Zune Problems

In a BBC News article "Zune problems for MSN customers" the Zune-to-be-released MP3 player by Microsoft already seems to be meeting with problems. The problem explained here is with music purchased from the Microsoft MSN Music store which is supposed to rival Apple's Music Store.



The Zune player does not support music bought from MSN Music store because of Microsoft's Plays For Sure initiative (as compared to Apple's Digital Rights Management) which is not compatible. Music bought from sites like Napster and AOL will also not work on the Zune. Keeping in line with true Microsoft we're seeing compatibility issues already. This could be a big problem as the MSN Music Store is supposed to function for the Zune in much the same way that Apple's Music Store does for the iPod. However, Microsoft will redirect customers from the MSN Music Store to a Zune store to purchase compatible tunes.

"Zune owners can buy individual tracks using a points system - 79 Zune points equals 99 cents which buys a single - or subscribe to the service monthly, giving users access to two million tracks." [see article - Zune goes head to head..."]

But in spite of this, already we see problems arising and the product has not even been released. The Zune player is supposed to be a portable MP3 player and an issue like this could mean a big downside for it.

The Zune is capable of playing music in AAC format, so it would be rather interesting if users could buy and download tunes from Apple Music Store and play it back on their Zune player.



The article also shows the possible colours that the Zune will be appearing in which includes Pink, White and Green. Pink?

In question to the Zune's success as a serious competitor to the iPod in the MP3 player arena, the article ended by stating "it could take a long time for that success to become apparent."