“It’s become standard practice in the consumer electronics industry: When it doubt, paint it pink. But strategies like that usually work best when a color is still hot, or at least lukewarm,” Crave @ CNET reports.

“Perhaps that explains why Microsoft–rarely accused of setting trends these days–is coming out with a pink Zune now. Cliczune says EBgames.com has confirmed that the pastel version of the media player will be available May 1 for $250 with the standard 30GB storage capacity,” Crave reports.

Full article here.

In related news, Microsoft has missed a promised Zune firmware update, disappointing all three Zune owning fools, which includes the brainwashed Ballmer kids. Imagine that for a dad… At least he’s useful in power outages, when tuition time rolls around, and for keeping the doughnuts from ever going stale.

Anyway, Elizabeth Montalbano reports for PC Advisor (here’s some actual worthwhile PC advice: “Get a Mac“) that, “Zune users in the US who were waiting for an important firmware update from Microsoft were disappointed on Tuesday when the company didn’t deliver on schedule. Microsoft had said it would release an update on 20 March that would correct a problem that caused songs purchased on the Zune Marketplace to skip when users would first play them…. Users also reported having problems synching their Zunes with their PCs and were hoping the update will correct this, too.”

MacDailyNews Take: We imagine that if you’re challenged enough to buy a Zune in the first place, then you’re certainly predisposed to be disappointed when Microsoft fails to deliver their spaghettiware when promised.

Full article here.

Also in related news, Metroxing reported just this past Monday, “Roughlydrafted.com has looked at the NPD numbers for January 2007 and extrapolated Zune sales to be about 29,000 units … From Microsoft’s Press Release just prior to the Zune going on sale: Retailing for $249.99, the Zune device will be available at nearly 30,000 U.S. retailers tomorrow. So, in essence, Microsoft managed to sell ONE Zune for each store.”

Full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: They could paint the pieces of crap with 24-karat gold and still nobody with an IQ over 70 would buy them.

Related articles:
Microsoft strongly advises Australians to avoid buying Zunes – March 07, 2007
Buh-bye: Senior Zune exec exits Microsoft – January 31, 2007
Last quarter: Microsoft lost $289 million on Zune, CE devices – January 26, 2007
End those embarrassing ‘Zune Moments’ with ‘iFace’ Apple iPhone cover – January 17, 2007
RealMoney’s Comeau predicts: ‘Microsoft will kill the first Zune media player by midyear’ – December 16, 2006
Zune: Welcome to the social isolation – December 11, 2006
Thurrott reviews Microsoft Zune: ‘a joke, a travesty, I can’t imagine what they were thinking’ – November 28, 2006
Ihnatko: Microsoft Zune experience about as pleasant as having an airbag deploy in your face – November 24, 2006
TheStreet.com: It’s not looking good for Microsoft’s Zune; bad press may taint brand for years – November 24, 2006
Microsoft’s Zune selling like snotcakes – November 15, 2006
Dvorak: ‘If anything is doomed to failure, it’s Microsoft’s Zune’ – November 14, 2006