Zune Spring Update 2008
May 5th, 2008 | By James Lewin | Category: Digital Music, iPods & Portable Media Players 
On May 6, the Zune Spring 2008 update will be made available to all Zune owners.
Here’s what’s in store:
Television On The Zune
More than 800 episodes of television series to download and watch (on the desktop and to sync to the Zune) including “South Park,†“Afro Samurai,†“Witchblade,†“The Hills,†“The Office,†“Heroes,†“30 Rock,†“Battlestar Galactica,†and a bunch more.
Episodes will be priced at 160 points (about $1.99).
The Expanded Zune Social
Syncing Zune cards with devices, reputation badges, enhanced album art, artist reviews and more
An Enhanced Zune Experience
New features here include: Auto Playlists, Better Album and Track Information Editing, Collections, Gapless Playback and Group Syncing.
Podcasts
Unfortunately, there is nothing new in this release for the podcast part of our little media device.
All in all, it looks like there’s still no rudder steering the direction of Zune development. It’s still a second-rate iPod, with useless wireless features and a cumbersome digital store.
As long as Microsoft focuses on imitating an advanced, well-loved, mature competitor, it’s going to remain a second-rate platform in the eyes of most buyers.
via Zuneluv
I not sure why you continue to see the Zune as half empty, when all the evidence shows a consistant and fairly rapid effort to catch-up with base level features and content offerings that meet the needs of users. The Zune is working to make a different platform then what you see today with the iPod & iTunes. Sure iTunes has TV shows and the Zune is just now launching it, but you must keep in mind that the Zune has come quite far in 2 years. We have NBC TV content and iTunes does not. I know that I am working really hard here and putting in much overtime and evenings to get things done as fast as possible. We are moving fast here around content and working to innovate in this market. I am willing to talk to you and share more details about how the Zune is innovating around podcasting and social networking. I have been around online digital media since it started back in the 90’s and I must say that Zune is making big progress. We have much to do here, but giving us some credit would be helpful and realizing that having a healthy competitor to the iTunes & iPod market is good for all users. I ask you to look at us from a half full view and you will help the overall new portable media market.
Rob Greenlee
Long-Time Host of WebTalkRadio.com
Blogger at MobilecasterNews.com
Zune Podcast & Video Programming Lead
Rob
I appreciate your comments – and I’m glad Microsoft has guys like you to be advocates both for users and for the Zune platform. I also agree with you 100% that some healthy competition for Apple would be good.
That said – you’re asking us to see the cup as half full when we can get a full cup for the same price.
I’ve got a Zune and I’d like to love it, but Microsoft seems to be more concerned with competing with Apple than with doing something fantastic. I know that Apple’s next thing is going to be something fantastic, and I’d love to see Microsoft to do something surprising & wonderful with the Zune.
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