Microsoft misses some Valentine's Day Zune shipments?

As it turns out, Microsoft may be breaking a few hearts by not being able to fulfill all its Zune 80 Valentine's Day Originals shipments, but not all is lost for their loving customers. Users who haven't already gotten their units will apparently get a full refund -- as well the player they ordered. Aw, isn't that candy-heart sweet? And should you wind up with one of these for V-Day, you might try every so gingerly asking for dinner with that $250 your special someone saved.

[Thanks Sean and Mike]

[Rollins @ Feb 9th 2008 1:04AM]

I suppose when you have more money than God, you can afford to do things like this.

Good going all the same, though.

[Jeff @ Feb 9th 2008 12:00PM]

Their order fulfillment system must be running on Windows Vista.

[Ellianth @ Feb 9th 2008 4:40PM]

He might not have as much money as Microsoft but he can still smite your ass. Just wait till you go outside tomorrow :p.

[Neebs @ Feb 9th 2008 5:12PM]

Jeff, that could have been potentially hi-larrious had Vista had some sort of problem with things like that...

[Darkroom @ Feb 9th 2008 1:12AM]

Zune is grounds for divorce... it's an iPod or the couch honey... oh snap!

[Dragod @ Feb 9th 2008 1:41AM]

Nothing says "love" like cheap crapware that needs fixing after 8 months of use.

[Zeus.:God @ Feb 9th 2008 3:46AM]

Amen to that, Dragod.

[Intrepid @ Feb 9th 2008 5:43AM]

Nothing says a lack of intelligence like these three comments.

[dj-kenpo @ Feb 9th 2008 11:11AM]

amen to that intrepid.

[Andrew @ Feb 9th 2008 1:12AM]

Class act.

Shame about ruining a great Valentine's gift though.

[trevor @ Feb 9th 2008 3:17AM]

Luckily, it's a holiday where last-minute alternatives "pop up" just when you need them...

[David W. @ Feb 9th 2008 1:16AM]

Wow, way to go above and beyond...so now the guy can buy one for himself as well

[AJ @ Feb 9th 2008 1:18AM]

Does anyone actually own a zune? Why?

[ugg.tryptophan @ Feb 9th 2008 1:22AM]

because some people don't want ipods and find the zune an attractive solution to their mobile entertainment needs

[Tac Elf @ Feb 9th 2008 1:30AM]

(disclosure: I've owned just about every major MP3 player over the years)

Why not? The flash-based ones are great devices, the software is relatively intuitive and does what I want. The 80 has some real heft to it (not a bad thing IMHO) -- doesn't feel like a toy at all. The laser engraving on the Zune Originals is a superb touch, and are presented in a very classy way upon arrival.

Another bonus is all my purchased music from Zune Marketplace works on my media center box and extenders. While this may not be everyone's cup o' tea, it works for me.

[LPXXFAINTXX @ Feb 9th 2008 1:30AM]

That joke is so old. Why are you still using it? Why?

[SteveMB @ Feb 9th 2008 1:52AM]

Why are you an idiot? WHY?

[Ted @ Feb 9th 2008 2:06AM]

ipods aren't the only portable digital audio player on the market.
Earth to AJ there are other player like Zune or others. AJ its time to wake up from Steve Job's brainwashing dream. i have had mp3 player from samsung and creative and they are great too.

note:I like apple too. I have been using mac since the candy color imacs and i own ipods too. Also i have windows computer too from Dell and Fujitsu.

[wixostrix @ Feb 9th 2008 5:16AM]

i own 1, my 3 best friend all own 1, well 1 even owns 2 cuz he had the first gen. let see...oh my neighbor next door owns 1, including my neighbor below me. umm...and friend i kno from back in high school. a customer from my job. and not to mention every1 i kno who wants one.

[John @ Feb 9th 2008 6:23AM]

Wixostrix -

You ARE the social!

[DeoWulf @ Feb 9th 2008 10:16AM]

I've actually discovered a few great bands while sharing music with six of my friends who have one.

[Jason Smith @ Feb 9th 2008 12:08PM]

Because it's a quality MP3 player with a gorgeous screen. It plays movies that I record using Media Center, or ones I rip off DVDs, and has plenty of space to store them. The iPod Classic doesn't have the screen, and the iPod touch doesn't have the storage capacity.

It also offers a subscription plan that works with multiple devices and PCs, so for $15 a month my fiancé and I both get to download as much music as we want to our separate music libraries on different PCs, or stream the full versions right through the Zune software. I've downloaded dozens of albums I wouldn't otherwise have, simply because there's no 'cost' to check out new music. I've only encountered a few bands that don't participate in the subscription plan (Metallica and Zeppelin, for example).

It's not perfect by any means. I really wish their new software offered more features for power users. But for what it is, it works very well, and I have several jealous iPod-toting coworkers.

[Optimus @ Feb 18th 2008 4:59AM]

Statistically and on average AJ is right. Looking at iPod vs Zune sales starting from the last qtr of 2006 when the Zune was realized. Apple has sold approximately 100 million iPods and over the same period MS has managed to sale under 3 million, that’s 1 Zune for every 34 iPods. This means it doesn’t really matter whether wixostrix’s whole block owns a Zune the sales figures say it all. Taking total iPod sales to date the probability of AJ meeting a Zunist from wixostrix’s block and his “many” other Zune owners is 0.0185. Which means AJ might never meet a Zunist.
Well that’s statistically.
As for me I’m yet to see a Zune player MS has been concentrating too much on the US market and have totally forgotten about us. Its just iPod store after store. Though I currently have the 60GB video and a Nano for gym, with falling Zune prices I would probably buy one simply because I’m a sucker for gadgets.

[snitch @ Feb 9th 2008 1:29AM]

they just scrap the entire valentine thing because they probabily just got about 10 orders. i mean the worst thing you can do is give someone a customize anything, i mean i'll be mad as hell if my wife got me a MP3 player for a holiday with my name on it. how the hell is someone goin to ebay it when a new model comes in, if it has your freaking name on it

[LPXXFAINTXX @ Feb 9th 2008 1:31AM]

It's supposed to be a personalized "I love you" valentines gift, not a "oh, I'm going to sell this on eBay" gift, you f*cking retard.

[snitch @ Feb 9th 2008 1:43AM]

That's why they make post cards for, dum ass. Mp3 players if you keep them for more than a year, you got no choice but to Throw it in the garbage

[Tony @ Feb 9th 2008 1:47AM]

You throw away your MP3 players after only a year?

That rule applies only to iPods apparently. Fortunately, nearly every other MP3 player will last longer than that.

[SteveMB @ Feb 9th 2008 1:54AM]

I see iPods that are engraved go for the same price as a non engraved one all the time on eBay.

[snitch @ Feb 9th 2008 1:55AM]

Well if you where among the smart ones that sold your 30gb zune last year for $200 2 days before the new model was release you might had realise you only had to spend $50 to get the new 80gb model, try selling it now you probabily get $30 if your lucky LOL

[snitch @ Feb 9th 2008 2:03AM]

@Steve, good look trying to get rid of something that says, I love you Lucy on the back. If you goin to give someone anything give them something they could use all their live.

[SteveMB @ Feb 9th 2008 2:25AM]

OK, now you're being an idiot. I don't think someone who is looking for a used MP3 player cares what it says on the BACK of the player. I think they're trying to save money by getting it used.

[snitch @ Feb 9th 2008 2:40AM]

well Steve if your wife catches you with a zune engraved with someones name on the back?? Just make sure you still have a paypal invoice, otherwise your ass is grass

[Seoultrain @ Feb 9th 2008 3:40AM]

snitch, I feel sorry for your wife. Surely she must have trouble finding you gifts that will hold their value on ebay.

[Zeus.:God @ Feb 9th 2008 3:49AM]

You don't have a wife- don't kid yourself.

[Juaquin @ Feb 9th 2008 4:28AM]

Snitch - Hi, welcome to the Internet. We'd love to show you around but first you have to realize one thing - if you've said something stupid, do not continue. You will only dig a deeper whole. There is no redemption here - stop trying. Let it go and move on - there will be another day.

Now we can show you around. You'll probably really like 4chan.org, I suggest going and checking that out.

[Fiddlesworth @ Feb 9th 2008 1:31AM]

Because it's cool to be uncool!

[Mark A. Lamb @ Feb 9th 2008 1:34AM]

Just got a 80gb red on thursday, left from china on monday. Now we have black and red 80 giggers. We own them because actually sound better than the the ipod even without equalizers, AJ. And syncs perfectly with media center TV shows using zune software.

[Tac Elf @ Feb 9th 2008 1:38AM]

The 80 also makes a nice base for a living room audio system when you don't have whole-house wiring for speakers. Music "just shows up" on it when I purchase a new song.

http://tac-elf.spaces.live.com/photos/cns!2112E7A003863DEE!299/?startingImageIndex=1

[Joshua Walters @ Feb 9th 2008 1:42AM]

I wish I had a time machine, I would totally go back and order a Zune, so that I could get it for free.

Naturally, that would be the best possibly use of said time machine.

But seriously, the Zune would be an awesome Valentines day gift.

Its an awesome player for a crappy day.

[Green @ Feb 9th 2008 5:00AM]

^^

the only worthwhile comment on this post

[David @ Feb 9th 2008 2:00AM]

Hopefully they don't further rush assembly lines. Mine arrived with a bad seal on the screen now dust gets in behind the screen like crazy. It is out for warranty work though.

[iPriest @ Feb 9th 2008 2:01AM]

They now even give you money if you buy a zune? And still no one wants one?!

[David @ Feb 9th 2008 2:15AM]

STFU man, the iPod is the expensive sh8te

In fact, i just sold my new nano to buy a zune 30, because 26 more GBs for 30 bucks is worth it

[wixostrix @ Feb 9th 2008 5:16AM]

hmm...funny how u claim no one wants them when i kno im sumone and i wanted one...

also, more and more ppl i kno are getting zunes. and everyone i kno who has one are completely satisfied, including myself.

[iPriest @ Feb 9th 2008 6:35AM]

You didn't sell a nano to get a zune. You never had an iPod and you don't have a zune so STFU yourself. Poser!

[Chris @ Feb 9th 2008 2:16AM]

I wouldn't mind a Zune, there is no way it could give me anymore problems than my iPod.

[hackman @ Feb 10th 2008 11:14AM]

care to explain these problems?
o ya and zune fanbois can you even picture this:
"Ok class school had started put away your zunes and mp3 players"

Ya i know it will never happen. iPod is a household name. it's not cool to have the latest zune, no one cares.

But to be fair i know one person who wants to get a zune, good thing he asked me if they are any good. i told him they blow so he got a 160gb ipod.

[Skid @ Feb 9th 2008 2:51AM]

Microsoft is by definition uncool

[Argot @ Feb 9th 2008 3:16AM]

And Apple is by definition brainwash.

[wixostrix @ Feb 10th 2008 1:36PM]

and Creative is by definition creative.