The Zune, is Microsoft's answer to the music and entertainment industry's Apple Ipod. Designed to be an end-to-end solution for Connected Entertainment, the Zune is designed to be used with its co-branded online music store Marketplace, where songs can be purchased for download. Zune is, by design, the ultimate antithesis of the iPod. With a larger viewing screen for video and Wi-fi capability for music sharing, Ipod, has a little shaking to do in its boots. Many of my points about the Zune boil down to this one fact: iPod fans, the Zune isn't as lame as you expected it to be.



Microsoft's Zune will connect to an iTunes-like music store called the Zune Marketplace, which will offer millions of songs, according to Microsoft. Zune will import songs from Apple's iTunes as permitted by the online service from which it was purchased. It will be supported and promoted and will leverage the collective power of Windows XP, Windows Vista, Soapbox (Microsoft's new "YouTube killer") and the Xbox 360. Zune's market place also heavily focuses on up and coming local artists and indie bands. Music on the marketplace is provided by the big four music groups: EMI, Warner Music Group, Sony BMG, and Universal Music Group- and smaller music labels. Apple's music store does currently have a vast selection, but with Microsoft pouring in the money and promising to buy existing user's ipod songs, it will not be long till Microsoft's Zune marketplace will be bouncing head over heels to bring ipod to its knees.

If the huge library wasn't enough, Xbox users will love the fact that you can connect your Xbox to your Zune and share all of your content with your Xbox. There is no need to have to create separate play lists for your Xbox as well as your Zune when they can both share the same one. This adds further connectivity to your arsenal of party tricks and hosting strategies. With the built in Xbox visualizations, just pop in your zune, and you are complete with, "hip", from head to toe.

With this extended network, finding content for your new Zune will leave you searching and clicking for hours while you create the perfect play list. However, the only draw back to this is there are monthly fees which are incurred for use of Microsoft's extended network. Though great selections to move your ear buds will be found, it will cost you on a monthly basis. There are programs out there that only require one payment for eternity without ever placing hidden charges on your plastic. These programs rival Microsoft's distribution network and allow you the user to take full advantage of its results without having monthly fees. After using the Zune's marketplace myself, I thought I would do some research and find the hottest programs that offered the most. I found them and discovered these to be at the utmost of their game.