Wireless features on the Zune are part of a larger project that will open up the Windows OS to more devices and as we all know the OS is the cash maker in the Windows family. We get this from Billboard.biz

“Chris Stephenson, Microsoft’s new GM of marketing for MSN Entertainment Business, says that wireless Internet access is necessary for the portable devices to fit into Microsoft’s grander plan. That scenario is to provide ubiquitous access to digital media from a wide range of Windows-powered devices in what ultimately aspires to be one part MySpace, one part iTunes and one part Xbox Live.”

It’s a smart move on the part of Microsoft again to open up the OS to more devices by creating the devices. Let’s hope we can get some high end capabilities and reliability from the Zune. By creating new markets for the flagship product Microsoft is looking to cement leadership in the future OS market by doing what the open source can’t do and that build their own products. Its left to see if other hardware manufacturers are interested in binding their gear with the Windows operating system. Doing so brings with it not only the good points but the bad stuff also.

“The ability to connect the different devices is a key part of the strategy,” Stephenson says. “Whether it’s a portable media device, or a phone, or the Xbox or Media Center PC, the idea is you can access your entertainment from anywhere.”

Think Secret.com reveals that the portable unit will be equipped with a 400MHz SDP processor, more than enough power for handling sound and video playback. This could mean that Microsoft also considers the possiblity of using Zune as a portable video game console, or at least give it some sort of gaming functionality. Except from a powerful processor the media player will be equiped with wireless network support and possibly even a satellite receiver.

Mobile satellite service on your mobile media device would be wicked. The capabilities of such a device are wideopen. It could become a multi purpose platform with video, music and gaming features in a mobile connect setting with tie in to a home based system of the same capabilities. In the future your Windows Pc will communicate with your Microsoft Xbox as well as your Microsoft Zune Mobile Media Player all at once. This may happen in a workgroup setting but possibly under your own domain running some future version of IIS as well.

Of course not everyone has such high hopes for the Zune. There are of course other MP3 players on the market besides teh Ipod and many of those are partnered with Microsoft. Heres the last paragraph of an article on Jupiter Research “The real losers in the short term are likely to be the likes of Creative, iRiver and other former partners that have failed to deliver to market share from Apple and will now find themselves not only competing with Apple but with their former partners from Redmond.” we’re certain that the folks at Creative adn iRiver arenot ver happy abut the Zune. Maybe they can carve a niche in the high end market and manufacture Zune compliant devices under the Microsoft brand.

Whatever happens it appears Microsoft has huge plans for Zune and they look to be taking the right steps towards knocking Apple from the top spot. Maybe this is the Ipod Killer that everyone thinks it is. Apple will have a hard time beating Microsoft if they could pull this grand plan off. We’ll bring you more opinion when we have one.

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