"Tack on a scroll wheel and call it an iPod." Alright, now that we've gotten that obvious little gem out of the way, it's time to get down to business and start our
unpaid weekly focus group for major consumer electronics manufacturers, with today's
victim subject being none other than Microsoft's controversial
Zune. Far from the complete failure some had predicted, the Zune has actually managed to hold its own in the marketplace and even develop a small but dedicated following; however, we're not gathered here to give Redmond props on the social, so let's see what kind of suggestions we can come up with for its troubled-but-promising DAP. Bigger storage capacity? Check. Non-crippled wireless functionality? Check. Makes phone calls and plays YouTube videos and gives one a heightened sense of self-worth? Checkmate. Yup, looks like we're off to a good start here, so keep 'em comin' folks: how would you change the Zune?
posted August 3rd 2007 4:47PM
i mean make it a beer*
First off it's sad we are having this discussion on a product from the richest tech company in the industry, with the 'best' engineers in town. The Zune is not a bad DAP, for the year 2005. The problem is its missing some features that's been in other no-name DAPs for years. Heck even the discontinued RIO had many of the missing features.
Make it PlaysForSure compatible: (For pete's sake stop following Apple and open it up!)
Make it resume where I left off: (Not only for videos but songs and podcast-wow)
Make MarketPlace podcast compatible : (This is 2007 - enough said!)
Open up Wifi: (should not be tied only to DRM-Music, jpg. How about and IM, podcast, videocast, no restrictions needed)
CLOCK: (Alarm/Sleep etc)
Make it function as a mass storage device: (30 gig cluncker yet cant use a a UMS)
As for as looks, slim it down and make it less clunky looking.
These are all basics that should have been included from the start!
The best mp3 according to Zdnet is the iRiver Clix
Editors' rating
Excellent
8.7
out of 10
add an internet browser to use with the wifi
Make it smaller and fix the software. Maybe make it higher-res too.
portable Surface.
The title of this article should be "how would you change the iPod?".
i have one and love it. the only thing i would change is to add a clock
Why not make the Wifi STREAMING RADIO compliant instead of some stupid verizonesque "only works with like" system?
What I would want out of a Dream Zune
1. WiFi that works, not fully just able to do Marketplace and Sync over WiFi.
2. Ability to enter a security key E.G. Wep to connect to WiFi
3. A little less restriction on sharing. Add a feature where “Family” Zunes get unlimited plays from a shared file. Idea there is that devices in the same household would have access to the original files anyway, but sometimes like on the road or out and about it is easier just to share the files between devices.
4. Same big screen but a bit higher resolution.
5. Slimmer device.
6. Allow higher resolution album art.
7. Allow Video Backgrounds
8. More control over Playlists from the Zune
9. Able to delete from the Zune
10. Optional Picture Rotation
11. Optional Video Rotation
12. Ability to edit Metadata through the Zune Desktop Software or at least assign files to categories E.G> TV, Movie, Shorts etc. (this is huge!)
13. Some people say bigger hard drive, this would be nice but not essential
14. BLUETOOTH!! I want to be able to sync to a computer with BT, I want to be able to use BT Stereo Headphones with control of my Zune.
15. More Industry support, in things like car stereos, and home audio.
16. More eye Catching Colors!! Love the double shot, but give me like Rust Orange or a better red maybe a grayish purple..
I want to say that we have two Zunes in my household. I have the gay Red Color (will be getting a skin for it) and my daughter has the Pink. We both lover our Zunes. Except for the gripes I listed above the interface on the device is easy to navigate. It is intuitive and flows well. If you notice MOST of my desires are in the software not the hardware it’s self. My big hardware is issue is no Bluetooth. I love the housings on the Zune and can not wait to see new colors. I personally love the buttons and layout! I am sure going forward that the buttons will not have so much give in them. I LOVE the subscription model of the Zune Marketplace and I will continue to pay every month. 2 Zunes for 15 bucks a month is not bad at all.
Gapless playback and anti-aliased fonts. Everything else is dandy.
I don't own a zune. I do have a 60GB 5G iPod. I want to get an iPhone. I'v also got the 360 Elite and my PC runs Vista so I use my Elite as External Media Center. I'd probably still get an iPhone just to have a phone with included capabilities, but if the Zune had the following features I'm about to list, I'd probably want one too:
1. Bluetooth A2DP/AVRCP to work with my Motorola S9. iPhone doesn't even suppport it yet. I'd also make the Bluetooth interface with any Windows Mobile phone so that you could approximate some level of iPhone functionality with either device.
2. Multi-touch screen, specifically a version of the Surface interface that Microsoft has been developing for the last six years. Make this work as an external Bluetooth touchpad/pen input for Vista. If people fall in love with the interface on a DAP then you know they'll be warmer to it on their computers.
3. Make the Zune interface with Media Center in a number of different ways: Allow recorded tv shows to be downloaded to it easily, use it as a Media Center remote via the Wi-fi or an infrared port, and use it as a portable Media Center Extender that you can take to any TV in your house within Wi-fi range.
4. Make it a Windows Sideshow compatible device for some of the same reasons I just listed.
5. Make the Zune Marketplace converge with Xbox Live Marketplace when accessed from a 360. Use the 360's processing power to allow for crunching videos purchased and downloaded to the 360 into a usable format for the Zune and then exporting them to the Zune. Authorize the 360 to play songs downloaded to it, and give the option to push those songs not just to a Zune, but also back to your PC. It's been rumored that the Apple TV could eventually be used for downloadable games, so integrating the 360 with the Zune in this manner before Apple does would be a great coup. Also make games and playable demos for the Zune that can be downloaded through this service.
Find ways to integrate the Zune into a 360 game (like an alternate reality game)
6. Make Wi-fi purchasing, Bluetooth syncing and social gaming happen. Make the Zune play nice as a means to take your PC settings, user accounts, specified Documents folders and Windows Live settings as well as your Xbox/Windows Gaming Live gamertag and game saves for your 360 to other devices with its USB port out.
Whats a zune?
I bought the zune and now use my original ipod. Why? Apple Lossless. I heard that Zune would support FLAC soon. If it does i'll make the switch back to the Zune. Another reason I no longer use the Zune is the low volume levels. The Ipod can more easily power a good pair of headphones. Yes, I do have a headphone amp, but I shouldn't have to use them.
It seems as though people have a lot of hate for the Zune, I'm okay with this as long as people have actually has experience w/ the device and aren't just talking out their butts. =) To be quite honest I love the Zune, but what are the changes/additions I want?
1. I want it to actually display time!
2. I want it to be slightly smaller.
3. I want to have the option of saving any quick lists I make, instead of deleting them when I want to start a new one, and make it an available playlist when I hook it up to my 360.
4. I want people to get over the iPod craze (I have a mini- I love it- whatever) and make more accessories for it.
Clearly I've thought about this before. =)
Make the center buttons match the body color of the player...having it black on all of them looks...stupid
Other than that i don't really care. All i do is sell the things....
1.)Personally, I would hate a touchscreen on the Zune; its current interface is awesome.
2.)it would be nice to lose the drm
3.)make it ums & mtp compatible
4.)add rhapsody support (both via pc and wifi like the sansa connect) for the sake of it
5.)Get rid of the three-day/play thing.
6.)It would be nice if the zune could broadcast music over the radio, so nearby players could listen to what you're listening to
7.)it would also be awesome if it had bluetooth connectivity so one can easily use wireless headphones
8.)Thinner form-factor
9.)No web-surfing; that would kill the whole experience. However, "widgets" which had weather, stocks, news, rss feeds would be great!
10.) EIther raise the pause/back buttons a bit, or make them bigger; its easier to hit them tat way.
I know there's nothing like this on the market, but the Zune already has most of the neccesary hardware, making this *fairly* simple to do with a firmware update.
If you want a touchscreen audio-device, check out the cowon d2, or the iriver u10/w10. Or get an iPhone or the unreleased meizu M8. (The clix2 rhapsody is sweet too) Check anythingbutipod.com for some great truly unbiased reveiws!
1) a standard usb connector and the computer should see it as a MSD
2) A2DP
3) give me the option to force the menu on its side
In that order
Thats it
Nothing more
**** Apple
**** Steve Jobs
ESAD
why not just make an iphone in a DAP-only flavor and then claim all the tech patents as "obvious"? $$
If they make it more aesthetically appealing, support for WMA Pro and WMA Lossless. I'm most likely going to snag one immediately.
I did like the idea of a small glowing Zune logo. But honestly, it has to be filtered so it doesn't blind the user, discreetness is the key, and doesn't drain the battery, with option of disabling the glow.
better Wi-Fi, shares and plays playlists (which seems like it would be better than 3day/3play sharing), definitely needs cosmetic update (never have found it to be very attractive) and better color options, and I have no idea why it's not widescreen, seems like a no brainer to me. then the maybes would include things like satelitte radio option, games, browser.
i just want to put my downloads access on hold untill next mth sept so i guess i want to disconutine my services with zune for 1499 i should be able to down load movies and etc today is aug 5 2007
A Zune success would be with the following features:
--slimmer and trimmer the design,
--add touch sensors( not touch screen) kinda like the chocolate LG...
--add video store
--fix the wi-fi (do some kinda deal with the music companies) to exchange freely tracks, and you can exchange with any tipe of wifi device with be even sweeter....
--i know satellite radio would be hard (without compromising the size) but it would be so awesome.
--Sell songs in real money.
--Maybe U2 version.... a big band version
...please...portable hard drive...to tack on more storage to PC's with terabytes of memory...
I've had my Zune since the day they came out. I love the device.
It's hard to think of features that need to be change, but I can pull a few out of my hat:
1) User replaceable battery, specifically an extended battery
2) REAL wifi features, like sync and ESPECIALLY zune store browsing.
3) FM recording
Zune is great.. more features than an iPod. This is what I would like to be changed / added.
- Larger Capacity
- Memory expansions slop (eg. mini-SD)
- Unlock wireless so you can connect to all devices
- Possibly Touchscreen
- Larger Screen model.
Bigger hard drive (60GB-100GB), support for FLAC codec. I couldn't care less about DRM, as it's irrelevant for those of us who abhor MP3 quality and don't download.
I own a Toshiba Gigabeat S60 which I absolutely love, and the Zune was a step backward from that device, so I did not get one. To start with, get back to "even" with the Gigabeat:
a. When I plug it in, it automatically syncs with my Vista Media Center and gets me my music, videos, and recorded TV. Without recorded TV sync, the Zune was a step backward in this area, and it is critical that this be included in "Zune 2".
b. I've already got a Vista Media Center (Ultimate) ... I manage my music in Windows Media Player and that is tightly integrated with Vista Media Center. So, I shouldn't have to load additional Zune software to do what I'm already doing in Media Player/Media Center... don't make me manage everything in 2 places!
c. Obviously... get to at least 60GB. 100+ GB shoudl be the goal.
These will at least get me what I already have in the Gigabeat. To take the Zune forward, how about:
a. WIFI - Let me sync via WIFI with my Media Center. Let me purchase content via WIFI.
b. Syncing Formats - Allow MP4 and WMV to be played natively without conversion. Even today, if I have a WMV file, it has to convert before syncing
c. UI - I really like the UI of the Zune/Gigabeat, though it could be jazzed up a bit. Also, better support for creating playlists on the fly would be wonderful that could be sync'd back to Media Player.
d. Not sure touchscreen is the way to go. I may be in the minority, but for me, use of any gadget is a tactile experience, and this needs to be improved in the next gen Zune. Maybe a trackball like the BlackBerry Pearl could be a differentiator... who knows. The less I have to touch and smudge the screen the better!
e. Bigger screen, bigger capacity, longer batter life, etc. etc. etc.
1. Make it able to stream from internet radio (ie Pandora)
2. Make RSS reader to get news or movie times Etc.
Both of these would have to be defined on a PC (I cant even think of a vurital keyboard using the wheel)
3. Allow it to be used as a hard drive natively (i hate going into the regeristy)
4. Bluetooth would be nice but if you increase wifi support not really needed
5. Higher res screen
6. You could make a media center like interface. I mean that the zune would look like the PC version. You would need to flip the screen and reposition the buttons but it would make the Zune easer to use. I like the interface now but if you make it a copy of media center you make it really user frendily and also make it seem that its cutting edge(it can do what a pc can do)
7. Allow music to play in backround while you read RSS or Email Etc
8. The idea to use the interface works perfectly on a mobile device EXCEPT that the play/pause, next, previous and volume buttons are mainly mouse oriented. either a button that could bring up these options on a little bar sorta thing OR have a dedicated touch interface for these (think old school palms with the green gray bar for Gratifti but way smaller)
The Zune is a good player but with itunes so good and Media Player 11 just so-so it comes down also to PC support. Make it mac compatible and make a media player 12 with a bigger music focus (do i need rip and burn tabs?) and make the new player like vistas explorer with a side bar for functions as well as filter options.
HD based players are better only if you use them gently. active lifestyle = dead HardDrive PMP
My ipod is integrated into my honda, with steering controls. Would consider Zune if MS provided one, or third-party produced a decent car integration kit, (none of that in-dash aux-in jack shiet).
I'm used to my iPod but sick'n'tired of drives failing on me (4 iPpods replaced under warranty).
There are a lot of ways to make Zune very compelling to the masses, and starting a social isn't one of them. Make an individual appreciate it social will follow.
I'm pragmatic enough to switch from my iPod if Zune offered:
a) lighter/smaller/equal form-factor (relative to ipod)
b) bigger drive, more reliable operations (vastly reduced HD failures)
c) ability to download a track through wifi/wireless link from my all-i-can eat subscription
d) excellent car-integration kit with dashboard/steering integration.
e) better battery life than iPod (preferably)
dont play catch ups to iPod! Go on a 2 month new software feature release cycle for Zune, with a device update every 1.5 to 2 years or so.
make it be able to play games, kinda like a xbox portable but compact and i'd like it to have bluetooth as well as wi-fi
Slap an Apple logo on it and watch the iFanBoys go, "Ooh! Aah!".
How about changeable face plates, more XBOX support like being able to save clips from games and show that awesome touchdown on Madden 08, or how you pistol whipped some sniper from behind on G.R.A.W. 2. wouldnt hurt to add bluetooth so and bluetooth headphones so I can workout without wires dangling everywhere. Also a clock, calander, phonebook etc. you can upload stuff from say office 07 to the zune. I mean c'mon M$ link all this stuff together somehow.
The problems with Zune don't necessarily lay within the player, but actually in the software you use to manage the media for the Zune. I own a Zune along with multiple iPods dating back since Gen1 all the way to the current version. But the Zune is actually a better player then the current iPod video.
The Zune has a bigger screen, and the interface is actually nice to use. It makes just as much sense as as the iPod interface and after years of using an iPod, I welcome the change. The resolution isn't the best when it comes to album art and photos, so that can always be improved. The size of the player should be addressed but its not a deal breaker. It just needs to be thinner. The colors are nice, but almost all the Zune's I have seen have some little imperfections where the two halves of the casing join. Apple would never allow something like this. Perfection in design is always a must. So MS, take note...if we are going to pay our hard earned cash for pricey toys, we want a visually perfect product.
30 gigs....that was always a stupid move. If you want to store movies on this thing, along with music, we NEED a much bigger drive. 80 gigs is a must.
Speaking of movies, anyone ever try and load a movie on a Zune? This is where the problems start. The software is absolutely horrible. Windows Media sucks, so please Zune, if you want to succeed in this game, you need to have solid software. And in the laziest move ever seen, you basically re-skined Windows Media Player 11. And better yet, you can't use Windows Media Player with a Zune! Are you guys idiots? You have two identical pieces of software in the market place. Only difference is, one uses Zune market place, and the others use another two crappy music services. Bottom line, you now have two crap media managers out there. How about a little FOCUS and make ONE good one.
But if you can fix one thing, please make this one happen. Make it so that it's truly drag and drop. Right now, you have to go through multiple steps to sync music to a Zune. I know, its only a couple, but with itunes, there is ONE step. I highlight the music I want and I drag it into the player. Oh yeah, and I can drag stuff in WHILE the ipod is syncing. What a simple idea. God forbid i forget to add some tracks. I have to wait until the player stops syncing, then I have to start the process all over again. Drag music into a stupid little waiting area, then hit sync. Oh wait, damn...I forgot to add a couple more tracks... argh. Most people don't have an hour to spare when syncing.
And back to the movies...oh my god. How about making those drag and drop? Right now, if I have a movie I want to load that is mpeg4 (a format that Zune says it supports), the Zune software goes through a lengthy process of conversion, and then it downloads on the player. So what happens now is, I try and sync up 5 movies, and I need to basically start it when I go to bed only to wake up and hope they synced up without crashing my computer. Oh yeah people, it takes HOURS to sync a multiple movies at a time. And since the Zune software is such a memory hog, it loves to overload my machine.
Look MS, if you want to be a player, you need to understand your audience a little better. We have been using the easiest software for YEARS. If you don't provide the same sort of ease of use (not even saying better, but the SAME), you are never going to catch up with ipod and itunes.
And here is another tip, if/when you fix your software, bail out a company like Spiral frog, and use their business model where people can download free DRM free music. I'd be happy to sit through a few ads or tv commercials if I knew i was going to free DRM'less tracks. The company that offers free music, wins. Its not rocket science.
And make the Zune Mac compatible. I was using my PC for work so it wasn't a big deal at the time. But now I use my macbook pro, and my Zune is gathering dust. My PC is now ONLY used to sync movies and music to my Zune. Which basically means, I never use my Zune anymore. I spoke to someone over at MS about this, and I hear that it's not really up to MS regarding Mac. But telling me that I need to run windows through Mac Boot Camp isn;t the solution I was looking for.
Get it right MS. You're supposed to be a software company.
It needs more space. I'd say 60GB.
Does anyone else think the battery life on these blow?
I want a better battery!
It'd be nice if it was slimmer as well.
Thats my two cents.
If it wants to get anywhere near to knocking the iPod off its perch it needs to be both demonstrably better and a lot cheaper than the matching iPod.
Now I use Macs, PCS and Linux so I have no integral bias either way. I have a Creative Zen and an iPod Shuffle so this issue is a non starter for me.
However.
The difference between the two companies in question defines the gulf between these two products.
Apple appears to be set up to provide more options, boot camp and parallels allows Windows or Linux to run on a Mac and iTunes and Safari both have Windows versions as well.
Microsoft appear to be based around controlling its customers and what they use.
The single thing that Microsoft has brought to the world is the fact that I can sit down in front of any computer in the world and stand a pretty good chance of being able to work it, language depending of course, but attempting to break the iPod as a device with such a clumsy attempt was doomed from the start.
Like many people I wanted to like this as competition is good for customers but this simply never had a chance.
My evidence to suport this is the fact that Microsoft didn't even bother to release the Zune in europe.
Make it round.
the battery needs some adjusting to extend it's play life, but i'll wait just like everyone else did for ipod to get better considering this is first gen. i supose it's only gonna get better. as far as iAmerica goes, just stuff it and jog on you jag offs. I'm sorry that you've been brainwashed by steve "give me your money so i can get a hand" Jobs. It's just another thing that iAmerica has to slam because they've given them selves over to the corporate machine under the guise of rebel yell let by someone that finally got it right with something. I'm sure he's in his basement or neuvo apartment sipping his non-starbucks coffee house coffee explaining to everyone how non-corporate he is as he checks his stock, calls his secreatery, sets up his next appointment to rally his minions and try to match the over all abilities of the zune. It's really a great stand alone player and i'm sorry to say that i like the fact that when i see someone with something on there players we can trade. Call it baseball cards for adults.... hey wait a min... kids can do it too. funny thing. oh and the screens bigger, oh and i can customize my background... and, well eat your heart out Jobs.
Get rid of that butt ugly brown zune... who would want to use an mp3 player that looked like a brown turd?
Make the screen more scratch resistant!
integrate the software into WMP. i mean if youve got the software, why make more? just update what you got. and i would make a thinner, flash version, adn a similarly sized version with a 100gb hdd or at least 60gb. more colors too.
Paint it in high-gloss white, give it curved edges and a chrome back, then change its dimesions to 4.1 × 2.4 × 0.43. Thats about it. I included a link to what my dream zune would look like
http://i.pricerunner.com/prod/10_17_5_16_733677s/Apple_iPod_Video_80GB_White.jpeg
complete with the Cpt jack swallows pick.... your not a twelve yr old girl are you?
no, but i couldn't find a picture of just a plain white ipod on apple.com, the jpegs were always grouped with the black ones, and i didn't want to crop it so i just googled white ipod video.
Frankly my complaints with the Zune are merely with the Firmware and software. The zune's build is a tank (way better than an Ipod). I just want better compatibility with video formats.
I would love to see the next generation of the zune, with a web browser, and a connection for a small keyboard, like the blakcberry or the sidekick. That would be hot. you can you use the zune as an IM, and as the mp3/4... Now I would love something like that. Ohh and not to forget to have I guess the capability to see it on your list of hard drives without going through the registry....
Make it compatible with Rhapsody and other Plays-for-sure music stores. Who thought it was a good idea to introduce yet ANOTHER proprietary way to make on-line music confusing to the masses? Geesh.
Easy, add PFS support.