A Windows Marketplace video has been doing rounds lately. What the Marketplace offers is amazing for the customer, but there is this little thing that troubles me. It was the same trouble back when the Zune came out. We’ve all read reports that the Zune software is going to be embedded into WinMo 7 as the media player & have also constantly heard that Zune is a platform & not just a device. All this is fine. However, when you start throwing separate applications for everything it becomes annoying.
For the Zune there is the Zune desktop client which is also a media player, on Windows you already have the Media Center & Windows Media Player. Now according to the video we see that the Marketplace will have its own desktop client, a stand-alone app probably. So this means that if I have a Zune I will have the Zune client. If I have a WinMo, I will have the marketplace client. If I have the Zune & a WinMo, I will have both. What happens when the Zune gets embedded into WinMo? Will I have two software clients for 1 device? If you’re gonna merge the two then; why not now?
If that’s not all, I have WMP too which I use for pretty much the same purpose of watching & managing media. Apple has done a good job of making iTunes the only software for the iPhone & the iPod & the best part is that they have the iTunes store as the only market place to buy whatever you want.
Microsoft has the Xbox Marketplace where you get videos, trailers, games etc. the Zune marketplace where you get music & now the WinMo marketplace. Of course even in this setup the best part is & I assume will hold true for WinMo Marketplace as well, is the same Live id can be used across the services. I have my Zune card & Xbox card on the same Live id.
I’m not really sure what would be the best model in the scenario but multiple clients isn’t the efficient one. Only if someone was listening.
Update: Long Zheng points out that the Zune will be extended to the Television too, now where does this leave the Media Center? They want me to download via the Zune & watch via Media Center.
UPDATE #2: Microsoft launched the Windows Mobile app store which will be available in a browser, no desktop client.