Thanks, Cesar. Nice to get a glimpse inside the Zune tech team. I'm sure there are some interesting stories behind that "code retreat"!

Hey man, you guys better come out with the Zune 160gb real soon as apple seems to be about to try and 1up mS and create a store for downloads. + I really need a 160gb Zune (with extended battery life) to carry all my music and videos.

Cool. I like to see the behind the scene type stuff.

On another note what the hell's up with the Marketplace? all the Freebies are... not free? yeah that doesn't sound right. I emailed tech but no response as of yet.

Interesting read.... especially for someone interested in getting into software development sometime in the future.

Hey great read. keep it coming.

Thanks Cesar - it was good to hear about the Zune team developing the features we have. Of course, the hardware is slick and I want more from my Zune because it obviously can do more. I'd say forget the Zune 160gb (sorry nywytboy68) and work on better on-the-go playlisting, intelligent playlists (decades, favourites, listened to recently, not listened to recently), access to the bitrate and year info on the Zune hardware and finally gapless playback.

Oh sorry, this isn't a feature wish list posting.

Thanks for bringing this to us. It is great to hear about the history of this project.

@nywytboy68

Yea 160 gb would be useful so would a 1 tb player so we could completely never have a reason to step foot near our computer again.  There is no reason for a 160 gb player Apple was stupid for coming out with it in the first place, in case you haven't seen the sales numbers, the 160 gb iPod is selling like a turd.

More colors would be nice, I would love to see a Zune 80 green

nywytboy68

mod a Zune 30 for the 160GB capacity ;).

Sa-weet Cesar - thanks man!

comment removed (insulting other readers, not ok)

So i was right when all the Employies got special zunes. =)

Yo Cesar; I know technically, you're job description as defined on Zune.net is Community Manager or something like that, but did you get to have any part of that (that being the development frenzy?  Also, my bro works out there in Redmond; said he knows you, and more importantly, told me about your blog.  Great stuff!

Heres an idea mabe a clock, web browser, e-mail checker, internet radio, download podcast straight to zune, use the wifi for something that i can use every day. I'm sorry if i come off angry but i am I have a zune 30 and a zune 80 and if i put them side by side then they do the same thing except no mp4 for zune 30 but they do the same thing and the zune team have not really added any NEW, MIND BOTTLING, COOL, features in like forever the one thing you did was wireless sync witch is great and all but let me see some suff that can sell the zune form that one feature. like oh the zune can be used as a web browser cool i want one, or the zune can play music from (Microosft Buys Yahoo) Yahoo music cool i want one, or think of someone buying the zune to use as a usb wifi adapter for there pc or xbox 360? just give me features that make me want to say to joseph watch this (gets on internet on zune) let me see you do that with your ipod. oh yeah youtube woulb be awsome. you could make the zune have the 3gp codec and with the web browser you go to m.youtube.com. please zune team and microsoft this is coming from a xbox 360, Windows XP/Vista, Zune 30/80, windows mobile 6 owning customer please make the zune the envy of all my friends!!!

P.S. partener with HULU and make all of there vidoes avalible to stream to zune and it would be like having a tv in your pocket. need some more ideas message me (game masta j) i could go on for hours

When can i get zune on windows live messager and when will you add windows live im cantrol two zune web site.And how do get a zune gadjet on popfly.

I agree with the Hulu partnering, that website is amazing.

James alot of those things u are suggesting, such as the web browser, aren't very functional considering the device has no keyboard or touch screen. The wifi adapter is extremely limited

(other than the 360 what device do u know that doesn't have a built-in wireless card)

and streaming video from hulu would be great, but why not watch it on your computer if you are near your wireless network. Not to mention I doubt either the Zune 30 or Zune 80 could handle streaming video over wireless.