Zune 2 Install: Oof

My Zune 2 review unit just showed up in the mail. Why Vista doesn't have Zune drivers built-in I don't know, but after inserting the included disc, this was my first experience with the Zune 2. Golly.

[#1 posted by pork musket , November 12, 2007 9:12 AM]

That sucks, but I still think I'm gonna go pick one up tomorrow. Microsoft has had some issues, but in general I've been impressed with their newer stuff, and I haven't bought a new mp3 player since my giant 20GB Zen jukebox that is bigger than a portable CD player.

[#2 posted by BIZKeT , November 12, 2007 9:48 AM]

I have an older Zune. _Every_ time I boot up into Vista it goes online to get the Zune software and about 45% of the time it says it fails but my Zune continues to synch just fine. No clue why it does this, and honestly it is starting to annoy me a bit, but I still have functionality.

[#3 posted by Sam , November 12, 2007 9:57 AM]

Rumor has it that none of the zune 2 players will work until tomorrow 11/13.

They were shipped with a non-functional firmware. So the first thing that you're going to have to do when it's officially released is to install the new firmware.

This article mentions the locked business, but doesn't have good details. It's a start. http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/10/zune-round-up-unboxing-gallery-leaked-units-locked-till-launc/

[#4 posted by Sam , November 12, 2007 10:10 AM]

I knew I saw a better article earlier. Here it is:

http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2007/11/10/microsoft-shipping-non-functional-zune-2-devices/

[#5 posted by mightymouse1584 , November 12, 2007 10:14 AM]

i dont get how so many people have trouble installing zune software. it worked just fine for me in vista and im no sort of windows expert.

[#6 posted by Joel Johnson , November 12, 2007 10:19 AM]

Mine came with a copy of the 2.1 firmware, so I've got it working now. That is interesting, though; what a strange thing for MS to do.

[#7 posted by Anonymous , November 12, 2007 1:35 PM]

Sometimes I call this a matter of chemistry. I feel that certain people matches with certain brands of gadgets better.

It happened to me with Apple products. I love their designs, but every time I use it things will crash or fail. After using the Macs in the office, using a friend's iPod and buying an iPhone, I come to accept that Apple probably doesn't match me.

So perhaps it's not your fault, nor Microsoft's fault. The chemistry just isn't there.

It's all folks!

~ Pak-Kei.

[#8 posted by pork musket , November 12, 2007 1:45 PM]

Joel, are you planning on doing a writeup of your experience with the unit? Most of the reviews I've seen so far seem on the positive side, and I'm seriously considering getting one, but you don't seem to be enjoying the device so much - I'd love to hear what your thoughts are.

[#9 posted by Joel Johnson , November 12, 2007 2:19 PM]

They are clearly having some software issues, but I don't feel like it's proper to comment until they've had their official launch (tomorrow). Still, here's what I've run into so far:

• Firmware update would not complete until I physically unplugged the Zune from the computer. For obvious reasons, this is a bad thing, but otherwise the software just hung. After pulling the USB cable and plugging it back in, everything worked.

• The Zune software is pretty, but hard to parse, visually. Album titles underneath the album covers are too small.

• Albums for which the Zune software has no image will revert to seemingly random images, such as "Frat Rock" and "Bowie."

• Signing in to Zune.net doesn't seem to do anything. It asks for my password. I enter it. It says "Signing in." Then it does nothing else, and I have to hit cancel to exit the screen, which does not let me sign in. That means my 1 month trial Zune Pass cannot be used.

• I was syncing albums/artists to the Zune by clicking and dragging. Only the first half of the ones I selected actually synced, despite the fact that the artists/albums appear under the device > music selection. Syncing over wi-fi doesn't seem to fix that.

• Actually, scratch that. It just started syncing some more over wi-fi, I think, after I manually selected "Sync Now" on the hardware.

The hardware is okay, although the screen is really small and the whole thing feels very plasticy. (It is also very light, so there's that.) The scroll pad works pretty well.

Mainly I just don't like the Zune software. It's sacrificing usability for shiny design. It's a bit baffling. I'm not writing it off yet, but I'd really like to get that Zune Pass working tonight before I leave in the morning. That'll be the difference between taking it or not. (Because I'm taking my Macbook, not my PC.)

[#10 posted by pork musket , November 12, 2007 2:51 PM]

Awesome, thanks man! I appreciate you taking the time to write that up.