Microsoft revamps Zune Pass: keep ten tracks per month forever and ever
By Darren Murph 
posted November 19th 2008 11:35PM
posted November 19th 2008 11:35PM
posted November 19th 2008 11:35PM
A look back on popular stories from today in a specific year.
Now that we've thrown 'em off the trail, use the form below to get in touch with the people at Engadget. Please fill in all of the required fields because they're required.
I love the arguments that Mac users have when it comes to bootcamp/ running windows (not you, obviously):
Zune: ZUNE SUCKS OMG, I CAN'T EVEN RUN IT ON MY MAC BECOZ M$ R EVIL EMPIRE!!!!11
Games: STFU M$ FANBOIS, MACS CAN RUN GAMES BECOZ WE CAN RUN WINDOZE!!11
Could've saved money by buying a similarly specced PC.
Sheesh, there are FREE and LEGAL ways to get it to work on a Mac.
Just download the free VM of XP from Microsoft here.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=21EABB90-958F-4B64-B5F1-73D0A413C8EF&displaylang=en
Then get the Mac version of VMWare Player. Install the Zune software inside the virtual machine and there you go. Granted it's a pain to go through, but it is possible. You can get away without syncing very often anyway since you can download the music directly to the Zune.
I don't understand why Microsoft doesn't market this feature more. The ability to download directly to the player with an all you can eat music service was what made me rush out the minute I heard about the Sansa Connect and buy it. With the collapse of Yahoo music I've been missing out on this hugely undervalued combo for a while. The 10 downloads a month just seals the deal even tighter that I'm getting a Zune.
Zune Pass? A perfect tag for this "me too" player. Yes by all means. Consumers see the Zune, consumers Pass on it. MS has finally revealed their last desperate attempt to increase Zune sales for the holiday. These latest announcements will generate massive sales for the Zune. With Canada now selling this brick of a player, I expect at least another dozen or so Zune "me too" silly players will sell. There will be several corporate celebrations at MS. Memos will fly with many congratulations to the Zune team.
Jubei, seriously, you need to get your facts straight.
Zunes are MP3/Media players, not Silly Players. I don't think '.Silly' is even a format that is supported by Zune, or many other players, including things like Sansas and iPods. Something about the incredibly high load times, low bitrate, and the fact that after a song is converted, it plays back at a much higher speed, pitch, and for some reason, with ukelele music synthesised into the background.
Hey...click Jubei's name...every single one of his comments include the words 'me too'.
I would write a response to you, Jubei, but my girlfriend needs to sync the Touch I bought her for Christmas last year. She would use her MacBook to do it, but since she is running Jaguar she can't install a version of iTunes that will sync her Touch, so she uses my Windows laptop to do it. Windows and Zune just works. Windows and Touch/iPhone just works. OS X and Touch/iPhone, not so much.
Jubei, thank you for showing me the error of my ways. I will immediately cancel my Zune order and get an iPod Classic instead.
Now, could you please tell me where I can get my 10 tracks to keep each month with my subscription in iTunes?
...
There's no keeping the tracks? Okay, I'll just do the subscrip--that's not there either? Well, what the hell does iTunes have?
@nohone
Your copy of Windows has to be validated by MS before Zune software will even install.
XP has to have SP2 installed. What about users of Windows 2000.
Your computer has to have 64megs of video ram.
It doesn't seem like Zune and Windows just works to me.
"Me Too"
..... i just wanted to see if it did something special by typing it in. I thought maybe Jubei was onto an Engadget easter egg or something.
Why is your girlfriend running Jaguar on a Macbook anyway? The first Macbook on the market came with Tiger anyway, did you purposefully downgrade or something? Seems kind of backwards.
"Zune Pass subscribers will have the added benefit of retaining digital rights management (DRM)-free MP3 tracks from Sony BMG and UMG, in addition to MP3 tracks from EMI Music, Warner Music Group and a large portion of the independent music labels. With the addition of tracks from UMG and Sony BMG, Zune will soon offer over 90 percent of its music in the MP3 format."
The music becomes DRM free if the label allows it, sweet
This is great news!
That's a pretty sweet deal.
Good, but not close to enough.
for 15$ I'll go out every month and buy a CD online or a few in the second hand shops, when they will move to 50 tracks a month then i'll register happily.
50 tracks a month? The recording companies would never let this happen... That would be far under the 85 cents a track they take from downloaded songs (I think, correct me if I'm wrong).
I have to say, I think I just might get a pass now. Irritating getting crap bitrate downloads half the time.
To be fair, I think it's slightly different to buying a CD.
When I go buy media, I want to know exactly what I'm getting, because it's hard to send back. Subscriptions, on the other hand (especially All-you-can-eat ones) give me a chance to listen to songs, find new artists, and generally have a easier time finding great new music instead of the old 'oh, this album cover looks kinda cool' approach.
And the free 10 songs? Well, that's just a bonus, because if I DO find something worth keeping, at least I'll have a reference if I actually do want to buy or download the CD/More songs.
Now all I need is the Zune to come to Australia.
Yeah Microsoft? Hi how's it going. This is Canada. You think we could get something going up here so we could partake in this level of awesome..
Thanks,
Zune 120 owner
Canada?
At least you can buy Zune's.
I bought a Zune 80 whilst in the USA (a week before they released the 120 Grrrr) but Europe does exist Mr Ballmer.
"Ballmer doesn't care about European people."
Europe is crying right now, Microsoft, I so want that...
I think MS tried to sell the Zune in Europe, but the EU was trying to make them unbundle the screen
Whoops! This may have just pushed me over the edge to get a Zune Pass. I took a trial and liked it, but I got to see how quickly your music disappears without it. They have truely created a discover and keep model that works.
Yo not to be off the record, has anyone noticed the option in zune 3.1, for touch feature in the game checkers, i believe zune touch is in development guys,
You must have a Zune 30.
In the other Zune's the dpad is touch sensitive, so the games have the option to turn it off.
the touch option is to turn the tuchpad off.
As a Zune pass subscriber, this a MAJOR big deal. I don't mind paying $15 per month to "rent" music, but to essentially have a free CD thrown in to the mix really sweetens the deal. Great job MS!
At least that makes the idea of subscriptions a little (very little) more interesting. The first big question that pops up to me is what happens if the 10 free tracks you want are all on one 12 track album? Do you pay the difference based on a per track price? Or can you only spend the 10 free on 10 individual tracks?
At least youre getting it > MS announced Zune coming to EU in 09, but sucks that you guys have to wait. Quick, South Park hibernate mode!
I love my Zune 80, especially now that it has true wi-fi & games on it! But, paying $15 a month for this service just seems a waste to me. I find plenty of new music through pandora, last fm & the like & if I want to own it I can easily buy it form Amazon or other legal cheaper web sites. Drop the price another $5-10 then maybe I'll be interested. Overcharging just like they do for XBL Gold.
it also includes unlimited music downloads as long as you keep the subscription..the 10 tracks just stick with you even after you cancel your subscription. you could discover your music on pandora then download every song you wanted with a zune pass.
I'm glad that Zune's doing this. The only thing I would like them to do would be the option of 10 songs or a 1 full album incase the album is more than 10 tracks...
I do wish it's DRM free and MP3 format so I can easily stream it to my PS3 and 360.
The 360 can stream Zune Pass songs witht he DRM intact from your computer or from a Zune connected to the USB port.
The 10 songs you get for free can be DRM free MP3 (the marketplace defaults to this option if they are available)
So this actually makes my Zune Pass about $5 a month! Sweet!
i think its cool theyre letting u keep 10 tracks no drm free...ive had the zune pass for a while and i love it . it allows me to listen to new music and explore new genres and also download old time favorites. its a great way to expand your music horizons
I would sell my iPod, buy a Zune and subscribe to this service if they offered it in Canada.