Zune Points Views

"These damn Zune Points" we hear so many people say! Well they may be the currency of the Microsoft Zune MP3 Player, but just like the product it doesn't mean that everyone will like them!

Coolfer for one has his reservations: "[they] are unfamiliar and unnatural for those of us who are not gamers. XBox players will be familiar with the Points system and the procedures involved (buy Points then redeem at the store). Digital music consumers are familiar with paying with dollars and cents. Songs cost 79 points apiece. Album prices vary according to the wholesale prices charged by the label, which means there's a range of album prices at the Zune marketplace."

More criticism comes from Medialoper who states: "Individual songs can be purchased from the Zune Marketplace for 79 Microsoft Points. That might sound like a deal when compared to iTunes 99 cent song pricing - until you realize that 79 Microsoft points is around 99 cents." But when you think about it, at the current exchange rate that's about 55p a track. With iTunes it's 79p or around $140. And you can't buy from the US site with a UK credit card. So for the UK market, the Zune Marketplace is a far better deal.