Avoid the Zune?

Yes, Microsoft’s new Zune digital music player is just plain dreadful. I’ve spent a week setting this thing up and using it, and the overall experience is about as pleasant as having an airbag deploy in your face. “Avoid,” is my general message. The Zune is a square wheel, a product that’s so absurd and so obviously immune to success that it evokes something akin to a sense of pity.

I don’t think it’s possible to be anymore straightforward than this. Included in the problems is the horrible installer and the fact that there is a complete lack of podcast support. It’s too bad too, I was looking forward to seeing some good iPod competition. But by the sounds of it, competition is hardly in the picture.