Cnet have a post about the Zune team being split in to two groups, one that looks after hardware that will report to the same group as Windows Mobile and the software group will report to Enrique Rodriguez the VP that runs the Media Center business. I wonder if that will mean some separation of the Zune software and hardware platform? The Zune desktop software is a very nice application and can be used without a Zune player (its very good for podcast subscriptions), maybe we will see Zune branded software appearing on other devices like Windows Mobile phones and maybe better integration with Windows Media Center.
Windows and Windows Media Center is crying out for a comprehensive music store solution, you should be able to browse and purchase content from the Zune marketplace directly from Media Center and have the content playable on the Xbox 360, Zune, Windows and Windows Mobile. The same goes for TV content, why limit the video marketplace to the Xbox 360, why not have it branded as the Zune marketplace on the Xbox, Windows Media Center etc. I would love to rent movies from the Media Center UI.
I hope that the Zune team and the Media Center team being in the same business unit will mean better integration across the platforms, there is so much unfulfilled potential and having a complete solution is the only way Microsoft can challenge Apple
You weren’t there at the summit last year. I asked for those same things a year ago. The response from the Zune team was. “You’re not our target audience.” I hope that’s changed.
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This sounds really interesting, fingers crossed it will come to be.
Hey Ian,
You weren’t there at the summit last year. I asked for those same things a year ago. The response from the Zune team was. “You’re not our target audience.” I hope that’s changed.
–P