I really love Zune Software Player and I think it is great. The problem I have with it is that it doesn't play certain file types, especially AVI. Other than that it is good. It is new, fresh and different and different from those clones out there, like J. River and MediaMonkey. Sure it is new and stuff but it is a solid player and you can customize the background. You don't find stuff like that happening unless you are a Winamp user who can create good skins from random images easily. Windows Media Player 12 looks good and I have the same feeling i had when I first used WMP11 but it looks so ugly in Vista. WMP12 actually does look good from the outside looking in. Look at RealPlayer and Rhapsody and how they have managed to co-exist, just like Zune and WMP. So I think there is hope for Zune. No media player is perfect from day one. Even Microsoft's media players. Players nowadays can burn CDs, burn DVDs, use tv tuners, order music and movies. Zune is still evolving just like all other players out there.
Do you people out there really think WMP 12 wil be the next player from microsoft and that zune is very likely to be dumped? (lol). Zune software looks great and i have stated my issues with it still. But WMP 12 doesn't look all that great from the preview picture I have seen. Nothing has really changed. And the color is too light. May have to hope for something that will blow us all away. MS is great for a reason. They make good products and are very popular.
Here is the thing y'all. I like to customize my stuff. It would be great if WMP12 would allow you to customize your own background by tweaking a few settings or using your own picture as you personal interface with buttons and everything else in tact. I don't know if WMP 12 will do that but I know Winamp does. But Winamp is second rate and far inferior to WMP. But I like the skins I make. I wish it could be that way with all software but it is not. Customization is key. That is why they call it "Personal Computer." You personalize everything the way you want. At this point, the Batman Begins and Catwoman skins stuff is old now. Needs to change. Peace out!