The big conundrum this holiday season? It’s not how to escape your in-laws. (You’re trapped, fool!) It’s which media player to buy that special someone. The initial knee jerk reaction is to buy the 80GB iPod Classic. Not so fast, there hotshot. There’s also the brand new 80GB Zune 2, which is actually your better bet. The kids are getting a Zune for Christmas, even if they asked Santa for an iPod. Here’s why:

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Hardware

The iPod has a nice 2.5-inch screen and a familiar and simple scroll wheel. But the Zune has a larger 3.2-inch, 320 x 240-pixel LCD, a full 0.7-inches bigger than the iPod classic’s screen. Yes, the Zune’s touchpad is quirky, but it’s also elegant.

Content

iTunes is still king of content, but cracks are starting to show. It can’t rip DVDs and the hemorrhaging of some content (Goodbye NBC) has blackened the eye of the once unstoppable juggernaut. The Zune marketplace has been re-designed from the ground up and features an ever-expanding library of audio and video content. 3 million songs and growing, all available on an affordable subscription plan.

Networking

iTunes syncing is seamless and quick (but not wireless) and there’s no integrated FM radio. Sharing songs or “squirting” them to friends may sound disgusting, but it actually works pretty well. Unlike the iPod, no dongle is needed to listen to FM stations.

Pricing

Okay, so the iPod ($249) has the Zune ( $299 ) beat in pricing. But with a rapidly expanding library, overhauled UI, and a more innovative design, the Zune 2 is the gift of this season. (Editor’s note: With the Zune’s price now $249, it looks like this round goes to Microsoft’s player as well.)

By Jose Fermoso and Danny Dumas

Illustrations: Rob Beschizza