I just read a ridiculous article about the Zune on MSNBC via The Financial Times. Seriously, who writes these things? Has fact checking just gone completely out the window? My favorite quote:

The launch has also been beset by problems with the machines – from limitations on sharing music with other Zune owners wirelessly, to the incompatibility with other online music systems.

First, there are no “problems with the machine”, both items are by design. While some people may dislike the 3-day/play sharing limitation it is a feature that doesn’t even exist on the iPod plus if anyone actually thought it through they would realize that getting a green light for even a limit of 3 was probably a huge deal with the record companies.

Second, the “incompatibility with other online music systems” is the exact same model that Apple uses. You know, it’s called iTunes. The Zune is just as “compatible” with other online music systems as the iPod.

It’s a very tricky article because it’s written as if the author, Richard Waters, has some official word or comment from Microsoft, which he doesn’t. Everything is “according to analysts”, which from what I’ve seen is usually as accurate as asking a fortune teller to predict mortgage rates. The whole article has a blind leading the blind feeling to me.