Microsoft Zune: Critics Rising

A journalist from Chicago Sun-Times has published an article about the Zune, entitled: "Avoid the loony Zune". After testing Microsoft-branded digital music player for one week, his conclusion is quite straightforward:

"Yes, Microsoft's new Zune digital music player is just plain dreadful.
...
Companies such as Toshiba and SanDisk (with its wonderful Nano-like Sansa e200 series) compete effectively with the iPod by asking themselves, "What are the things that users want and Apple refuses to provide?"
Microsoft's colossal blunder was to knock the user out of that question and put the music industry in its place.
Result: The Zune will be dead and gone within six months. Good riddance."

Despite the already reported painful installation process, his analysis is not biased by comparison with the iPod, and it clearly shows that Microsoft did not think about the user interface, the ease-of-use, etc. Even compatibility with MS software and Media Player are not complete.
We think Apple needs competition to push Cupertino to bring new features and regular evolution to its iPod models, but serious competitors will probably be named SanDisk or Sony rather than Microsoft.
What could save the Zune? Pirates and hackers. The website Zune Scene has published a procedure to unlock the Zune, despite MS claims to protect Music Majors with its home-made DRM. They have also found a way to use the Zune as a standard USB mass storage, while adding .jpg to any files turn them into free-exchangeable files via the WiFi functions (And Microsoft aims to give lesson about security in IT world...)
Last but not least, if a friend offers you a Zune for Christmas you could put it on eBay, but you could also use it on your Mac with the application XNJB.