03-22-2007, 05:50 AM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Yeah, The Zune Firmware Update is Late. So What?
I'm a little stunned to see stories like this one, and this one, where sites are spreading the news that some Zune owners are ticked off that the firmware update didn't arrive as scheduled. I've been fortunate enough to not have had the problem with the Zune skipping when listening to Marketplace tracks, so perhaps I'm biased, but I think this is getting blown out of proportion. First off, we (the Zune community) have been urging (begging?) the Zune team to be more open with us about what they're working on, updates coming, etc. So they finally are: they give us a rough release date (mid-March) and a proposed list of fixes for the Zune. That's big progress! But when they're a bit late (we're now in the latter part of March) everyone is up in arms.
Should the Zune team have fixed this skipping problem months ago? Yes, absolutely: in fact, the product shouldn't have gotten out the door without this fix, but my hunch is no one saw it because they were testing the Zunes with their own ripped music. Even so, I have a hard time believing that a few days (or even a couple of weeks) makes that big of a difference to Zune owners that have put up with the problem for a few months. Irritating to even have the problem in the first place? Sure. Frustrating that the release isn't out yet? Yes. The end of the Zune world? Hardly. Let's keep things in perspective. Feel differently? Let me know...
[As a sidebar on this issue, I'm more concerned with the fact that the three firmware updates thus far have all been focused on bug fixing - do they have another team working in parallel on new features? Or are we months away from being able to do anything new with our Zune because the one and only Zune firmware team is still in bug-fixing mode?]
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03-22-2007, 06:21 AM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,053
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1) I think that it got out the door with the skipping issue because its rare and not easily noticed. I wasn't aware of the issue until I was told about it. I honestly just didn't ever notice it happenning. Now that I know abotu it...I sometimes notice. But I took my Zune skiing (went for a week...got back not too long ago! IT was sweet  ) and I had it playing 8 - 9 hour daily for about a week. Did I notice skipping? Once that I can recall. Did it skip more? I guess its possible...but I just don't notice it. Its not that big of a deal to me. I know it will be fixed so I couldn't care less.
2) I forgot about the patch until I saw the stories about it being late. So agian...whatever 
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03-22-2007, 09:11 AM
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Pupil
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 13
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Skipping is not yet encountered, I want some new features
I haven't experienced yet the skipping problem since 3 months, I wait for the new firm ware to bring more features that use the wireless capacity of the Zune or to enhance te resolution or to make the fast moving videos more fluid.
What do you wish - everybody - to have like for new featrures ?
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03-22-2007, 03:18 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vlefur
What do you wish - everybody - to have like for new featrures ? |
Me? I'd like to see: - A better on-device image scaling system to my 640 x 480 photos don't look so ugly when they're resized down to 320 x 240.
- A clock
- Support for Divx and h.264 directly on-device
- Support for WMA Lossless, FLAC, and even OGG
The Zune needs to be more than just a pure Microsoft play if they want to attract people from outside the Microsoft ecosystem.
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03-22-2007, 03:27 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 94
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I think if there is any disappointment its the fact they haven't released any new features yet. Thats probably the thing that is largerly behind the delayed firmware uproar. Microsoft could have handled this better with communication. Instead of giving us a new estimated date, they only said that it will be "soon".
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03-22-2007, 03:55 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,053
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A clock? 
The ability to connect to Zunes that aren't local?
WiFi DJ idea?
Synching via WiFi?
Buy music on the zune?
That's what I want!
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03-22-2007, 04:30 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 13
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Beyond firmware, Zune software to be opensource
A friend of mine is all Mac (MacBook Pro, iPod Nano) wouldn't want to hear about Zune just because of M$ !
I think here in Europe as people are not really pro-M$ and one of the possible ways for the Zune to have a better chance is to have its software to be opensource (or at least customized applications can easily be deployed).
Apple doesn't think about this yet, that's why M$ should consider this.
What do you think about this ?
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03-22-2007, 06:33 PM
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Sage
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 607
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update? who cares. the zune is working well.
what i do want is some new features.
1. i want to be able to send videos.
2. really wish they would take the 3 day 3 play rule off the music.
3. more video codecs.
4. custom EQ on the device itself.
5. ability to record form radio
i know they can do these things...i wish they would get on the ball!
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03-22-2007, 06:45 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vlefur
I think here in Europe as people are not really pro-M$ and one of the possible ways for the Zune to have a better chance is to have its software to be opensource
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What would Microsoft gain by making their software open source? What advantage would there be in having 100's or 1000's of people doing their "own thing" with the software?
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03-22-2007, 06:47 PM
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Sage
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 607
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jason Dunn
What would Microsoft gain by making their software open source? What advantage would there be in having 100's or 1000's of people doing their "own thing" with the software?
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think "smartphone" jason....hmmmm...smartplayer? lol. If microsoft is lazy (the god damn X button in the OS) then the community will provide. its really isn't a bad thought.
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