When Microsoft debuted its first generation Zune platform three years ago, it was a curiosity and then quickly became the butt of jokes. What's really funny, however, is how the doubters didn't notice how excellent this platform became over the intervening years. The first Zune generation included a great device for the day (I still travel with it) but the software was horrible. Zune 2.0, in 2007, really raised the bar with killer PC software, an awesome subscription service, and competitive device hardware. Zune 3.0, from 2008, saw Microsoft actually pull ahead of Apple in some areas and add a suite of excellent online services.

And now here we are with the fourth Zune generation, embodied by the Zune HD but also including a new version of the PC software, improved online services, and new capabilities all around. The broader news with this generation, however, is that Microsoft is making a bigger bet on Zune than ever. Going forward, Zune will be Microsoft's entertainment services brand, and you will see it appear wherever it makes sense, starting first with the Xbox 360. But that's literally the beginning, and in the future, you can expect to see the Zune brand pop-up all over Microsoft's products. I'm talking Windows. Windows Mobile. Whatever.