RE: Zune
i had a Zune and it was definitely one of the better DMP i've tried. the ipods circle dealio just doesn't appeal to me, plus i hate itunes. i hate the Zune software just about as much, but at least the Zune doesn't have you watching movies on a 2.5" screen.
the ability to personalize things is a biggy for me, and the Zune is pretty much all about that. i love how i can name my Zune so other people can see it, and set backgrounds. it's full of wee!
my experience is with the old Zunes, too; the ones without squircle pads. adding touch capability just enhances the experience even more (that's what she said).
so yeah. i like Zunes. i hate ipods, although if the ipod touch were to have a hard-drive in it, i'd probably get it :P it's the whole customization thing that really gets me. a friend of mine (Ben-the-Jew) knows how to "jailbreak" them, so i'd probably do that.
since my current Zune (also obtained from Mr. Ben) has a slightly, um, fried motherboard, it's a bit useless. ): i have a Creative Zen Touch, though. i've had that thing for years, and talk about durable! i've dropped it from about 3-5 feet up onto hard tile on accident and it still works. i dropped it in the toilet on accident once, and the only thing it messed up was the previous song button. CAN YOUR STUPID IPOD SURVIVE THAT SHIT?