This morning I had a chance to speak with Scott Erickson, Senior Product Manager for the Microsoft Zune. The Zune, in case you managed to escape the buzz, is a music and video playing handheld device set to launch tomorrow.

Fabienne: The Zune has had such a big buzz on the internet, are there any sorts of differences in the review models that will change with the production model of the device?

Scott Erickson: The devices we sent out for review are the same as those in stores tomorrow. There were some misconceptions in the form of early screen shots that weren't actually from the device.

Fabienne: Are you looking forward with relief to the launch tomorrow after such a long pre-buzz?

Scott Erickson: No, not at all. [laughing] Yes of course, it's going to be one of the largest Microsoft product launches with 30,000 retail outlets including interactive kiosks at retailers. We'll also have the Zune at music stores such as the Virgin Megastore.

Fabienne: What is your favorite part about the Zune -- in the interface, the hardware, or elsewhere?

Sometimes when all the political hype gets me down, it lifts my spirits to see a small glimmer of humor. Wading through the trenches of hurtful comments yesterday, I found myself laughing with glee. Why you ask? Oh simply because the comment "I like fried spam!" had been reported as spam.

Tomorrow the political frenzy culminates with the midterm elections. Follow the nail biting conclusion to all the mudslinging here: http://www.netscape.com/tag/election+2006/

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