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Is the new Zune upgrade really an upgrade?

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CWuestefeld:
I don't get why every seems happy about the Zune "upgrade" this week. From my perspective, the tradeoffs achieve parity at best. Here's how I see the score:

Desktop software
I'm really horribly underwhelmed here. Sure, part of this is a bad feeling due to the mangling of my catalog (80% of the content was erased from my device, the collection was mangled, and no matter what I do, I seem to be stuck with a cover image from Megadeth applied to Dan Levinson & His Canary Cottage Dance Orchestra). To me the Genre and Year lists were more important than the Album lists, I'm going to miss them. They destroyed one playlist by deleting its tracks from the device, and I can't build it back up because it was generated from the Year view.

Advances

* Supports WiFi sync (which I don't use anyway)
* Ummm... I really can't think of anything else
Declines

* No more listing by Genre
* No more listing by Year
* Mangle your catalog on upgrade

* Trash cover art
* Put copies of random tracks into random albums (Ozzy under Johnny Cash? Hmmm)
* Song ratings are left behind
* Can't see actual sync status, just a percentage
Device software
Device Firmware
The interface is more visually attractive, but it seems like they sacrificed function for form. There's still a huge missed opportunity that must be a marketing decision, that the device's file system will not be available to the desktop. This is terrible, and for what reason?

Advances

* Wifi sync that I don't use
* Slightly loosened restrictions on music sharing (that I don't use)
* Go to artist option (I think that's new), but why not other Goto's?
Declines

* Album view contains less information -- artist isn't shown unless the album is selected.
* For non-upgraders, EQ has been removed
I may have missed something in those brief lists, but if so, it's not something that's important to me.

Judging from these things that I've noticed, it seems far from clear that the situation is an improvement, more like just a ... change.

If they could give me back the desktop Genre and Year lists I would be less dissatisfied, but even so, they can't give back the 3 hours I wasted putting my collection back in order after they mangled it.

Ralf Maximus:
Just to be clear: you're talking about the software upgrade?  Not the whole new Zune 2 gadget, right?

CWuestefeld:
Just to be clear: you're talking about the software upgrade?  Not the whole new Zune 2 gadget, right?
-Ralf Maximus (November 15, 2007, 05:53 PM)
--- End quote ---
Well, I'm talking about it from the perspective of someone upgrading an 1Gen device, but the same things apply, mostly. AFAIK, the only additional benefits to the 2Gen device are

* Nifty controller thing
* Ability to play H.264 video
* No poopy brown colorOn the other hand, as I noted, the new device has no equalizer.

So either as an upgrade or a new purchase, I'm having trouble seeing it as an upgrade. More of a sidegrade.

Ralf Maximus:
Ah.  Because the reviews of the Zune 2 left me with the impression the hardware is very much better (real glass instead of clear plastic, bigger display, 4-way jog-pad thingie) but that they only made marginal "improvements" to the software.

Does Zune let you play non-DRM mp3 files?

And do you have to use the sucky client, or can you drag-n-drop like a USB drive?

CWuestefeld:
the reviews of the Zune 2 left me with the impression the hardware is very much better

Does Zune let you play non-DRM mp3 files?

And do you have to use the sucky client, or can you drag-n-drop like a USB drive?
-Ralf Maximus (November 15, 2007, 07:18 PM)
--- End quote ---

The hardware may be better, but I have to say that the construction of the 1Gen device is pretty good.

Yes, it plays non-DRM MP3 as well as non-DRM WMA. Also WMV.

Yes, you have to use their sucky desktop software. There is a hack that allows you marginal access to the filesystem, but it doesn't work very well, and I haven't heard yet if it works with the new software.

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