It may not seem like it, but the Zune doesn't have much of a history! The first Zune was only released in November 2006 in the USA, but it wasn't until November 2007, when the new Zunes were released, was it finally in a position to really compete with the iPod.

The first Zune, the Zune 30, couldn't really be distinguished from the other MP3s in the marketplace. It did have a 30Gb hard drive and FM radio as standard, but didn't really do much more than play songs.

When the next generation of Zunes were released in November 2007 there was a significant increase in functionality. They were able to swap files with other Zunes via WiFi, swap files with X-boxes via USB and could sync wirelessly with PCs. Three models were released at this time - the Zune 4, Zune 8 and Zune 80. A free firmware upgrade was available for the Zune 30 to enhance it's functionality to.

The new Zunes provide better song management including support for DRM-free music, better support for videos meaning the quality and range of videos able to be played on a Zune increased dramatically.

There is no doubt that Apple and others in the MP3 player market will react to this, but the wireless features of the Zune are definitely a unique selling point at this time. The ability to share files and to sync wirelessly is a feature users find very useful.

There are a number of lesser features such as range of colors, size of screens that one or another player may have the advantage in at certain points in time, but the fact is that this market is finally becoming more competitive, and that is can only be good for the consumer.