Zune price slashed to under $200

Nothing to do...

...with the iPod announcement due later today, then...

Microsoft Exchange Rate

Blimey! I didn't realize that Microsoft had their own Euro & Pound Stirling exchange rate! What next? A monopoly on desktop operating system?

Or maybe Bill's mate Gordon doesn't charge them VAT.

Zune 1.5

If MS really wants to jumpstart the Zune market, they should release an iPod accessory that adds wireless sharing between Zunes and iPods. Spread the Social(tm)!

That's one of Zune's differentiating features - if they show iPod owners how cool a $40 add-on can make their iPod, it's a viral device to get iPod owners to take another look at Zune proper. If they sell it at a *slight* profit, they may even find their iPod aftermarket device is more profitable than the Zune itself... but it's a win-win situation either way.

I'm an iPod owner, but those Zunes *do* have great screens, and I like those gummy cases... if only they were comptaible with my 800 CDs all converted into Apple Lossless and kept on my RAID 5 array... *sigh*

@Microsoft Exchange Rate

Actually, I was more interested in MS's USD > EUR rate:

A quick check on xe.com:

USD 200 = GBP 98.97

USD 200 = EUR 146.45

It looks like we are getting a fair deal (for once), but Johnny Frenchman et al. are getting a better deal than Hank Fatburger....

Maybe

But someone think of the early adopters!

I bet all six of the people who bought a Zune last month wil be pissed!