[Jason Dunn]

Originally Posted by inteller

listen, there are PLENTY of website forums where I can get "social" or read an XML stream to build a stupid playlist card. That crap is pure marketing fluff....which fails miserably if there is no one else around you to be "social" with. When was the last time you shared a song from your zune with a stranger?

Yeah, I understand the problems with building a network from scratch - and I think the Zune team does too. But it has to start somewhere. I've just spent the last 10 minutes in vain searching for an article I wrote on this site about how the Zune wireless sharing feature is largely misunderstood, but I can't find it. The short version is that WiFi song sharing is like any other social activity - you're not going to do it with a random stranger. You'll share songs with your friends when you're hanging out with them - and that's exactly what I've done with my friend who has a Zune many times.

Originally Posted by inteller

When you set out to compete in a market, do some basic research and find the benchmarks your device needs to have. The Social is an answer to a question no one asked. However, BASIC UNICODE SUPPORT should have been a requirement.

Ok, so pretend you're Microsoft and you have enough resources for one last feature - you know you're only releasing the Zune officially in the United States...so do you spend your resources on Unicode support for the incredibly small number of people who live in the US but are connected with music from other cultures with languages that require unicode support?

Or do you spend it adding a wireless sharing feature that, even if rough around the edges and not terribly useful from day one, give you a unique selling point? I think you know the answer to that.

[Jason Dunn]

Originally Posted by inteller

listen, there are PLENTY of website forums where I can get "social" or read an XML stream to build a stupid playlist card. That crap is pure marketing fluff....which fails miserably if there is no one else around you to be "social" with. When was the last time you shared a song from your zune with a stranger?

Yeah, I understand the problems with building a network from scratch - and I think the Zune team does too. But it has to start somewhere. I've just spent the last 10 minutes in vain searching for an article I wrote on this site about how the Zune wireless sharing feature is largely misunderstood, but I can't find it. The short version is that WiFi song sharing is like any other social activity - you're not going to do it with a random stranger. You'll share songs with your friends when you're hanging out with them - and that's exactly what I've done with my friend who has a Zune many times.

Originally Posted by inteller

When you set out to compete in a market, do some basic research and find the benchmarks your device needs to have. The Social is an answer to a question no one asked. However, BASIC UNICODE SUPPORT should have been a requirement.

Ok, so pretend you're Microsoft and you have enough resources for one last feature - you know you're only releasing the Zune officially in the United States...so do you spend your resources on Unicode support for the incredibly small number of people who live in the US but are connected with music from other cultures with languages that require unicode support?

Or do you spend it adding a wireless sharing feature that, even if rough around the edges and not terribly useful from day one, give you a unique selling point? I think you know the answer to that.

[yslee]

Originally Posted by Jason Dunn

Well, I've heard that same thing about Audiophiles and the Zune, so if I have the Clip and the Zune, and both have great audio, I don't know what bad audio sounds like to compare it to.

What? No no no, the Sony A600 and A800s are now their latest darling. Zune what? :P

[Jason Dunn]

Originally Posted by yslee

What? No no no, the Sony A600 and A800s are now their latest darling. Zune what? :P

Those fickle audiophiles - always changing their minds.