Hello from Seattle, a roll of eyes from Cupertino

I won't make fun of Microsoft for the way its Zune tries to out-iPod the iPod.

(Oh, Microsoft makes the Zune? - Aha. I know the packaging doesn't say it, but yeah, totally.)

There are three reasons: 1. Everyone's doing it, 2. If you have to copy a music player, copy the iPod, and 3. A lot of iPod's features are rather obvious and don't need to be reinvented.

But I will offer a pitying chuckle at the way Microsoft just can't come up with anything new or interesting (let alone sweet) even when they're trying to be nonchalantly friendly.

Here's the back of the Zune. And if you thought that was only similar to Apple's "Designed by Apple in California" in spirit, here's something of Apple's it's more similar to in a more literal way: the Apple Mail icon.