http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/ Engadget Comments for Microsoft to introduce Zune song sharing incentive program? http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/Dec 3rd 2006 2:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/Nov 30th 2006 11:06AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/
Personally, this kind of system might be okay once a critical mass of users is achieved. As it is, your friend, let alone the person sitting next to you on the bus, is probably plugged into either an iPod or a Plays For Sure device. Not helpful. ]]>Nov 30th 2006 11:22AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/
And there was also this tidbit that confirmed young people on this campus think the Zune is lame... A sign for a giveaway of prizes not only had the Zune listed last, but someone had written next to it "lol, installer crash."

Zune is a flop.]]>Nov 30th 2006 11:48AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/]]>Nov 30th 2006 11:31AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/I mean, there were several commenters on different tech-blogs testifying to this. Or could it be that they were all lying? Surely not.]]>Nov 30th 2006 1:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/Nov 30th 2006 11:31AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/Nov 30th 2006 11:44AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/
(and if you are subscribing to begin with why do the "squirted" songs have to time out at all?)

]]>Nov 30th 2006 12:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/Nov 30th 2006 12:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/"Ok, so my friend Joe beamed me two songs, so I only have to pay 46 points for each on the Zune Marketplace, plus 3 credits that will go to Joe. Now, I beamed seven songs to Angela, three to John, and five to Roberto who beamed me back eight songs...and I have to take in account the two songs Jim beamed me yesterday but I already listened 3 times so the percentage of points changes...so if I add the points and deduct the ingoing points, multiply it by the number of Zune devices, take $1 off each song for Universal, substract the number of creditsdue to sharing too more than two devices,...carry to the ten...square root of logarithm...plus the derivative of the integral...So if I understand well, I'm left with..." *system failure*...*Zune Marketplace will reboot - please wait*...*due to technical problems, all your Points have been deleted and donated to the RIAA to which you own $4,980 for legally sharing music* "Wow! Thanks Microsoft! You solved my mathematical problem!" *Welcome to the social*]]>Nov 30th 2006 12:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/Nov 30th 2006 1:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/
Now most critics are going to cite that it is very, very hard to find another Zune user to share with and that makes this program worthless. But MS has indicated they plan on expanding the wireless service to allow connection through Wi-Fi hot spots to any other Zune using a hotspot. MS probably knew that an incentive program at launch would have been laughed at because of the futility of trying to find other users. But to release it in conjunction with the upgraded wireless capabilities builds buzz and makes alot of sense.

As for those who have said Zune is a failure, you are also not taking a few things into account. First, many DAP users had most likely just upgraded their iPods with the new releases from Apple. Secondly, they are locked into Apple's system and to make a change would require a big leap of faith. MS has to show that the change is worth it. Third, MS stated before the release of the Zune that they expected it to be years (I believe the quote cited something like 5-6 years) and millions of dollars before Zune had any real market saturation. MS does not expect this to be an overnight change and I don't know why anyone else does. MS has also never called this first gen player an iPod killer. The audience has.

Now before I get called out as an MS fanboy, I am merely pointing out Microsoft's stated strategy and expectations. I did not buy a Zune (I never buy 1st gen products), nor do I own an X-Box (third choice actually after the Wii and then the PS3). I only use Windows because it is my simplest solution. Even then, I use third party solutions in place of many of Windows built in features (browser, firewall, defrag, etc). Just something to think about.]]>Nov 30th 2006 1:03PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/]]>Nov 30th 2006 1:58PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/Nov 30th 2006 4:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/
http://v3.espacenet.com/textdoc?DB=EPODOC&IDX=WO2005038617&F=0

And here is the Incentive Scheme in action
http://www.peerimpact.com]]>Nov 30th 2006 1:11PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/
As for the glowing installation review on this site, nice touch saying zune caused raid failure rather than the other way around. ]]>Nov 30th 2006 1:33PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/Nov 30th 2006 2:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/
Zune launch so far has Microsoft wheels spinning in mud (is this where the brown colour of Zune is coming from?). No traction. This latest addition is too little. What they need to do is TOTAL redesign of entire concept - namely:

1. DUMP any hint of them being evil and ripping customers off - read: real prices, lower then iTunes Store,
2. VERY generous DRM (better then FairPlay),
3. MUCH lower price (150 dollars would be about right)
4. Zune software should be able to convert FairPlay music into ZUNE DRM
5. Zune should support at launch EVERY single thing iTunes does and then does it with more grace
6. Microsoft should put all non-signed artists onto Zune marketplace (read: buy podsafe music network)
etc etc etc

But we know that they won't do that because Microsoft doen not know how to sell stuff to consumers. They sell Windows and Office to companies whom they can bully and pressure to dance on their music. (that is why they started licking Universal's ass from the start).

Dealing with consumers is not in their DNA and this is just another example of that.

So patient (read: Zune) is dead and there is no point in applying CPR. So long Zune, it was a brief existance but honestly with such bad DNA your parents provided - you never had a chance.

here be ZUNE
a music player with faulty DNA

2006-2006


]]>Nov 30th 2006 3:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/
So yeah, it's pretty much useless. It's a FLOP!]]>Nov 30th 2006 2:42PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/Dec 1st 2006 5:33AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/Nov 30th 2006 6:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/Nov 30th 2006 7:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/microsoft-to-introduce-zune-song-sharing-incentive-program/
Get a real player. A real player that can connect to virtually any computer (and virtually any operating system) and can share its files plainly - as data files. No freaking iTunes. No freaking Zune software. No RIAA-approved activities. No software needed at all. It's called USB Mass Storage.

Zune hasn't got it. Apple has only got it for data files, and NOT for playable audio on the device (which is encrypted). Sony's audio is encrypted on the device, too. Makes you wonder why, eh?

Now get your virtually ignored Cowon or Sandisk or device and copy said files on your friend's computer. Grab some tracks from your friend, too, while you're at it. It's a two-way street.

Now get thanked. And of course, you have more taste than to listen to what RIAA member companies are throwing at you, right? And more sense than to buy heavily restricted players, right?

Or do you need to be force-fed lifeless music via the Zune marketplace?]]>Dec 1st 2006 12:06PM