12-31-2008, 11:40 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Zune 30s Will "De-Brick" Themselves January 1st, 2009
"Early this morning we were alerted by our customers that there was a widespread issue affecting our 2006 model Zune 30GB devices (a large number of which are still actively being used). The technical team jumped on the problem immediately and isolated the issue: a bug in the internal clock driver related to the way the device handles a leap year. The issue should be resolved over the next 24 hours as the time change moves to January 1, 2009. We expect the internal clock on the Zune 30GB devices will automatically reset tomorrow (noon, GMT). By tomorrow you should allow the battery to fully run out of power before the unit can restart successfully then simply ensure that your device is recharged, then turn it back on. If you're a Zune Pass subscriber, you may need to sync your device with your PC to refresh the rights to the subscription content you have downloaded to your device." There you have it, straight from the official support thread on this problem. So for those of you who were about to take screwdrivers to your Zune and open them up, just wait until tomorrow and it should start working again. This confirms that it was in fact caused by this year being a leap year, and thus having 366 days. I'm shocked and disappointed that Microsoft allowed this bug to go un-checked - they have some of the longest and most grueling test cycles in the industry for their software, so I'm stunned that the Zune team allowed this to happen. The Zune is struggling enough as it is, this is a black eye it really didn't need. We'll discuss that issue in a couple of days...I have some thoughts about it.
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01-01-2009, 04:50 AM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 67
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jason Dunn
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Working for a software company, I can completely see how this error might go undiscovered. Yes, the Zune has a long and grueling test cycle - but for a device that's only been out for a little over 2 years and in development for LESS than 3 - it's kind of hard to simulate something that doesn't happen but every four years. And while it's easy to say "they should have thought of that and simply changed their clock" it's very easy to miss that.
Would you have thought about it before today? I dare say that most wouldn't.
And yes, this is a black eye the Zune doesn't need. But any rational person (read: no one who posts in blog comments) would acknowledge that this doesn't detract from the features of the device or of the Zune Pass service which has made great strides this year.
Please keep up the good fight against the iPod fans. This is a black eye the Zune doesn't need - but also one it doesn't deserve.
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01-01-2009, 04:36 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Quote:
Originally Posted by priesmeyer
...it's kind of hard to simulate something that doesn't happen but every four years. And while it's easy to say "they should have thought of that and simply changed their clock" it's very easy to miss that.
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Honestly? With the all the time-based DRM on the Zune (Zune Pass primarily) I would have thought that all sorts of date-based scenarios would have been tested in their Zune software emulators (which I'm sure they have). Leap years happen every four years, so I'd also have thought that they'd be part of any software development test cycle. And with all the focus around clocks and time with Y2K, you'd think serious checks and balances would have been put into play for all date-related issues.
I know what you mean - that it's easy to point fingers in hindsight - but the Zune team simply couldn't afford for something like this to happen. They need to execute better and faster than the competition.
At least no Zunes have shipped out to customers with viruses yet, like iPods have. 
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01-01-2009, 05:26 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,291
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Confirmed, mine works fine this morning. Leap year testing is one of those obvious things you test for any time you have a date calculation, so it seems VERY sloppy for them to have missed it.
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01-01-2009, 05:36 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,053
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priesmeyer I understand what you're talking about since I'm also a software developer. While I completely understand how it was missed I disagree that it wasn't something they should have thought of. When you're developing software that deals with time, leap year scenarios should always be one of your primary tests since they tend to be the strangest behavior.
Bottom line is that they were careless and they're lucky it wasn't worse.
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01-01-2009, 06:27 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Gohlke
Confirmed, mine works fine this morning. Leap year testing is one of those obvious things you test for any time you have a date calculation, so it seems VERY sloppy for them to have missed it.
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But usually it involves making sure Feb 29 in handled properly, not Dec 31.
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01-01-2009, 06:44 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,053
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Not true...I ALWAYS have tests for the year rollover. They messed up, plain and simple. While it seems to be an obscure issue...its something encountered often in writing software.
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01-01-2009, 08:25 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,291
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ed Hansberry
But usually it involves making sure Feb 29 in handled properly, not Dec 31.
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That would be one test, but honestly, I'd expect them to be using some automated test scripts that would run the bootup sequence using all potential variables. One variable would be date, probably using every potential date for the reasonable lifetime of the product.
Also, I'd expect failures to be a little more elegant. Just causing everything to stop is not an elegant failure. But until we know some more details on the exact nature of the failure (if it is publicized) we are just guessing.
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01-02-2009, 07:35 PM
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Neophyte
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 1
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Gohlke
Confirmed, mine works fine this morning. Leap year testing is one of those obvious things you test for any time you have a date calculation, so it seems VERY sloppy for them to have missed it.
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right. i'm sure you would have thought of this. C'mon people give the zune team a break. Nobody would have thought of this. Now they know to test for this sort of thing in the future. Like it's been said the 30's have only been out for a few years.
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01-02-2009, 08:36 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,053
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Yeah, I would have (or at the very least ensure that its in the test scripts) If I missed something like this on some of the systems I work on we could have delays which means money. I expect proffessionals to do their job correctly. Doctors can't afford to make 'little' mistakes. Lawyers can't. Not the good ones. Same rules.
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Hybrid Mode
