Does the iPod have this? If not, it certainly would be useful to some. I only carry about 100 songs at a time, so I hit "Next" like a madman until I find a song I like. Works for me.

[digg.com], yo.

just like pandora!

sounds amazing.

Just play the damn songs in the order I put them in, Jesus! I mean Lam!

Awesome, looking forward to it.

And this would make me want one over the iPod because?

Smart Shuffling? You mean Microsoft is going to stop making them and let someone else do it?

I always have "shuffle" selected regardless of if I'm listening to a playlist or a single album so this is wonderful news.

@Triborough: Nowhere in the article did it say this would make you want one. Nowhere in the article was there even mention of this coming to current or next-gen Zunes, hence the qualifier "could" in the title. Try reading next time.

Hey, how about opening the device up so it can be used as a portable hard drive? Am I missing something?

next gen zune or just next firmware upgrade?

Doesn't sony ericsson use this feature on the newer w series phones? Or have something planned?

I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't play that.

Before they decide to smart shuffle based on metadata, they should first fix their tagging system. Every single media player under both Linux and Windows sees my tags properly, yet the Zune software insists on retagging my songs, splitting up some albums based on author yet keeping others together, while yet arbitrarily splitting other albums based on no merit whatsoever.

It is really dumb and I wish I could use any other program to sync. I bet even Windows Media Player would be better! Though I would prefer to use Amarok...

why would I want a zune? I bought an ipod video, it lasted me 3 days, i cudnt copy and paste mpg's or wmv's to it. tossed it out. and tell me this, if apple is so great, why were there 200 people in the apple store waiting to get their junky ipod and iphones fixed? i might hate microsoft, but i'll live with it till we all move to linux.

Zune is nice, but do your research before you get it. If you think years of experience watching Apple, and MS's ability to make powerful software means the Zune is all you want it to be, you'd be very wrong.

not "next gen zune"

next zune firmware

as microsoft has already showed they intend to keep updating all zunes with newer features and firmware

@aquahealer: i don't really get your point. you sound like your about to go on a rant against zune, but then complain about ipods? unless the question was sarcastic

Isn't shuffling shuffling? How does one change this significantly? I mean, for example the iPod give you the option to play higher rated music more often, but I don't see how there can be any "smart" shuffle???

(btw, this is not a bash on iPod or Zune for the narrow minded people).

does anyone care about the zune?

@imTheKing: Uhhh yea... It's pretty much already the #2 Mp3 Player right now, if you didn't know that!

@Lestat:
Apparently there is a thing called 'smart shuffling' and the Zune doesn't have it, and it bothers some people. Thats all I know.

I'm the type that is very definite about what I'm listening to, so not a big deal for me. I got a whole laundry list of other issues I'd like added/fixed in the Zune.

Wow, with upcoming features like that, they'll probably sell another 15 or 20 next year!

@Lestat:

Let's assume you're listening to all of your music on shuffle. You instantly skip an upbeat techno song. Next, a slow ballad comes on and you let it play until it ends. Ideally, the next song that comes on would not be an upbeat song, but something closer to a slow ballad. Basically, it tries to guess your mood.

I wish for this feature all the time, but I would settle for the zune correctly tagging my music.

@NotMe:

Definitely not you.

@Sam_Zebian:

That would be 'pretty much' as in 'not actually'....

According to Amazon it's best showing is 9th!

[www.amazon.com]

And then 17th behind a slew of iPods and even a SanDisk LMMacAO!!

@Sam_Zebian: i knew that but its got such a small market share, its like........ eh.

Sweet..nothing is more annoying then putting on full shuffle and having Children of Bodom followed by Phil Collins, or Bad Religion to Chemical Brothers. Just doesn't flow at all.

I own a zune.

But MS *always* over-promises and under-delivers. Always. 100% without exception.

I'm not 1) holding my breath 2) expecting this or 3) expecting anything like this IF they ever update the shuffle tech in the zune.

I wanted zune to be awesome but I think MS completely screwed it up. It is (will be soon) just another boring mobile MS platform for cheesy 3rd party developers to make VB style crap for.

Well at least with their current standards, Microsoft would make any new feature like this that could be implemented via firmware on older Zunes available for free via software upgrade. Score for me if they do bring this feature on.

@cello:
Hmmm...I'm extremely satisfied with my zune as it is, but I always believe there's room for improvement, not matter what.

This reminds me of how Pandora operates. It seems like it would be similar to creating and tuning Pandora stations but using only your own music.

I've always wanted a Zune. Still, I won't get one until it's compatible with Macs.

Then again, still, I won't even get one 'til I could even afford all that stuff.

@Sam_Zebian:

Uh, no it is not. It is a far distant 3rd.

I have several playlists...pick one and shuffle.

While smart shuffle would be a minor perk, it's definitely not a killer feature. Proper ID tagging is much more important to me.

I love my 80g Zune it has been a much better player than my Ipod. I think the shuffle is a good idea but I will never use it.

I have just noticed that the majority of the people here who post comments are Dicks.

It is a simple article about some new tech from MS and everybody just goes crazy. Fuck Apple!

I wonder if MS will charge $20. for this like Apple did for the iTouch upgrade?

I just think it's sweet that these updates work on the "old" 1st gen Zunes (since I have one). This is one of the few gadgets I own that I really feel like I'm getting my money's worth from. Who'da thunk that it would be from Microsoft, but I say keep it up. Oh, and I pretty much keep my player on shuffle all the time, so this would be cool at the gym if I didn't have to skip the more mellow songs (because I am too lazy to make a playlist).

@imTheKing:

*Gasp* Just like Macs!

@Cursemaster0: that all you could come up with? I hope you got something new soon, each year microsoft drops ton of users from horrible products. But why dont we keep it on the same subject. How many ipods are out there now? Hell I believe there are more iPhones out there than Zunes lol

@imTheKing: Thanks for the cognitive dissonance, but you don't get to pretend that market share is an accurate indicator of quality when things you like are popular, but is completely irrelevant when it's the other way around.

@Davedave24: Why not, every windows user uses that as their main fighting example. Yet somehow apple users are off? Give me a break.

@imTheKing: That's the point, it either applies both ways or it applies to neither. You're the one here trying to pick and choose. You're the one who came in here because you just had to express how little you care about the Zune and brought up market share as an issue in the first place, so don't get your knickers in a bunch when you get the same arguement thrown back at you.

@Davedave24: The issue with waht your saying is that the ipod came before the zune and the zune did nothing new for anyone. Its why its in the position its in. No one gives a damn about the Zune. If Microsoft could for one second think of something other than following the rest of the companies, there wouldn't be an issue. Same deal with their horrible Microsoft Silverlight attempt to slash at Adobe. Whats next, their going to build Printers to compete with Xerox, Canon and HP?

@imTheKing: Congratulations, you are absolutely 100% correct, both about the iPod being the first mp3 player ever invented, the Zune having no features that the iPod lacks and appealing to no one, and the fact that only one company should be allowed to make any given type of item, because a lack of competition is the surest route to better products for the consumer. Your intelligence, depth of observation and insight, and fantastic spelling all have me in awe. Surely now that you have exposed the lies of the vile Micro$oft, all us sheep who use their products will throw down our Zunes in outrage and march to the nearest Apple store post-haste. I guess you are the king after all.

@Davedave24: Lol you can go throw down your zune along with the other morons who bought it. Whats next? You going to tell me that Vista is a great OS and that you cant wait for the next version of windows that gets released 10 years late?

douche bag

that sounds pretty neat. not the most useful feature if the zune software doesn't learn how to tag properly in the first place though. i'm currently using it as my #2 DAP (mostly for travel), and it's actually a nice unit, if a little bulky. i have to admit, that sexy 3.2" screen is probably the biggest thing keeping me from returning it.

i have to say, the 'zune experience' is improving overall. my first two ipods were flaming pieces of garbage. when they broke through regular wear and tear within months, i essentially gave up on apple, but i have to admit, not having any other player boasting such tight integration with it's software made finding a replacement difficult. the trade-off has been losing that integration, but having a DAP that mops the floor with the ipod.* now that the zune has reached its second iteration and made some serious improvements, that along with the tight software integration make it a decent option for apple-weary folks like me. at this rate, a 3rd gen zune may even de-throne my clix should it ever come to be.

and what does it matter to this discussion which DAP is best-selling? vikings, catholicism, and infantacide also used to be 'best-selling' (not to mention MS Windows). it's an illustrious title, for sure.

*(clix 2, IMHO)