“In my brief comments yesterday on the new touchscreen Zune HD that is set to debut September 15, I noted: Clearly, the Zune HD is going to be compared to the iPod Touch. Its biggest shortcoming is that it’s just a media player and web browser; no apps, no games,” John Gruber writes for Daring Fireball.

“Well, it ends up third-party apps are on Microsoft’s agenda for the Zune HD, and they’re attempting to court at least some successful indie iPhone developers to port their apps to the Zune,” Gruber reports.

“After my post, I got an email from the developer of an iPhone Twitter client. He was contacted by Microsoft a few months ago, with an offer to port his app to the Zune in exchange for ‘a bucket of money.’ He turned them down, but assumes, as I do, that Microsoft reached out to the developers of multiple popular iPhone apps,” Gruber reports.

Full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: When your product name long ago became a euphemism for fecal matter, no amount of money is going to save it. The Zune has always been a “me-too” product. There is no reason for Zune to even exist; it’s just another example of Microsoft’s mismanagement. Zune is a perpetual iPod follower – and at a significant distance, too. There’s never been any good reason to buy a Zune. “Squirt” to whom? If you want a two-year old iPod, just go to eBay or wherever and get a two-year old iPod. As always, Microsoft’s failed Zune will get its annual steamrollering from Apple in just a few weeks.

All that said, we strongly encourage Microsoft to continue with their Zune effort for as long as possible as its very existence continuously reinforces Microsoft’s image as an Apple wannabe who peddles inferior, derivative products to the ignorant.

Of course, we close with our usual toast: May Steve Ballmer remain Microsoft’s CEO for as long as it takes!