Microsoft Announces Zune; Xbox 360 Buyers Explode With Anger

By George Walker | September 14, 2006

The internet is all abuzz over the official announcement of the Zune. Isn’t that just fabulous?

Well, not really. And here’s why:

Wi-fi sharing:
According to Cesar over at ZuneInsider.com, you CAN share any audio file that is on your Zune, whether it’s protected or not. But get this: “‘I made a song. I own it. How come, when I wirelessly send it to a girl I want to impress, the song has 3 days/3 plays?’ Good question. There currently isn’t a way to sniff out what you are sending, so we wrap it all up in DRM.”

Are you kidding me, Cesar?? Let me ask you this. Is it legal or illegal for me to take a music file (legally owned, either protected or unprotected), record it to an audio cassette and then give that “mix tape” to my friend? Is it legal or illegal for her to then digitize that audio cassette and import it to the Zune? The FACT is that this type of fair use is protected by a little thing we like to call the “Audio Home Recording Act.” Congress said: “In short, the reported legislation [Section 1008] would clearly establish that consumers cannot be sued for making analog or digital audio copies for private noncommercial use.” (House Report No. 102-780(I), August 4, 1992)

What the hell? Why are you stopping me from doing something that is private, noncommercial, and protected by law?

Video Streaming:
Get this. Again according to Cesar,

On Zune file formats: Zune will support . . . video formats (WMV, H.264, MPEG4, 320×240). . . . You can plug your Zune device into your Xbox 360 to stream music, pictures, and video, via USB cable.

WHOA WHOA WHOA! So, you’re telling me that the Zune not only can stream VIDEO to my Xbox 360 via USB, but that it also supports MPEG4???

MY HEAD A SPLODE!

So, what exactly is stopping you useless corporate whores from supporting Mpeg4/DivX/Xvid streaming to my 360 RIGHT NOW via USB? Huh? What is it? NOTHING. That’s what. Nothing except the insanely aggravating practice of restricting and handicapping anything and everything that might ever conceivably compete with Microsoft in the past, present, or far distant future.

SO… PISSED… OFF… RIGHT… NOW…

If for some strange reason, you want to see the specs and whatnot, head over to Engadget and check out the gory details.

Podcast Support:
It gets better. Jason Cross responds to this statement made by Cesar,

“Zune will play podcasts. I’m actually listenting to a podcast right now. If you bring the audio file into the software (like a wma or mp3 file), you can play it on your Zune. Beyond that, there will be other options for podcasting support for future releases.”

Quoting Jason, Translation – no actual podcast support. There’s no podcast directory, and there will be no support for importing your podcast RSS feeds to the software app and having it download them.

‘Community’ oriented player my ass.

Well put, my friend.