“The more I got to know the Zune software and Marketplace, the more I came to really enjoy what Microsoft has done with the platform. Features like the cover art quilt that appears over the Zune software, and a Mixview that is a much more visually interactive version of Apple’s Genius feature, show that Microsoft [...]

After speaking today with two members of the Zune team, and with my MVP rep, I’m feeling encouraged about the health and future of Zune.
I am hearing very clear statements that, despite the concerning reports of Zune player sales, and some visible layoffs in the Zune team, Microsoft is unquestionably committed to Zune player hardware. [...]

Cesar Menendez has been the public face of the Zune team since those pre-launch days in summer 2006. As host of ZuneInsider, Cesar has been an upbeat, knowledgeable and accessible front man for the Zune team.
Cesar’s blog started the same week that we kicked off Zunerama. Through the past 2 1/2 years, Cesar has been [...]

A dismal report for Zune in Microsoft’s most recent quarterly earnings report: Zune player sales in the fourth quarter of 2008 were down 54% from the previous year.
Microsoft only did a minor player upgrade this past fall, which didn’t result in the buzz that erupted the previous year when they first released the Zune 80 [...]

I enjoy the Zune website ClicZune, which does a really good job of keeping up with Zune accessories.
This morning, they’re at it again with their post about a nice, and really inexpensive, Zune AC Adapter from Inspiretech.
In fact, Inspiretech has a whole set of Zune accessories available at some of the best prices I’ve seen. [...]

The Zune 120 player, the highest-capacity player in the Zune line-up, is now available in red – specifically, the vibrant lipstick-red color that we’ve come to love in its little brother, the Zune 80.
You can get the red Zune 120 at Wal-Mart, Zune Originals, or through this Amazon link: http://tinyurl.com/red-zune-120
Also, this week Zune Originals launched [...]

I’ve enjoyed Toni Collette since first seeing her in Little Miss Sunshine. Now she’s in her own series on Showtime called The United States of Tara.
I don’t subscribe to Showtime, but fortunately Zune Marketplace is offering a free download of Toni’s show. And, according to ZuneInsider, there’ll be more free Showtime downloads coming in the [...]

Microsoft sent a bunch of Zune team members to the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas last week. Zac Altman taped short interviews with several of them, including Matt Akers (below). See more of Zac’s interviews at http://vimeo.com/zune.
Nice meeting you at CES, Zac!

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Here are a few random shots from my trip to CES.
Click here to see my CES pics of Stevie Wonder, Keith Anderson, Jeopardy!, the West Coast Customs crew, tech blogger Robert Scoble, Microsoft Zune team, other Zune bloggers, and Cnet’s CES studio.
More on the CES debuts of accessories of interest to Zune owners, coming up.
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CES wrapped up yesterday, and I’m back in Zunerama headquarters with a couple thousand pictures and about sixty pages of notes.
So, the coverage of new Zune-related gear and audio accessories will be continuing as I get caught up on processing all of that. Next up: a summary of people and faces I ran into at [...]