Comments on: Zune 3.0 to debut with 'extra value meal'

Software maker is set to release the latest version of its software on Tuesday and is announcing a pact for free Wi-Fi at McDonald's.

[eltoro2827]

yay mickey d's

[toosday]

See, when I initially read that first sentence, I chuckled. Then I realized it was actually kind of cool

However, I'm not in favor of promoting obesity in order to sell music. (That goes for you, too, iTunes/Starbucks)

:)

[ibeetle]

Somehow I just don't see the same calorie count in a nonfat half whip double latte than a extra large Big Mac Value Meal.

[Perry_Clease]

You can get some low calorie meals at McDonalds and their coffee is very good. Also Starbucks sells brewed coffees that are that are not so hard on your waistline, or your wallet, as the fancy stuff. However, your point is taken.

[Penguinisto]

Like your other respondants, well... Iced Chai just doesn't pack the calorie punch that a Double Quarter-Pounder does. ;)

OTOH, I do see where Microsoft is marketing this thing now - most adults only hang out in a McD's just long enough to eat. OTOH, kids tends to hang out a bit more, and actually have the time to fidget with stuff while they're there.

[setgo]

That's a really stupid comment. Exactly what are you doing (other than posting on CNET) to combat obesity in America? People can eat and drink whatever the 'blank' they want.

[cardfan1212]

I actually download the zune software yesterday in anticipation and i have to say...what the heck? I felt i was looking at a store set in the 90s on the web. Points? Geez, everything costs points which are purchased with dollars. One song = 79points. What the? It felt like kiddie land over there. The zune pass was disappointing as well.

Fix the store and i might reconsider.

[bajanx]

No ipod fan boys allowed. lol The zune 2.5 software in my opinion is way better than messing around with itunes. I just dled the 3.0 and its already a great improvement. The zune pass is by far the best thing about owning a Zune. What issues do you have with paying 14.95 a month for all you can eat music(cheaper than buying a CD a month) My2cents

[CrashPad63]

Apple Troll alert!!!! Go back to your buggy Itunes. You are not cool enough to have a Zune.

[Penguinisto]

The guy still has a point - W T F is up with the "points"? Why not just operate with real money like any other online store geared towards adults? Between "points" and McDonald's, methinks Microsoft has given up on selling Zunes to actual adults and have firmly targeted the Miley Cyrus and 'High School Musical' set.

At this rate, I fully expect to see Nickelodeon's website to do a Zune partnership...

[CrashPad63]

And here chimes in one of the bigger Trolls. Anything anti-MS you show up. Just because you dont believe in it does not mean it will not work. Look at Xbox for example, works like a charm with the same setup.
So really why dont you just sit down and shutup and let some real discussion go on.

[Penguinisto]

Heya CrashPad:

How about answering the points raised instead of mewling and whining out ad-hominems?

If you wanted a love-fest instead of a real discussion, maybe you can go to a URL ending in microsoft.com and discuss the Zune there?

ps: the xbox is geared towards games, not music and video, and the points system there has been a point of contention (s'cuse the pun) - even among the typically teenaged demographic there (mostly because IIRC you usually end up with excess points, but not enough to buy anything with them).

[CrashPad63]

Is it penguin??? Your drivel continues. Xbox Marketplace is som much more than a gaming system content downloader. And of course you know that, however you choose to engage in this mindless droning that in the end only means one thing. You dont like MS. Hey just say it and move on.
And to think I just gave you a kudos for your step foward today.
No go back to your room and shutup.

[kelmon]

Indeed. While every shop on planet Earth will allow you to buy products and services using the money in your pocket, Microsoft seems to think that this isn't a good idea and that Microsoft Points are better. No customer likes this. Quote your prices in local currency so people know how much they are paying and they don't need to buy Points in advance.

[ibeetle]

This is neither a pro nor anti iPod/Zune statement. Just an observation.

Microsoft strikes deal with McDonalds.
Apple strikes deal with Starbucks.

It is obvious that these two products are being marketed to two entirely different people.

[MaggieRed]

My observation too.

[samkass]

I don't think so. Apple has 75-80% of the market share and Microsoft has 2%. Microsoft just really needed to find someone who would talk to them, and McDonalds will talk to anyone. They also needed someone who would open up their wi-fi since Zune doesn't have a browser, while the iPod Touch and iPhone can use millions of wi-fi spots all over the world that require one to click "accept".

[cowatson]

Yes, Apple targets people who pay $5.00 for a 1000 calorie drink and some yogurt and granola. Microsoft targets people who pay $1.98 for a burger with 500 calories and yogurt and granola.

We are kinda comparing the wrong items. The Touch is far superior, but Microsoft does not make a competing product. However, the flash Zune rivals the Nano and the regular Zune rivals the iPod classic. In both cases it is superior and at the same price. Obviously the Touch is still the best device, but it costs more and offers less storage than the HDD version.

[bajanx]

3.0 is available right now but can't sign in due to inability to read and agree to new terms of aagreement. MSFT obviously not ready yet, but it DLoadable.

[NPGMBR]

I got the update this morning and had the exact same problem. I finally did get through but the page was not ready or something. I don't know what the hell is going on.

[CrashPad63]

Go the backdoor way, go here------> http://www.zune.net/en-US/products/zunepass/default.htm Sing up and signin. By the way 14 day free zune pass comes with this.

[goodspeed8701]

my friends that bought a nano about 5 of them 3 is useless as they dont know how to change the battery. here in nigeria apple has no store and u cant other the battery from their store. so i hate apple cos they think voodoo is their technology and they dont want us to see the leg of a bird or the head of a cat inside their devices. i will not get an apple product for any reason. the zune is crappy yes but i love it more than anything that has apple label on it. apple fan boys u guys are under a spell thats why bill gate said the mac cant connect to reapl pple in the 2nd ads and its 100% correct. not like the i am mac and i am pc crap that has 98% of misleading statement.

[kentonr]

What the hell are you going on about???

[Synthmeister]

Okay, if you don't live near electrical outlets, then the iPod is not for you.

Next!

[rapier1]

Uhh, he does live near electrical outlets. What he's complaining about is that once the battery reaches the end of its life on the Nano you can't replace. There aren't any apple stores in Nigeria so thats not a solution either.

[David Gerard]

*facepalm* The Zune is a good hardware platform, but the firmware, the Windows software and the ecosystem are unremittingly horrible.

If they'd just made the firmware easily replaceable, someone would have hacked Rockbox onto it and smelly Linux geeks would have been buying by the zillion just to put that on it.

But obsessive control is apparenty more important than actually, uh, shifting units. Ah well.

[CrashPad63]

It is not for the 1-2% out there. Linux could build its own maybe????

[Penguinisto]

IIRC someone already parked a (somewhat working) Linux distro on a Zune... not exactly something that the average person could do (at least with Rockbox and an iPod, odds are good that the average enthusiast can).

...and how would you know what I smelled like? ;)

[Penguinisto]

Well... at least they're doing something about what has otherwise been a rather useless feature.

Dunno how many folks linger at a MickeyD's for the technology, but okay - at least it'll (somewhat) attract the kids and pre-teens to a Zune. Dunno how many adults would happily go "Hey - let's get our Zunes and head for McDonald's!"

OTOH, I can see what attracted MSFT - DVD vending machines are IIRC pretty common there nowadays. Like most folks, I usually prefer to hit the drive-thru, and haven't been inside one in quite awhile... wonder how that would work if I bothered to own a Zune?

[CrashPad63]

You see you can see oppurtunities if you just stop the drivel and look around. Im proud of your progress today. Keep this up and you just might get a cookie.

[Penguinisto]

Hey kid - I'm not saying this is a good thing (in fact I think it's misplaced) - I'm saying that I can see where they're going with it, and that at last they're trying to do something about what has been a nice but otherwise useless feature.

Now get back in your seat and let the adults talk, okay?

[CrashPad63]

Now junior does your Mommy and Daddy know your using their computer? Now just keep quiet. Your dialog bores me.

[Dalkorian]

Disclaimer: I hate M$ passionately and wouldn't touch a zune if it was thrown at me. With that said and out of the way, Peng actually asks an interesting question - will the wi-fi work in McD's parking lot (you probably shouldn't be "squirting" others in the drive thru lane Peng:))? My guess is no, I'm sure they want you inside and therefore will keep the wireless weak enough to just cover the dining area. But that might not be so easy in all locations. It's at least nice to see M$ try to make the zune's wi-fi work somewhere.

"Want fries with that?" (Sorry, couldn't resist ...)

[whatsat]

Stop me if I'm wrong but as an iPod Touch owner who has paid for the January Software Update and the 2.0 Software Update, why are Microsoft updates for the Zune free? I have heard that if new functionality is include that for accounting purposes there must be a charge for it. At least that's what I am constantly told when I have to fork out for my Touch upgrades. Perhaps the new functionality in the Zune does not rise to the level of warranting a charge for them but they do seem much better than adding a Notepad, Map, Mail, Weather and Stocks for $19.95.

Perhaps I am getting something wrong here so let me know...

PS I am not an Apple or MS Fanboy, I love using my iPod Touch but my computer runs Vista and I love it.

[t26l]

That's part of the reason I stay away from Apple: they charge you for everything. At least when Microsoft expects us to pay to update our OS they have the good graces to give it a full point upgrade first, rather than go from, say, 10.4 to 10.5.

[timber2005]

You are correct. iPod Touch owners had to pay for the updates, Zune owners get them free.

Diffrence here really is that this is more like the iPod Nano/Classic, which have had minor interface (coverflow) changes, and should have been firmware upgradable to give those features to past users.

[Earl Benzar]

> why are Microsoft updates for the Zune free?

Pick your favorite answer:

1. Because Microsoft has extra money to waste left over from their budget for strange ad campaigns

2. Because Steve Ballmer threw a chair at the Zune product manager and was forced to hire Richard Stalhman as a replacement.

3. Because information wants to be free

4. Because it would cost more to set up an e-commerce system to charge the 14 people who will download the update.

5. Because the Zune is now part of Bill Gates philanthropic organization

;-)

[cowatson]

Apple may have to defer revenue as a result of the upgrade, but that has nothing to do with why they charge the end user. While iPods are a significant source of revenue for Apple, Zune is probably not material to Microsoft's financial well being and therefore they do not need to defer revenue.

The features are part of a firmware update which DOES give features to past users. iPod follows the Apple mantra...you want to upgrade? buy a new one.

[Dalkorian]

Disclaimer: I might actually be an Apple fanboy, though I don't own an iPod (yet). But I think I can answer the difficult question here, why did Apple charge for the iPod update when M$ gives the zune update away. Take another look at the companies in question. Apple has always been a hardware company, M$ has always been a software company. I know, OSX and Xbox and all that, but it doesn't change the fact that Apple makes it's money on hardware like laptops, desktops, *iPods*, iPhones and the like. M$ makes it's money on software (winblows, office, etc). The zune is like the xbox to them, a loss leader to get you interested in M$ so you'll eventually go buy fista. I doubt if they ever charge for updates to the zune for that reason alone. No one ever asks the fish to pay for the bait it consumed while being caught.

Note: understanding does not necessarily imply consent. I'd love to get an iPod Touch, but this charging for updates bit has me turned off. Don't even bother mentioning the zune in my presence, I wouldn't touch one of those if it was thrown at me.

[timber2005]

The key diffrence people are missing about the iPod Touch + McDonalds...
Yes, you CAN see the page to *login*... thats the key, you have to PAY (flat fee) to access the web and iTunes/AppStore over the iPod touch. The Zune deal means zune users get it free.

[johnqh]

Regarding the point system - that's to reduce the cost of the micro-payment.

when you purchase a song at 0.99, after the credit card processing fee (often a fixed amount + % of transaction) and royalty to the music labels, you will be lucky to earn a nickel, and most likely you are losing money.

Apple group transactions together. If you buy 10 songs on the same day, it charges you one transaction of 9.90 instead of 10x0.99. That model depends on customers buying multiples.

And of course, Apple sell iTunes gift cards, which you can often get at a discount. Despite the discount, Apple saves way more due to the single transaction.

I don't know if Zune's democraphics is different from iPods. In any case, MS decided to force the customer to have one transaction of at least $5 instead of having the potential of 5x0.99 transactions. Essentially, MS forces you to buy "gift cards".

The crazy thing is the way MS calculates the points. It is not one-to-one relationship. $5 buys you 400 points....why cannot they just say you have "$5 balance" instead, or at least have $5 buy 500 points (instead of 400).

[cowatson]

The points system allows international structure without currency revaluation. This means the Zune marketplace once (if ever) global will have the same content globally, UNLIKE iTunes which has different content in different countries. Also, it is much easier to do promotions using points that actually giving away cash; less tax implication. Finally, the points work with all MS sites and Xbox live marketplace, should you own one and want to rent a movie, or use Netflix, etc.

[Dalkorian]

If they made the relationship easy to calculate, people would know how much they were spending - how much "stuff" costs. People start budgeting when that happens. When you don't think about how much something is costing you, you tend to spend more - until you run out of "points". Then you only need 42 more points to get that song you wanted ....

[kelmon]

Understood, but I, as a customer, don't like it. As a general rule of thumb in business, annoying your customer is not a good practice particularly when you seem to be the only company doing it.

[rocketjam--2008]

"Our ability to enable and manage applications and devices over converged networks creates exciting new opportunities for our clients to attract new customers whose digital lifestyle extends beyond their home and office."

Gag.

[PKGuy323]

First, the upgrade cost for the iTouch adds enormous functionality to the iPod Touch....mail, apps, maps, etc.
The firmware update for Zune 3.0 adds the ability to buy songs in different ways. Between the two, I'd rather pay for the Apple Updates and get more functinality than to get a free update that allows me to spend MORE money consistently. It's "Apples" to oranges on this one!

I bought the intial Zune30 because the hardware specs are incredible....but when the software piece(firmware + ZuneMarketplace) lacks fundamental pieces(Movies, decent library mainly)....what use is it?

[whatsat]

I think the point of my comment may have been missed. Apple says that legally they have to charge for the updates that add functionality to the iPod. Whether the functionality is "enormous" or not is debatable. I would think that the "buy from FM", Audible support and download songs via WiFi are added functionality for the Zune. Whether or not added functionality warrants a charge or is "enormous" seems like a much easier decision for Apple to make than Microsoft.

Don't get me wrong, I love the functionality of my iPod. I would have to classify it as one of the best tech purchases I have ever made. The only problem is that I feel like Apple is nickel and diming me to death on it. At the rate they are going I figure I will be paying $4.95 when they finally get around to adding copy and paste functions.

[guyfromtrinidad]

I am a proud Zune owner and it really surprises me that more than 4 hours after the release of the new firmware updates for zune CNET has only one article. Last week when Steve Jobs walked to the podium there were already about 5-6 atricles about ipods and within an hour after the event finished 3 reviews. All I am asking for is the same level of coverage for the release of the new software. Are there any issues with the update? Does it work as planned? How is it being recieved?

[irish14500]

I have downloaded the Zune 3.0 software and not much has changed. The layout is somewhat different than 2.5. When you click on the 'now playing' icon to the lower right of the software while listening to the artist, it will display a somewhat 'screensaver' type of slideshow of the artist you are listening to. That is good and better than just a bunch of album art images randomly changing. When you install the firmware ( mine to a 80 gig ), you get the 'marketplace and games' added to the Zune. I am nearing 40 and don't play a whole lot of games and rarely frequent Mc D's in order to use the Wi-Fi on the go feature however this would be good for road trips for work. I have friends with I-touch and I-phones and they 'seem' impressive but who needs all of that just to listen to music? And for a huge charge? Could care less about Apple versus Microsoft-it's not what THEY have that I prefer but rather What I Prefer to use at the time. Whether it be Quicktime for editing home movies or Media player to play my tunes. It's about choosing suitable software for your individual taste(s). I chose Vista because it's widely used and cheaper than say an I-Mac. I use Quicktime because of the simplicity of the application.

[Synthmeister]

Still no movies?
Still no integration between X-Box and Zune?
Points?
Wifi but no browser, no email, no IM, no Twitter?
No Touch Zune? (or perhaps "Touché)

Or they could go for some non-Apple options and at least include stereo Bluetooth or a dopey camera or something.

Does Microsoft

[cowatson]

The Zune integrates with Xbox, what integration are you looking for? It also works with your media center PC so you can watch recorded shows and movies on your Zune.

[rapier1]

XBox integration has been part of the Zune for a while. I don't think they have movies on the Zune marketplace yet but they do have television shows. I expect them to add movies before the end of the year. The points thing is valid. Its a weird system but they inherited it from the XBox - I guess it made more sense to have a single purchasing system than multiple ones.

The browser, email, IM, and twitter is easy to do but you have the limitation of not having a keyboard of any sort. Its just not feasible on the current hardware. The touch zune - which is expected in the next 9 months - should have all of these things. However, the primary focus of the zune wasn't to be an all in one device but a PMP first and foremost.

As for the bluetooth and camera thing - its difficult to include discrete hardware in a firmware/software update.

[Fire Balls]

ok I just got the software and I like it.. the ability to see and connect with other people with it is much better then 2.5 overall just better and I like it a lot more then F!($&@(!%& iruines. Yeah I would like to see a zune with a touch interface and a web bowser (I mean come on it has wireless built in the first mp3 player to do so) who knows what is to come but really they need to get on the ball there.

[FLMIA305]

Please, help: I just have downloaded the Zune 3.0 And it seems that I am having problems listening to the songs when I click on the "now playing" icon to the lower right of the software. Especifically, when displaying the "screensaver" which is the slideshow of the artist I am listening to.
I have over 173 CDs in my music collection, and I have an HP Pavilion with over 100 GB of free space.
My problem is that when the "screensaver" appears, the songs quality is poor; it sounds like "a radio with low batteries that is about to die". Could somebody please help me out with some information? Is there anybody else having this problem? Thanks

[kelmon]

I'm glad to see that Microsoft are doing their bit to help obesity in the United States. Which genius came up with this marketing idea?

[Fire Balls]

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