Microsoft is billing its iPod-killing digital audio/video player the Zune as a social device. The only problem, no one's sharing. At least that's the conclusion one CNET News.com reporter came to when she loaded her Zune up with some music and hit the San Francisco streets to find someone to connect to. She found only one other Zune.

When rumors of the Zune first emerged, Wi-Fi was the most exciting part of the package. Take the PC out of the DAP equation and you've streamlined the process. If you let the users download the songs directly to their players they can spend more time listening, and it's also a way to tie the player more closely to your music store. When I learned the Wi-Fi would only connect to other Zunes, the first thought that came to mind was, "What a waste." Even if you could find other Zunes to share with, who would take the time to do so?

It's ironic that the Wi-Fi connectivity of the Zune, which was supposed to be the differentiating factor in its battle with the iPod, is being used to show how unpopular the device actually is, at least at this early date. The Zune will probably gain more of a foothold in the future, and the next generation of devices could have real Wi-Fi connectivity. Of course, by then the iPod probably will too. — Brian Ward

Go to story from CNET News.com

Technorati tags: zune, gadgets, music.