[citation][nom]dragonsqrrl[/nom]Yaa... the dirty little secret we're not being told is that Microsoft has basically dumped development support for their Zune HD "beta testers", sacrificing a good portion of their loyal fan base in order to accelerate the development of their Windows Phone 7 OS and hardware platform. Much of the UI is merely an evolution of the one found in the Zune HD, but the apps and games created and ported to this new WP7 platform using XNA 4.0 will not be compatible with the Zune HD. And yes, that includes the recently announced Xbox Live Arcade games. It really sucks, but I think Microsoft has made a huge mistake in overlooking the Zune HD like this, a device that isn't even a year old. I can't imagine what would've happened if similar actions were taken against the Moto Droid (people would probably think twice before buying the Droid 2).[/citation]
Zune HD and other "portable media players" have become obsolete. Smartphones can handle audio, HD Video, games, and many other things easily. Some of them can even make phone calls. Microsoft saw the quickly increasing smartphone market and changed focus. Most MP3/MP4 players have not been getting support as of late, they aren't useful anymore. There's still a market for cheap and durable MP3 players, as many people don't want to risk breaking an expensive phone while working/jogging, but the higher end models are being phased out. People want one device that can do everything for them now, not several that serve a special function.