Finally, Someone Talking Sense About Zune WiFi

If you've been following the ups and downs of Microsoft's WiFi-enabled Zune PMP then you might be as jaded with the whole thing as I am.  So far, Microsoft seem to be determined to lock-down tracks with a three-plays-and-you're-out DRM model that pretty much takes everyone's current concept of music sharing and spanks it into crapness. 

The Zune team could do far, far worse than to read Jim Thompson's column over at TechBlog.  He outlines a system where, rather than users actively sending individual files between their friends, the Zune instead becomes both a mobile music server and a new-sounds "hunter gatherer".  Zune owners establish a list of their own personal shares – still within the Microsoft DRM, of course – and the availability of these is broadcast wherever there is another Zune in range.  Got a spare moment?  Whip out your Zune and see if there's anyone sharing anything you like the sound of.  Or alternatively, set your Zune to "gather" and get home each day with a sackful of new music to tempt you, that the PMP has downloaded automatically.

I agree with Jim, now that could actually turn the chubby PMP into an iPod-killer.

How should Zune sharing work? [TechBlog]