This will be the only reason to switch from my iPod to the Zune.

too many zune news for one day !!

i am not complaining. just wishing some of it were true. :)

Why is Microsoft so good at making the Xbox so awesome and so absolutely terrible at doing the same for everything else they make?

You can thank Robbie Bach for this. Actually, the XBOX 360 is turning into a nice entertainment device. I can't wait for the music. I currently plug my iPod nano into my 360 to pipe music while playing Call of Duty 2.

It's great!

If it's true, it would be quite the coup.

While we are dreaming, it would be nice to be able to do song purchases on the Xbox 360, and transfer those tunes to the Zune directly from the Xbox. Eliminate the PC all-together, and suddenly Microsoft has a combination for their MP3 player that could one-up Apple.

Why is Microsoft so good at making the Xbox so awesome and so absolutely terrible at doing the same for everything else they make?

A very good question, evilkingteapot. I have been thinking of writing a dissertation on the level of greatness of Microsoft products being in an inverse relationship to the amount of money made (or lost, as the case may be) on said item. Microsoft Office is their most profitable item, and one of their least impressive, immediately followed by Windows. On the opposite end of the spectrum are the Xbox, which loses more money than anything else Microsoft does, however the Zune is not exactly a money maker, either.

Whether that inverse relationship always holds true, I could not tell you. I usually only start thinking about this after I open a bottle of wine, and am asleep before I finish the concept or the wine. However, one thing I am relatively certain of: If the Xbox were to actually make money, it would certainly start to suck, as well.

Personally I am surprised M$ did not make a move like this sooner. Imagine the marketing if they had had a system for buying songs off your 360 when the Zune was released. I think this is a move in teh right direction for the future of the Zune (mind you I have an iPod atm, but would prefer a Zune when my iPod dies).

What's suprising to me is that anyone would be suprised by an integration between Zune/XBox 360 Marketplace. In fact if this *didn't* happen then I'd be suprised.

They both share a Gamertag, Points and billing, they sure as hell better integrate the two! Look for more than just music on the 360, you'll also be able to download purchased video onto your Zune from Marketplace. All Marketplace place media, meaning music and video, will be available on both the Zune and XBox 360, via a single login and payable from the same Points pool.

The two fit so obviously together, especially considering most of the Zune team is ex-XBox members and that they share the same account backend. I assume the only reason the XBox + Zune + Marketplace integration wasn't released when the Zune first came out was because they were trying to quickly get something to market.

I want something other then trailer videos on my Zune. Xbox 360 has a decent video market. Just Wish the Zune had a video market and a better Quicktime support...

Okay, so we're going to be able to use the Wifi at hotspots according to the newest rumor. Wouldn't you think that Zune would A.) be able to transfer XBL Marketplace purchases (music AND movies) onto the Zune itself and B.) allow remote access to stream media off your 360 at home, sort of like PS3-PSP was promised to do (but failed to deliver). Microsoft is all about promoting WHS-like integration for media, why not use their trojan horse of the living room to get people acclimated with the concept.