Zune packaging update-- the Zune's about-face on the shelves

Since the Zune has hit stores, we've gotten a couple of comments about my Zune packaging post way back. To wit, ikyouCrow writes:

the back of the box actually has a picture of the zune with some media playing on it. maybe that should've been on the front, eh?

And enjoi writes on the Next Net:

What you forgot to mention was, THERE IS A PICTURE OF THE ZUNE ON THE BOX. Turn it aroumnd you dult.every single store ive been to has the zune imagine on the box facing tword the customers. Its funny how people will ignore certain parts of a story to help their argument.

Dult?

Anyway, this brings up an interesting point. Namely, that the back of the Zune box is a million times more interesting and engaging than the front. So why not make the front of the box the back? Because the front is where they put the Zune logo.

Of course, there's no reason that a package has to have a specific front or back, unless it is a book or a cereal box. But either way, the Zune's box has one side that has a lovely attention-attracting photo, and another side that is almost completely blank.

This all just feeds into my previous point that Microsoft (MSFT) missed the mark with the Zune's packaging. Perhaps their intent was for retailers to have half or all of the packages ass-backward on the shelves. In that case, why not make the back the front, and do something more interesting with what is now the back? And if this wasn't MS's intention, then what does it say that retailers are spurning MS's attempt at minimalism?

So, enjoi, please share a little more detail. At these stores, are all the Zunes backwards? Or just half? Or just a couple? And in which of these cases was it smart for MS to have one side of the package be a near-featureless brown expanse?

(Photo courtesy of swiped from Engadget.)