This post was published 2 years 8 months 17 days ago which may make its actuality or expire date not be valid anymore. This site is not responsible for any misunderstanding.

Ace over at ZuneBoards pointed out a recent article from c|net ("Best MP3 players and accessories of 2007"), where the iPod Classic is rated "Best overall MP3 player".

This is surprising since the Zune 80 has a c|net editor’s rating of 8.3 and the iPod classic has a rating of 8.0. Also, the Zune 80 beat out the iPod Classic in 4 out of 5 categories in c|net’s recent prizefight article "Apple iPod Classic vs. Microsoft Zune 80".

So why did c|net title the iPod classic as "Best overall MP3 player"? I contacted the article’s author, Donald Bell, and this is what he wrote:

I realize that the individual product ratings and prizefight are seemingly sending mixed messages, but my decision to call the iPod Classic 2007’s best "overall" MP3 player is no mistake.

Just to be clear, our prizefight editorials are based around the subjective opinions of three reviewers, which are then averaged together. Prizefights are meant to be fun and evocative, but ultimately, it’s just a round-up of what three people like or dislike about two products.

Individual product reviews, on the other hand, try to sum up all the pros and cons of a given product and assign it a fair, objective rating. For MP3 players, this rating is based on the average of three scores for design, features, and performance.

Just because a product has a high rating, however, doesn’t mean it’s the single-best product for everyone. A product like the iRiver Clix has an 8.7 rating, but frankly, I think it’s design is a little too feminine for men to use. One of my favorite devices, the Archos 605 WiFi, also has an 8.7 rating based on it’s considerable value and feature-packed technology–but I would never suggest that my mother should buy one.

When I was asked to recommend the "best overall" MP3 player of 2007, I picked the iPod Classic over the Zune. The iPod Classic is an MP3 player I feel good recommending 90% of the time, whether you’re young or old, tech-savvy or Luddite, Mac or PC. It’s not a perfect device, but "overall" it’s a sure bet, with lots of great accessories, solid software, and plenty of fellow iPod owners to help beginning users through the learning curve.

Now, if I had been asked what the "Best MP3 player for Donald Bell" is, or "Coolest MP3 player of 2007", I would have said the Zune 80. "Best overall" or "Safest bet" or "Most generically appropriate" would have all gone to the iPod Classic.

Hopefully it makes a little more sense now that I’ve given it some context. Thanks for the email.

-Donald