That's the promise Microsoft makes with its new Zune. Unlike the solitary iPods, the digital music player lets you make new friends and discover new music. Using its built-in Wi-Fi, it can send a song to another Zune, and that song can be played up to three times before the recipient has to either buy it or lose it.

Well, it had been two weeks since the Zune had hit stores, and I was ready to sample a stranger's tunes. Equipped with a demonstration unit--courtesy of the folks in Redmond--I set out to try to find some fellow Zunes and their playlists.

Well, it had been two weeks since the Zune had hit stores, and I was ready to sample a stranger's tunes. Equipped with a demonstration unit--courtesy of the folks in Redmond--I set out to try to find some fellow Zunes and their playlists.

I loaded up the device with my music tastes, which I sum up as "something that everyone will hate." With "Zunique" charged up and filled with everything from Juanes to Dixie Chicks to R.E.M. to Roxette, I headed from CNET's offices in downtown San Francisco up two blocks to Market Street, the main thoroughfare in the city.

Along the way, I popped into a Starbucks to see if there were any Zunes amid the Venti Macchiatos, or whatever it is that they serve these days. I quickly checked my player.

"Searching for Zune devices," it said, promisingly.

I waited, hopeful.

"No nearby Zune devices found, or nearby devices have wireless turned off," my device sadly informed me a few seconds later.

Sigh.

Onward About a block away, there was a spot where all the bike messengers hang out. There were a few that were listening to music, but again, no Zunes.

I decided to check out a few places where I knew there would be some Zune action--the retail stores that sell the devices. My first stop was CompUSA.

"No nearby Zunes..." read the already familiar note on my player.

There was a brown Zune on display, but it was attracting little attention.

"We haven't sold many," said a CompUSA worker, though he added he liked it better than Apple Computer's iPod.

Copyright: news.com



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