SHOOTOUT: New iPod vs. Dell DJ (Digital Jukebox)

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9 - Price
You get what you pay for, I guess. The new iPod at 20 gigabytes is a solid $299. The 40 gigabyte model is only $399. Still, the Dell 20 gigabyte Digital Jukebox Music Player is now $237.15, or as low as $7 per month. That’s less than 25-cents per day for listening pleasure. OK, I’m half right. The numbers don’t lie.
WINNER: Dell DJ

10 - Accessories
The iPod comes with virtually no Apple-supplied accessories. The Dell doesn’t come with much, either, other than the carrying case and inline remote control, both extras on the iPod. However, “accessories” covers what you can get for the portable players, and for Dell, well, they give you about everything you can get. iPod? The king of accessorydom. There’s more stuff available for iPod than iMacs. Well, its seems that way.
WINNER: iPod

11 - Online Music Access
Are you tired yet? It’s iTunes Music Store and iTunes vs. Music Match. That’s no contest. Pretty much everyone agrees that both Apple offerings are the cat’s meow in ease of use, accessibility, and work just fine on Mac or PC, thank you.
WINNER: iPod

12 - Ease of Use
Finally, some competition. The DJ is decidedly simple to use. Controls are laid out nicely, and relatively easy to use. For Windows users. iPod users will find the DJ to be a bit cluttered and un-intuitive. The unit itself is mostly metal and feels OK. Corners are soft and comfortable. There’s not much there. Compare that to the glitz and high tech look of Sony’s new Walkman.
WINNER: iPod

13 - Value (it’s a Baker’s dozen of 12 points)
Ultimately, it’s the first 12 points that get rolled into the overall value of a portable music player. Let’s see, the score now is one tie, Dell’s DJ has 3 points, and Apple’s iPod has 8 points.

Hmmmm.

That must mean that the coveted “Value” crown goes to the iPod, huh?

The Dell DJ can’t be doing too well since Dell’s offering a $100 bounty for dead iPods. The combination of iPod, iTunes, and iTunes Music Store is the juggernaut that Apple calls portable music revolution. Dell doesn’t even come as close as Sony in overall value.

For less than $60 more you can get an iPod instead of a Dell Digital Jukebox Music Player. If you’re smart, your friends will say, “Dude, you didn’t get a Dell!”

That says it all.