Use Any Media Management Program With Zune

[Adam Krebs]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.zuneboards.com/forums/completed/16810-zalternator.html' target='_blank'>http://www.zuneboards.com/forums/completed/16810-zalternator.html</a><br /><br /></div>ZuneBoards' renowned PityOnU has just dropped his highly anticipated zAlternator software. The hack, currently in RC, cloaks your Zune as a generic Windows Portable Device, allowing it to theoretically sync with WMP, WinAmp, iTunes, or your favorite media management library. The instructions are pretty basic too.<br /><br /><img border="1" alt="" src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/500/zt/auto/1200979281.usr495.jpg" /><br /><em>Yes, that's my Zune in WMP... I can view files, sync, and reverse-sync with the device. It's pretty cool.</em><br /><br />Get your device into &quot;sync&quot; mode (have it show &quot;syncing...&quot; with the &quot;starry night&quot; Zune logo on the screen), and hit ctrl-alt-del, bring up Task Manager. Go to the Processes tab and end the process &quot;Zune.exe&quot;. Now bring up zAlternator. Follow the instructions, setting the Desired Service Provider to &quot;Generic&quot; and then clicking &quot;apply.&quot; Now open your program of choice and everything should be golden.<br /><br />Just keep in mind that for those wanting to use iTunes (blech), the service is still in beta. Use at your own risk.

[Jason Dunn]

Wow, that's crazy! Too bad Zune Boards forces me to register before I can see the post, and since I'm not going to do that, I guess I'll have to live with the mystery. :rolleyes: It's ridiculous when forums don't allow visitors to read forum content without registering. :mad:

[boeinguy2]

I hate the current Zune software. I cannot create automatic playlists, I cannot rate my music in any meaningful way, I cannot get m3u playlsits to be read in, and the list goes on. Evey time they change the software my collection gets screwed up and it is only an incredibly difficult process using their poorly written tag editing, it really sucks.

Now I can use software that does what I need to manage my music the way I would prefer.

Maybe Microsoft will get a message here and either open up the Zune to be used with other apps, or fix the ridiculous app they foisted off on us.

[Rocco Augusto]

neato! this looks pretty cool, but does WMP handle the transcoding of video files for you and what-not? :confused:

[onlydarksets]

I hate the current Zune software. I cannot create automatic playlists, I cannot rate my music in any meaningful way, I cannot get m3u playlsits to be read in, and the list goes on.
I don't know that this will work in reverse with the Zune, since the hardware only lets you rate from 1-3 (effectively).

Maybe Microsoft will get a message here and either open up the Zune to be used with other apps, or fix the ridiculous app they foisted off on us.
Based on the goal of making the Zune a closed circuit platform, I would look for the latter before the former.

Notwithstanding the general dissatisfaction with the Zune software, the MS team seems responsive to feedback. Plus, there seems to be a definite pattern to the process. With Version 1, they got it about 75% right with the hardware, but did nothing with the software. Version 2 got the hardware about 90% right, and the software is about 50% of the way there. I would hope that Version 3 (or an interim release) of the software will up that percentage considerably.

[Macguy59]

Zune Marketplace (belch)

[Phillip Dyson]

I'm still on the fence as to what my next media player will be. I really like the Zune, but its ironically the software that's keeping me away. I just don't want to be at the mercy of one development team and whatever their priorities are.
If I could use WMP 11 then I'd be in. I may have to settle for the new Creative Zen.

[onlydarksets]

Wow, that's crazy! Too bad Zune Boards forces me to register before I can see the post, and since I'm not going to do that, I guess I'll have to live with the mystery. :rolleyes: It's ridiculous when forums don't allow visitors to read forum content without registering. :mad:

I agree with that - it's peculiar behavior. Of course, my standards are lower, so I'll be registering :(

[onlydarksets]

Here you go - no registration required!
http://www.zuneboards.com/content/view/308/2/

[Talyn]

For the simple purpose of syncing up, I don't mind the Zune software. For... everything else, including playback, I'd rather use WinAmp so what I'd *really* be interested in is someone providing a means for other media players to be able to login to my Zune account and send the 'recently played' songs so my Social card stays updated...

The Zune software itself is too glitchy -- I'm a gamer but I can't listen to podcasts or music while gaming because any application that goes full-screen kills the Zune frame, it's unable to redraw so I have to manually kill the process. Not to mention the other well-known and complained-about issues.

For a team touting the "social" features of the device and theme, they could really stand to be more social and transparent about what their development plans are...