cool cesar, thanks. it's great to see that you guys are listening, i havn't come across any other company that has an "insider" blog or has as much transparency as the zune project does. Keep this up!

woooot!! thanks guys:)

Sounds like a plan and a good one at that. Your effort and time is very much appreciated.

Any updates on a Zune "Wish" feature? I used to love how MS had this open..... Can you set something up?

What yah really need to focus on is the bug that makes the Zune randomly crash while listening to music while connected to the 360.

i could sure use an update for the Car Accessory kit. My FM Transmitter doesn't give out a very good audio signal at all. :(

ddv

My Zune frequently shuts down radomly and becomes unresponsive for about 1 minute.  This is very annoying.  I have a call into support.  They had me do a full restore (the one that is triggered on the Zune, not via the software), but the problem still remains.  They said if the restore doesn't fix the problem, they will exchange my Zune with another one.  That is great, but I don't see the point if it will just happen with the next Zune too, since it seems to be a widespread issue (see any Zune forum for threads on this).

So the question is, has the Dev team acknowledged a problem with the Zune hardware (I doubt this is software related) and fixed the problem on newer batches of Zunes?  If so, I think I will do the exchange, but if the problem has not been fixed, I don't see the point in the exchange at this time.

Thanks.

Mine shuts down too. I've gotten used to it :)

I'm pretty sure this is due to a (sometimes unnoticeable) static electricity shock entering from your headphones into the device. It shuts off as a safety mechanism.

I know (atleast here) that the air is very dry and it's mega cold so I get the shut offs a lot.

One solution I've seen suggesting is wrapping a peice of black wire tape along the inside rim of the headphone input.

Might be worth a try.

I can't wait!

Thanks. (MARCH 20th!) (MARCH 20th!) (MARCH 20th!)

Tell James we need Lossless audio support on the Device or the Fluffy Bunnies are gonna start getting executed :)

I get crashes when I'm watching videos on my Zune while riding my bike. You gotta fix that one. It hurts.

Ok. Thanks. anything new ?

James,

It's great to hear from you.  Does this mean you're going to start your own blog, too, so Cesar can get a little relief ;)?

I'm waiting for the news headline "Flash-Zune Beats Apple and Sandisk Offerings".

Make it happen! :-)

Okkk....Okkk great so you guys actually read all those powerful posts by me and others.

I'm glad that this is becoming more centered to you guys. Just to add, if you plan on adding features, of course have the obvious:

clock

podcasts

audiobooks

lossless support (WAV would be fine since it's supported by Microsoft)

MPEG4 or DivX

wireless sync

wireless downloading from hotspots

You guys add all these features and advertise it on TV and you'll have people rushing out with $250 ready to buy the Zune. Hell, with these features, people will simply call the Zune "innovative, and revolutionary".

Don't let Apple do it first...

Also, the flash zune will better be a mother touchscreen because this is what Apple will be doing next...

HI, all, i really have some recommendation for the zune hardware(the OS),

what about

1st improve the shuffle feature, like make us chose  weather we like the zune to make the play-list randomly (mess up the play-list or any list) or make the zune chose the track without mess it up(*1*)

second add a nice feature (i did think of it)

and the feature will be

if you ware navigating your music(not playing), you ware listening to a track that it's close to end up, and than you should make the zune chose   to play what you did pass by (like, by a mistake choice)

tired, please I'm using a huge play list, a play list that contain like 1000 track

so if i navigate it, how do i now that track that belongs to this artist @@, so please change the way of the play list appearance, like artist/track, or make us decide witch way we want it to appears (*2*)

forth make the wireless ability really exist, how about a station to broadcast video and Internet radio or some smiler PLEASE @@ :)

*1* make the shuffle like winamp software, actually satisfy me @@

*2* make the play list appearance like winamp

and thanks

Just to get my 2 cents in...today was the first time since launch that my zune started randomly shutting off and it was probably due to the fact that it was -40°F outside for the first time since then.  It went back to normal everytime I'd step inside where it was warm tho....so I wasn't too bothered.

And also...switching it from my pants pockets to my (much warmer) jacket pockets permanently fixed that issue later in the afternoon.  I wonder wut this thing's operating temp. is...

I find it hard to get exciting about anything in the ipod/zune/digital media space anymore really... My most recent "dilemma" is whether to get a PSP or DS. Yeah, one more thing bulging up the pockets.  

Again, I continue to think that a gaming/entertainment convergence device with zune branding is the way to take this "platform."  Not a phone, not a messaging device, but something that plays to MS's strengths in the gaming industry.  

And about abandoning this generation... Well, I'm just curious to see how many generations this thing will have.  In the beginning, I thought it was going to be an all out assault on the market with several devices in an extremely short amount of time.  I'm now beginnig to understand why you guys keep shouting out that it's a multiyear thing.  It's because you realized that it was going to take until at least year 3 to get things moving at the pace MS is willing to move in.  It's seems like they don't really want to or can't afford to go all the way with this thing....I dont know if its the risks? The small team?  Both? Whatever it is, it feels like MS has one foot in the water, which is never going to be enough to dethrone Apple or keep even MS loyalists excited.  Just to be clear, if it takes 1 full year to produce the next batch of Zunes and they miss the mark, I don't think recovering will be a possibility.

Thanks, if you guys can just keep us updated with "guesstimates" of when the updates are due out, that would go a long way.  The silence hurts more than it helps.

K

I guess you might call this a suggestion or a question, but are there going to be more zunes created with a bigger hard drive like 50 or 60GB zunes? Just Wondering

There is a reason why Apple doesn't have a blog. If you want to surprise us, don't have a conversation :) A semblance of transparency will work against you.

Thanks for listening to us. When I "see" the update I'll be happier.

It's nice to know that MS is listening to the Zune community

Holy Crap...An actually comment from an actually tech guy!  Nice MS.

BTW just to be an arse...MAYBE IF YOU WEREN'T SPENDING YOUR TIME "PUNKING" CESAR YOU COULD WRITE THE 2 LINES OF CODE TO GET A CLOCK ON THE DISPLAY!  

Anyways thanks for letting me know that my Zune still has potential and that my Gen 1 purchase was not the worst mistake I made.

It's really nice to have you guys listen and respond like in this post. But note that just because we are committeed, the rest of the crowd isn't, and if there aren't features/models that aren't delivered soon enough for you guys to catch up (video store, podcast support, games, additional apps, and yes, please, a clock) and improve the current innovative features so they impress other people as well (video sharing, advanced wireless features, etc.), then we will feel a lot more excited about again talking about the Zune to my friends and switch them over. Because as of now, I officially gave up...Zune isn't yet ready for the mainstream kinda of people. I wish it were different... :(

Oh and I forgot to say, that it's posts like this that get me excited about Zune's future again, but now I'm a bit more careful with sharing the ideas with my friends because they have a different perspective on the way companies work...but at least it reassures the Zune enthusiast community, now all is left is some results!...I'm so excited. :)

thanks for all the hard work! I know the Zune will just keep on getting better! (and I'm a Mac user, iPod-to-Zune switcher!)

it would be nice to have the following:

clock/calender

weather(possibly)

wireless downloading from hotspots

oh, and also when i plug in my zune to my computer, the software freezes sometimes when i sync the music, oh, and it doesn't sync all the music to my zune and it has some music that isn't on my library. i dunno if this is a bug or its just my library/settings.

awesome that i can give my 2 cents :)

Mine shuts down too. However, I've found that simply flipping it to "Hold" and back will turn it right back on. :-D

Hope that helps.

Oh, one other thing that I meant to mention a few days ago. This is so exciting to have this sort of communication, even if it's not perfect (for the understandable sake of business). What makes it more exciting is to compare it to the communication (or lack thereof) between owners of other major mp3 devices (not just the fruity ones) and their respective dev teams. This is a big reason why we are part of the social, and they're just missing the party. They're all still invited of course. :-D

Hey that flip to hold thing works for me, too. I thought I had a faulty Zune and was planning to replace it with a new one. I have been hearing so many faults that I am trying to be happy with the one I have.

I love it when the upper-management chimes in and say, "By the way, we're listening." It's very re-assuring.

Oh, and since you're listening, James, can I borrow 40 bucks?

I figured I might as well ask...

:)

Stop asking for a clock! I don't think it's possible since a clock functionality has to be hard wired into the device so that it constantly has power. If you must know the time so badly, get a watch.

I really hope in the next firmware update, the Zune team could improve the battery life of Zune.

   After charging it, after listening to a few songs, the battery is drained already. If you realize, all the Zune Reviews on the net including video and text ( probably about 90%) shows Zune without a full battery indicator.

 What does it says about the Zune?

 I would think what is the use of having a great device where the user will have to charge it everytime ( and not use it long enough before charging) and in the end will in turn affect the battery of the device itself by charging too many times. Improve Zune's battery life, i must say :)

Another one thing, is Mac Compatiblity. I have a Zune and i intend to buy a Macbook, how? Okay, don't talk about me. What about other users, with Mac OS at home, naturally f they were considering Zune but it is not mac compatitble, they will go for iPod. And those with iPod and Mac OS, considering a switch to Zune, they can't. Defnitely, Zune will lose a share of its users by being only compatitble to Windows. For example like the iPod, i don't think it will achieve such great success without the compatitbility with Mac and Windows, because the majority of the people are using Windows.

Hmm, why don't the Zune team think that way, putting Mac compatitblity into the Zune device, since many users are switching to Mac now , right? :)

I agree - If you use Windows and you are planing on buying a Mac in the future, you can reformat your iPod to use on that Mac. If I buy a Zune, I won't be able to reformat for a Mac. Add to that the majority of music producers, writers, DJs or other creative types that use Macs (roughly 26 million users). Guess they wont be able to take advantage of that great 3/3 sharing ;-)

my zune has developed the aggravating shut down issue as well. It's actually a pause and not a full shutdown. I am also having some issues my existing library not playing some songs. my entire led zeppelin collection does not seem to want to play.

James, Cesar,

Good to hear from you, and thanks for the latest info!  I'm excited to see what this, and future updates have in store.  I'll keep in touch...

It's crazy, you keep seeing the same comments over and over again..clock, games, more apps, more wireless functinality...

In all of those focus group sessions, did they not hear these things?  Or, did they not have enough time.  Or, worst case scenario, did they just ignore it?

Can I please say this: WHY THE F DO YOU PEOPLE CARE ABOUT A CLOCK?  I can't figure out what the big deal is and I'm getting tired of hearing about it.  Games? Don't care about them myself but at least I could understand it.  More wireless features?  Of course.  That's where I want the developers spending their time, not a stupid clock.  

Will there be support for asian characters (korean , Chinese and Japanese) in the zune for the next release?  It's annoying looking at square boxes next to song names, artists and albums

Here is another suggestion for the Marketplace/WMP software...

When you add a new folder to monitor, or need to update a folder, it'd be great if that folder was scanned first, instead of the all-or-nothing approach currently implemented.  I update podcasts via another software application (FeedYourZune), and after it's done, I want the casts to show up immediately.  Unfortunatly, I can't force just a scan of that folder.  And since I have a folder with 4000+ pictures, it takes forever before my videos show up.  

Thanks,

John

John, I'm surprised it takes a long time for your podcasts etc to show up.  As soon as I download anything to My Music folder (for example) it shows up almost immediately on the Zune software.  Once in a great while it doesn't but when I righ tclick on the file and choos "Play with Zune" it then shows up immediately.

The clock will be very useful for MOST people.  Most IPOD owners use the clock to set alarms and do the sleep timer function.  Since this thing has a processor, it has a clock on board.  There is so rational reason to NOT want a clock.  If you won't use it, then you shouldn't care either way.  Why get so upset about it?  If you care about Zunes future success, then you should let Zune have the features that so many people want, even if you don't.  I know some people that don't even use the Zune to play music, they only store videos.  Should they get on here and say, Zune should no longer support mp3's! That's what a ipod shuffle is for!  Get a grip, these are just ideas here.  Please don't try to stiffle the process.

The shut downs is a big issue.  Some say that flipping the hold switch will fix it.  Sometimes that is the case, but most of the time, my Zune completely shuts down and is completely unresponsive.  This lasts for a minute and then it reboots itself. This is VERY annoying, especially when listening to a Podcast or playlist (even worse when on shuffle) because you have to go back to where you left off.

This NEVER happened with my iPod no matter what I was doing.  Never.

Some suggest that it is the cold weather.  I live in MN and it is cold, but the shut downs happen when I am in the house or at the office.  The cold weather breeds dry air and thus more static electricity.  However, the Zune shutting down to "protect" itself from static electricity is not a good reason for me.  Among other thigs, I use my Zune while walking on the treadmill and doing laundry.  Both create a lot of static electricity which causes my Zune to shut down frequently.  In one case, it shut down 3 times in 15 minutes.  That makes it completely unusable.  Worthless.  I don't care if this is a "safety" mechanism against static electricity because once again, my iPod NEVER did this.

I don't think it is too much to ask for a $250 mp3 player to work.  It is a DEFECT and I think a large number of Zunes have it and should be replaced free of charge.

That being said, customer service has agreed to give me a new Zune, but I want the Dev team to confirm that they have admitted to this issue and have fixed it before I go through the hassle of exchanging it only to have my second Zune do the same thing.

Cesar,

Any word on this?

Jivemasta: Of course the Zune has an internal clock! How do you think the Zune determines when three days are up for 3x3 tracks?

sjgmoney: If adding an external clock display to the Zune consumes a lot of development time, then the Zune dev team must be tiny and untalented/lazy, which I sincerely doubt is the case.

Surrealist and Daveworld: Although Mac compatibility would be nice, it's not going to happen any time in the near future because Microsoft's DRM (PlaysForSure and its Zune variant) doesn't work on the Mac. Microsoft claims that's because Apple won't allow them access to the OS X kernel to insert low-level DRM hooks. You will note, however, that Apple's FairPlay DRM manages to work on Windows without access to the Windows kernel. That is to say, DRM *can* be developed in a cross-platform manner, but the way Microsoft implemented its DRM means it can't be ported to other platforms. Besides, Microsoft doesn't really want to encourage you to switch away from (profit-generating) Windows and still buy a (money-losing) Zune. ;-)

Daveworld (and PC users switching to Mac): A PC-formatted iPod (FAT) will work just fine on the Mac. If you plan on using an iPod on both Macs and PCs, it's best to leave it PC-formatted. You do have the *option* to reformat the iPod to HFS+ (the Mac's native file system). Reading from/writing to HFS+ is significantly faster than FAT on the Mac, and HFS+ has wider file-name support than FAT. The downside is that PCs will not be able to read a Mac-formatted iPod without additional (non-free) software.

Much of the creative and entertainment industries do use Macs, so for the Zune to become very popular, Microsoft will have to address this DRM incompatibility issue at some point. If such a move is not possible, taking the Zune project in a gaming direction, as sportsunit suggests, might be the way to go. At any rate, the Windows Zune software needs a *lot* of work before Microsoft can afford to spare development resources for a Mac version.

sportsunit: Your focus group question is interesting in a philosophical sort of way. I think that focus groups tend to request flashy features (e.g. games, expanded wireless functionality) while missing stuff that becomes apparent only during day-to-day use (e.g. clock, Unicode support, syncing issues). Big flashy features presumably took too much time (and/or money) to develop and were relegated to firmware updates or future models. Not getting the mundane stuff right from day one is, in my opinion, far more devastating to the future of the platform.

I experienced the random shutdowns, I retuned it to Microsoft for a replacement. I was without my $249 Zune for about three weeks. The problem still exists but it is not worth the time investment to deal with a problem Microsoft does not seem to have a solution for.

You know what I would like to see, a clock and an ebook reader (.lit or just .txt). The screen is big enough for that.

sjgmoney said:

"Can I please say this: WHY THE F DO YOU PEOPLE CARE ABOUT A CLOCK?  I can't figure out what the big deal is and I'm getting tired of hearing about it.  Games? Don't care about them myself but at least I could understand it.  More wireless features?  Of course.  That's where I want the developers spending their time, not a stupid clock.  "

Let me explain how I use the clock and timer on my iPod. Perhaps then you'll understand why it might be important to some people.

On the iPod, it's possible to display the time either as a standalone full screen clock (with multiple cities or time zones), or you can have the time displayed in the iPod's "title bar". I find the title bar display incredibly convenient when I'm at the gym, on a cardio device that might not be facing a wall with a clock on it. I don't wear a watch to the gym.

The iPod also has a stopwatch feature with lap timer that even records sessions for later comparison. I'm sure this leverages the built-in timekeeping functions of the iPod hardware.

Surely the Zune has similar hardware, and implementing a clock with stopwatch/timer shouldn't be a great deal of work. It seems like core functionality to me.

These days, it is rare to find electronic devices that *don't* have clocks.

Surrealist. mentioned Mac compatibility. Let me second that. Like I said though, if Microsoft wants to sell the Zune to Mac users, the experience will have to be second to none. Mac users are a notoriously critical bunch, and they won't hold back their disdain if the experience isn't first class. Not even Apple itself is above reproach.

well spoken, 'less :)

The most important reason for having a clock IMO is to set it to turn OFF! It comes in handy with the iPod (or other DAPs). For instance I sometime fall asleep while listening to an Audiobook on the iPod, try doing that with the current Zune. Oh and speaking about Audiobooks, it would be great if the Zune supported it. But without the ability to bookmark (or resume) (except for Videos) on the current Zune, it becomes pointless to play any Audiobooks. Same thing with podcast and bookmaking.

Catch-up to the current iPod, add a few more cool features, losen the wifi restrictions and you have a customer!

James: I don't think anyone seriously believed that Microsoft was abandoning the first-generation Zune, so your comments, while reassuring to the early adopters, don't really provide any new information. The Zune launch reminds me quite a bit of when Wal*Mart came to my hometown. Rather than building up from a solid foundation, Wal*Mart built just one very tall wall of their new store. So when a small storm blew through town and toppled over the wall, Wal*Mart had to rebuild from scratch. It seems like the Zune team tried to build high (exciting wireless sharing!!) without building a solid foundation (flawless automatic syncing??).

That kind of approach leaves the entire project subject to failure. Consumers expect that basic features present on other portable media players will also be included with the Zune. Missing basic features inevitably lead to disappointment; broken basic features (skipping on Marketplace tracks, random shutdowns, imperfect automatic syncing) quickly result in frustration and anger. Sure, most of the little things can be added later via firmware updates, but not before the Zune's reputation is (irreparably?) tarnished.

The key feature of the iPod juggernaut -- and also the one most commonly overlooked -- is flawless syncing with iTunes. Microsoft's biggest asset in making a closed-ecosystem media player is its huge software development resources. Therefore, it's rather disappointing that the Zune software is generally regarded as pretty bad (or worse!) and exhibits many syncing problems. In various Zune forums, the first advice given to new users is to turn off the automatic syncing. What should have been Microsoft's biggest advantage -- close integration between the operating system, PC-side software, DRM platform, Zune software, and Zune hardware -- is being turned off at the earliest opportunity. That's pretty telling and suggests that the Zune was released without the proper foundation to succeed.

Let's face it: except for shortly after its release, the iPod has never had the most features compared to its competitors. Corollary: products with more features (from Creative, iRiver, Archos, etc.) have never sold very well to the general public. Thus, improving the Zune should not be about cramming in as many gimmicky features as possible, but about implementing and fixing core functionality. It's more important for the Zune to work well and be easy to use (device *and* software) than to devote a lot of resources to adding flashy features. What Microsoft can bring to the table -- that non-iPod manufacturers apparently cannot -- is a seamless experience for users. That's the direction you should have taken initially and the path towards which you should make all haste now. In other words, shore up the foundation before adding the turrets.

I know this isn't a big deal but... Is there a way that i can edit the info on my Videos in the zune software. It just bugs me when I push the center button to find "No description available." It's nice tho that you changed it so that now if you click the center button again it goes away (instead of the back button.). Thanks.

Glad to see you guys are listening and thanks again for all of the insider info.

My one thing: Web Browser/New Updates

Sean, go to www.zunescene.com and download DSharpie on the utility section. Check the forums.

Point taken on the clock I guess.  While not something I've ever thought about or would use, I can see other's points about it.  My sllep timer consists of playing an album, when the album ends, so does the music and the Zune shuts down itself.  (If I'm really tired I just play a 4 or 5 song EP)

interesting article

http://www.theage.com.au/news/digital-music/zune-adopters-warned-to-wait/2007/03/07/1173166764794.html

It's encouraging to hear directly from those working on the new firmware.  Good to see that you guys DO listen to the consumer.  I look forward to my Zune skipping issue to go away.  I eagerly await March 20th. :)

Nothing has yet to be confirmed by an official Microsoft employee, but according to Gizmodo, it seems as if they “eavesdropped” on some Zune news.

In the Game Developers’ Conference 2007, according to Gizmodo, there has been some sec..

This is great.  Glad to see that you're listening.

Just give the competitors time to come out with something great and by the time you are ready, you will be outdated. then give the internet enough time to drive the Zune name into the gutter, so by the time you are ready, no one want to touch your product.

Talk is cheap.

You have alot to do in very little time and i grow weary of always jumping to your defense in forums.

So what's the truth?  Are current Zune customers getting screwed because all real development work has shifted to the next gen device?

If it is true that you're launching a new Zune in August then I really feel like the Zune team will have lost all credibility.

Tom, I would file the Gizmodo article squarely as rumor and speculation. The author (someone I respect) says it himself: "horribly irresponsible rumor-mongering"

as for the official word, James said it very clearly: "We see Zune today as simply the baseline – not the endgame. That means we’re still planning on adding features to the existing platform"

Cool?

tiredfan - in which forums are you defending Zune? I'd love to see what you're saying (maybe someone else will pick up the torch :) links would be appreciated (assuming you were being honest, that is)

will the new zune be able to wirelessly sync contacts with a wm5/6 phone.

what about being able to transfer vcard info or some type of electronic profile (i.e. have friends) and be able to view their lists of music.

I think this could be cool, I could be able to see what my 'friends' have for songs and then go out and purchase those songs i like from his list based on what i have in my playlist... sorta like some type of recommendation engine like the dudes at netflix

thanks p.s. i own an ipod, but I see the potential in the zune

Heres what I want: video sharing.  Yea I know you're probably saying we didn't include it because people would get frustrated at how long it would take to send videos.  But just put a progress bar and give people an idea on how long they need to wait and that problem will go away.

hello im somewhat of a recording artist(underground) and i suggest adding a voice recorder, where you can just hook a microphone up to it and record your voice and share it with others this would be a great feature to add to the "Social"

and another suggestion would be a video recorder when you put the Zune on a dock and hook it up to a tv, so you can record your favorite shows and movies, and since you cant trade movies this wouldnt be violating any copyright laws(i think)

another suggestion would be a accessory that plugs into the connector cord slot that has a camera on it, that would improve Zune buyers drastically

and my last and final suggestion is about the way you are advertising, i have told people about the zune and they dont know what it is but they have seen the commercials, i suggest you stop making commercials that dont tell exactly who made the zune and what it is, and i belive if you get the Zune on Oprah then you will have millions more join the social(psst... women love Oprah*wink*)

and get some younger generation people working with the Zune team to represent the teens and their needs, i would love to be a member or at least someone who gave idea to the through email..lol but i doubt a 16 yr old kid could get that honor

that's all i could think of right now

-dark_knight5456@yahoo.com

Charlie:  I really like the idea of a recorder to attach to the bottom.  If it were 2-channel input and had 24/96 lossless sampling, this could make the Zune an incredible pro-tool for artists to sample with, and would begin to rattle other hardware markets.  

If you wear a set of binaural microphones, and you could later wirelessly share an experience of a live concert, or even an ambient oceanside...it would be one of the coolest "wish you were here" ideas I can think of to share with someone else later.

You could also use it to record college lectures.  Students could then squirt lecture to those that missed class.  The recorder function would be a great accessory to add.  I would buy one.

I was thinking about the limitations of the squirt functionality. People keep saying that artists on stage will want to squirt files to the audience. Can't MS implement the DRM in such a way that the license for the file can be bought/downloaded later from home?

Maybe the artist can squirt using a device (not the Zune - but probably a computer running the Zune software) to multiple Zunes at the same time?

Charlie, that's a great idea. Just like "T" I immediately thought of the advantages of being able to record college lectures - and better yet, video record them ...that would be sweet, and if implemented in a second generation of Zune I will buy it!

GDCの会場で小耳に挟んだウワサです、噂。 違ってたら大変申し訳ないんです...

We Need Gapless Playback!

http://www.lotropolis.com

http://www.gamedrift.com

I would like just some basic features:

1.) A larger array of equalizer settings...namely,   a true bass booster.

2.) Gapless playback.

3.) I know Microsoft wants to keep Zune as simple as possible but a clock would be nice.

I love my Zune...so much I bought TWO of them-one for me and one for the wife!

Two major updates that I feel are necessary are:

1. Graphic Equalizer-One where I can adjust the bars for bas-mid-treble instead of picking a equalizer type as currently in the Zune.

2. Bass Boost-C'mon, this should have been in there already! :)

Admin, if thats how you feel infallible as you think your product is as to accuse someone that has hope in it rather than those that just spit negativity without cause.  check engadget's zune articles and look for Bazza commenter.  frankly  i stopped talking a while ago cause i didnt like reading all the unnecessarily negative comments from ipodees and their ilk.

good luck

thanks, Tired/Bazza :)  I'm glad you came back and commented again. Microsoft/zune bashing is a web staple, so I agree w/ you about the unnecesarily negative comments. thanks for bringing a balance to the conversation. take care!

How about adding an "add to now playing" selecton on the Zune so if I am listening to an album and I want to include 1 song from that album its easier than creating a Quick List. And, as a corollary, how about a "Save QuickList" feature?

I also agree with the equalizer idea? right now its a pain to try and change the settings while driving or doing something else.

Also, when creating playlists, when does the Zune software re-transfer the song?

Finally, in the restore library screen, the tooltip text in XP machines is just a bunch of squares ... on my vista machine its some asian font - whats up with that? can it be fixed?

did you really think I would let this comment get posted?

 ;)

cesar

What comment are you talking about? I Forgot..

Web staples easily leak into off-web talk and thus hurt chances of sales to the undecided/uninitiated consumers. Thus, the team need to keep us more informed about whats going on, rather than what concerts they went to.  Folks are fickle and lazy, they prefer word of mouth rather than real research into what their buying. Give them something to bite onto, keep their interest long enough.

I'm from the UK btw and of course we dont have the Zune yet. I do hope i wont have to wait till 2008 for one.

Enough with my yammering, and thanks for reading.

Good luck.

p.s. is still think the team are too chilled out. treat it like a life and death situation. Then i'll be smiling.

When are we going to get volume leveling? When I bought my zune (on launch day) I was shocked to find out that that volume leveling wasn't in either the Zune itself or the Zune Software. With over 11,000 tracks spanning over 50 years of music the variations in volume can be pretty drastic. Shuffle play isn't really very good without volume leveling.

Can someone PLEASE tell me if Microsoft is going to release zune software that is compatible with windows xp64 ?? im not quite happy with the hacked install that i was forced to do. Come on MS this is your own operating system.. WTH is up with that ?? and no i do not have a regular XP machine at my disposal on a regular basis.

I recommended the Zen Vision M to a friend for all its advantages over the ipod and trust me .. he was a happy camper. Against my better judgement i went and bought a zune. I am so not a happy camper at this point... I have not been able to get even 1 video on this thing ... at all... sync errors galore, even after the vids were converted to the VERY MEAGRE offeings of supported formats.

Also ... can someone explain to me how this item could have shipped without a clock and equalizer ?

Im not at my breaking point with this thing yet .. but im awfully close. Someone needs to get this thing "properly" working with all their OS platforms stat. MS seriously should be ashamed.

ill be monitoring this thread to see if anyone can respond to the windows xp64 lack of support issue.

One more thing, when browsing my device from Zune Software, why no album art?

Zune Team-

I very much would like to see the Zune succeed.  I think the hardware side is pretty good.  Obviously, the best feature of Zune is that it can be upgraded via SOFTWARE.  My suggestions involve the software:

1) Windows Media Player team and Zune Software team should work together to create one UNIVERSAL media player experience.  Users do not need 2 players and some will be confused.

2) The focus of Zune is COMMUNITY.  Zunes are able to share with each other, but a killer app is for Zunes to share with wirelessly-connected PCs.  A wireless Windows Vista PC is able to set up an ad-hoc Meeting Space with another such PC.  So why not enable the media player on such a PC to communicate with a Zune?  This will drive consumers to remain engaged with Zune software.  Imagine a laptop user in a coffeeshop whose media player detects a nearby Zune and decides he/she wants to trade pics or music?  

3) An unheralded feature of Zune is the display.  Users would love to watch video on such a screen.  But most Internet video worth watching is in DivX/XVid formats.  Zune should be able to play these formats natively, similar to the newer DVD players out there.  This will drive power users to the platform.  

I look forward to seeing your great work on Zune lead to continued success.  Thank you.

I bought a Zune this morning and I was impressed initially with the beautiful screen and GUI. But the ONE thing that annoys me to no end is the simple LACK OF UNICODE SUPPORT. This is a very big problem since about 70% of my library is not in English. This is a make or break deal for me. I'm ready to throw in my iPod but the Zune simply is not gonna be able to replace it if it cannot display my tags correctly. I can live with the bulky software and the minor quirks here and there but to be missing a critical feature is a big problem. Please make this a priority in your features to be added on list! Most companies give the excuse that their display screens don't have the resolution capability to display foreign characters but the Zune has no luxury of an excuse. I don't mind the menus being in English, just need my tags displayed correctly!

I know that there is a supposed skipping problem with content from Zune Marketplace, but has anyone heard of any problems with music from CD's?? (And they are pristine CD's by the way)

I just bought my Zune on the 15th and I have been having a skipping problem with my music skipping, none of which is from the Marketplace.  Any info on this would be very appreciated.

Dally000

I'm getting tired of people wanting crazy things from an update. Stupid things like... Can you make it a touch screen? Will the update make the screen 3 inches bigger? Will the update give it windows vista? Will the update turn the zune into a tazer for my saftey? If not im taking it back and geting an Ipod. Which by the way has more bugs than a cuban cat house in south florida.

hehe...That was a joke right?

Ok, dear blog reader: Tomorrow, Wednesday, March 28, you’ll be able to download firmware update 1.3.

OK... So I'm a techy Sys Admin and I watch a lot of the Microsoft "Webinars" and you can download these in .WMV format.  But guess what?  My Zune wont even let me sync that, it crashes every time.  So how about support for your own .wmv's!!!1

better play list management like itunes would be nice.  how about a revolutionary system mod for zune player itself - widget?  you know.. user can install whatever they like, and it'll be updated by the wireless feature that included... it seems useless to me that noone is around me to use the feature for now... let's try to have something for us to use so we can say, we're using it it.. you know???? thanks... i still think zune is far far behind the ipod, but i like the improvement, which is not fast enough coming from someone that determine to take the marketshare away from apple inc.  this is not the way.. you guys work like a goverment worker... chilling and drinking too much.  i wonder if you guys have big butt like them... hahahaa j/k.

I enjoy using my Zune, but it lacks a lot of features that would make it great! How about a clock? The equalizer is preset - I want to set it myself! I have lots of space on the Zune - I want to use it to transfer my files! I want it to support lossless WMA's - mp3's sound terrible!! I want the Zune to be integrated with Windows Media Player - one less piece of software to manage!! Once the Zune is  integrated, Media Player needs to be enhanced to handle podcast feeds - again, I definately don't want more software to manage, or more different ways to have to learn to get content to the Zune. Automation is the key, and there isn't any!! Please don't bother me with the Zune AutoSynch - the first time I hooked up the Zune and told it to synch, it filled up the disk and died. I found ways to manage it manually, but the Synch system needs modification and options expansion, so I can better control AutoSynching.

Apple's IPod is way ahead - you need these features I have discussed to differentiate the Zune in the marketplace - right now, it's not even number two - it should be the number one device everyone wants!!

He (or She or They or It) who hesitates is lost - you have almost lost - get moving now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love my Zune when it works. I have an issue with the battery draining while not in use. I will shut my Zune down, Lock it and lay it on my desk. I will get up for my daily run and the Zune is dead. Why is this?

The other issue is that I will go to charge it and my Zune software says "Connect a Zune Device". I have received new sync cable and a replacement Zune from Microsoft but the issue is happening to my new Zune as well.

Is the development team aware of these issues?

Thank you,

D

I would just be happy to have my zune play my MP3'S without stastic and shutting down. I'm already on my replacment Zune as the first one completely died (won't boot past BIOS screen). Now I have intermitten issues with the audio beinng crackly staticky sometimes.  I have hopes that you guys will resolve this.

please give us an option to delete stuff of our zune

The sync function is terrible. Twice I organized and tagged and converted 30 GB of music to 160K to fit more - hours, so I could put it onto my Zune and nuke it afterwards. Wasn't I psyched when TWICE the Zune deleted it? The software is embarassing. I have a G1 30GB Brown, latest everything, and the software is some of the worst I've used. It might work well for idiots, but I've been collecting since the MP2 days - give me more flexibility! And no ability to back it up? What about a one time backup, or only every so often? If you're worried about the big bad record companies blaming you for facilitating "piracy", there has to be some compromise.

When I touched my zune last night a static electric shock was delivered from my finger to the zune. My zune is no longer working, it won't turn on at all. Does anyone have a suggestion?