VON# - Zune - Does NOT Play For Sure

Thursday, December 13, 2007

So I was totally stoked when I won my new Zune last night, I've been using Rhapsody for quite some time and have really enjoyed it thus far, but I was looking forward to using a device with it other than my Sansa e260. So tonight I fire up the rhapsody client app on my desktop, plug in my new Zune, and there is no "device" icon popping up in rhapsody (like there is with my Sansa). I think: oh, I wonder if I have to install the Zune software first for some bizzare driver, then the rhapsody client will be able to talk with my Zune. I install the Zune software, setup everything as necessary and then start the rhapsody client. Nothing, still. Shit. I google "Zune Plays For Sure", thinking that surely, Microsoft after spending millions of dollars coming up with PlaysForSure. But no, Zune only works with the Zune Marketplace, not even music from the MSN MUSIC STORE will play on a Zune.

Microsoft: I really am a big fan, a "fanboy" would probably be an acurate description of my opinion on your company. I know that you're going through kind of an image problem, people don't seem to be (or say at least) that they're usually satisfied with you as a company. Here is why: people have a bad experience with one of your products and that one experience colors their entire perception. It sucks to be in that position because it puts a lot of pressure to have everything be top-notch, a difficult glass to fill. I'm still a "fanboy". Your office productivity tools: Second-To-None. Your developer tools: Awesome. Your development frameworks: Magnificent. Your gaming console: Pretty Bad Ass. I know that having the best product isn't going to be possible, but for the love of God, having the Zune support PlaysForSure is a NO BRAINER. This has really left a bad taste in my mouth, I'm going gargle with some Minty Blend to get rid of it.

Thursday, December 13, 2007 - 10:53 PM CST - Permalink

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Friday, December 14, 2007 12:36:31 PM (Central Standard Time, UTC-06:00)

Part of what makes the iPod so great is the closed ecosystem that it lives in. Everything works all the time. Microsoft was stuck between a rock and a hard place with PlaysForSure. On the one hand they had spent a ton of time and money marketing and developing a solution that allowed interoperability between a bunch of devices and pieces of software. On the other hand, they were dependant on these third party companies to make something that rivaled the iPod and none of them did.

So, the choice they had to make was whether or not to:

1. Build our own hardware to compete with the iPod that uses legacy software and a marketing tool with an awful image (largely due to inconsistent third party support) and try to fix something that is a nightmare, or
2. Build our own hardware and software to compete with the iPod and find a way to beat them at their own game without depending on third party companies to do it for us.

Given the two choices I think it's easy to see that MS made the right move. They made a bet on an open system with PlaysForSure and they lost. Now they have to play catch up to an industry leader and they are putting their money where their mouth is.

They are also throwing consumers a bone in ways that Apple doesn't by supporting all of their V2 features on V1 hardware. You won't get that in an iPod.

And please, don't get me started on innovation at MS. The short read is here: http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/microsoft/archives/127254.asp?source=rss but all the big kids should read this one: http://www.liveside.net/files/folders/6910/download.aspx

MSMadeTheRightMove

Saturday, December 15, 2007 9:49:32 AM (Central Standard Time, UTC-06:00)

MSMadeTheRightMove:

Thanks for leaving the comment. I understand the reasoning behind the decision, I just think there could have been other ways of dealing with it. Perhaps Zune accepting both ZuneMarketplace as well as PlaysForSure like rhapsody does with my Sansa e260 (it has a Rhapsody mode as well as a PlaysForSure mode). And to get people to try out Zune marketplace, just offer a 2 month free trial. I guess it is still frustrating because (at least originally, I can't speak for if it works now), Zune content would work on other PlaysForSure players, meaning, it used the same DRM technology, but the device itself would only play content marked with some sort of "Zune" flag.

Hopefully you didn't misunderstand, I wasn't trying to say that Microsoft wasn't innovative, there is a lot of innovation coming from Redmond. Most people say otherwise are just drinking the hatorade.

Jon von Gillern

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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed herein are my own personal opinions and do not represent my employer's view in any way.