@Ken_Darrow: If that's true wouldn't it surrender to Apple then?

Beta @ Random

What will they call it? Kinda like a bad French accent. Introducing "ZPhone" , there, I spit at you iPhone...

Ken_Darrow

etc=jailbroken iPod touch

BiZarRroBALlmeR

Why?

Xavoc

That's gonna take a bite out of Zune sales...

Unless of course the Zune as hardware will go away and exist only in a software form?

Jrsy is the dude, playing the dude, disguised as another dude

Ya know, I have a zune with Wifi and a my mobile is an HTC mogul with Wifi that I can turn into a hotspot...Balmer if you make it so I can pair the two I will...I will....I dont know yet. But I promise it will be good for you and embarressing to me, to say the least.

How does that sound buddy?

yashichi8bit

Call it the Zone (Z from Zune plus one from Phone)?

Woadan

Woadan

@Jrsy is the dude, playing the dude, disguised as another du...: Oh oh i Know, It's the French who are like MS now.

XxRiXoNxX182

@Ken_Darrow: No, iPhune is better.

sos10

I think what you'll see is a situation where Zunes will still be found (just like you still see iPods), but there will also be WinMo phones with Zunes. They'll have flash memory and the media player will be Zune.

Woadan

@Jrsy is the dude, playing the dude, disguised as another du...:

Woadan

@Beta @ Random: It would surrender to itself.

Ken_Darrow

@Beta @ Random: No, it would surrender to everyone..

Jrsy is the dude, playing the dude, disguised as another dude

Call it the Zone (Z from Zune plus one from Phone)?
That would be fine I guess... as long as they don't call it Zhone.. or even Zohan.

Yikes! You don't mess with Zohan!

iGo

@witnessx: Silly poster Microsoft is for use... Ballmer?

Beta @ Random

Porting the zune software to the WM platform doesnt magically make it a Zune or any zune name dirivitive, or a zune 'built in.' For all intents and purposes its enhanced media playback software, most likely with the added abandonment of Windows Media Player Mobile.

Aturayd

Bout freaking time! Converge everything already why doncha? The Zune software replacing the media player on my Mogul'll be great. Get started on WinMo and XBOX integration while you're at it.

witnessx

Hmm, if this makes use of the Zunepass it could be the thing that finally pushes me to subscribe to it. Every piece of software for WinMo made by M$ (that I have used) has been very polished and usable. Hopefully this turns out to be more than just a pretty replacement for WMP mobile.

RobotVampire

@Xavoc: The Zune software is great, but you can only sync with a Zune player. Lot's of people use their phones as their MP3 players, and just like you can use an iPhone with iTunes (instead of using a separate iPod), you'll be able to use the Zune software with any one of the thousand-odd WinMo devices instead of having another player.

Drag and drop music is fine, but Zune/iTunes software have a lot more to offer.

Drvec

He really is one of the scariest looking men I have ever seen. He's right up there with Gary Busey in my book.

My book of... scary men.

chasema

Zune Sidekick

brutek

should be windows mobile confirmed for zune

AndersonBMX

Don't forget, MS used to LOOSE money on every Zune. There's no margin in hardware (unless you're Apple, and sell enough to tell the component manufacturers what you are going to pay), and MS KNOWS that. Porting was always part of the plan.

1) Apple virtually creates the DAP over night
2) A splintered market tries to fight over the last 15% of the market share
3) MS tries to create a unified front by being the backend of all the non-iTunes stores,
4) All of those other music stores fail to make money for anyone because there are too many hands wanting a cut
5) Apple gets one partner: HP's Carly Fiorina, rides her hard and puts her away wet. Everybody else scrambles to "partner" together, and nobody gets any richer because there's not enough profit left for ONE company, let alone to share.
6) MS builds a new PLATFORM that can compete. It's Apple (85%), Zune (4%), Other (11% across about 8 brand names)
MS's Next Move) Now that you've proven you can get your name on the board, paid off your R&D, let every one else license the soft stuff (Software, Zune Market Place connection) and make money off the OS Royalties, and micro-transactions. They'll keep the Zune around as long as it makes money, but the real money will be sans hardware.

HaHaRich

Zunes should be discarded and replaced with ipods

crash1105

Crash1105 have you actually used a Zune and used the software? My wife has an iPod and I've used it and the Zune software is better and the hardware is basically the same. I know the Zune screen is better than the iPod video.

I suggest all of you ipod fanboys actually try the "other" music player, you might just find that is actually an equal to the iPod.

tek

Still never seen anyone actually using a Zune.

I guess if they port to WM I will at least have a chance of seeing it being used - or sworn at, or something!

MINI Driver

@undefined: I completely agree, the Zune is a great ipod rival, and Gizmodo is one of the biggest Apple/iPod fanboys around. This will be a great move for Microsoft, it will establish a brand name to go with a possible new image for them in media playing software. Just like iTunes on iPods and iPhones, heck some people only think in iTunes format.

skulyk

Mini Driver No one cares what you think. get over it.

DJJS

Frickin love my Zune. I just picked up the xv6800 from Verizon and wasn't even considering using the music player option on the phone because I have my Zune. But if they do this, I may actually consider throwing some music on my 4bg sdhc card and give it a shot. Can't wait to see what this looks like.

Darkenigma75

@iGo:

thats funny...maybe they should call it Zohan! marketing that would be fun...i can just see the commercials now

youngjjohnson

@Woadan: i like!

youngjjohnson

@Darkenigma75: Same. I'm addicted to my Zune. I have a Samsung BlackJack II that runs WM 6.1, but I still have the Zune right next to it while I'm listenin' to my music. Sorry, iPod and Apple. You suck.

Zune <3

ViperBorg

Doesn't this picture make him look like Dean Wormer from Animal House? "Don't tell anyone, but we're going to combine these two devices and call it the Double Secret..." ahh, nevermind

GTgeek

*firmware@Ornament: *firmware

Ornament

they said software everybody, not fireware

Ornament