Music, culture, and the inside scoop from Cesar Menendez,
a Microsoft employee working on Zune - Microsoft's new music project.

June 25, 2007

Around the Zune Community

I'm seeing a few interesting things going on in the Zune community that I thought I'd highlight:

Ok, hope everybody had a good weekend!

 |  Tuesday, June 26, 2007 12:45 AM  |  20 Comments
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Tom

comment removed - trolling

Matt D.

Your right about the corps not updating. I won the free zune case that you pointed me in march...april? But he still hasn't shipped them out and the people in the forums are pretty mad at how he can start and end another contest without shipping out the cases. Ohh and I thank you for putting out the link for it because I've never been to that site before.

Eddie

Thats a sweet ad.

Ask MSZunefan what his first name is. For some reason I dont feel comfortable calling people by their sn =/

TheMan

Cesar didn't post this, did he?  Anywho, any "GOOD" info to share with us?

admin

TheMan - if by "GOOD" you mean, official, real Zune info - then I would check this blog!

damien

That ad is trés nice. (I think I put that accent in the right place above the "e")

One question I'd ask MSZuneFan is: Two? What made you go back for a second?

Rhett

--- if by "GOOD" you mean, official, real Zune info - then I would check this blog! ---

Hmm, Cesar, Wasn't it this blog where you told me the Zune could play gapless tracks?

heh. Sorry. I couldn't resist. You did say it and I'm Still waiting for the update that fixes this defective thing.

segadc

Oh you know what he is talking about. lol!

Eric

comment removed (trying to be mean to another reader)

T. Rammsey

any word on when the Zune will work with WMC Files? Come on... if there is one thing i hate its the long converting times and it doesnt just work with windows formats

Tom

Someone else must have posted the trolling above, but this is a different tom.  I'll go ahead and assume that the reason traffic and updates on all the zune fan sites is low is because the product is at a standstill.

Releasing new colors is only news to people who don't actually care what the device can actually do.  I'm selling my Zune on Craigslist, because I know you're going to drop a 2nd gen on everyone--but you won't update the wifi to do something useful before.  

It's weird when you go from advocating and being excited about a product to wondering what the hell happened to it.

Stephen R Gibson

I agree with the poster above. It's been well over 6 months and there's been no new features added. No gapless, no podcasts, no new Wi-Fi, and no new codecs. I'm not so sure I want to buy a Zune any more if nothing's going to happen with it.

admin

Well, we had said all along that we plan on adding features to *this version* of Zune. With all do respect, I am outright rejecting the "we'll get forgotten about" line of argument. Of course, believe what you want, but I've got the full support of the dev team (but not support enough to reveal what/when - sorry, but that part's not my call)!

Ok take care folks!

Sean

Guys give the Zune a break! I is a new product for calling out loud! There is a lot of stuff that has to be tested and tested over and over again. You can't just complain about not having the new features when you want them. You bought a Zune nothing more. You didn't buy a Music Player that said "WE WILL HAVE UPDATES AS SOON AS THE PLAYER COMES OUT!" It takes Time. And Cesar is doing the best he can. If anyone has been working the hardest at giving you "RELIABLE NEWS" it's him. Come on give a "THANK YOU FOR GIVING US ALL THE NEWS YOU CAN GIVE US THAT IS TRUE!" Cesar THANK YOU!

Sw0rdf1sh

Good to hear Cesar.  Although I can relate to what some say about abandoning the Zune, I don't condone it.  I think we have the right to be frustrated, because overall the service end of the Zune experience hasn't caught up with the capabilities.

Not the design teams fault I guess, but I can't recall how long it took before XboxLive to really get good content on board either.   Although I can say it did seem that once XBL took legs, it really seemed to expand.  Even Major Nelson can barely keep up with all the new content available today.

I'm not selling my Zune and I know that there is work being done.  I will probably buy a 2nd Gen Zune, but only if there is more content available.   If I'm one person standing up and saying "Hey, your video capabilities are cool, but your content blows!", there are at least 3/4 of the Zune community in agreement.

Where the "social" is lacking is the marketplace.  I get envy everytime I have to download my 5 free Itunes every week from renting from Avis.   Too bad they aren't giving me free DRM songs.

tasha flowers

can get you get 14 hours of battery power from your zune even if the battery bar goes down?

Thefileclerk

HAHA even though there have been flaws in the zune they are nothing compared to the flaws that the iphone have been showing, even applefanboys are quite a bit dissapointed

Jreal

Ok I now understand that as apart of the zune dev team you have your priorities. I am very patient i know you will surprise us and we will all just begin saying we are sorry for doubting you.I don't believe this.

when i see the zune i see my player i will sum it al up. you can quote me "It is not just a media player, but just a way of life".

I am glad to have the ability to talk with dev team.

I know more info can be released but due to how people like me are will just over exaggerate it. If it is the social then we need to be in the know.

I now know what is up. you give info discretely because you The dev team don't need someone to try and hack the zune.

or have other people try to duplicate your product and put a new name on it.

I believe this to be the case..

Freakwncy

Personally, I rather get fixs and features that work on the first go, or have little to no bugs, then to pump them out and have to get updates and fixs every wk. Let em test the features and fixes... Bugs always kill a great product... remember Win95??

Tom

Cesar, I understand your position.  But nothing has happened with the product and until the product can put its money where its mouth is we have the same thing after over seven months.

This multiple colors and art thing is more of a distraction from the lack of improvements.  Although I do like the spots, they are nice.

While you say and I believe that early adopters  won't be "forgotten" you can't help but see clearly that they certainly haven't been rewarded.

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About admin

I'm Cesar Menendez. I left the Xbox marketing world for Microsoft's new foray into music - Zune. Community, cool videos, music, discovering new music - these are things I love. In the past I wrote music reviews for RealNetworks, and before that I volunteered at KCMU (now KEXP). Get in touch w/ me using this email: AskZune (then type the at symbol) microsoft.com (please no solicitors)
(edit me)

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