Your opinions?

---

Well, it's not such a serious thing, just wondering, because I can't really decide.

So for Christmas last year, my brother got me a $100 gift card for Best Buy, and for my birthday, I got a $50 one, and about $150 in money.

Now, I was going to use that gift card toward a Playstation 3 or Xbox 360 for myself, until Microsoft released the new Zunes, then I decided I should get one of those. Besides, I don't know what my brother is going to get me, I think it'll be one of the game systems, which is also why I don't want to buy one just yet.

But now I can't decide between that [a Zune HD], or an iPod Touch. They're pretty much the same price (the iPod is $10 more), and the same size, and the major thing is, my family has a Zune Pass (MS's music service), and the songs you get can't be used on anything else (Sony Walkman's, etc), but the iPod seems much more versatile, with it's apps, and better screen, etc.

I've read reviews on both, and they both seem to be the same, each with it's flaws, etc. but I can't decide.

Anyone with either that can vouch for the greatness of one or the other?

I'm very much a "PC Guy" but I've never seen the appeal of the Zune, in any of its forms. I have my iPod touch and its lovely.

ipod touch for sure!!!

Agree with Rad. Oh but if you don't, then an iPod touch for sure

Some gift cards do have an expiry date. Also, some will lose value over time..

In General:I thank you for your opinions. If anyones' iPod spontaneously explodes, let me know, so I don't get it. I'm still pondering the question, but I think I'm going to wait one or two more weeks.Also, for the record, Best Buy cards don't have expiry dates or maintenance fees. And it still has it's prim and proper 100 on there. Most cards actually don't anymore, much. Since companies figured out that they put 100 on a card for someone, then it sits on their desk for a year and expires, then the co. is out that 100 dollars. Then multiply that by a whollee lot.

While I understand how if you spend $100 on a $50 item, they make profit, when you spend that $100 on a gift card, your paying the activation fee, if there is one, of about 2.50, and then your money goes onto the card, and out of their pockets, until it's redeemed, or the maintenance fees kick in, where they get their money back anyway.

You can't ask them to just whip up $100 to put on a card, like they say on the packaging, "Card has no value until activated at register."

Quote:

But retailers' cards have their own drawbacks. Millions of dollars in unused money is left on retailers' gift cards each year.

Tower Group estimates that about 10 percent of the value of all of the gift cards given this year will not be used, leaving about $8 billion unspent this year, while about half the adults surveyed about their holiday shopping patterns by Consumer Reports said they received gift cards last year, but 19 percent --- about 23.3 million Americans --- said they had not yet used them.
So, it's only if you spend money on them, even if it's only 17 of 100 dollars, that they make money, or if you pay them more than what the GC is worth, because your paying more than so-and-so gave them to transfer on to the card, that they'll make money off of them.

Like Rad says.. You have this all backwards. Someone already GAVE them $100 to buy the card. Whether you use the card or not, they already have their $100. Now if you actually BUY something, then the actual COST of the item (plus other overhead costs) reduces their $100 resulting in their gross profit for that item.You have this idea that when you activate the card, they actually take money out of their coffers and set it aside for your card. They do no such thing. They already took that money.

Alright, I think I understand now. For whatever reason, it wasn't clicking.

In any case, I think I'm going to go with the Zune, I've decided. Based on the fact that I just have so much music through Marketplace, and iPods throw up when exposed to WMA format. Wish me luck with it guys! Maybe I'll even get it tonight, hey?