Zune software on a Mac? Why not?

Execs for Microsoft are reportedly mulling the idea of porting Zune services and software to other platforms, including the Mac. Who's to say if they actually will, but if you ask me, they should.

Mary Jo Foley at ZDNet asked a spokesman for Microsoft's TV, Video and Music division recently if there was any thought of bringing the Zune's software and services to platforms other than Windows: Linux, say, or hey, maybe even the Mac.

MS exec Jose Pinero stopped well short of confirming that the Zune client will, indeed, be going the Apple way, but he didn't laugh Foley out of the room, either. "We are evaluation a lot of options in terms of platforms," he said.

Of course, there are "no guarantees" when or if Zune software and services might actually come to the Mac—for now, Foley reports, the Zune team is focused on launching the Zune Marketplace on the Xbox 360—but at the very least, it sounds like the possibility is on the table.

OK, but who cares, especially since the Mac already has iTunes? Well, iTunes isn't necessarily for everyone; indeed, it's getting a bit bloated these days, what with all the Genius sidebars, mouseover video previews, and the like. Don't get me wrong; I still use iTunes all the time, but firing up the snazzy Zune software on my Mac's Boot Camp partition is always a breath of fresh air.

And then there's the matter of music subscription services, such as Zune Pass—again, not for everyone, but it's always a nice option, and iTunes still doesn't (and may never) offer a music subscription service. (In her post, Foley floats the idea of using the Zune software to sync Zune Pass music to an iPod; however, without tweaking the iPod to support Microsoft's brand of DRM, I don't see how that could happen.)

Zune software for the Mac would also mean that Mac users could use a Zune music player, like the sleek new Zune HD, without a Windows box. Once again ... the Zune HD isn't for everyone, but for now, Macheads can't use the Zune without complex (and pricey) workarounds. 

Hey ... I honestly don't know if Microsoft will actually ever get around to porting the Zune software to the Mac, but I'd like it if they did. Choice is always a good thing.

Related:
Microsoft considering making Zune services available to Apple users [ZDNet]