Like/Dislikes: Zune team seeking feedback!

I have had my Zune for about 4 years now...i purchased it because i just didn't want to go the ipod/itunes way that everyone else was going. It has served me well...the only thing that is constantly a frustration is how many times i look up a song and it isn't available. Ugghh...that is SO frustrating...you force me to go over to itunes to find it, which i don't want to do but what's a guy going to do. that part of things could get so much, so much better, PLEASE!

You need more content to compete with iTunes.

For example iTunes has all the back catalogue of Kylie Minogue.  Zune only has more recent stuff and then is cluttered with Kareoke or other waste albums that most people would have 0% in buying.  If you wanna keep those (not released by the artist) then move them atleast to the end or allow us to hide them.

Second BIG complaint is Recommendations.  I should be able to tag an artist or album as one that I dislike.  Its annoying to keep hiding the same albums or artists.  That way Zune can LEARN what I like and get even better recommendations.  Just because you like Artist A does not alway means you like Artist B.

 NPGMBR wrote:

Well to be honest this is a problem you bring on yourself.  Zune Markeplace allows you to put your collection on up to 3 PCs (if I remember correctly).  Honestly, how many times do you need to do this?  If anything I would think you would keep your primary PC out of the testing environment because too many things can go wrong.

If you haven't already done it, you should go into settings in Marketplace and be sure that you only have a certain amount of PCs on your account.  One thing you might be able to do everthing time you set-up a new PC is to be sure to Name the PC a name thats already on your list of allowable PCs (of course this should not be a PC thats actually in use).  I would hope that you are smart enough to keep your music on an external drive because if you are wiping out your music every time you test a new OS (like some other poor sap did) you will eventually lose the ability to download those tracks. 

But if this really is a problem for you the easiest thing to do is keep your primary PC out of the testing envrionment all-together. 

  the 3 PC limit is a zune pass limit only- and is quite valuable for families.

One last thing:  You can thank the music companies for these limitations.  They are the ones that set the restrictions and this is not something that is unique to Zune the iTunes and Rhapsody come with limitations too.

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Welcome to the Dawn!
NPGMBR

Well to be honest this is a problem you bring on yourself.  Zune Markeplace allows you to put your collection on up to 3 PCs (if I remember correctly).  Honestly, how many times do you need to do this?  If anything I would think you would keep your primary PC out of the testing environment because too many things can go wrong.

If you haven't already done it, you should go into settings in Marketplace and be sure that you only have a certain amount of PCs on your account.  One thing you might be able to do everthing time you set-up a new PC is to be sure to Name the PC a name thats already on your list of allowable PCs (of course this should not be a PC thats actually in use).  I would hope that you are smart enough to keep your music on an external drive because if you are wiping out your music every time you test a new OS (like some other poor sap did) you will eventually lose the ability to download those tracks. 

But if this really is a problem for you the easiest thing to do is keep your primary PC out of the testing envrionment all-together. 

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Welcome to the Dawn!
NPGMBR

 zunarrific wrote:

The only thing I dislike about the whole zune concept is the lack of ability to change computers more than once a month. I have been going back and forth with OS beta's and back to vista. I only have one machine with Zune software on it. To your system it appears to be 3, even though it is only one. Its not even that I have multiple partitions with different levels of windows OS on them. Now I have to wait a month to sync material to my Zune. I don't understand the need for this limitation.

Thanks for your answer

Mark

That limitation should only apply to you if you have a zune pass.  I've read (in here) that it can be overridden by zune support...with all the upgrading going on to Win7 that makes sense.

The only thing I dislike about the whole zune concept is the lack of ability to change computers more than once a month. I have been going back and forth with OS beta's and back to vista. I only have one machine with Zune software on it. To your system it appears to be 3, even though it is only one. Its not even that I have multiple partitions with different levels of windows OS on them. Now I have to wait a month to sync material to my Zune. I don't understand the need for this limitation.

 

Thanks for your answer

Mark

Likes:
*new Zune 4.0 software is nicer
*Zune HD is very nice to use
*navigation is much easier than in the pre-touch Zunes

Dislike:
*screensaver/screen lock makes it difficult to use Zune HD in car while driving.  A car mode would be great, having the play controls on top.
*lack of apps or any timetable or list of upcoming apps or third-party apps other than the same 9 that've been out for a month
*relative lack of growth in the TV Show / Movie marketplace.  After an initial bump of 50 or so movies, they've been around 640 shows and 650 movies, and one of the Zune people said some movies are available for a limited time, and that due to "licensing" some movies are only for rent.  This is the weakest point in the Zune software - lack of content.  Where's Star Trek, Star Wars, Spiderman, X-Men, MST3K, etc.?  If you want the Zune to grow, put out a mountain of high-profile movies for rent and purchase.
*it's unclear whether something is for rental or purchase when looking at a list of all movies.  Perhaps color coding could help on this.
*it's unclear how much a movie/TV show costs unless you actually click "buy"
*TV Shows are laid out completely in the collection view.  If it were condensed to show either: series title plus DVD covers for each season of a show, or just show DVD covers, then season DVD covers, that would be much better.
*Ability to add cover art to video files
*ads before games.  Everyone I show the Zune is amazed by it, but the reaction is nearly universal to this quirk "Ads before games?  That's lame."
*Zune is US only.  At the very least, bring it to Canada, UK, New Zealand, and Australia.  They all speak English.  And allow our armed forces serving overseas to access marketplace purchases wherever they are.

SmplyComplicted - Thats easy.  If you are in the U.S. you can get a pass here:  http://www.zune.net/en-us/products/zunepass/default.htm

If  you're not in the U.S. then you're out of luck, for now.

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Welcome to the Dawn!
NPGMBR

I would really like to be able to buy a zune pass...

 NPGMBR wrote:

It does seem to make sense but in reality its much more complicated than that.  Though MS may own Halo it certainly does not mean they on the music associated with it.

If you have ever heard a bunch of songs during a movie and wanted to get the soundtrack only to find out that the songs you got were totally different from what was in the movie; its because of some stupid rights dispute between the film makers and the person or persons that have the rights to the music. 

I would suggest you look for the credits to the songs on the packaging for Halo or somewhere on the web and see if you can find the artist locate the song somewhere else.

its microsoft, they can do watever they want, they could buy some nukes and destroy apple if they so pleased. but i see your point, though it doesnt make sense that they couldnt at least ask bungie to put it on their service,  or make their own remix of the music like they did in halo wars. in any case im dissapointed i really liked the odst mucic

Near the top left corner of the software, in the songs view, you can choose to show all, personal, or protected.