“Right, so this is a weird one: we’re getting tons of reports—tons—about failing Zune 30s. Apparently, the players began freezing at about midnight last night, becoming totally unresponsive and practically useless,” John Herrman reports for Gizmodo.
MacDailyNews Take: Happy New Year, Microsoft-style!
Herrman continues, “The crisis has been dubbed by Zune users ‘Y2K9’, due to the apparently synchronized faceplantings across the country. According to tipster Michael, the Zune users experienced something like this: Apparently, around 2:00 AM today, the Zune models either reset, or were already off. Upon when turning on, the thing loads up and… freezes with a full loading bar (as pictured above). I thought my brother was the only one with it, but then it happened to my Zune. Then I checked out the forums and it seems everyone with a 30GB HDD model has had this happen to them.”
MacDailyNews Take: Wow, all three Zune sufferers affected at once! Quelle tragédie! Good thing the poor bastards have already long been helmeted for their own safety.
Full article here.
Tim Stevens reports much the same for Engadget, “[The] 30GB players started locking up at midnight last night, essentially bricking themselves without any help from their owners. The failures are coming 24-hours ahead of the big ’09 changeover, but that hasn’t stopped Zune aficionados from dubbed this unfortunate flaw ‘Z2K.'”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: In typical Microsoftian fashion, they can’t even come up with a consistent name for their latest abject failure.
Zunetards, hey, look over here! (snaps fingers) Hey! (whistles) Over here! (claps hands loudly) Look here!!! Consider this a gift of enlightenment. Now, go get yourselves a real media player: Apple’s iPod touch.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Chuckles the Microsoft CEO” for the heads up.]
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.
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.
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.
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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.
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.
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”.
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.
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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.
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)
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!
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.
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.
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).