Story: http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news...d=a4mxDq8JK89U

Meh.

The whole thing looks like a bust.

I laughed when I heard their announcement. The Zune... why not make a replicate of the Ipod Gates, QUIT making what everyone else is making just to make a profit for Microsoft, I know you can do better

If I was going to recommend any MP3 player out there today, not taking into account battery replacement policy, it would be the 2nd Generation iPod Nano.

The thing is about as good as it gets. Metal body surrounding it means no cracking and a very stable unit. Form factor is outstanding, display is great, ease of use is there, and now that iTunes 7 lets you control the unit inside that software, it's easier than ever to manage.

At $149, the 2 gig 2nd Gen Nano is awesome, and you can get 4 gig for $199 and 8 gig for $249.

24 hour battery life is up substantially from the previous setup too.

With all the wacked out "Play For Sure" (but not on the Zune) DRM out there, it's just not worth the confusion.

There are plenty of ways to get your iTunes music converted to standard, non-protected MP3, so that really shouldn't be a problem. Besides, the Nano handles Audible audio books quite well indeed.

I really think Microsoft making Zune non-compatible with their Play for Sure thing is just a joke. All those vendors who worked hard to ensure Play for Sure compliance and Microsoft goes and stabs them in the back...