i still have my 2gb mp3 player from like 4 years ago. i was going to buy an itouch but then my sister got a zune. she got one of the “ugly” zunes though: the first generation, brown color. I however, liked it despite the appearance. the software is really cool. i did some research on the newer generations and im almost in love with the zune. it is a very customizable device (i find that very important) the screen is gorgeous and having a radio is very important. the only drwback is that the zune is still a bit on the thick side for me, and still doesnt have a touhscreen.
I am really glad I read this article. I guess I can wait a bit longer and see what new zune MS comes out with. It would be ideal for me if it had a bigger screen, slimmer, it still kept the touch pad around there, still great quality sound, and to keep all the features it has. :D

Buddy, if people who own a Zune “seem to love them”, maybe you should think about coming down from your throne high atop Olympus and stop making decisions for a multi-billion dollar company and its users. I personally don’t understand either how the 360 survived its challenges, but it did and has a thriving and enthusiastic install base. Microsoft managed to build a winner…but I guess is SkateNY says so they might as well shut it down.

There is nothing attractive about the Zune software subscription, particularly since the music is DRM protected, something that Apple recently, and finally, persuaded the record companies to drop in their iTunes Store.

Windows Vista: A bomb from the beginning despite Microsoft bloggers who continue to strain to have us believe it is the best thing since sliced bread. It isn’t. Even Microsoft’s CEO admitted that it was a failure. Their Seinfeld ads, to the tune of at least 10 million dollars, carried the stench of desperation.

Xbox: Yeah. Most users love it. But there aren’t enough of them to make it profitable and, being long in the tooth, the light at the end of the tunnel burned out long ago.

Zune: This is the hardest part. Zune owners seem to love what they have. That having been said, there are very few people who own a Zune, and far fewer who want one. Get rid of it.

Microsoft needs to get back to its roots. It needs to start making an attractive, functional operating system. It needs to not have to fend off competition from people like Apple and Linux.

This is all a hard pill to swallow for Microsoft, but sometimes you have to eat your vegetables.

Zune is a software platform, which you’d think Microsoft would try to get other companies to jump on board with. Either way, the idea of adding Zune to Windows Mobile doesn’t sound bad either.

Meh – this is only b/c it’s Microsoft. No one is writing stories about Creative or Samsung’s MP3 player future.

And Sohn is right, there really is a “Chicken Little” mentality out there for everything Microsoft. I’m starting to almost feel bad for them – recognizing M$ was run for a long time by a bunch of thugs, today there are actually good people there working hard to develop and deliver quality products. The Zune and XBox divisions are prime examples.