Sounds crazy, I know, but I've been playing with this 8 GB Zune that Microsoft's PR folks gave me . . .
. . . and I like it. It's not just the built-in FM radio, which is a blast to have, or the sheer contrarian perversity of carrying one around in an iPod world; it's the quality of . . . and here's where it gets weird . . . it's the quality of design. Yes! Microsoft design! Both the hardware and the software! Is it really true, or is this just that pesky brain tumor kicking in again?
I like the 8 GB Zune's feel, paticularly it's alternative to the iPod wheel, the big third eye in its middle I call the "stroke" button (instead of twirling it like a wheel, you rub it up and down like, whatever), and the user interface has a distinctive look and feel that doesn't suck at all. But the killer app, I think, is the Zune Marketplace, which is more Rhapsody than iTunes Store. Indeed, there's no division between the "store" and the "player." It's all one app.
Marketplace emphasizes exploration, recommendations, reviews and artist bios, and taste-testing. The subscription plan (all you can download for 14.95 a month) encourages the Rhapsody analogy. Also, the graphic design of the interface is cool. It's casual, a little improvised, with lots of white space and flow.
Despite
the name, Marketplace feels designed to help you explore music, not to
sell it to you. I also caught a glimpse of the Marketplace upgrade
that's due this Fall, and I was even more impressed. The visual design
is even better -- is this really Microsoft?! -- and the opportunities
for networking with friends are enhanced (I think it does; I only got a quick glimpse).
I feel a little strange about this. But then I found out that David Pogue had a similar response last year. Things have been improving since then, and more's afoot, I'm told, for this Fall. One thing you can say about Microsoft. They don't quit. And thanks to the Xbox360 and now this little Zune, I can no longer rule out the possibility that they are still capable of getting things right . . . eventually.
One thing, however, is stupid and counter-productive. The Zune and its software don't work with Macs. That tells you something, since I don't believe it's a technical or programming issue. It tells you they still don't believe in their own product. They still worry about whether it can go head to head with iTunes . . . and I'm here to tell you it can.
Comments