What's Still Missing from the Zune HD Experience?
<p>Now that you've had a chance to read about the <a href="http://www.geekiz.com/80-photographies-de-tokyo-en-hdr" target="_blank">4.5 update for the Zune HD</a>, what do you think is still missing from the Zune experience today? What sorts of things do you want the see added to the Zune HD from a software perspective? Myself, I think the app story continues to be weak - Microsoft doesn't move fast enough to get even a reasonable number of apps (say, 100) into the marketplace to offer people options. I know there are developers who would gladly build apps for the Zune HD if Microsoft would give them the opportunity and a platform to make money from.</p><p>The US-centric focus of the Zune HD also continues to pain me; it's a great piece of hardware, and a great overall service, but the Zune team seems content to remain in the US and not go international with the product. To a certain extent that's going to change when Windows phone 7 comes out; my understanding is that in order for a Windows phone 7 device to be sold by a carrier in a market, the Zune Marketplace has to be available in that market, and hopefully that means the Zune Pass as well. I hope I'm right about that, because if I am, that means the Zune experience - even if it's not with Zune HD hardware - will be a world-wide thing by the end of this year.</p><p>Lastly, I really wish it were possible to play music directly from the Zune HD when it was connected to a PC running the Zune software. I don't have a Zune Pass (<a href="http://www.zunethoughts.com/news/show/23576/an-international-zune-user-s-guide.html" target="_blank">though at least now I know how to get one</a>), so I can't do that fancy streaming music thing. When I travel I have my Zune HD with me, and I don't want to plug in my headphones in my hotel room - I was to connect the Zune to my laptop and listen to the music on it. It seems silly that I still can't do that.</p><p>How would you improve the software/services portion of the Zune HD?</p>
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