The Zune: unveiled

Microsoft finally unveiled the official details of its Zune digital media player. The key feature that the wireless entertainment field should focus on is the WiFi-enabled user sharing function. Zune users can wirelessly sync up, while connected to a hotspot, to share songs from device to device with other Zune users, who can then listen to a downloaded song for up to three spins, or for three days, whichever comes first. Shared songs can be flagged for later download when synced with a PC, as well.

Wireless carriers with music services could seriously undercut this if they'd only enable the sharing of content, and especially if they made that capability cross-carrier inter-operable themselves. In fact, I've always believed that carriers should be offering third-party music services rather than their own branded efforts, which would make this much easier.

No details yet on the Zune's pricing or availability.

For more about the Zune:
- see the CNET article