With the Zune HD and 4.0 release of the Zune Marketplace yesterday, I was a little shocked to say the least...

I have a Zune30 - the first generation Zune device - but have applied all software and firmware updates as they have launched with a fair amount of success. I like my Zune, which I primarily use for podcasts, audiobooks, (and especially podiobooks) while on-the-go, but I do of course use as a mobile photo album and something to drive the voices out of my head rock out to while I code.

It gets the job done... but it's first-gen and now several years old. I will, however, be picking up a new DMP soon - my birthday is in October - and have had my eyes on the Zune HD since the first rumors of it hit the web months ago.

As an individual consumer, I'm a "Zune shop". I have a technology investment in the device, the accessories, the media that I've purchased FOR the Zune, etc.

And as an individual consumer, I'm treated with news of just how much this device will rock. Hardware specification lists aside - which are a quite impressive read, mind you - my use (or desired use) of the device has changed. The first-gen device is bulky compared to something like the Apple iPod Touch, and is thus while not more difficult to take on the road with me (as I've been taking the same device on the road for years now), I can see that there have been marked improvements in the technology - making it faster, sleeker, and more capable.

This really becomes apparent when you look at the usage experience with today's DMPs - they're becoming more mobile computers than mobile music players. It's almost expected now to be able to install an application from a library of available apps - such as Apple's App Store - and carry a single device instead of a phone, a music player, a notebook, and something to slack off with while you're in an airport terminal waiting for your flight.

To their credit, Apple has really set the stage here... as far as the UX goes. It's not the little nuances with the iPhone/Touch platform, but the ability to - within a few clicks - install whatever application you want on your device. They've allowed their customer to master and maintain their environment, but more importantly how they intend to use the device day-to-day.

And the numbers speak to that. During Apple's "It's Only Rock-and-Roll" event, it was cited that over 20 million Touches had been sold (also mentioned, 30 million iPhones). More importantly - and from the same event - it was cited that there are over 20 thousand games available in the Apple App Store. 20,000+ options for a consumer.

So, as it was rumored that Zune Marketplace 4.0 would release an app store of it's own, I was really looking forward to seeing what would be available to us "Zune shops". I wanted to see what games and applications were available to me if I ran out today and purchased a Zune HD...

Okay - this is Microsoft, perhaps their Game section of the Zune App Store is still being worked on. So I switched over to the

Now, just in case you weren't paying attention: 20,000+ > 7. And the applications?! No Facebook or Twitter clients from launch date, but you give me a calculator and a MSN Weather plugin?! Talk about a consumer device market fail!

I had already seen the light via a podcast keynote on "The Future of Content Delivery" which talked to target audience adoption numbers and how content authors (in that case, authors... but it applied to code poets too!) should focus their efforts on the mass-adoption markets vs. niche markets if they want their content to be seen, used, and - ultimately - if said author wishes to be successful. But staring at a barren Zune Marketplace App Store - which, mind you, held 5 games that I already have on my Zune 30 (came with the device/firmware upgrades/etc.) - really sealed the deal for me.

You promise me solid client technology and a rich development platform, but from a consumer take you don't deliver a seemingly overwhelming number of options... and you simply fail.

So, what can we learn from this?

I am - first and foremost - a developer. I like solutions that allow me to get the job done, and when none exist and not afraid to roll up my sleeves and build something to ease my day-to-day.

Last night, I met up with Mitch, Whiso, and Mike for The First Annual PA-NJ-GA-LUG Event, which was held at a booth in the Tannersville, PA Friendly's. It should be a surprise to absolutely no one that the four of us started whipping out devices, comparing applications, giving suggestions and - at least me - accepting some well-offered advice, and Twittering, Facebooking up until closing time.

It quickly became apparent that my AT&T Blackberry Bold was outclassed in both applications and usage experience compared with Mitch and Chris's AT&T iPhones. The only upper hand I had was battery life, which is why Mitch admitted to carrying both an iPhone and a Blackberry Storm. Having used a Storm before, I know it wasn't because he enjoyed the Storm's UX!

There's an app for that rang through my head for the remainder of the evening. It wasn't simply the fluid UX compared to the relative clunky Blackberry Bold, but also something that had earwormed it's way into my head from the other day.

The other day I mentioned Scott Sigler's The Future of Content Delivery keynote at this years Balticon. In this keynote, Sigler states how - spoiler alert here people - the Amazon Kindle is a statistically insignificant player when compared to the Apple iPhone.

So... what am I getting at here?

For my 31st birthday (October 17th, for those of you curious), I had planned to treat myself to the soon-to-be-released Zune HD. Now, I love my Zune... but I'd be lying if I didn't yearn for some further functionality out of the device.

For me, it boils down to my intended usage. I use my Zune primarily as a podcast-catcher and simple DMP. My Zune 30 is currently only using 6.4GB of storage - <2GB for music, <3GB of video (all of which I can do without), and <1+GB of podcasts. The battery life is still decent on non-video content, but I want something more.

So I'm seriously considering an Apple 2nd (or potentially a 3rd if rumors hold true) Gen iPod Touch 16GB to replace my Microsoft Zune 30.

Aside from the basics - being able to pick up accessories pretty much anywhere - there are two things that are really pointing me in this direction:

The UX, and the App Store.

For anyone that's used an iPhone/Touch recently... I don't think I have to explain the UX. When you get a decently-written application on the device that leverages the true capabilities of the platform and device featureset, you get an amazingly intuitive device that allows you to get the simple things in life done.

The App Store - well, there's two reasons this interests me...

The first and most obvious, the there's an app for that mantra has become a mindset for both device users and platform developers - if I want to do it on the device, odds are someone has written something that will allow me to meet the given need.

And should I not be able to find an application...

Well, this gets to the real heart of the post and my thoughts on this subject: I want to get into developing applications on the iPhone/Touch platform.

And very much like my other efforts - such as Showtime, Zephyr, etc. - I don't plan on making my millions off of the sales (if I wind up charging anything, in fact), but the sheer numbers of customers out there using the devices on that platform near demands my taking notice and establishing at least a fundimental level of expertise in that arena.

It's a numbers game at the end of the day - I want what I create to reach as many people as possible - and Apple's won the product adoption game.

Not getting into the Apple iPhone/Touch product development area - to me - feels like a Lotus Notes Client developer not learning Domino Web Development.

So, thoughts on this? I'm eager to hear from iPhone/Touch customers, platform developers, fellow Zune fans, and anyone else out there with an opinion on this.