Microsoft Ending Zune Partnerships?

The Guardian quite amazingly announces that Microsoft has ended its relationship with its "partners" in the development of the Microsoft Zune MP3 Player.

They also criticise the Zune for having "power-sucking" features such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connectivity and a hard-drive. But this is a bit of a narrow view to take. There' s not much effort of simply plugging the Zune in whilst you transfer files etc. Most people leave their chargers plugged in anyway. Now we'll have the intelligentsia of the newspaper decrying Zune's anti-environmental impact!!

Then they go on to compare the Zune to mobile phones and that teenagers will just use them to send video and pictures. But doesn't that use up the battery just as the zune may and don't those very same teenagers have the ability to cope with that current scenario?

Fair enough, I very much doubt the Zune will be able to call your mum and ask her to pick you up for the disco. But when have teenagers been concerned with having too many gadgets? They're status symbols - or have we forgotten that fact! When I go to the malls there are loads of kids with PSP's dangling off their necks. Will they be concerned that they've can play games on their mobiles or at home? Do they not have a phone in one pocket and an iPod in another?

At least Charles Arthur makes a decent point: That competition from Microsoft is of benefit to the industry as it will encourage product development. I never thought I'd see the Guardian promoting competition as benefiting society.