Microsoft bringing Zune software to Apple OSX?

September 23, 2010 | By Surur

zune software for osx As usual scouring Microsoft’s job boards is quite productive. On this occasion we have some evidence that Microsoft is looking to bringing their Windows Phone 7 desktop client, the Zune software and service, to Apple’s computers and operating system.

The job posting , for a senior software design engineer in Windows Phone, talks about producing tamper-resistant software on “Windows, Windows Phone 7, Xbox and Mac OS X” and asks for an engineer with DRM and Cryptography experience.

OSX support for Microsoft phones are not unprecedented – Microsoft made a similar gesture with the KIN phones by bundling 3rd party software, but this appears to be a native and more ambitious effort.

While OSX is around 3% of the computer market worldwide it presents around 1 in 10 computers and USA and a vocal minority, with lack of synchronization with Apple computers being a common complaint in online reviews.

See the full job posting after the break.

Software Design Engineer, Senior-Windows Phone (731601) Job

Date: Sep 22, 2010

Location: Redmond, WA, US

Job Category: Software Engineering: Development
Location: United States, WA, Redmond
Job ID: 731601 24950
Division: Entertainment & Devices Division

Are you interested in building the cutting-edge software protection that is resistant to software piracy? Are you excited to build next generation software on different platforms including Windows, Windows Phone 7, Xbox and Mac OS X? The Content Access Protection team within the Interactive Entertainment Business is seeking for an experience senior developer to build robust, high performance tamper-resistant solution to protect software intellectual property on different hardware and OS platforms. We are looking for a creative and highly motivated developer with strong communication skills, proven technical leadership and passion for innovation.

You must possess solid software development skills using C/C++, strong knowledge or experience in several of the following areas:
• Cryptography and number theory
• Compiler design and implementation
• Reverse engineering and software forensic analysis
• Security research and penetration test
• Assembly on x86, x64 and ARM
• Modern OS architecture and internals
• Digital Rights Management System, content anti-piracy
• Advanced debugging
• Software performance profiling and tuning

About Surur

Site Admin and Windows Phone enthusiast, he has been using Windows Mobile devices since before they were called PocketPC’s. He is currently sporting a HTC 7 Trophy.

Tagged software, windows phone 7, zune

OOOO

i dont know, like ballmer said mac people will get an iphone because they are blind
djguapo

Thurrott already addressed this in the comments section of this article: http://windowsphonesecrets.com/2010/09/22/the-fut…

It will be exactly what it was for KIN: music-loader; no more, no less.
Scott

Geez, what's next?? Android?? (pleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease!!!)
efjay

Great, porting to mac so they can laugh in your face when they see the crappy 8GB storage compared to their 32GB iphones, another great move MS!! :S
CalumCookable

What an utter waste of development time this would be for Microsoft. Beyond the Mac's miniscule market share, aren't Mac users much less likely to be using Hotmail, Skydrive, Xbox LIVE, and so on? Integration with these services is one of the primary reasons to get a Windows Phone… I say, let the Mac users enjoy their little toy computers exactly as Apple intended them. Let them suffer iTunes. Let them fork out for MobileMe. They love the pain.

http://twitter.com/AaronCT123 @AaronCT123

I get the whole "they won't be using Hotmail or Skydrive but Xbox Live? Really? What exactly is the basis for that?

HG23

I think MS made a big mistake with the Zune by limiting it; limiting it to the US, limiting it's exposure, limiting its advertising for the device. They probably don't want to do the same thing to Windows Phone 7

CalumCookable

No Mac support is a non-issue when you have over ONE BILLION, YES BILLION WITH A "B" Windows customers who can use a Windows Phone.

kridek

A good way will be to use Silverlight 4 to run Zune client. Making it to work on Windows and Mac
ekadoken

Apple users are sheep, dont bother MS.
Chris.

what the hell are you talking about?!
I'm saving up my money to buy a macbook pro (crazy prizes!) for school but I'm a windows-user, always been. Been dealing with PC's for over 12 years now and been using (mostly dads) smartphone since they were called pocketPC (5.0 – which he still uses btw , thank god for the HD2).
I would love to see MS porting better applications for the apple user bias – hence apple users see how good MS stuff is (and maybe move over).
so please, each one to his own and stop bullshitting everyone who has another opinion.. grow up folks.
sfg

people actually still use mac?
http://www.facebook.com/sethjeffery Seth Jeffery

I have a Mac Book Pro and I use boot camp to run Windows 7 on it. I have a Windows Phone 7 device and an iPod and so yes I would be very happy to see Zune working on my OS X partition. I develop against OS X and Windows, iPhone and Windows Phone, so Zune on Mac would be a very welcome update for me.