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You seem to be under the impression that there are only two people working on the Zune, running around a room doing everything from software, firmware, hardware, testing, install, engraving, website design, contract negotiation, marketing, PR, music selection, packaging, etc. It may come as a suprise to you that there are actually multiple people working on the product and whether the marketing guy spends all day folding paper cranes or works on free custom engraving it has *zero* effect on the developers that *are* working on improving the software & features.

You must *hate* the entire consumer electronics industry with a passion. You get screwed the second you buy a new desktop or laptop because usually monthes later the same hardware is cheaper or for the same price you get better hardware. You get screwed buying any new TV because just 9 monthes later the next version comes out that has better blacks, more inputs and a better remote. You get screwed as soon as you drive a car off the lot because, you guessed it, a year later a new model will come out that has more standard features and better gas milage. Seriously, why even buy anything, because a year later there will *always* be something better or cheaper.

There is a line between “screwing the consumer” and “evolution of a product” and in the Zune’s case this is the basic evolution of a consumer good. Compared to most CE devices Zune users are pretty damn lucky, Microsoft could have gone the Apple route and *not* even backported the firmware.

I have a Zen Vision: M and considering Creative Labs’ track record for never delivering promised firmware and iffy support (I got the thing a year ago and they’ve discontinued it already… just like with my last Creative player) I’m not sure what they can be praised about in that department either.

In any case, thanks for this article. Very interesting.