Good to hear some updates are about to roll out!  Never having used the marketplace I can't comment but it is always good to hear things are moving forward for our beloved friend the Zune.

now if only we can get some firmware updates...

yeah, new firmware and software (with Podcast support) that would be great ;)

Yeah. Podcasts. I need podcasts.

It just had to be during school...I was already planning to stay up tonight...I guess I'll check it out at school.

cool to hear that someone is doing something with that site.  It appears relatively static.  

Off topic, I updated to Vista and I hate to say it but the zune software runs even slower on this.  But, the rest of Vista has been fantastic so far.  Operating systems is their bread and butter and they got it right.  For once, something works right...the first time.  Good job MS.  

Good to see that Zune.net is getting a useful update.  Since I reside at Xbox.com so much, that will probably still be my place to purchase MS points digitally.

Sounds like one of the more recent xbox.com updates, which enabled you to see all your purchases, when you made them, when you added MS points........  I thought it was pretty cool.  I like how Microsoft is making Zune and XBox seem equal and integrated; I especially like them both using the same point system.

Credit where credit is due -- This is another useful feature that has never appeared in the iTunes/iPod system.

I don't think I'd use it much, but it's hard to say since I've never had the option (I'm an iPod user). But giving the consumer more access and control over their own account is *always* a good thing.

While I think the Zune platform has some big fundamental problems (wireless without purpose, no podcasts, the Microsoft Points system), it's refreshing to hear that the Zune team seems to appreciate the "little things." Things like this will rarely show up in a marketing brochure or feature list. But they affect the user experience.

This is something that competitors usually underestimate about Apple. Apple usually gets the little things right, and over time that adds up to a lot.

It's crazy...Vista Media Center cannot read or recognize Zune playlists.  Again, why don't the different Microsoft teams communicate?  Why wouldn't your "media" center be able to play your own, proprietary music playlists?  Makes. No. Sense.  Sorry to be an arse, but things like this continue to hurt Microsoft.  And, unfortunately, the Zune team usually has no clue.  I'm not saying these people don't work hard.   I know nothing about their jobs and roles at MS. But, I do know some things need fixing.  Note to MS: Hire more people to work on this thing and get it right, or just give up.

BJ - any chance you could download the zune software from zune.net and write up your thoughts?

Cesar, Is there any chance that you could share when there will be another firmware/software update?  Your peeps are craving some real juice.  Will we get podcast support on this generation Zune, will we get video's on the marketplace this quarter?  Will we get a clock with a sleep timer?  Will we get added wifi features?  I know plenty of folks that are holding our buying a Zune until they get these answers.  The current Zune believers want to believe that they made the right decision in supporting the Zune.  Microsoft has been very quite about the future of Zune and it's killing/frustrating to so many.  Will this generation of Zune give us some more love?

BJ- The MS Points system is an attempt at making microtransactions feasible. It's slightly more obvious when you look at the Xbox Marketplace. Imagine downloadable content for say $0.25. Given that this is more than the typical transaction fee for credit card purchases, you can't make a one-time charge for this. So instead of disallowing low-priced content, you have the customer purchase larger increments in advance (alternatively you could do something like billing monthly, but there are other issues associated with that).

Apple supposedly gets around this by hoping you'll buy multiple songs at a time and billing you once a day for everything that day (never used iTMS, so I can't confirm). At $1/song, the credit card fee is less significant than for cheaper content, but it's still a huge percentage.

And finally, if I had to guess why it's a point system instead of US Dollars, I'd say it comes from the Xbox Marketplace existing in so many countries. It's simpler to bill people for points at a set exchange rate than to try to price each piece of content for every market. Look at Major Nelson's Xbox blog; he can say a theme costs 150 points no matter what currency you are using.

BTW- I've yet to see or hear an actual explanation from MS about this, so the above is actually why I would consider a point system as opposed to a $1 charge per song system. It may simply be coincidence that there are logical explanations for the choice (but between the various prepaid N-song cards sold in stores for iTunes, Napster, etc. and the point system used by Nintendo, I have to imagine that its based on the economics of microtransactions).

PDT? Is it summer already?

oops, gene. Changed to PST :)

hope this upgrade of your side of the "network" helps with all the problems i have since i upgraded to a new pc with vista.

Since i got my new computer I have been unable to play any of my zune pass songs on the zune software and every single time i try to sync my zune it will ask me to sign in as a guest.

More than 3 hours of custumer support later i still can not get any solutions.

lea - email me (contact info below) with details. I'll see what I can do.

Holy junk!  The "more" was an email newsletter?  Probably would have been better to just say "new zune newsletter" instead of getting hopes up for a firmware update.

Tom, noted for next time. Not sure how you go from "more" to a firmware update, though. When we do a firmware update, I'll do a post like this, for future reference:

http://zuneinsider.com/archive/2006/12/19/zune-compatible-with-vista-today.aspx

And I don't have news on a firmware update (at least that I can share and still keep my job ;)

Lea, I uninstalled the zune and turned off my virus protection.  Then, I reinstalled it and it happened to work.  I'm not sure if this was a coincidence or if norton has something to do with it.  I couldn't use marketplace songs and it would always say retrieving items from maretpalce and get hung there.  Now, Im scared to turn the antivirus on because I fear the zune software will crash again. Unfortunately, Vista and Zune don't seem to get along too well thus far....yeah, you know, the little things.

"Omniture Inc., a provider of online business software, said Tuesday software giant Microsoft Corp. hired the company to analyze ways to improve its Zune online music store."

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8N49MFO0.htm

Another hopeful sign...

The "more" is just a newsletter. Is there more?

I know this is extremely off topic but I wouldn't mind hearing an explanation about this:

http://www.whatswrongwithu.com/

When the Zune supports podcasting, it will stop gathering dust.  I haven't used mine for months

Wow. Interesting message straight from Steve Jobs on the vagaries of Digital Rights Management...

http://www.apple.com/hotnews/thoughtsonmusic/

Fascinating stuff!

Cesar, care to comment? What's the Microsoft stance?

I'm not sure, 'less. IMHO (don't have the official word, yet), it seems like Steve is following in Bill G's theoretical footsteps - http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/14/bill-gates-on-the-future-of-drm/

That DRM doesn't work seems to be *one* thing Bill G and Steve J agree on. Good! It'll be really exciting how this develops.

I'm curious as to the timing of Jobs' release - think this could be Apple's opening salvo in a renegotiation war with the major labels?

A shift away from DRM would be great for consumers, but maybe not for businesses -- I don't see how a subscription service (Zune Pass, Rhapsody, Napster, etc.) could survive *without* DRM, so add that muscle to the record labels' backward thinking, and I feel like we're stuck with it for a looooong while.

Or maybe I'm just a pessimist...

"Not sure how you go from "more" to a firmware update, though."

You must not be following the zune communities then.  People are falling all over themselves asking for the product to get an update.  There were people <a href="http://www.zunescene.com/forums/index.php?topic=10535.0">waiting up until past midnight</a> last night thinking that a firmware update might be released.  This is because some people find it bewildering that no update has been given yet.  

You mention that you can't mention anything because you could lose your job why?

Is it because there is no schedule for updates, and to promise one from a Microsoft employee writing about the product and subsequently let down consumers would be a punishable offense?

Or

The update is planned but it is too far off to allude to?

Or

There is an update planned in the near future, but you are not authorized to give any advanced warning (read "a week or two) on an impending update?

Or

You have no idea really, so to say that a firmware update is in the works would be a false statement causing you to lose your job?

It doesn't really seem to matter which of these are true, because it still leaves Zune owners with no updates.  The product is from a public point of view at a standstill, and the Zune group won't commit or communicate the intention of any kind of roadmap for improvements to the product.

Everyone from Bill on down has said that there are many things that can be done to improve the Zune experience, January is over--when are we going to see some improvements?

tom, thanks for letting me know about that - I hadn't been to that forum for a little bit. I'll pass that feedback along to the team - let's see if they'll let me spill at least a tidbit.

DRM free?  People in the US are complaining about government phone monitoring.  Can you imagine the police powers needed to be sure whole industries aren't sabotaged just because digital copying is easy to do?

Cool.  Thanks for looking at that, people really want to see this product shine.

Is this update going to give us lossless audio file support on the device?

If not when are we getting lossless support?

swanlee, can you tell the difference between Lossless... and WMA Professional @ CBR 192Kbps (Zune software can't rip using it, but WMP 11 can & the Zune devices will play it) or WMA @ VBR Q98?

I can barely tell the difference when Zune transcodes my Lossless stuff down to WMA "standard" @ 192 Kbps.  My wish: If the Zune software could transcode my Lossless stuff down to WMA Pro automatically at sync instead of "old" WMA... then I'd be happy.  Perfect quality on PC, and great quality/size on the Zune device.  (Cesar? Bribe a product manager, please.  Use that WMA Pro capability!)

I love Lossless, but I can't see wasting the space on the Zune device itself.

"I love Lossless, but I can't see wasting the space on the Zune device itself."

That's not the point, I just want to option to put lossless audio on the zune, nearly every other portable media device supports at least one form of lossless audio file, why did the zune completely miss out on this?

The zune should at least support WMA lossless

most other devices at least support .wav

For more important recordings and recordings I'm very familiar with yes I can tell a difference between WMA 192KBPS and lossless, I do not like the shimmering effect and issues with cymbols that make them sound like tin foil that audio compression tends to produce.

Giving the option of lossless doesn't mean everything I'm going to put on the zune is lossless but either way I'd like to be able to choose how I use the 30GB on the zune.

30gb would give you about 50 full quality non compressed cd's of space and that's not bad at all.

The toshiba gigabeat does lossless no reason the zune shouldn't

gah my zune program will NOT sign me onto the online market.    Y?   i've made sure that everything is correct several time and idk wats going on help

I purchased the zune software Dec 25, 2007.

I am returning the zune to Dell and I wish to cancel the software.

I paid $32.... on my discover card. the zune is not compatable with Rhapsody and i want to stay with rhapsody due to paid songs,albums---

Please reply by return e-mail when credit applied.  Thank you  pierce240991@bellsiuth.net