Originally posted by: Duddy
The Zune's OS is built using CE code. That means a firmware update can further extend the capabilities on the Zune.
-Streaming media from online or your PC
If you combined this with media center type stuff it would be nice. Not really that useful or interesting otherwise, to me anyway. Unless you mean, you're at work and you want to listen to music you have at home using the zune and a wireless internet connection. That would be pretty sweet... but would it be legal? They'd have to secure it based on the zune's serial # so you didn't let all your friends stream your music to their zune.
-Automatic album art downloads for your tracks
What do you mean by this? Does the zune software not automatically download tracks? Or do you mean art downloads for songs you got beamed to you?
Also, imagine hacked firmwares, where the 3x3 law is cracked and the Zune can play nearly every media format and being able to read RSS feeds on the Zune. Sounds perfect. Like a little Xbox Media Center.
I don't think you're going to see a lot of slight modifications to existing firmware. More likely you'll see stuff like rockbox. RSS and email would be nice, though. And full fledged MS Ink.
The big deal for me with these next-gen DAPs is video. That's mostly all I care about. If the Zune didn't have such a wicked awesome unscratchable casing and a nice 3" screen, I would have bought a Creative Zen.
Weird, I find that to be the least important feature. I have no desire to watch movies, tv shows, or even music videos on a 3" screen. I'd much prefer to have a device with no screen that nonetheless could record tv shows and act as a portable tivo or media center with minimal effort. So far the achilles heel of all these devices seems to be the strange video formats required.
I do think that a big thing that Microsoft should have done is add Bluetooth 2.0 to the Zune. They could have bundled a Zune with a pair of bluetooth headphones for $299. That would have won the hearts of iPod fans. Perhaps the next-gen Zune will get it.
I doubt they'd get a good pair in the bundle for that price. And I think most people are more excited by the low price of the zune than they would be by bluetooth headphones. Bluetooth support would be nice, but perhaps not that interesting for headphones. Are there even any bluetooth phones that remotely approach the sound quality of similarly priced wired phones? I somehow doubt it. But bluetooth support with standard headphones for the same price would be cool, so I could communicate with a bluetooth cell phone.