“What do you say about Zune that hasn’t been said publicly or privately? To me something with Zune just clicked. So, seeing Zune fade away has been tough. Even though I’m just an MVP, I can only imagine how others, who worked on the Zune Team, feel. What’s in a name? A whole lot. I am looking forward to Xbox Music, Windows Phone 8, and Windows 8. Though the Windows 8 Consumer Preview has won me over, I hope the other two capture me the way Zune did back in the day. “
Funny. The Zune became the butt of many jokes, but often that kind of derision is reserved for people/things we know to be superior. I can7t imagine the iPod crowd didn’t sometimes watch from the corner of their eye as a Zuner slide through the Metro UI to the e now playing. Jumped to a simple search grid and popped a new artist in with the simple flick of a finger. I know people on the train watched as I brought up extensive bios, related artists, and jumped to catalogs with little effort.
I have friends from all over the world through the Zune Social. Some are Xbox Friends, some are not. They may fade away, but I always knew what they were listening to, and they often commented about recent tracks or artists I sported on my Zune card.
The Zune card. There is something to be missed. Many friendly sites allowed that to be uploaded and it sis on my blog as well. Always a window to what I am playing at the time. What I enjoy, even my new discoveries.
Zune Pass allowed me to explore random music I picked up from other sites or form news or blogs. If I liked it, I bought it or downloaded the album If not, out the door. While I barely knew the DJ feature, and know it does still reside on Xbox, sometimes I went diving for my Zune to see who an artist was that showed up in a mix, and often simply went, “Oh, yeah!” with a nod and the satisfaction I could do this without finding another shelf, digging through countless albums, and if I pinned it, I would have it at my fingertips the next time.
I like the “New” install on the device. I wish it were on the phone, as I sometimes find myself putting of using an app or tune and needing to find what I just installed can be a chore.
The Zune was a victim of the times. A little late, but a whole lot ahead. Windows Phone 8 owes so much to this little critter I carry in my bag everyday. Even those with various MP3 players, when they pick up their phones should take a bow towards Redmond and say, “Thank you.” It may not be the most loved or the biggest seller, but it had heart, grace and functionality beyond it’s size.
Survival of the Fittest seems to be the mantra of the technology gadgets universe. The “Fittest” are not necessarily the “best”, however, but the most popular. Betamax was superior, but not as popular as VHS. Analog sound is better, but digital rules the day. Zune didn’t register on the popularity scale in the way other mp3 players and brands did, and as Vonnegut would intimate, “And So It Goes”.
The Zune software, for me, was infinitely better than any other music software (and I’ve used a lot…since the mid 1990s) and I lament that some of its features are being gutted. One of those features (like the Social) helped me actually BE Social and I’ve met a lot of people through the Social. I hope that piece comes in the versions of “8”. XBox is social, but not “portable” social–unless it comes on the phone. Other features will also be missed and its a shame they (Microsoft) couldn’t make it work.
in the end, its all about evolution…survival of the fittest.