I will never buy a "Zune" or anything which plays WMA files, and I wouldn't even use one if it were offered for free. Want to know why? Simple really - would you trust a firm which treats its customers like this?
Microsoft is an arrogant, greedy monopolist with an irresistable tendency to bully and shaft both partners and clients built into its DNA, and now that Robert Scoble has left the firm, it doesn't even have a single half-trustworthy face one can approach to call Microsoft on its bullshit. It's one thing to use Windows and Office because work requires you to, but if you voluntarily decide to embrace the technically inferior, proprietary, DRM-laden "WMA" format, you'll have only your own stupidity to blame when Microsoft decides to ream you like just like the rest of the suckers who buy into its marketing.
As for myself, I'm sick of the whole "Product Activation" rubbish, and I have zero interest in the extremely late, bloated and unstable OS X ripoff called Windows Vista: the next new machine I buy will be a Mac*, with Parallels or some other VM solution to handle whatever Windows issues may arise.
*Life is too short to futz around with Linux and its driver headaches.
Wait till Aug 7th before making your purchase.
Posted by: pavementdweller | July 27, 2006 at 12:41 PM