Apple is destined to be defeated here, as their insistence upon controlling the user experience and their refusal to see the operating system as a commoditized platform are sure-fire formulas for self-destruction. Will Microsoft be the hero who defeats them? I'd rather bet on a truly disruptive new player -- someone like Bug -- but one thing is for certain: we are proceeding inevitably towards increasing openness, and embracing this principle is essential. Death by market failure is the only alternative. -- KM


Gizmodo summarized the first Zune 80 reviews from CNET, Wired, Dean Takahashi, PCWorld and YahooTech. Their verdicts? The cup has not yet been breeched, but Microsoft is making very solid improvements on the brand. And some think it blows away the iPod classic.

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