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I love my Zune! I didn't realize that it could be used as a paperweight until this new feature was installed last night. Now I can sit it on top of a stack of papers and the wind won't blow them off my desk. Take that you Podtards!

Wow...

MDN making fun of the people who own Zunes. Talk about kicking someone who is already down.

Dec 31, 08 - 10:28 am Comment from: Macintosher

I'm happy!

I guess they didn't just "shit the bed" they "squirt the bed".

Amazing! I went to zune.net to check out the number of complaints. There are over 33 pages of reported bricked Zunes as of this writing! I'm experiencing the ultimate schadenfreude! Ha ha ha!

Zune Tang is awake...!

Wow. MSFT can't do anything right. Even when somebody else shows them how. MSFT is only innovative in finding new ways to fail miserably at entering markets somebody else creates. And very late at that. Balmer, please don't step down anytime soon. I do enjoy watching you run MSFT into the ground.

Dec 31, 08 - 10:49 am Comment from: Rainer

I guess this means overtime for some people in the Zune-team @ MSFT.
Of all the days in the year, this is certainly one of the worst days for this to happen.

I really hope this never happens with iPods - a lot (make that A LOT) more people would be affected and the outrage would be, well, outrageous...

Maybe this is in anticipation of the upcoming "changes" at MSFT.
If (*IF*) they have to cut, surely Zune+Xbox are the first candidates. Why not brick the hardware altogether?

OTOH, it might also be a tactic to persuade people into buying the latest model.
Interestingly, the crashes have already made it to wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zune#Zune_30_Crashes

It does amuse me when people write about how people are calling something a particular thing, such as Z2K, Y2K9, or even the Jesus Phone. In reality only a couple have people have called it that, and it's what the particular writer things is good or in fact has just decided upon for themselves. Jesus Phone is a prime example since the only time I see it used is when "journalists" use it in relation to the iPhone.

Dec 31, 08 - 10:51 am Comment from: Predrag

Am I the only one noticing really sloppy English in the original article (and the quoted passages here)?

Not that I'm all that surprised...

Considering Zune's extremely low visibility in the public, this little fiasco has an excellent chance of going completely unnoticed by the general public. It would be sad for the world at large not to get informed about this, but since the likelyhood of this information having any relevance on anyone's Zune purchasing decision is so low (Who in their right mind wanted a Zune anyway, even before this?), the whole thing really doesn't matter, outside of the minuscule circle of (by now panicking) Zune users.

Dec 31, 08 - 10:56 am Comment from: Sixvodkas

Please, please follow that link?

It's priceless!

Not only are Zune 30's bricking themselves, there are pages and pages of Zune failures/breakdowns/bugs being discussed, and the best part of it all?

MS fanbois simply accept it, kiss Ballmer's pinky ring and wait for MS to come to their collective rescue.

These guys are truly redefining the word "pathetic".

Dec 31, 08 - 11:00 am Comment from: JadisOne

And here's the alleged fix:

"Your zune will need a "hard reset."

To do this, use a small screwdriver to pop off the plastic shielding where the zune cable plugs into and remove the two screws on either side of the plug. Next pop the cover off and locate the battery plug at the top left corner of the zune, using your screw driver, pop the cable connection half way off, and do this to the other plug on the right side. Wait 3 seconds, then push down the right connector and then the left battery connecter. Your zune should start up immediately. Press the backing of the zune down (make sure headphone jack is aligned) and put the screws and cover back in place.

It's an easy process but if you're unsure don't attempt it if you think you'll screw it or something. "

Imagine if this had happened to Apple and iPod owners were required to open their devices and solder some wires, the stock would be trading at about 50 cents right now.

Dec 31, 08 - 11:07 am Comment from: CYxodus

My favorite comment at Gizmondo is:

"Why is this NOT a surprise!!! WHY can't MS make any stable operating systems?!"

Priceless. =)

Man, Zunetard just stole Zune Tang's thunder.

It sure was better than MDN's take.

MDN MW: youre (sic)

Dec 31, 08 - 11:10 am Comment from: Zune Tang®

No problems here. I put my Zune in the Zune dock on my Zune-enabled clock radio and woke up to the sweet sounds of "Love Will Keep Us Together" by The Captain and Tennille just like I do every morning. It's a great way to start the day and it puts a smile on my face.

I don't believe for a second that people are having trouble with their Zunes. Something is fishy in Cupertino and MAC's fanatical army of astroturfers are to blame. I'm not worried. Enderle will get to the bottom of it.

I'm a PC.

Your potential. Our passion.™

A couple of people have reported that their 80GB Zune is seizing up as well. Wow! This is like watching a car wreck in slow motion!

Dec 31, 08 - 11:12 am Comment from: Sixvodkas

Better link yet?

MS's official Z2K site

http://forums.zune.net/405909/ShowPost.aspx#405909

@Killing Joke!

Thats not ZuneTang

Translation: All their junk went out at the same time.

Dec 31, 08 - 11:17 am Comment from: jjjj

Happy New Year, ZuneTang!

I didn't know "tons" of Zunes were even sold. How can this be?
I have never seen a Zune that was not on a thethered display.

Dec 31, 08 - 11:19 am Comment from: HMCIV

It's a bogus article. How could they be getting "tons" of reports when there have only been ounces worth of sales?

From NBC's Chuck:

Chuck: "You own a Zune?"

Morgan: "No, I'm just kidding. I'll get my iPod."

Unstinkingbelievable!
Even I never thought M$ could be that bad.

MD Magic Word: through : having no prospect of any future relationship, dealings, or success

Windows desktops get the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD).
Xbox 360s get the Red Ring of Death (RROD).
Windows Mobile gets the Dark Screen of Death (DSOD).

Zune didn't want to be left out, so Microsoft came up with the Zune Freeze of Death. (ZFOD).

Dec 31, 08 - 11:42 am Comment from: Sixvodkas

@HMCIV

Elementary, Dr Watson! As Zune 30's are now "bricks", they weigh more than the average MP3 player.

I'm shocked at the pages and pages of people confirming the dead Zunes.

What's more shocking is that these people are deliberately looking in their drawers to find an old Zune and are turning them on to see it get bricked!

A logical person would wait and see if there is a solution before trying to brick their device.

Is this just a symptom of a Zune buyer? Someone who hears a report that all cars are crashing due to ice on the road, they immediately get in their cars and drive around to see?

Dec 31, 08 - 11:43 am Comment from: CYxodus

I just read a comment from a user at Zune.net that explains the mentality of a typical MS user.

"Well, I'm glad to see I'm not alone."

I guess to them misery is ok as long as it's shared.

Dec 31, 08 - 11:57 am Comment from: Sixvodkas

The comments at Z2k are hilarious;

"I hate Apple products beyond belief", sez one.

Hope she's happily enjoying her MS zBrick!

Dec 31, 08 - 12:06 pm Comment from: Wingsy

Since this year has 366 days in it, it smells like MS programmers don't fully grasp the concept of a leap year. Dec 31st would normally be Jan 1st, so the Zunes woke up thinking it was 2009 and discovered they had made an error, then self destructed like Nomad (remember that one from Star Trek?).

Dec 31, 08 - 12:07 pm Comment from: Wingsy

Must..... Ster---il---iiiizzzzeeee!

I'm more shocked that many people own 30GB Zunes and apparently all read Engadget.

So Bill Gates also had a kill switch and did use it.

This is Microsofts way of getting their users to upgrade to the yet to be released Zune Vista Edition. This is how they have always done things. Everything is working fine and then they come out with a new version. For those that don't upgraded they give you a nrw service pack that breaks everything and then tell you your version is too old and you need to upgrade.

Dec 31, 08 - 12:36 pm Comment from: Mac Daddy

The guy at the desk next to me has a Zune (I guess he's the 4th Zune owner). I asked him if it froze up last night, and he wondered how I knew! Poor bastard.

Zune buyers get what they deserve. Caveat emptor!

Fuss about nothing, I mean it's not like they sold many.

Dec 31, 08 - 12:44 pm Comment from: qka

@ Wingsy

Your theory sounds better than mine, which was that there is an integer counter in the Zune clock of seconds since Bill Gates' birth or something equally improbable, and that the integer overflowed and the system crashed.

This fault used to exist in Unix and in the GPS clock system. Both were fixed before causing crashes though.

Back in the day when I was a programmer, I wrote lots of date routines that were Year 2000 compliant, but not Year 2100 compliant. The Y2K compliance was by accident; I figure I'll be dead before the Y2100 crisis hits.

Dec 31, 08 - 12:44 pm Comment from: MacintoshSoftwareList.com

Hum, My iPhone works great! Although my 30gb iPod crapped out 1 month after the warranty expired.

Dec 31, 08 - 12:50 pm Comment from: MacintoshSoftwareList.com

OK, Microsoft has put out an office statement on the Zune.com site.

zune service status

Status:

Customers with 30gb Zune devices may experience issues when booting their Zune hardware. We’re aware of the problem and are working to correct it. Sorry for the inconvenience, and thanks for your patience!

Every company has failures!

The iMac has had backlight issues/gradient displays and bleeding since day one.

Almost every iMac suffers it. I have been through countless machines and tis a design flaw :(

So let's not get carried away here and laugh... It happens to everyone.

I hope Microsoft can fix it for the customers....
Just like Apple had the OS 10.5.6 update hang...

These companies need to test, test and test some more before releasing products / software updates to the customers.

Dec 31, 08 - 01:17 pm Comment from: jjjj

Can't wait to see Apple's response at MacWorld next week.

Zune, the gift that keeps on giving.

Dec 31, 08 - 01:20 pm Comment from: iSteve

We need to build housing with all these new bricks. No windows.

Dec 31, 08 - 01:20 pm Comment from: CYxodus

Now we have the MS trolls trying to say that Apple has an equivalent to the Zune Y2K9 bug. Pathetic.

It has to phone home before you can use it?

Dec 31, 08 - 01:34 pm Comment from: iSteve

Made me think about one of the early 'Get a Mac' ads, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Pqrz_lMFOA

Dec 31, 08 - 01:34 pm Comment from: Lurker_PC

@MacintoshSoftwareList.com

Just curious - was it the hard drive that failed? The only reason I ask is because the original hard drives for both of my Mac computers failed. I haven't had good luck with stock hard drives. In both cases, the hard drives were under warrenty - the first under the original warrenty, the second under the extended warrenty.

Due to the failure of the hard drives on my Mac computers, I purchased AppleCare for my 160Gb iPod - which just turned a year old. So far no problems.

Happy New Year to you and to all of MDN's readers.

Peace.

This has now officially been labelled 'The Brown Screen of Death'

Don't be shocked. They are all beta testers and product reviewers.

Dec 31, 08 - 01:52 pm Comment from: Cubert

Ballmer's latest flying chair hit the "kill switch" accidentally.