you asked but here is a LIST!!

(1). A way to download songs, MOVIES and TV SHOWS form the zune it self.

(2). A internal fm transmitter.

(3). Oh and a slimmer zune.

(4). but type of pionts system like 99 pionts per song.($0.99).

(5). Gap less play back.

(6). A way to make the sharing so say i made a song and i wanted the person who i sent it to to keep it forever how so that it wont do the 3 day or 3 plays thing.

sean, a good start. but these are too product-feature specific. think more long term. where do you see the industry going? what'll happen in 5 years?

Instead of going for the "Next Big Thing", here is my "FirmWare Wish List" -

*be able to change fonts (size, color, theme, etc.)

*yes, definitely, be able to use as an external hard drive. (other players can, so should Zune)

*more video formats, mpeg4, h.246, divx etc. (come on, only .wmv is really a pain in the butt to convert)

*be able to adjust video Brightness and Contrast while playing (sweet...)

*add another item in the main menu "Applications", where you can access your games, small applications such as calender, alarm clock, notepad, etc.

wow! you guys really don't like playing by the rules; vision! think vision! ;)

Where do I see the things going...hmmm... A few scenarios to ponder:

1)I walk into a store and see a Kiosk, which I could then walk up to and have new music and albums released that day/week loaded onto my device.

2)Im at a concert or other live event (sporting event, trade show) and upon walking in, my zune is sent information like what song is playing, and I can get exclusive tracks.  If I'm at a football game, I get up to the minute stats and replays while my music plays in the background during halftime.

3)My idea of connected entertainment allows me to see my friends on my device through some type of friends list wherever they are, show me what they're playing and I can interact with them, send them playlists, etc.

That seems pretty out there....maybe 5 or 6 years down the road at least.  And, they're not features per se, but just social or "connected" experiences that just seem cool to me. I think everyone, even the ifanboys as Cesar calls them, sees that the Zune has a lot of potential.  Not everyone agrees on how long it'll take for MS to realize this potential or if they ever will.  Well, I have 2 Zunes in my household already. The race is on to see who leads and who struggles to keep up in this Zune/Ipod battle.  The iphone will strike next, and hopefully the next big thing from the Zune platform will be on the horizon sooner than later.  Peace.

I'm carrying a PDA Phone, a Zune, my keys, my wallet...I'm simply running out of space.  I hope to see a consolidation of devices/items over the next few years.  

And get a Mic and a Recorder on ALL devices looking forward.  It opens the door to personal expression.  Today, passing along some Artist's song is not an expression of me (just an expression of someone else that I like/appreciate).  Provide this functionality and let consumers run free...

External Disk Hard Drive?

Firmware updates:

1) Ability to download content wirelessly from Zune, via my home network or a wifi hotspot.

2) Ability to sync wirelessly with my PC (including Media Center) and my Xbox 360

3) More Codec support, why not?

4) Games! (Live Anywhere?)

5) I should be able to share ripped CD music without any DRM limitations, if I paid for the CD, and I can let my friends rip music from my CD, why can't I send it wirelessly from my Zune without DRM.  I want freedom, afterall I paid for it ;)

6) Podcast support (not sure if it's there now.

7) Playforsure?

Hardware updates:

1) Slimmer player

2) Internal FM Transmitter

3) different player sizes

4) Cell phone style digital camera

Cesar, did you see Scoble's interview w/ one of your collegues?  I thought there was a great scenerio that came from his sending '1 to Many' question.  I'll paraphrase:

Imagine an artist at a concert telling everyone to turn on their Zune's and blasting out a song or a recording of a song during that concert to everyone's zune.

I know there are technical issues around that scenerio, but look at 1 to many opening up lots of doors...there's some very interesting monitization potential there too...

ok vision umm a instant messenger zune?

I forgot a few things:

1) allow it to act as a hard drive

2) removable battery

Oh yes the rules, sorry Cesar:

Interoperability with other online music stores.

2) I like having 1 gadget with me, not more than 1, so phone support would be nice, but I would like to see it on several cell phone providers.  I would also like my Zune to be my organizer, so a clock, calendar and all that stuff would be great.

3) Internal Camera, like a cell phone

4) Bluetooth, if it's a phone, I want my wireless headset

5) Games!

6) Touchscreen

That's all I can think of for now :)

"instant messenger zune?"

-- I am pretty sure the next guy is going to ask:

"how r u gonna type the letters?"

-- then followed by another guy:

"FULL TOUCH-SCREEN ZUNE WITH TOUCH KEYBOARD !!!!"

good thoughts, folks. Keep em comin! and remember, we're nice to each other here. this ain't fight club.

The next big thing I hope for is the abandonment of DRM.

I would like to see the devices all open up their closed enviornments so the Artist and the consumers don't get caught in the middle of corporate wars between distributors that use DRM to restrict content to the competitors.

I would like to see ad driven music subscriptions and more attractive CD products.

I would like to have user friendly utilities for getting files on and off the devices. (Syncing is silly)

I think for the total social experience, wifi should be able to jump on a network and be able to see friends with zunes any where in the US.

1). Ok I see ipod and zune team up togather for once and bring a special edition zune/ipod that is just amazing!

2). Walk into a store and on my zune it has a list of sale prices and special sales.

3). GO camping look at my zune for the wather forecast.

4) Being able to see my buddies on aim and being able to chat with them on my zune.

5). Sync up my zune to my comp and it saying what I listened to , what time I listened to songs, and it ask me how was my day. lol

Well...honestly, the Zune has brought us no closer to the "connected entertainment" future Microsoft seemed to have been pushing.  We have no integration with Windows Media Player (as well as Plays4Sure), no integration with with Media Center, and very little integration with Xbox 360 (I was able to do the same with my iPod, on launch day of the 360).  

Instead, the Zune is most likely a place holder, so that Microsoft can later release a product that ties everything together down the line without having it be their first foray into these fields.

Honestly, I hope the Zune gets A LOT more features added...I understand that Apple has proven that simplicity is key, but out-simplifying Apple is not the way to winning...taking away the clock feature is not the way to do this (FYI).  

In the Short-term, the Zune NEEDS

-Podcasting Support

-Audible Support

-Gapless Playback

-Media Center Integration

-Allow the purchase of individual songs (having to buy in chunks of 5 dollars is...how do you say this nicely...RETARDED!)

What would be nice

-Some real integration with the 360 (show my friends what I'm listening to, what I've recently listened to, show my Zunetag alongside my Gamertag)

-Integrate the Zune with the Xbox 360 Marketpalce content (ESPECIALLY VIDEO DOWNLOADS!)

-Video Downloads (why have such a huge screen without a music store?)

-Wider array of Wireless Scenarios (the sky is the limit when it comes to this)

-Integration with Live Anywhere (Live Arcade Games)

-GAMES!!! How is it that the makers of the 360 couldn't fit any games onto the device?

-Better displays in stores (http://zunecorps.com/?p=212)

Unfortunately...even the basic updates won't come for almost half a year (tear http://zunecorps.com/?p=220)

So far...the Zune is off with a fizzle, hopefully you guys can correct this, because I'd love to see it do well.

But with the complicated and error prone installation of the Zune software, the annoying Syncing, terrible displays in stores, and bad customer support (I  Spent 20 minutes on the phone with a guy that asked me what my problem was...spent two minutes on hold...would come back and say "what was your problem??"...after about 4 of these I said "I give up, you are obviously clueless...which was when he began to care and asked me to stay on the line"...not a good start.

-Charlie

www.zunecorps.com

One idea that I completly forgot about was having your Zune setup a website or profile page in the marketplace, where it could show your favorites songs, reviews of songs, recently and most listened to songs, interact with others,show your community activity, and see who is online where.

It would be similar to a Myspace page, but actually be about Music.  You could have a small insert for this you could put on your website, myspace, blog, etc.

This would really promote the social aspect that the Zune is trying to convey, as well as bringing a very cool community aspect to the Zune.

-Charlie  

www.zunecorps.com

Here are a couple I have been thinking about...

1)In an ideal world, where wifi points and data is plentiful, we would be able to download pictures, video, and music samples or "promotional" material from different sources. ( concerts, billboards, stores )

2) viral videos. please don't screw this up. I am talking mobile youtube videos/indie bands being passed around like free gum. That means you have to figure out a way to encode "special" songs and videos for unlimited share. I know this has the potential to be a problem, but in order to be successful, indie "garage band" songs and viral videos ( ala soapbox ) should be allowed to be transferred between multiple people. ( if I get a viral video, I should be able to pass it along )

3) Vending Machines and or wifi purchasing. I should be able to buy marketplace songs through my Zune. here is how it would work.

1. Shared music; if my friend shares a song with me, I should be able to go online ( in my wifi plentiful paradise ) and it would allow me to purchase that specific song.

2. top 10 lists; do a slimline version of the marketplace. with top 10 lists, genre lists, and artist/album search.

3. Vending machine/purchase center where i can plug up ( center includes zune dock ) and search the marketplace and either purchase songs or fill up/refill with my zunepass.

4) Friends list/Live Anywhere. Give me an option to send my friends messages, either text or voice with the voice recorder you will include in the next zune ;) . Whenever they reach a wifi network, they can choose to be automatically alerted of new messages, which can include songs. ( since they couldn't be sent a song file, it would instead direct them to the song in the mobile marketpalce, where they would be allowed one free sample 3x3 for each song ) This would expand the "social" aspect of song sharing.

Some of these you have already thought of and planned, but you need these in order to make the social work.

These are just some ideas I thought of right now, I could probably think of more if I had time. Feel free to send me an internship when you realize how great these ideas are =P

I really think Woody has some good ideas (the fact that we work on zunecorps together doesn't effect this)...He really has some cool ideas about how the social aspects of the Zune could be added to with his idea of sending people songs anywhere, and having them recieve them whenever they get a signal.  

Also, it seems like wireless is what the device was built around...yet there seems to be so few features that incorporate it.  

-Charlie

www.zunecorps.com

oohh...

I really like Charlie's idea of a personal Zune Page, similiar to our 360 gamercard page, only slightly customizable.

Example to further exemplify his point.

Woody56292 -23 songs,1 video,50 pictures shared

Last Song Played: Cry me a River - Justin Timberlake

Favorite Song: Set me Free - Casting Crowns

Favorite Genre: Hip-hop

Woody56292's Playlist - ( clickable url that shows a list of my personal playlist, limit songs to 25 ) allow this playlist to be downloaded ( not the songs just the playlist )

Woody56292's Reviews ( clickable url of my songs which I have reviewed, not just starred, but actually written a review )

Woody56292's Podcasts/subscriptions( would show my personal podcasts, if applicable, and also what podcasts I subscribe to )

I am sure Charlie could think of more to add...

also this information would be optional, you could turn it on or off. ( example: I wouldn't want people to know my last song played was by Justin Timberlake, so I would turn "last played" to private or friends only. )

I know, like the Xbox team, that you guys will listen to our advice and make the Zune great. You have given the Zune the ability to expand and update, and I have faith you guys will do an awesome job. ( just like how my 360 is now the coolest thing ever with all the new functionality being added )

Keep up the Hard Work...

-Woody

www.zunecorps.com

Wow...I am having flashback to the good 'ol days when Woody and I would bounce ideas off of each other through the comments here...I'm sure you remember them fondly as well Cesar,

-Charlie

a canadian zune. thats all i want so far. i donwloaded the software to use as a media manager but i am still waiting to buy a Zune in canada. or should i get an ipod.hm they are everywhere up here??? ok i'll wait a bit longer for a zune but hurry up. my dell dj ditty died and i am looking for a replacement.

I don't really like the idea of the zune being a cell phone as well. First of all, it would be big. Cell phone + Drive would be big and clunky. Unless it used like a lower capacity microdrive. But then if it is a cell phone, you have all of those buttons on the front. Not very good looking. Plus some people don't use cell phones(like me) and would be put off from buying one.

But I do agree with the zune also having a camera in it. It already allows pictures to be stored on it, why not add a camera? Plus you could share pictures you take with other zunes. And with wi-fi, you could also let it post the photos to a blog or profile. It would be a hit if it did all of that.

My other idea could be done for the current zune too. At events(concerts, expos, premieres) there could be a zune broadcaster. Basically it would be a hot spot that finds all the zunes in the area and shares pictures, songs, and short video clips.

Hey Cesar, I have a total different approach on the "DJ" thing.

Why not make an internal FM transmitter that allow you to listen to your songs, AND broadcast it via FM? That way, you can enjoy your songs, and so can other zunes. Of course, the zune's must have an FM reciever inside as well. I'm not sure how much battery FM Transmitter takes, but that could've been a great alternative way of "DJing."

Regards,

LPX

www.ZuneBoards.com

Hello,

I think people have already covered a lot of features. I want to look at something else. Its got to do with promoting small artists.

A couple of years from now on I would like Zune eco system to be a place where artists could showcase their talent. For example if I was an artist:

1. I record my music in my own small studio.

2. I upload it to Zune server.

3. I give permission for this song to be shareable without any restriction (no 3 day or 3 play).

So now this song can move without restriction in the Zune eco system. This can be a great way to promote garage bands.

Secondly all devices in the Zune eco system (PC/xBox/Phone) should be able to communicate with each other. Not only that, I should be able to connect to my PC through the internet where ever I am. So the PC becomes my central server.

Right now these come to mind. I will post some more later.

Rohit

I'll be honest.  I haven't bought a Zune, and I don't intend to.

That is, until I see a Zune come out that I look at and say.."I have GOT to own that."  I'm very interested in the product(I'm here aren't i?)  But here's a few things i think that would make this a must-have item.

1 - you're right, Connecting IS the next BIG thing.  But I see it as bigger than sending songs, video.  Where's the FM transmitter?  Where's the store access from my zune?  Why can't i -e-mail- a freind a song, or send it to their phone?  Even better, why not Sidekick-like testing capabilities?  Oh, and lol I'm sure you've got this already 1000000 times - longer than 3 days please.  

2 - This is just a feature...that i think would put Zune way above the rest.  I don't know if you have heard, but Cingular has this new thing out for their customers...it's called Music ID.  Add that to Zune, i'll buy 50.  Two for me, and one for my all of my friends.  Here's more info on that http://www.cingular.com/musicid

3 - BIGGER SCREEN.  So long have I waited for a nice big screen for MP3 players.  All the coolest MP3 players have Video Playback now, but lol...Can't hardly see it.  How about a full size screen, no buttons on the front - all buttons are on the side, with a blackberry-esque scrollwheel.  Don't really need much more than that.  Oh, and touchscreen would do it too.

4 - I'll be honest.  Thin is nice.  But it's not everything.  For me, aesthetics are the top.  I have look at it everyday, i'd like it to be appealing.  (Btw, this would be a great time to mention my envy of the brown/green zune.  best color scheme EVER.)  I think the Zune could be prettier.  I'm NOT digging the black circle on the Zune.  And if there IS a black circle, why the other two buttons.  least amount of buttons possible.

5 - this one's simple.  bluetooth for comp sync and earbuds/headset.

6 - PLEASE NO CAMERA.  Let me elaborate before you and your readers laugh at me.  This is an MP3 player.  The more features you pack in, the less likely you are to do them well.  Unless you're packing a 5MP camera, I don't see the need.  It'll just take away from other features that I use on a daily basis, rather than that camera i whip out when i see will smith walking down the street.

7 - Wireless Charging.  (Joking, Joking, haha.)

8 - The Menu System.  I just wanted to touch on this and say it's lovely.  It really is.

9 - I don't know if this is included or not, but I like to sing(im not good at it, but i still like to) so is it possible that we have a lyrics feature?  It's kinda hard to describe but when you click on a song while its playing on an iPod, if you have perviously stored the lyrics, itll come up.  and you can scroll through them.  Also...ebook, text documents.  .docs?  .xcl?  .ppt?  Think about how great it will be to put a ppt on your Zune and use it as a wireless remote during your presentation.

I could go on, but lol I'm prolly coming off as an arrogant guy right now with my list of demands haha.  But anyway Good job and continue the good work.  = )

-C

Alright, I'll add to the list as well then ;)

1. I'd like to see some expansion, which in this case, being available worldwide(though I do live in the US)

2. Design refinement & hardware selections and improvements

3. Larger selection from the Zune Marketplace

4. MORE TELEVISION ADS (for the sake of expanding zune)

5. Events and concerts (for the sake of expanding zune)

6. Software refinement

7. New models

8. New technology integration

9. Language support

10. Custom EQ

11. Asking for what people demand (just like this, which I think is a major difference from Apple)

12. Ability to be used as an external HDD

Albeit, I didn't specify in many things, but this is what I believe is required in order to keep Zune popular.

To create a sort of myspace/youtube/IM environment on the player...

To be able to purchase music anywhere wirelessly from any internet hotspot with my Zune.

To be able to write/type on my Zune, sort of like a palmtop

HD radio

internet

Subscription network so that my Zune would download a TV show from Zune nearby.  Sort of a neural net/torrent network of Zunes.

GPS linked to a mapping system that identifies where your friends locations.

There was a post further up in the list on phone, PDA, etc, etc.  Phones have gradually done away with the PDA.  If they can make that next leap and cover the song space that will be big as well.  The iPhone is on the right track there as well as MotoQ, Treo680 etc.  Those devices would also make the post on an instant messager zune unnecessary since the SMS features are there.

I like the wireless piece.  There a lot that can be done there in the future but most has probably already been covered here and elsewhere.  Such as direct connection to hotspots for:

-downloading music directly

-emailing/sending songs (including to a group)

-streaming music (ZMP streaming songs with 'learned' features like pandora, etc.)

I also like the concept another company is doing with integration to make the device a server of sorts.  Playing movies from the device on a bigger screen in airplanes.  As a traveler you ought to be picking one of those up Cesar.  (or at least looking into how it can be done with the Zune as well).

I really don't see myself getting an iSomething or other but I think my biggest beef on both sides is DRM.  It's just plain EVIL.  If I find music I like I go the half.com route and just get the CD.  I don't care about busted cases, missing cover art, etc.  Just tell me I can buy the CD for $1-5 and that it's MINE, no DRM.  I do have a lot of DRM music but it's YMU subscription (which thanks to you guys is now magically going up to $14.99/mo) so I know it's borrowed.  Might as well call a spade a spade.

No rants, just reality....

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2530173&Tab=1&NoMapp=0

a canadian estore is selling imported Zunes. if i buy one from them can I use the marketplace when it comes to canada with that zune?

I'll start out by showing iPod's 'next-big-thing'

http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/portable-media/apple-patents-another-touch-sensitive-ipod-concept-210398.php

... yes an all screen, touch sensitive iPod.

Put it this way. If this is released before the Zune 1 gen (or even 2nd gen) hit Australia, I'll be buying it despite my hatred of iPod.

That is what I see for the immediate future (1-3 yrs) of Portable Media Devices (PMD) being in. What I'm thinking of is a PMD that is similar to a PDA in design (touch screen, size) but have 80G HDD, full screen touch screen, full screen video playback at a high resolution, WiFi connectivity, a buddy list system (for id-ing friends with wireless - even like the Xbox friend system), ebook abilities, basic internet access (even WAP/3G style), no camera's (I rarely use the one on my cell as it is).

Wireless sharing is supposed to be THE big feature, but your current scheme is too restrictive to be any fun.

Zune Pass members should get unlimited plays / unlimited days on wirelessly received songs, as long is their subscription is current. It's illogical and unfair to "DRM-expire/kill" any song on a Zune Pass member.

As for owners who don't have a Zune Pass, the  curent "3 times in 3 days" isn't enough. In addition, the fact that "recipients cannot re-send music that they have received via the sharing feature." is also wrong.

The current scheme is just, um, anti-social. :-)

In the short run, you should license Zune-DRM to Sandisk. Just as there is a Sansa-Rhapsody player, there could be a Sansa-Zune player. That way, you could immediately get a flash player on the market. On Amazon.com a Sandisk player is currently outselling the Zune.

ASAP, the music industry desperately needs a Universal DRM. Right now, there is an Apple-DRM, Zune-DRM, Playforsure-DRM, Rhapsody-DRM etc. It's no wonder that digital music piracy is rampant. It's legal buyers of digital music that end up getting "hosed". (e.g. former customers of  MSN Music)

i would love to see the consumer not need a computer at all for music/media players... and no wires at all, except i guess for recharging. built in support for wireless headphones, seamless-wireless-computerless ability to browse and purchase music... more effecient components to allow for long stretches of times beween charges...

I bought a Zune just to check it out, and I am surprised by how much I love it. I bought an iPod the first day it became available back in the fall of 2001 and have been through 6 of them. I don't think I'll buy another iPod after getting my Zune. Here is what I like about it:

1. Sound quality. Far superior to iPod. Audio quality on the iPod has never been great to me.

2. FM Radio. I love being able to listen to NPR all the time with a portable device. The FM connection on this thing is perfect.

3. The menu. So simple and easy to use. And I don't have to worry about accidentally pushing a button, or accidentally pumping up the volume. I love how the Zune pauses when I remove my headphones. The whole design was incredibly well thought out.

4. The size and clarity of the screen.

5. I love the Zune Pass. I have long wished that there was a subscription plan available on iTunes. I listen to lots of different kinds of music and am always looking for more music. Zune Pass makes that so easy. We all rent movies so what is the big deal about renting music. If I find a song I really want, I'll buy it. The Zune Marketplace downloading is really fast and syncing is super fast. Faster actually than my iPod.

6. I have read about people's difficult experiences setting up the software. My experience has been flawless. Installed right away on the first try, pulled in all my iTunes music and iTunes playlists. That was the big thing. No way I was going to re-do 50 playlists.

7. Can't wait to find someone else with a Zune and get social.

8. I love the flag option. I have been using it to send myself a message about a song so that I can do something with it, like put it in a playlist or buy it.

What could be improved?

1. Audible playback

That's about it for me.

Please DO NOT include a camera, an organizer, games or all this other PDA stuff. I have a BlackBerry - I don't need or want all these other functions. The simplicity of this thing is beautiful. Thanks for a great job. I wish people could be more grateful for the fantastic first effort that Microsoft has produced. And no, I do not work for Microsoft.

If you work on the zune, can I put in a request? I like to be able to customize the zune install screenshots. I think personalizing it makes it fun (and alot of people are moaning about the current ones) I made an example of what i mean at my url. I like your background for instance on your website - wouldn't it be cool if we could do that too the zune store, etc?

I like the idea of having the ZUne know what music is playing wherever I go. Like if I am at a restaurant and I like the song playing through Muzak I can look at my Zune for info on the artist, song, album, etc. then with a click, purchase the track. implement this idea to sports venues - how about that song Albert Pujols plays when he steps to the plate? I want to know the name and download it.

How about music playing on radios, or Zunes nearby. a car is playing a sonng I like ... I can find a list of songs playing nearby on my Zune.

How about commercials. If I watch a tv show on my 360, have my Zune tell me the songs on the shows soundtrack or during an ad.

infinite possibilites

I'm looking forward to the Live Anywhere stuff that seems to be the goal of all these projects.  

That's the short term goal.. where you guys go from there I'm not quite sure.  Being able to share video/play games/message/etc cross platform (360/PC/cell/etc) does a lot to bring everyone together.

Anyways, as an aside, I'd like to see something like the following:

The ability to zoom in more than 2X.

The reasoning being, is that comics are definitely moving towards a digital medium, and with products like these it's simple to store comics on the device and read them at your leisure.. share them with friends, etc.

Marvel Comics is interested in it and has stated they see it on the near horizon (3-5 years?) and something like this would help with that.

It doesn't have to stop there though.

E-Book distribution.. download sample chapters from bookstores with the option to get the audiobook.  

Things like that.

I think the best thing that iPod/iTunes did was to liberate a good song from a mediocre album. Thanks to iTunes (and now Zune), I don't have to shell full 10-15 bucks just to get a couple of good songs from an album. The music lables hated this but they seem to realize that this is what the music lovers really want.

I think the next big thing IMO would be to liberate mediocre songs from the hype. A hyped up song is hot for only a few months. Unlike the classics, most songs fall off of public memory in a few months or a couple of years. Then why do I have to buy those songs for their lifetime? I should be able to "lease" a song for the time I think it will be hot. I know I want to be cool to have shakira's next hot song on my zune but nobody would care about it a year down the line. Heck even I won't listen to it next year so why pay for its full lifetime? Lease it to me for half the price such that it expires a year from now and you've increased my purchasing power by 100%.

Today though the song just costs me a buck, I make really sure that I like it before I buy it. if it gets even cheaper, I'm likely to experiment even more and buy more songs. I think zune should lead the market with some game changing ideas. You don't want to be a "me too" player. All the best!

The power of Zune will be in the further development of both the MarketPlace and its existing devices.  

MarketPlace: currently its all about Music but it needs to be expanded to include studio/professional Movie Rental/Purchases, Photo Galleries, Audio Books, E-Books, Net Radio, MSN Direct Services and perhaps one day IPTV.  And beyond providing users with just studio/professional content I think Zune needs to allow for community published/shared content in each of those categories.  Perhaps leveraging & tightly integrating Microsoft Live Spaces and Soapbox would be a good solution.  The development of user preference ai/suggestions/user subscriptions will make aggregating content easier.  

Devices: I see the current Zune portable being tied much more closely with Media Center PC and a future Zune Aggregator. With its current wireless capabilities and optional docking station I don't see why the Zune couldn't be turned into a mixed mode Media Extender.  What I mean by mixed mode is that when you are within your wireless network range you can stream content while walkin around with your portable or when its docked.  Eventually I would like to see some of the following devices:

1. ZuneHD Video Portable

2. ZuneAV Dock with HD outputs, Amplifier

3. Zuner Aggregator/Server (device that pulls content from the MarketPlace without a PC).  Perhaps a XBox software upgrade can provide this capability.

4. Zuner Aggregator/Tuner/Server (same as above but also has built-in TV tuner).

Perhaps a XBox software upgrade and USB TV Tuner can provide this capability.

5. Zune NightStand Radio

6. Zune Phone that is also connect to Microsoft Live Services (Mail, Maps, Search)

7. Zune RFID Reader should be built into all Zune Devices!

8. Zune Picture Frame (device comes in a few sizes) and plays back Photo/MSN Direct playlist

9. Zune Book Reader (simple, non-PDA)

10. Zune enabled Watches/Braclets that change color depending on triggers specified by user.

11. Zune Home Automation Controller where Zune portable devices can act as remote controllers.

12. Zune Home Automation Switches/Dimmers/Receptacles

Just some of my thoughts

two things:

1) Make it easy for independent artists to promote their tracks at live events, or social gatherings.  This means fans should be able to buy right there on the spot directly in the Zune.

2) Zune MarketPlace needs to be Mac OSX compatible:

Many serious/pro artists run their operations on Mac OSX, how can they promote something they can't use?   Furthermore iTunes/iPod work well with Windows...so it's not unprecedented.

Here's another:

A fan should be able to tag an instant picture to a song they just purchased wirelessly.

so for example:

A) Say Usher or Redd Stylez or Ne-Yo (or insert your favorite artist) show up to a local Retail Outlet that is WiFi enabled.

b) Fan buys Track wirelessly

c) Fan uses Zune Camera to take picture with the artist

d) This picture can be linked to the purchased song. Like a digital autograph, and can be used as alternate artwork.  This would be righteous!

I’m going to skip the details and look at the big picture…Firstly, there are way too many devices that duplicate each other (my phone, Zune, Xbox 360, desktop and Tablet PC can all play mp3s and video and has storage capacities in the Gigabytes.) I have to copy music from one main source to each of these although streaming from the PC to Xbox 360 does take one of these loops out. What do I want to see 5 years from now? A complete move away from independent and redundant devices! I think that the GSM cell phone carriers have the best model where the brain of the device is kept on small SIM card. The device should be smart enough to see that I’m using an MP3/Car/Home-Theatre so don’t show my Word/Excel documents. The “Sim” card should then be able to be connected to my Xbox360 so it will show my gamertag and other xbox related stuff.  Finally, the “sim card” should be able to connect to my PC/laptop and load all of my settings just as I left them in the previous PC.

Of course, this will mean a few things:

1) A complete removal of computer “user accounts” for public computer use. User accounts will have to be stored on this “sim card / thumb drive / smart card’

2) A complete list of programs that can be found on all computers or a way to quickly get the programs installed on a guest computer without CDs or long downloads.

3) Redesigning all computers, cell phones, and PMPs with “sim” slots for this kind of roaming use. Better yet, let the sim card be wireless recognized so that I don’t even have to put it in! Once I’m near to a device and I authorize it, it should just work without any pushing in any card into a slot.

David561: Although I can see why you might want to transfer music at a social gathering I think realistically its going to be awhile before we have a critical mass of users to warrant it. I have never been to a concert where the majority of the fans have brought along their portable music players and some cases not even allowed by the club.  This could change if and when a Zune Phone is ever announced.  Until then I think Zune should leverage social networks like Live Spaces to allow independent artists publish/share their work with those with access to Zune MarketPlace.  You only need to promote your website.  The added benefit for independent artists is that you can communicate with your fan base via the social network.  Eventually I think artists will have several avenues for distributing their wares.  I agree that Zune Marketplace needs to be compatibility with Mac OSX.

I want all my music to play on my device no matter where I got it from or waht device I'm using.  

It won't be around, it will be dead in the next year or so. iPod wins. zuuune loses. by a lot! say: "BYE BYE ZUNE!'

..:Long tail for Zune:..

Why not do to the music scene what youtube did to videos. Zune should facilitate and encourage people to make their own music and  submit it on zune.net. For distribution for free! Tag this music so that it gets downloaded for free and gets transmitted for free, w/o restrictions. If you want to keep the DRM in place mark the song for purchase just as it does right now but charge the user 0 points for the song when she actually buys it.

As a budding musician this is the best way for me to release my music. Even for larger groups they could release a sampling track for free via zune. Thats another revenue op for zune.

When video sharing is enabled, the content providers will release previews/promotions that could be downloaded and shared for a charge of zero points. more $$$

That would be cool!!!

Thinking 5 years down the line...

I would like to see the cell phone networks being used to download songs - so we could access the marketplace anywhere.  It would be nice to download on the go.

Abandoning DRM - the 3x3 thing is good, but the reason i tend not to buy songs from iTunes or Zune Marketplace is that I can't control everything I do with music that I have purchased the right to listen to.

Smaller size and insanely long battery life

Roll out/unfold screens for watching movies/tv shows.

i like the ideas people are putting forth.  considering that in the last 5 years we have moved from CDs to digital downloads, from CD players to mp3 players and video players, the world of media is going to change a lot in the next 5 years.  I like the ideas MSFT is putting forward and how they're thinking ahead to the next step.

Let's face it folks... As much as Cesar wants to make his references to "iFanboy" which in my opinion is childish... The Zune is nothing more than Microsoft's attempt to copy not only the iPod but the iPod/iTunes format.

Just like Bill Gates took someone's work (DOS) in the old days, they are now taking the Toshiba Gigabeat, adding a bigger screen, wifi capability and calling it the "Zune". Then the marketplace is a blatant iTunes copy.

So why ask about innovation? Why not just ask for Apple or some other company to do it and then Microsoft can do what it does best, copy it!

I'm not a Microsoft hater, I used linux until Apple introduced OSX and I use Microsoft Word and Excel on a daily basis because I find it to be the BEST tools.

I tried to think these through before I posted. Hopefully, they offer some sort of insight into innovation.

:-)

1.  The ability to preview full albums the week before they are released. So, you open up Zune Marketplace on Tuesday and load up an album that is coming out the following week. You listen to it and on the following Tuesday (one week exactly), it expires. When you sync your Zune to your PC, it says, "Do you wanna buy this album?" I sure labels would pay to have their artist promoted this way (charge Universal Music Group a little extra...haha). A similar concept is used by MTV's The Leak, but you can't take the music with you on your device.

2.  Walk into a store or coffee shop that plays music that it sells (think Starbucks and Barnes and Noble). When you hear a song that you like that they're playing, you can purchase/download it directly to your Zune wirelessly. Later, when you sync Zune to your PC, it downloads the songs  to your PC library from Zune Marketplace. You can partner with the brick and morter stores for this and give them a cut of the sale's profits - because they did market the song for you, after all.

3.  Transfer movies, music and TV shows wirelessly from your XBox or Media Center Box directly to you Zune. That way you can finish watching movies on the go. In fact, when you transfer it, Zune remembers where you left off and picks up directly from that spot. I would imagine something like this is already in the works, though.

4.  Incorporate an RSS Feed Reader! I'm just throwing that out there because there's been plenty of times that I've been going to meet someone and they've been late. I think, "OK, if I had my laptop I could use the wifi service here." (But, I didn't have my laptop because I didn't expect the person to be late.) Maybe even have an option so that you can pre-load 50-100 megabytes worth of content on Zune before you leave home. That way, if you are without a wifi connection, then you can still entertain yourself by listening to music and reading your feeds.

5.  Free ad-supported playlists - your own personal radio station! So, a user wants to load up their Zune with songs and doesn't have a Zune Pass. What's the option? Let them load their Zune with songs for free, then after every ten songs, there will be a 30 second ad. There should be a 12 song minimum in each playlist. That amounts to 30 seconds of ads for 30 minutes of music play. It doesn't matter what order you play the songs in either - meaning you can skip around the playlist freely. After, several plays/days (I don't know how many), the songs in that playlist expires unless you sync the Zune and choose to update your playlist with a different ad. (That means the product-advertiser only pays for a certain number of plays/days. After that, their ad is removed and replaced with another product's ads.) I don't know about anyone else, but I'd totally opt for that! And then MS can make money off of the ads they sell.

That's all I have!

(P.S. The SMS Text Messenging suggestion listed above is a great idea! So is the Mac OS X-compatible software.)

You know what Microsoft and Apple have in common ? They both have big plans for the iPod .

Gosh the zune is the allbecomming new entertainment hub to be ? Yeah those apple people never think ahead. Nobody does. MS are the true innovators !.

Simply another poorly executed ripoff with no thought gone into it whatsoever build for one thing, Hurt other market players.

Piss off with this vision for the future crap, MS vision is what is bought or stolen from real inventors.

AND GET BACK TO CODING, MS servers is leak. Stop blogging and start working MS slave !.

retep.

I hope you are working on a flash Zune player. I'm looking for a compact player, that will continue to work, after I drop in on the floor a dozen times. :-)

I don't know if it's practical, but a waterproof flash Beach Zune would (to me) be extra cool.

I've got one more...

This is more of an off-shoot from the "Your Own Personal Radio Station" idea. You could allow the same concept for music videos. The user can subscribe to a particular genre or the Billboard Top Charts and get a video from the top 20 albums in the country. After every 5 or 6 music videos, a 30 second ad plays. Voila! Your own personal music video channel.

I think this would be great for indie artists who don't have enough recognition to get their videos aired on MTV.

This is also way fewer ads than MTV, who plays about 2 minutes worth of ads after every 3 music videos - when they do play music videos. I hardly know anyone who have actually purchased a music video from iTunes other than doing it once for novelty. (Of course, that doesn't mean that it isn't popular; I personally just don't know anyone who engages in paying $2.00 for a music video.) This seems to be more profitable because of unobtrusive ad sales.

ciao

First I would like to say, I tried a zune today and you have made a wonderful first attempt.  I LOVE the Menu system best out there even against the iPod.  As for Ideas for future releases.

Hardware

*Bigger Hard Drive

*USB Host Mode Enable for Digi Cam Users

*USB Hard Drive Enabled

*Bluetooth AD2P Support

Software

* Viral Media - Where certain sample media have unlimited sharing capabilities

* Viral Sharing - this would give a small kick back to a person who has shared a song in which the other person subsiquently buys the song.

* Rent To Own Music - This would work like subscription service but instead of just renting music you would also recieve a certain number of credits a month to make certain songs permanent or buy song that aren't subscribable.  This would create a loyalty to zune because now people have content that is invested in the player not just an empty subscription.  Exp: $15 For subscription plus you get 10 songs a month to make permanent.

* Unlimited Zune Pass to Zune Pass Sharing

* Ability to Watch Recorded Content from Media Center

MS should buy Archos. Manufacture the heck out of them to make them appealing to everyone. Those things beat the stuffing out of ipods and zunes any day. The 604 Wifi model (with an Opera browser) has touchscreen even. If you're going to do wifi, do it right!

ZUNEcast - where a location is streaming a custom radio station that you can listen to and purchase content right there.  For Exp at a concert, you would be able to buy the album as they are playing or even a copy of the live concert at the concert.

Reimburse people who have bought from other sources such as iTunes, Real, And Any Playforsure site with the equivilent music on the zune system for free. This will help get people away from the iPod ecosystem or other system that have some content invested.

I would love to see all the online music stores get together and make either one great store, or at least use the same DRM so compatibility is not an issue. I want all the different music players to work in all the different online stores for more choice with less problems. Why can't people be kool and get along to make life not only easier but a lot more nicer. Doing so and working together in some aspects would def make advancing in technologies a lot faster and easier too.

Peace!

OK, here's some vision, maybe. Video is a major problem here. I want to be able to take my Simpsons and movies with me on my zune, but it's way to big a hassle to transcode all that stuff. No way in heck do I want to repay for stuff I've already bought on DVD in the event that it begins to appear on Zune marketplace. So here's the deal you NEED to cut with the content providers. When someone buys a DVD (through you, even, or partners, whatever...) they get a passcode to download a DRMed, downsampled version from your web store. If you need to sweeten the deal, hell, let 'em stuff a bit of advertising back in, preroll or during the commercial breaks in TV stuff... Let's be real, when we're all buying HD content in a year or so, a 240 WMV is going to be no real threat, and if we've paid for the HD DVD content already, there's no reason we shouldn't get to take it with us on portable devices...

You could even work the reverse. People come to the zune store and order an entire DVD boxed set or movie for download -- give them the option of paying the "hardcopy" plus download price -- downloading the small stuff immediately and sending them the real discs in the mail. The crusty old buggers in the movie industry need to realize they might sell MORE discs this way...

Windows Media Player 11 Integration (and of course Vista).

Easy USB use as an external drive.

An SDK. Encourage the developer community to offer software.

Real Wifi.

Royalty free content shouldn't expire on transfer.

I'm down with supporting the true creative talent that makes the music we love and so I'd like to see more money per unit going upfront directly to the labels for A&R and PR.

Also I'd like to see an auto-delete function for non-purchased, non-DRMed music. Y'know, to keep the homies honest (it's hard out here for a pimp!).

Fo' shizzle!

I have seen some people comparing the full screen (rumored) iPod to Zune. I don’t think its right to do so. The full screen iPod is video iPod which is going to cost about $510. It’s a different category of product.

But I hope that Zune also has some video Zune lined up.

Rohit

Hi Cesar,

  I'm still waiting for mine to arrive, so I'll have put in my 2 cents on what I look for in a player:

1.  Battery life.  14 hours is the absolute minimum for a music player.  Typically, I like around 20 hours.  My Dell DJ20 does 20 and my DMC500 does 22 hours.  It's important to me, as I take a lot of long haul flights

2.  Disk capacity.  30Gb is again kind of small.  Would like to see larger capacity

3.  Removeable disks.  My DMC500 can take any 2.5" disk upto 120Gb.  Now I know that probably isn't a popular thing for a mfg to do.

4.  If a device can be firmware updated, then put out updates based on the features users are asking for.

5.  Trade up program.  Software has upgrade pricing, why not the players too?  Will keep the loyalty of users, since they know they'll pay less to keep current.

6  Accessories.  Make sure the accessories that are out today, work with models in the future.  Knowing that allows you to invest in accessories that will continue to work in the future

7.  iPod Connector.  Since a lot of cars are now coming out with connections for an iPod, have someone make an adapter that allows the Zune to act as an iPod for playing music.  

Ballmer: iPod will hear from us

By Jim Welte - MP3.com

March 29, 2006 at 11:03:00 AM | more stories by this author

Microsoft CEO tells Fortune that software giant will announce a device that combines mobile communications with a music player in the next year.

"We want to be in that game."

So said Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer today in an interview with Fortune magazine, speaking about the portable digital music devices and saying that Microsoft is indeed working on an iPod killer.

Ballmer said his Seattle-based software giant is working on a device that combines facets of cell phones and PDAs with content-playback capability. Speculation has surrounded the company's portable music plans in recent months, particularly in the weeks before it announced the "Project Origami" Ultra-Mobile PCs.

"In five years are people really going to carry two devices?" he told the magazine. "One device that is their communication device, one device that is music? There's going to be a lot of opportunities to get back in that game. We want to be in that game. Expect to see announcements from us in that area in the next 12 months."

Apple has long been rumored to be working on an iPhone of its own, but has only built its iTunes store into two phones from Motorola to date. The company is facing growing competition from the likes of Creative, SanDisk, and Samsung, which has both an iPod Nano rival and an 8GB music phone on the way. Apple is also dealing with a legislative challenge to its proprietary DRM in France.

Ballmer dropped another nugget in the interview, telling the magazine that his children are well aware about their father's feelings about Apple and Google.

When asked if he had an iPod, Ballmer said, "No, I do not. Nor do my children. My children--in many dimensions they're as poorly behaved as many other children, but at least on this dimension I've got my kids brainwashed: You don't use Google, and you don't use an iPod."

Ballmer's iPod slur memory lapse

"I don't know what I said exactly, but it was baaaaad!"

By Will Sturgeon

Published: Tuesday 5 October 2004

Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's outspoken CEO, has responded to fierce criticism of his recent comments about users of the Apple iPod which he made to an exclusive group of UK journalists in London.

Speaking on Sunday evening, the Microsoft boss said the most common format of music on an iPod "stolen". Cue a barrage of reader comments from iPod users clearing their names and insisting much or all of their music comes from legitimate means - such as ripping it from CDs they already own, or buying it online via the massively popular iTunes service. Many saw it as the latest cheap shot across the bows of Microsoft's long term rival Apple.

The story got picked up on a number of Mac sites and geek news portal Slashdot.org and within hours had gone truly stellar. Within 24 hours, Ballmer's words were coming back to haunt him.

On the Dutch leg of his European tour he was asked to explain those views, as expressed in the silicon.com story. It was a question he had perhaps been expecting and was obviously aware of the backlash his words had evoked. However, his exact remarks had clearly, conveniently slipped his mind.

"I don't know what I said exactly, but it was bad," said Ballmer, drawing out the last word - "baaaaaad" - for added emphasis, according to Lars Pasveer, a journalist from ZDNet Netherlands.

Just how "bad" it was can be seen from the nature of the reader comments - a record number - posted in reaction to the story.

One reader wrote: "Such a shame Ballmer has to resort to such stabs at Apple. 'Stolen music' indeed. Yes, all those iPod owners with their fair use encodes of the actual CDs that they own, and their purchases of music from iTunes. Where exactly are his figures showing that most of the music on iPods is stolen anyway?"

"While I'm sure there are music thieves using every brand of portable music player, as an iPod owner and one who only has legally purchased the music on it, I take offence at Ballmer's comments and find them childish," wrote another, adding that it was "a poorly thought-out dig at the iPod's success".

Others took a more sardonic view. "Nice bit of promotion that, if you want people to buy your hardware instead of an iPod, insult the customer and brand him a thief," wrote another reader.

BOO ZUNE!

I would love to see a faster response to errors and problems in future programming. Fulfillment of serious "support" claims could be a little better than what I am seeing with the Zune. So far nothing since the release of the Zune has given me any indication that Microsoft even gives a damn. It took month(s) to react to the 360's horrible hardware issues (now stable) and simple software issues should be very easy to maintain because widespread updates are available to anyone connected to the internet. This isn't a failure of the Zune itself but the supporting faction. I cannot offer much in terms of support on ZuneMAX if I can't count on the software being durable enough. It isn't the time to party yet, work on this. If anything, Microsoft's Zune team should have expected something to go wrong at launch, it is a given.

If this launch is any indication of what will be seen in Windows Vista, then I am inclined to never upgrade. So far the display of overall readiness is appalling.

Five years from now without being product-feature specific? I see information technology as the key to the future. Information at your fingertips whether in the car, store, or a kiosk in a park. Instant information retrieval. And not trivial information, but what a neighborhood community's planned activities are when you pass by it, or a class's syllabus, notes, or exam schedule is when you pass by its college building. Instant. How this process is played out in features in the Zune or any other device that simplifies the process, waits to be seen. Wi-Fi is a start.

Five years from now? 2011? Sheeet... let's think back to 2001 and see how it was different from now. Back then... the iPod was introduced and it marked the movement from CD/album to personalized, massive libraries. So in five years? sheeeeet... I'm guessing a video iPod will be introduced in 2007 and in 2011-2012 Microsoft will decide to release one with 'street-cred' after it's apparent there's a sizeable market for such device.

I want an MP3 player that I don't have to *use*. No one ever says "I love to use my radio". They say "I love listening to music".

Right now, all I associate my iPod with is maintenance. I gotta make sure it's charged. I gotta make sure it's synced, and I gotta do a fair amount of spinning and clicking just to get some music playing. On the PC I gotta answer little dialog boxes for store updates and downloads, which appear at the worst time. I gotta check the screen to make sure it's okay to unplug it, or I may hurt the little thing. Keeping a working iPod in my life is more trouble than owning a pet.

So, when are these things actually going to become easy to use? When is using an Mp3 player going to be just as easy as using a radio?  

At the end of the day, it's not about the iPod, or the Zune. It's about the music, and any time I spend "using the player" is just taking away from "listening to music". Less is more.

In 5 years, that's where we should be. Listening to music, not fussing with dialog boxes and cables.

(And a full mia clupa here: I've worked on <a href="http://www.hanfordlemoore.com/port/">a few MP3 players</a>, but it's not easy making a  sea-change.)

I live in the san francsico bay area where the oakland A's baseball team is planning on moving south. They're planning on buying land from Cisco systems and the company also bought the naming rights. Cisco and the A's are promoting the baseball field as being the most technologicaly advanced sports field ever. I see this as the begining of a future trend not only in sports venues but in any future concert/performing arts venue. I think the future intergration of microsoft and the zune would be a nice fit. Imagine being able to recieve stats regarding upcoming hitters at a baseball game or recieve song info for a current song being played at a concert and maybe even recieve a song from a band performing. What if you went to a club and recieved a tracklist of every song that was played while you were there so you could go home and download a song you heard for the first time and liked.

Revolutionize handheld music devices by creating a .NET-esque SDK and allowing people to directly download applications via something like XBOX Live.

I can barely even imagine the explosion of coolness would result...

Sorry If I am being redundant, didn't skim through all the comments, here's what I see:

A ZuneCast: Zune should be able to find out the kinda music I love listening to (by Genre, Artist etc.) based on the number of times a particular song/artist is played. This information is updated on MyMarketPlace page. So then I get list of recommendations based on my listening habit (much like last.fm) either directly on my Zune or through MarketPlace. B) I walk into a store with my Zune set to recieve ZuneCasts and voila I get list of all Zunecasts playing in that store matching my taste and I can play them and purchase the songs that I liked. All the busy places should have Zunecasts be it subways, circtuit cities, airport lounges etc.

b) MarketPlace acts a proxy so if I want to share a song with a friend of mine who isn't within the WIFI range, I can still send him/her a song and then next time they sync their Zune they get the list of songs recommended by their "trusted" list.

c) A tighter/better integration with car audio systems, we spend at least around 2 hrs driving so a seamless integration where I my car stereo starts playing the songs from Zune automatically w.o. me having to wire things up or resort to FM transmitters would be great.

d) On the hardware front, maybe Zune could double up as a portable XBox.

So I'm actually more excited to eat pumpkin pie than turkey. But that's me. Anyways, no posts for a few

so, i'm thinkin before you end up like apple (which i know you guys won't), please use firmware updates for new features rather than just making a new model, and i'm wondering when the wifi thing is getting an update. i also think that if you have a zune subscription pass that if you share music that has been downloaded from the marketplace to so someone who also has a zune pass can keep until they stop the subscription. and i think the whole youtube/soapbox sharing thing is a cool idea, along with the talk about xbox live anywhere/arcade games thing should happen soon, so some games that can be downloaded from xbox marketplace and/or zune marketplace will work on zune and 360 with one purchase. i'd like to play some zuma or hexic on my zune. also i'd like to see a converter built in with the zune software so that it would be easier to put a dvd on my zune. you know that im not trying to sound like im demanding these things and that i am just shoutin' out ideas.

Also, I'd like to see some form of online playlist..

So, when you're anchored by USB (or Wifi if your battery is up for it) it'll automatically update a list of what you're currently playing.

It's a great viral tool for use on message boards/webpages.. and if down the road you're able to synch/share across the internet, someone can click your sig image to show interest.  At which point, you can beam them a sample 3x3 song.  

It'd be kind of like Xbox Live, in that through Live Anywhere people can see that you're listening to music and what you're listening to and send a message like the above.

You'd have to have opt out ability, as well as flood protection, but I could see it as a good tool for spreading word of mouth about the Zune.

Hey Cesar! big comment i'm hearing from store employees is size of hard drive and device. Some people want it smaller in physical size. others want it larger in digital size. So all in all people are loving it!!

Cesar...Your blog works!  I'm going to buy a Zune right now!  I get to play with it all weekend.  Yay!  Happy Thanksgiving.

On-The-Fly podcast downloading.

Built in podcast feature in software

5 years from now, I have a Zune that I primarily just leave plugged into my car cause that's where I listen to my music most often.

When I pull into the garage each night, the Zune detects my home network and sees my Zune library on the PC, and automatically updates playcounts, ratings, etc. from the device to update the pc library with my device usage.  It also grabs new songs, pictures, videos, etc that have been added to the computer since the last time they were near each other.  If I watched any videos on the Zune device, those would be removed from the Zune and the next video would download automatically.  Preferences would control precisely what I want to have happen.

Should I happen to take the Zune into the house, I unplug the headphones and the Zune device is a remote to the Zune software running on the computer, allowing me to browse, build playlists, adjust volume, playback, etc. It is also compatible with any Zune interoperability compliant software (easy to make with .NET) so I also have control to my Media Center DVR, home lighting and heating, security system, sprinklers, etc.

On the road, the zune plus a camera/camcorder or just a mic are a powerful journaling/blogging tool.  I can compose and create very rich podcasts on the device, and upload them completely or just portions to my blog, flickr, spaces, youtube, marketplace, etc.  This happens when I'm back home or on a wireless hotspot.

The device is fundamentally aware of what its doing when and where, so I can repeat the music that I was playing last weekend or on the trip I took to the Olympic Peninsula that was so good.  I can rate music to the time and place specifically, so the next time I'm in similar surroundings, I can pull up what I enjoyed last time -- even if I merely skipped a bunch instead of explicitly rated.  I can of course also benefit from what other zuners enjoyed in similar surroundings.  When I travel I can listen to music that's popular where I am.

Oh, and I can rip books -- prove ownership in some way and get electronic copies on my pc and on the device.  I have a choice of text or audio for them.

And I've always got a complete inventory (list, not complete copy) of all of my CD's, DVD's and books wherever I go with the Zune so I always remember which Stephen King books I've read or what my missing Led Zepplin CD is.  And I can subscribe to the same for friends, and they can subscribe to mine.  When I walk into a library, bookstore or music shop I can beam this to the staff and get recommendations tailored to me, ordered by discount off retail.  If I'm at a store like Barnes and Noble that lets me preview CD's on their headphones, I can do the same on the Zune and maybe get a 3 day/3 play trial of a few tracks or chapters of a book.

In fact, I can have any browsable/searchable database of anything that matters to me (baseball cards, recipes, product catalog of my company's products, etc.) on the device.  MS Access or Excel just make this easy as pie.

When I read an insert on the zune in rolling stone this morning, I was really concerned about your marketing techniques. I'm glad you guys aren't just trying to be the next ipod, because then you'd be doing it wrong.

In the short term:

-advertise less obviously. People (especially teenagers) hate being told what to buy. They like thinking they discovered the latest underground thing (look at what Toyota is doing with the Scion)

-make a more durable product with more storage capacity (ipod and other mp3 player's problems)

In the long term:

-Microsoft is doing something amazing that has so much potential with wireless sharing, but they're failing to reach that potential. They can create the next social network, but they shouldn't do that by sticking a phone onto an mp3 player. You can and should create an entirely new device that opens up new possibilities for wireless communication.

-Music is already free for millions who download, rather than gripe about that, exploit it. Sean Combs made a deal with the Coca Cola company in his latest music video that was intentionally uploaded to a peer to peer networking site. Coke got some fantastic advertising, Sean got paid, and fans got a free music video. I would love to see advertising offset some of the costs to consumers.

Oh, and 5 years from now, I can invite another person to take control of my zune from theirs so that they can browse my music, perhaps control what I listen to for a while, and grab songs that I have that may interest them.  I could do the same to their device as well, and either of us can terminate the session at any time.

There's a paragraph in this article that's right on. "Connected entertainment" is more than a marketing term. It's an anthropological notion, as well. We used to sit in front of the fire entertaining each other. We used to sit in symphonies and clubs. More and more, we're wandering in little isolated bubbles of entertainment (glaze-eyed iPod,etc. wearers). As art and culture move forward, the next big thing on the landscape will involve re-connecting in a digitally-mediated fashion. See "The Dark Side of iPods and their ilk" at http://cat5.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!3FB8080F187BD18!678.entry for more on this phenomenon. I suggest that in five years, Microsoft may actually be seen as the market leader in this venue.

Hi,

I would like to address the original question of the zuneinsider...."what is the next big thing."  I have to share with you guys my excitement for the future of the zune concept.  The iPod is dead if it keeps to its "walled garden - we're cool, you're not" concept.

What's the next big thing?  Answer: Omnipresent personal shareable entertainment.

A few conditions need to exist:

1) free wifi almost everywhere (i.e. google's attempt to provide citywide ad-based wifi)

2)zune ownership reaches critical mass (1 in 5 people carry a zune)

If these 2 conditions are true then imagine a device that allows you to share you extend your enjoyment and knowledge of the real world....and share it with others.

Scenario 1: live event (concert, rally, dinner party, etc.)  you can instantly get whatever the host of the event wants to selll/share via wifi. the host of a dinner party can beam her recipe to a guess's zune if that guess wants it.  a band can sell the concert recordings directly to the fans as they watch...on a song by song basis.

Scenario 2: recording and sharing concent.  skateboarder kids can record some amazing tricks (zune needs a camera) and share it with the other kids who were not there. zune owners should have their own profile page that will be a combo myspace/youtube/lastfm.  they can upload their videos/music/playlists and other people can download and share them.  they can interact with the zune marketplace (it should be renamed to zune homebase) via wifi.  

Scenario 3: no DRM for Zune subscribers and content providers can set their own payment scheme.   zunies should be able to share songs if both zune owners are subscribers. the record companies should get a cut of the monthly fees to allow this.  if you are a garage band, you should be able to set what your payment will be...it could be free to share forever, or 10 plays, or 3 plays before the listener has to buy the content.  this will open up the zune marketplace ala ebay.

Scenario 4:  Media outlets create zune concent that's distributed wifi (cnn can partner w/ starbucks).  video snippets can be beamed into your zune if you want it.  stores can beam customized sales items to your zune when you walk in the door. bookstores can beam recommendation lists to you when you walk in the store based on your zune profile.

Scenario 5: Zune kiosks become as common as ATMs.  Instead of having to dock w/ your PC, you just have to walk into an establishment that has a zune hub. It'll update your content, allow you to access your profile and online library/storage space.  No need for a PC...just browse the zune ecosystem via wifi at any establishment w/ a zune hub.

Scenario 6: social interaction.   instant chat/ video chat feature would allow kids to get beyond sharing content to really connecting...whether you're in the room or across the globe..any friend in your circle who's online can ichat w/ you....i.e. you're in a starbucks in shanghai and she's at home in s.f.

that's all for now.  i have to go walk the dog.

-pee

I think we don't know, where the industry's going and every "big thing" is based on luck.

Look at iPod. In the beginning, when Steve Jobs introduced it, nobody had known that it will change whole music market. The same with podcasts. The same with YouTube (this site is only 1 year old and it changed a lot too). The same with MySpace. The same with every "big thing". You never know, if what you are doing is something AMAZING and succesful in future (YouTube) or if its something completely STUPID and unsuccesful (ahem...playsforsure ... sorry for that).

I haven't tried Zune yet and I probably won't (because I'm a mac "switcher"), but I don't say "anything but microsoft" - I think MS Office are the best office aplications aviable on mac, Msn Messenger (now maybe Live messenger) is great program too and I DO like XBOX (however, I saw Wii in live action yesterday and - WOW!!). If I will forget Windows part, Microsoft is making quite a good products for quite a good price.

To me personally, I see what the music industry wants and what the consumers want to be fundamentally different.  Music industry wants total control over what the consumer listens to, and wants more profits if more consumers listen to more of their music.  I think they'd love to have a bit a change EVERY time a song is played, and will continue to push for such technological possibilities.

Consumers want to find good music and support the artists that make them without being nickled and dimed to death.  Most consumers also want to "own" their music in the sense of owning CD's, LP's, and cassettes.  They don't want to be tied to DRM licenses that can be rejected whenever the CEO of the license holder wakes up one day and decides he's not rich enough yet. (or his investors are screaming for more profits next quarter)

So the future?

Either most consumers will bend over and accept stringent licensing plans and the fees that come with it, or grand schemes like Micrsoft's Marketplace will eventually faulter or conform to consumer demand.  There will be a give and take for several years until the industry "feels out" how much the consumer will accept and pay for.

What I'd like to see:

- legal purchase rights given to the purchasers of online music, so that online music can be handled in the same fashion as printed and pressed material and our rights to use the material will never expire

- the end of DRM licenses being controlled by groups of for-profit entitees

- ability of the music devices to browse, sample, and purchase content without a computer

- ability to back up and restore all purchased music to a computer or other media at any time on any computer

Basically, as long as DRM is proprietary, then there is always the possibility that hardware or software to decode and play the DRM-protected material will vanish or be purposely disabled.  This needs to be avoided at all costs and is the single reason I will never purchase DRM material in its present form.

The music industry (and movie) needs to start trusting consumers.  There will always be some piracy, but there will be more honest consumers if given a chance.  Make it easy and convenient to purchase content with no hidden strings or restrictions and most people will gladly pay for music.  The draconian ways of the present industry only dissuades honest consumers from "feeding the machine" and promotes dissendance between themselves and the consumers.  Happy consumers are generous and willing to support positive industries.  Wary and distrustful consumers look for alternatives and promote pricacy.

In summary, I want the music to be easy to find, easy to purchase, and easy to play anytime I want whether it's now or 15 years into the future.  I'd also like to see an option to purchase and backup lossless material.  

Until then I will continue to purchase and rip my own CDs.

I hate it when you guys try to predict the future and talk about nice marketing buzzwords such as "connected entertainment".

Look as of now the zune is an portable media device with WiFi. Thats it ....

Sure you could do a lot of cool things with WiFi ... and there is plenty of things to do for a couple of years at least. Another thing you can do is create a seamless experience which is missing right now ...

But honestly stop dropping fantabulous buzz words ... Lets face facts for zune to make a dent the ipod has to loose marketshare ...  

how the zune could go from competing with to killing the ipod

microsoft has the right hardware, now they just need to use their imagination little more.

1)60-80gb hd (doesn't really count since its coming soon)

2)none of those dumb song sharing restrictions

3)video sharing

4)wifi used to connect to internet (streaming radio would be great)

5)cellphone-style internet browser through wifi

6)if microsoft could set up a system through which zune users could buy songs etc. through their zunes wifi like cellphones do they could make a killing.

7)wireless sync (how did microsoft not think of this one?)

8)a camera addon thing that clips on to the sync connector at the bottom

9)if a microphone were integrated, and the right software was there, people could wifi-call each other on their zunes

10)this would be really cool, if when a zune goes online you could watch tv on it through a slingbox or something, or if microsoft wanted to make even more money they could wirelessly stream 320x240 subscriber channels and the zune could be a kind of dvr.

My biggest complaint is playlist.  I am constantly changing my playlist around, adding or taking songs out of them.  There needs to be a better way to do that, then opening the playlist, putting the song in, saving the playlist, then syncing the Zune.  Let me edit the playlist easliy.  Also, a total song count would be great (i.e. song 15 of 149).

The next big thing will be when users go to the market place or any place around the net, they should be able to buy their song in any format they wish. Be it Vorbis Flac Mp3 Wma give them the choice, mp3 is old now and very lossy. The industry needs to focus on quality of sound like blueray and HD-DVD are for films crisper images, it will be crisper sound.

A future Zune should allow me to wake up in the morning to my favorite tunes via my Zune alarm clock. It will hold my daily schedule and personal reminders which I can record in audio/video each evening before and play back at select intervals throughout the day to keep me focused.

It will interface seamlessly with my home entertainment system and contain my entire media collection. Plugging my Zune into my home system powers up my central entertainment system and content is available in each room individually or the entire home synchronized so I can walk around the house and never miss a thing.

When I drive somewhere its the same deal. It interfaces with my car audio/video system and each rider can grab a headset and watch their own movie, music whatever.

Zune is my personal media center and allows me to capture audio/video post it to my blog with my WiFi connection. I can keep a daily video diary using my Zune media center online from anywhere at anytime.

Zune is not only wireless but hands free and responds to voice commands so I can tell Zune to find a song for me on the Zune MarketPlace and it downloads it for me instantly via my Zune Pass subscription from anywhere at anytime.

Zune is an open wireless network and I can share music with any wireless device using the same 3 day 3 day limitations. In the future we will all be affiliates of the Zune MarketPlace and we'll receive credits for referred content sales to other users.

Artists and Musicians will be able to produce and promote their own works over the Zune MarketPlace and anyone can be a producer of music, movies and video games. I can carry around my digital portfolio and share it with anyone I chose to.

All of this is sure to happen in the next 3 years.

Vision:

Sort out DRM.  Collaborate with your partners (and competitors) to start a digital ownership registry.  Allow DRM interop.  Tag devices to an owner so that they can check that the file belongs to you.  think about watermarking files so that they can be tracked rather than arcane license checks.

Echoing the points above.  use the Zune to cut out the record labels.  Plenty of artists would jump at the chance of using viral marketing to spread their work.  This could revolutionalize the market.

Why do you guys want to know where Zune can go. How making sure it can stand on itas own two feet. untill you guys ctach up in general you should not be asking these kind of questions.

James Kim from cnet has a few good suggestions.

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6450_7-6668855-1.html?tag=cnetfd.ld2

I have a few of my own. Then from there you can start asking questions like this.

Thats like asking a person with one arm and one leg "what kind os track event would you like to participate in? First give them the arms and legs then ask what events they want to participate in.

So I'll give you you my list of arms and legs you guys NEED to implement.

1) Hard Drive Use.

2) Implement the 3x3 play to music bought on    the Zune Market place ONLY.

3) Zune Hardwarwe Support for xvid, divx,

MPEG-4, MPEG-2, H.264, windows media center. You dont have to advertise it just support it.

4) Zune Hardware Support for acc, acc lossless, wma loss, and mp3 variable bit rate, wma vbr, and acc vbr.

5)Access to to the Zune Marketplace thru zune thru wifi.

6) Have all windows pc access and control the Zune wirelessly on the same network

7) Larger Hardrive Options

8) Various Zune players, (hint build on what apple and others have done)

9) Throw us a bone now and then. Say we all want, for example, want hard drive option (which we do), tell us that you are working on it and that it will come out. I dont care if you fluff it up a little. just throw us a bone. Calm us savages down.

10) Theres more but you should have a long enough list to start from there. once you guys do these things then you can start thinking about what you can do with these things. Stop thinking about futur use and for the next year concentarte about what people use already.

It'll be really cool to have MSN Direct integration.

I love this comment:

"Realistically, Apple has a huge headstart and we’re thinking in terms of years, not months to make substantial headway."

A Microsoft exec was quoted in an AP article as saying "It's not about the first generation (of Zunes)."

You guys don't get it. You are INCREDIBLY late to this market and you come out with a repackaged Toshiba Gigabeat. You should have been willing to put out an A-MAZING player even if you lost boatloads of money, but Zune is a badly compromised machine. Why should anyone care about Zune 2.0 if the first generation is so bad?

Am I being too harsh? Let's review:

Zune isn't compatible with Playsforsure songs, so loyal consumers have to buy their songs AGAIN to play on Zune. Your DRM scheme favors the record industry, the WiFi feature is also crippled--users can't use it to sync Zune and PC and the 3 song/3 day limit is laughable. Zune weighs a freaking POUND. The battery life is poor. You have 2/3 of the song catalog that iTunes does, and rumors are building that the Beatles will have an exclusive deal with iTunes soon.

Oh, and then there's the groovy MS points system. Apparently you thought it would help you work around exchange rates and different currencies. But again, you thought about yourselves first and your customers second. So we have to buy points in $5 blocks and calculate the MS points-to-local currency exchange rate ourselves. Thanks.

Zune isn't a Web browser that you can try for a coupla days with no real obligation: there are significant and lasting costs involved with purchasing a Zune and buying Zune-only songs. I wouldn't jump on the Zune bandwagon--make that donkey cart--if you gave me a free player. And that won't change with Zune 2.0 whenever that comes out.

When did MS start becoming such a mediocre company anyway?

Hey!

i had a video iPod for about a year, and some dude stole it. now i got a Zune and it is way better than the iPod. i used to think that the iPod was the best mp3 player, but the Zune prooved me wrong. i am very happy with it and i think u guys should make some more additions.

like adding a camera to the zune. i dont like to walk around with a camera in my poket, but i would love to take pictures of random stuff. so it would be awesome to have a cam on the zune.

also if we could get on myspace with the zune... that would be awesome. and we could take pics and put them on myspace with the same device. i would buy one for every member of my family.

finally you should add AIM to the zune. it wouldnt be hard, we would be able to see letters and we could choose the letters by using the wheel and clicking the center button. and see our buddy list and stuff.

but u should definitley add the camera.

JoAo

ok i dont have an ipod or a zune but i did  use the itunes software alot. mainly because it kept my file organized in folders for me. i really like the zune software mainly because it lets me stream files to my 360 but it would be great if it could keep my music organized like itunes. oh and it would be nice if it worked with the what im listening to software for live messenger. thanx

The only thing i wish i had on my current zune is an alarm clock that would allow me to wake up to music or radio. I'm not yet a big fan of consolidating devices, i feel like all in ones (phones that are mp3 players, pdas that take pictures) Usualy sacrifice quality to acheive their goals.  I'd say functionality should be added to increase Zune's capability as an Mp3 player, not a do it all device, so i like some of the ideas about being able to access music off the Zune store, through a wireless network and the like.  But my big thing, is just an alarm clock! i'd much rather wake up to a good band then buzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I have a Dell laptop that's about 4 years old & an iMac desktop. I'm looking to replace my cantankerous old Dell with either an HP or a MacBook Pro this winter.

But, even if I don't end up getting a MacBook; it'd still be nice to take my Zune to nearly any computer platform I wanted and play my tunes. For example, I use a Mac at work, so syncing my Zune there would be a no go.

That said, I'm rooting for Mac support. (Even if it's only Intel-based Macs). The more difficult thing is, though, that Zune may have to integrate the software into iLife the way Google did with Picasa (by installing a tiny plug-in).

Yeah.... I know the tiny Mac market-share would be a problem, too. Just my thoughts!

Yup....You guys need to hold a huge Licencing Summit supporting Open Connectivity and Storage, where a persons' licence is imbedded in the actual audio/video data file itself.  Currently...I buy a track from Wal-Mart.com...now then to copy it to my laptop and my Zune...and have a bullet proof backup copy on my externalt drive...I have to download the songs...burn them to an audio cd...delete the original song...rip the audio cd I just made...label the tracks....THEN I can FINALLY copy those tracks to my portable back up HDD, laptop and Zune....WHAT A ROYAL PAIN!!!

Please get rid of the pauses between tracks. It is a real killer when I am listening to an album that I know has songs that flow into each other.

Please remove the gaps between songs on the zune.

I'd buy a Zune but don't know about it's DRM which I'd prefer not to have to deal with. It's why I won't buy an iPod. If I could do anything I want with it I'd buy it. their marketing should address this.