Would like to hear it... waiting for a firmware update so it wont skip. tick tock tick tock

Hey! If Brown is the new black, why is the bus White? Kidding :)

Good move, this may get Zune some street cred with the hip-hop heads. Wait will we see the Zune in his video, the way the iPod were in 50 Cent and a few others video? Marketing?

Song is Trash-Hop though.

That's nice. But MIMS is probably one of the worst rappers out there. Would be nice if Zune would partner with somebody musically talented and not another cookie cutter rapper.

Eric, I disagree w/ you about MIMS, but that's a matter of opinion. http://www.zune.net/en-us/artists/library/default.htm - to see some of the artists we've worked with in the past - my personal favorite is css:  http://zuneinsider.com/archive/2006/10/20/1565.aspx 

Daveworld: Haven't you heard Pink is the new brown which was the new black.

CSS is the BEST....Viva Latinamerica !

ricardo - tu sabes que naci en peru, no? viva latam!

yo en Venezuela! Que Viva :P

I've only heard two of his songs and they were pretty good.  His songs have really good beats.

Only because I can...

When MIMS performs live do all of his songs skip for the first nine seconds; because they do on my Zune.

UPDATE:  Firmware 1.3 will be out SOON!

Gotta love it!

CSS has awesome music!

However, when I saw them live, they were totally drunk off of their @&*! and that was just totally uncool.

:(

Hey everyone, I just wanted to spread the love and let you guys know that we're givin away a few of our review cases at Zunecorps.com.

http://zunecorps.com/?p=424

and about Mims, it's nice to see that the Zune is a hit with artists, only good things can come from that.

I wonder if they hooked up Mims with a pimped out non-skipping Zune for the tour.  Maybe that's why he's hot.

asi que naciste en Peru cesar?

Que increible pais! Fui a Peru y mis padres vivieron en Miraflores, Lima durante unos cuantos años!

Yo soy de Argentina, y hace dos meses me compre un zune negro. :o)

Y ahora espero ansiosamente el nuevo firmware!

:oP

Saludos Desde Buenos Aires

Mucha Suerte!

Y que viva Latinoamerica!

Thanks for posting things that most people don't care about Cesar!:)

@ C

It's not the fact that we don't like Cesar personally, it's the fact that he leaves us in the pure pitch dark. It's like the iPod is living in light and the Zune is living in a cave.

by the way, I heard MIMS are good. Gotta check out their music sometime. I'm not really a hip-hop guys, I like rock, hard rock, Metal (SOAD, Disturbed, etc) but some hip-hop or rap like Eminem I like.

The reason why I'm not a fan of hip-hop is because they promote violence, sex, prostitution, etc. Also they talk about they same having 22 inch rim baloney and how they screwed with their wh**e

God forbid microsoft try to partner with a credible artist. Not some rapper who could care less what logo is on the side of his bus, just as long as he gets paid. I'm sure this will move lots of units. I do believe the captain of the Zune ship is drunk.

Other than stupid things like this, I love my Zune. =]

Zune needs to partner with GG Allin for more indie cred.

C- I care about artists! thats why i bought an mp3 player, to listen to them :O

oh btw Night

I'm sure you don't expect just because he has a blog, that gives him any liberty to speak about what is developing on their end. if i spoke about ANYTHING at my job, out side the office, im fired. Mind you all the confidential stuff at my job is not nearly as exiting as the Zune, at least for some. Some might be interested to know insider info on FOX news or Heinz Ketchup! no? :P

guys, interesting comments here. I think some of you need to relax. we've partnered w/ all kinds of artists - MIMs, Mexican institute of sound, CSS, small sins, little ones, bitter:sweet, and more. so ya, relax :)

I think this is an awesome partnership. I also love the skipping jokes.

Oh, and I guess it's understandable to expect a Zune team member's blog to get more angry posts than an iPod team member's blog... considering the latter does not exist in any way shape or form.

Sorry, this is off topic but i just thought that since cesar is in microsoft marketing he would be interested in what ms did to crash the ps3 launch in paris:

http://kotaku.com/gaming/only-in-france/xbox-crashes-french-ps3-launch-246475.php

I find it hilarious, well done microsoft! Cesar take note of this and do something similar at the next ipod launch, that would really grab the media headlines!

This is all totally unrelated to the Zune, but:

Ray said:

"Sorry, this is off topic but i just thought that since cesar is in microsoft marketing he would be interested in what ms did to crash the ps3 launch in paris:"

Did you read the comments to that post? In general, they don't seem to think it's very clever or funny:

"lol! wow, microsoft marketing people are a bunch of d*cks!"

"Seems a little desperate..."

"Ballsy move. Ignorant, but ballsy none the less."

"microsoft is just sad. tisk. tisk."

"For some reason Sony and MS are maxing out on cheesy advertising. Nintendo is staying relatively quiet, except for Reggie. Some people buy this garbage, but it's really all about the facts and which games you want."

"I agree, thats just f***ing rude, Lame, and low even for MS."

"Just shows how much of a bully MS are being when it comes to sharing the market."

Cesar, I censored the language as best I could while retaining the meaning.

As Sony discovered, guerilla marketing generally doesn't garner you any friends. The only folks that'll find it cute, clever or funny are the "fanboys".

Another note re: Microsoft "crashing" the UK and France PS3 launch... this time from Engadget:

"And Microsoft: you're pretty dang clever, but couldn't you try and resist the juvenile impulse now and then? Not everyone's laughing."

thanks Zuneless - I actually think that your read of the comments is only 1/2 right:

lmao That's awesome.

That's priceless, I lol'd.

Absolutely hilarious.

Epic win.

hilarious.

(more but I stopped copy/pasting)

zuneless, just curious - do you post  as "xboxless" in other forums? I keed, I keeD! It's nice to have a balance

oh yes, my comment was also off topic ;)

the sony vs xbox vs wii fanboys aren't nearly as bad as the pc vs mac fanboys. some of the mac sites are creepy, even for my mac-loving friends.

I very much want Zune fans to be nice about iPod in other forums. leave the fanboyism at the door, zune insiders, leave it. ;)

"zuneless, just curious - do you post  as "xboxless" in other forums? I keed, I keeD! It's nice to have a balance"

That was funny.

"... Zune fans..."

They exist? :p

FWIW, I think the XBox advertisement was funny. Good job. And I don't own one and don't plan to buy one (so, I'm probably not an XBox fanboy).

lmao...windowless..

anyway, eh, I find the ads for Microsoft kind of cheesy too. Ya guys need to put some heavy metal in your ads with some adrenaline pumping ads and Microsoft products will sell.

You guys need to show what little girls Apple are..ya feel me?

-!- you Apple! 6_6

Cesar said:

"I actually think that your read of the comments is only 1/2 right"

True, but I'd be willing to bet that a good majority posting the positive comments fall into the "fanboy" category. You don't need to market to folks who are already die-hard fans. Regardless, it's certainly very polarizing behavior.

"do you post  as "xboxless" in other forums?"

No. Although I don't have an xbox, I think it is a great product. I'm not much of a gamer any more. (I'm from the NES generation.) On another note, I also think the Zune has some good features. The screen is gorgeous, and the interface isn't half bad either, if a bit initially confusing. One keeps expecting the mock "wheel" to function like a wheel... instead, it's a wheel-shaped D-pad.

"the sony vs xbox vs wii fanboys aren't nearly as bad as the pc vs mac fanboys. some of the mac sites are creepy, even for my mac-loving friends."

Some of the Windows sites are creepy, too, Cesar. ;-)

nighthawkz6 said:

"Ya guys need to put some heavy metal in your ads with some adrenaline pumping ads and Microsoft products will sell."

"You guys need to show what little girls Apple are..ya feel me?"

Heh... I think you'd find that those hard-core heavy metal bands use quite a bit of Apple technology when they produce their music. Hell, some of those bands give props to Apple in their liner notes.

well I'm glad to see this.  Up until now Zune seemed anti-urban to me.

best of luck on this.  I hope it jumpstarts Zune's cred.

"Welcome to the social" still sounds corny to me, but perhaps MIMS could make it cool...that's how HH works.  give it a shot.

zuneless, I like that kind of childish marketing, it's fun and shows a human/personal side to the companies- too often ads from such big corporations are boring and serious. If you look at the comments in the engadget article most of them are positive towards what ms did even though engadget is usually a very "anti everything microsoft does" and bursting with apple fanboys, did you see the amount of articles they wrote on the apple tv -like the one dedicated to tons of pics of just unboxing it.

Zuneless sez: "Regardless, it's certainly very polarizing behavior." . . . you mean like the I'm a mac, I'm a PC ads? or the "redmond, start your copiers" posters? or steve jobs w/ zune picture going up in flames on stage? ;) or Crash bandicoot yelling at Mario w/ a megaphone outside of the Ninty headquarters right before the ps1 launched? or the subway vs big mac ads?

And I totally agree, some of those windows sites are creepy :)

"If you look at the comments in the engadget article most of them are positive towards what ms did even though engadget is usually a very "anti everything microsoft does" and bursting with apple fanboys"

Engadget is still better than Gizmodo. I think it's still cool to be anti-Microsoft.

"And I totally agree, some of those windows sites are creepy :)"

Good creepy or bad creepy?

I don't give a hula what they use. They could use Xerox OS for all I care, as long as it makes me headbang..lolz..

Ya gotta admit, Macs are the industry standard for audio, video editing. Don't know why but they are...

I bought a C.D. from s.o.a.d. yesterday (first one to come out, will be worth a lot of money in the future :)) sounded a little scrunchy and I was hearing it from the .wav files itself. Then I converted it to mp3 224 kbps/s w/ Lame. Still didn't sound as good. And now when I heard Toxicity album (which was the time OSX came out), it sounded truly amazing.

I guess each OS has it's preference.

@ Zuneless...

Have you taken a glance over at the digg comments on Microsoft Crashing the PS3 launch party?

"Microsoft has some great marketing strategies. This one is just ballsy. Another 1up for microsoft and crew." (+153 diggs)

"I agree. Microsoft really seems to have been performing gutsey marketing recently, and it seems like they're having good fun while they're at it. Anyone remember the PS3 Gamespot page covered in 360 ads?" (+84 diggs)

"As I said on K:

Wow.. a Microsft and French victory...

Never thought I'd see the day I'd say that, or type it." (+ 29 diggs)

and...

"I think it's pretty piss-poor really." (Negative 29 diggs)

Funny, if Sony did the exact same thing except names reversed, Digg would be filled with a slew of negative comments.

"Do people forget Microsoft's other latest ad campaign" "What is Wrong with You" for not buying a 360. . ." (Negative 89 Diggs).

Get the point?

cesar removed this comment b/c it's creepy. the bad creepy ;)

He sleeps with a powerbook pro!

charlie - Xbox can do that b/c it enjoys a strong position in the blogosphere. We're not there - yet - w/ Zune (understatement I know ;)  but we'll get there.

Why do I get the feeling 1.3 will  be released on the first day of April?

Hey Cesar,

Who handles the Zune's marketing? It is handled by the same firm/firms that handle the Xbox's?

I don't think the Zune is "good" enough to be marketed. If you don't have a really good product then its better to not market it but somehow keep getting feedback from customers (before they lose interest :) )

Anyone remember the Origami campaign? The marketing was top notch to throw spotlight on nothing!!!!

Cesar said:

"Zuneless sez: "Regardless, it's certainly very polarizing behavior." . . . you mean like the I'm a mac, I'm a PC ads? or the "redmond, start your copiers" posters?"

You know, I was thinking the same thing while writing my last comment. Of course, comparing oneself to one's competitors is part & parcel of marketing. But, you must admit, there is a big difference between a TV commercial and crashing your competitor's launch party. Also, the posters you mentioned were at Apple's world wide developer conference... not at the Vista launch party.

nighthawkz6 said:

"Macs are the industry standard for audio, video editing. Don't know why but they are..."

Core Audio and QuickTime are really great technologies, and Logic Pro and Final Cut Studio + Shake do a great job of exposing those technologies in easy to use, incredibly powerful applications. Plus, Final Cut Studio is dirt cheap given it's capabilities.

charlie said:

"Get the point?"

Yes. It's a polarizing move. I said as much in a previous comment.

are you sure you want to be promoting this ceasar? the guy has no talent, he doesn't even rap, and the beats are about as cookie cutter as it gets. why not promote artists with talent? I wouldn't even call MIMS an artist.

great point zuneless

Off topic, but with regards to OS X vs. Vista,

Have you guys read about the new API that Microsoft has been developing and using in Vista.

If people would actually take advantage of it, and code for it, it would be better than OSX. Of course, it's not backwards compatible with XP, so that would mean users would have to upgrade to Vista. Somehow I don't see that happening.

Which is sad, but it's mostly MS's fault. The marketing and hyping of features users don't want, but need (like the confirm or deny nanny) and other things just destroyed Vista as player in the market.

That being said MS has a horrible reputation for a variety of reasons, and doing any marketing for them must be a challenge.

Go Xbox...Go Zune...Microsoft FTW! (bah, they already won it)..okok

Microsoft FOR THE UBER WIN !!!

Muchos latinos en este sitio...debemos llamar a este blog. Zunelatinoinsider...LOL

@ Eric

Apple puts out all this BS about Vista and Microsoft completely ignores it.  If they could just bring out all the truths from apple, like how you are stuck with their hardware, you pay twice as much for their hardware then you would in a PC, and 98% of software in coded for windows.  

The UAC is not intrusive.  It only comes up when you make major system changes.  Apple has the same thing.

But instead of actually telling people about what Microsoft is selling you got those stupid "wow" ads or quick flybys of happy people using computers.  

The new API microsoft has for vista just means better programs. It wouldn't be much of an upgrade if all vista added was eye candy.

I don't know why Mac users have to hide behind those stupid ads. I never have problems with Windows. It's a non-issue. I have hardware problems, but what do you expect with a motherboard that hasn't been on the market 6 months yet?

I'm holding off on Vista for a few reasons. One, I want to do a clean install. I want Ultimate. I don't have $400 laying around. Two, the upgrade advisor points out a few things about the motherboard that I am not sure about.

For reference, I use a Mac. I like it, but not enough to switch over. Partially because they are just that over priced.

BTW, Redmond, I am writing a report about Vista. It would be nice to have a copy of Ultimate to evaluate. Seeing as 99% of the reviews I see are a firm "Don't waste your money", It might not hurt.

It's either that, or I go by what Stephen Manes writes...

/shudders.

i think it's interesting that mims is partnering w/ zune, yet his new cd shows as "not available" in the marketplace for a zunepass owner

You might remember that we're partnering with MIMS on his tour - check the video, a remix for "This is