Zune Thoughts: Touch Zune?

“Microsoft ultimately expects its Zune media player line to receive a touchscreen, the company's Entertainment and Devices chief Robbie Bach says. Without committing to a specific product, the executive describes the addition as near-certain and implies that the media player will eventually drop its physical control pad entirely in favor of a touch interface as part of a broader company philosophy.”

This bit of news isn’t exactly surprising. If Apple has it then I would expect Microsoft to have a similar device. Whether it’s a good thing or not is entirely up to personal preference. As someone who utilizes my Zune quite often for video playback I can’t imagine wanting to smear my finger prints all over the screen. I also like having the tactile feedback of my d-pad many times.

That said, I think it’s an important option for people to have. The potential to have a very large screen is also very appealing so I can’t say I’d discount a touch only device for myself.