary Audio Formats | AAC, Audible | WMA, ASF |
| Display | None | 2-Color OLED, 4 lines |
| Lyric Display | No | Yes |
| ID3 Tag Support | No | Yes |
| Battery Life | 12 hours | 20 hours |
| Voice Recorder | No | Yes |
| FM Radio | No | Yes |
| Line-in Recorder | No | Yes |
| Works as a generic USB hard drive | No | Yes |
| Copy files to/from a computer | No* | Yes |
| USB 1.1/2.0 | Yes | Yes |
| USB connector built in | Yes | Yes |
| Compatible with Mac & PC | must reformat* | Yes |
| Variable Playback Speed | No | 8-step speed control |
| Equalizer | No | Yes |
| Auto-off (sleep timeout) | No | Yes |
| File browser / song selector | No | Yes |
| Physical interface | Buttons and slide switch | 5-way joystick and buttons |
Disclaimer: I do not own an iPod. The information presented here is merely what I could find by looking at reviews, specs, and sales online.