have they found away around the thing that deletes the media after how ever long of time it is?

fuck if i know... take it back and get an iPod... then install Linux on it... and be happy.

no, they haven't. Infact, the zune is turning out to be a great concept gone completely wrong.

I was just sent some lit on the topic yesterday in an e-mail at work - its being pulled off the shelves in august if sales don't pick up by 180%

its a pain in the ass: but here you go
zunes.... are crap.

Unlike almost all other players, the Zune can't be used as a USB drive out of the box.

1. Install .NET Framework 2.0 from microsoft.com.
2. Download the ZuneHDPatch at cppworld.com/Zune/ZuneHDPatch.exe, and run it on your PC with your Zune unplugged and the Zune software closed.
3. Plug your Zune into your PC, and it should appear as an external hard drive.
4. To copy files, make sure the Zune software is running and set to "syncing."

KEEP SHARED SONGS

You can beam songs to other Zunes, but they are deleted after three plays.

1. To avoid this, do the storage trick [previous], then change the song files' extension to .jpg. Place the files, along with a real image file, into a new folder in your Zune's "received pictures" folde.
2. Send the "pictures" folder to a friend's Zune.
3. On that Zune, sync the folder with a PC. Change the extensions back, and move the songs to your Zune.