Microsoft Zune

A different fruit

#6

Every Joe, Josie, and Jose has an iPod - oh, and their mothers and brothers do too. Apple's device - be it the gigantic 60 GB version or the lightweight Nano - has turned into an international phenomenon, becoming the first cultural item since Elvis to be as appreciated in Hong Kong as it is in Las Vegas, Nevada. Yes, that’s right, people in Hong Kong like Elvis. But they also enjoy Apple’s iPod, which has, to say the least, changed the way people around the world listen to music. It’s been an unchallenged and lonely (albeit profitable) spot at the top…until now, perhaps.

Zune

Who else better to challenge anyone on anything in the tech world than Microsoft, makers of Windows, the Microsoft Xboxand the wheel (kidding about that last one). The company recently released the Zune player , and many of the options available via the new device are heat-seeking missiles with the iPod in their sights.

Wi-Fi

For those not yet familiar with Wi-Fi, it’s essentially a reference to wireless internet, the rapidly popularizing way to connect to the World Wide Web. Wi-Fi has become so mainstream that its framework-building has become the business of local municipalities and civil governments, including cities like Paris and Philadelphia. Connecting generally requires a router, subscription and PC - but not if you own a Zune. That’s because Microsoft is using the Wi-Fi technology in a completely different way, with the company straddling the line between file sharing and legal accommodation of DRM (Digital Rights Management).

So, what's the big deal? Microsoft is really selling the dating imagery. Many of the company’s ads and press releases center around guys and gals getting together by sharing their music in a coffee shop or bistro, listening cooperatively to the Smashing Pumpkins... and maybe even kissing. In reality, the device offers anyone the chance to exchange songs (downloaded from Microsoft’s dedicated iTunes-like server) for up to three days. Once that period runs out, the transferee will be given the option to buy the song themselves, or simply let it pass into the night.

Other features found within the Zune include a sizable 30 GB hard drive, a three inch screen and a battery life of 13 hours for audio, 4 hours for video. In addition, owners of the Xbox 360 console can connect the two devices rather seamlessly, offering players the ability to spend online "Microsoft points" while listening to Zune tunes mid-game.

Although exciting new features are still unlikely to humiliate the ultra-popular iPod, Microsoft’s new handheld certainly deserves its spot at sixth on our list of the top ten electronic gifts for Christmas 2006.

Estimated Price: $249