Users baffled as Zune MP3 players freeze up

[Pale Blue Dot]

Source: www.cnn.com

(CNN) -- Baffled consumers are griping about a mysterious glitch that appeared to cause thousands of Zune music players to simultaneously stop working late Tuesday and early Wednesday.

Microsoft issued the first Zune portable music player in 2006 to compete with the iPod.

Internet message boards have been flooded with complaints about Zune's 30GB models freezing, prompting Y2K-like speculation about end-of-year hardware or software problems.

"It seems that every Zune on the planet has just frozen up and will not work," posted a Mountain Home, Idaho, user on CNN's iReport.com. "I have 3 and they all in the same night stopped working."

Another iReporter said he was working the night shift at a Toys R Us store in Puerto Rico when his Zune player and the Zunes of four co-workers all failed about 1:30 a.m. ET Wednesday.

"It froze and there was no way to turn it off so you just have to wait until the batteries went dead. You can't push any buttons or anything," Carlos Colon told CNN. Colon said he owns a first-generation 30GB model.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/12/31/zune.player.failures/index.html

---

Another disaster for Microsoft. What other company could have survived all of these major gliches in their core products?

[no limit]

1. Apple certainly survived many major gliches.

So did virtually every other software manufacturer. Software bugs are like shit, they happen.

[tridim]

2. Naw, Apple is perfect

;)

[Sultana]

14. WORD!

[DemSigns]

27. Ipod Touch 1st Gen Wifi Problems

Ipod Touch 1st Gen owners, and I think some Iphones are not getting much help from Apple for an issue where the Wifi on the units can't hold a signal for long. Kind of sucks when you want to stream some liberal radio.

[no limit]

33. So the wifi issue Im having on my itouch is common?

no kidding, I haven't had much time to look into it and though it was just me. It keeps disconnecting on me for no reason.

[ACTION BASTARD]

28. And we're off!

[ixion]

3. heh... M$ would call it an "undocumented feature"

I'm sure all the Zune users will be receiving a call from M$ shortly informing them that they can get their Zune running again for only $200.00, or so.

[cobalt1999]

5. This could have a serious financial impact for Microsoft if a recall is required.

Think about it, ALL 20 30gb Zunes ever sold being shipped back to Microsoft all at once!"


--- from a blog site.

[santamargarita]

34. Good! I'm sick of their software bugs!

Microsoft = bugs and endless patches

[jobycom]

4. Great. Now I've got that to look forward to.

[gater]

6. I am listening to Dave Edmunds on my 80G Zune right now...

and no probs. Oops, now its Marillion! With all the software updates this thing has had, I am amazed no one saw it coming at Micro...

[Fozzledick]

7. Extreme DRM?

[lapfog_1]

8. Y2K... finally! M$ was always a bit behind the times... - n/t

[Sultana]

13. LOL

:D

[catnhatnh]

9. Simultaneously Tuesday and Wednesday??? N/T

[cobalt1999]

10. What should Microsoft give out as repayment?

1) An Xbox 360, which totally won't die in six months.

2) A beta copy of Windows 7 which will not crash next New Year's eve.

3) A different model Zune for all the idiots who would still want one.

4) An iPod which will only die when Steve Jobs does. They're all connected to his lifeforce. Didn't you know that?

www.collegeotr.com/college_otr/every_30gb_zune_frozen_at_the_exact_same_moment_last_night_17509

[skyounkin]

35. LMAO!!

Steve Jobs will never EVER die!!!

[Libertas1776]

11. Hmmmm....

Let me dust off this little chestnut. Skynet?

[RamboLiberal]

12. Microsoft Response

A message on the Zune support Web site acknowledged the problem and informed customers Microsoft was working to address it, but didn't identify the cause. It is unclear how many versions of the device are affected.

"We are aware that customers with Zune 30GB devices are experiencing issues with their Zune device," a Microsoft spokesman, in a separate statement, said.

"We are actively working now to isolate the issue and develop a plan to address it. We will keep customers informed on next steps via the support page on zune.net (zune.net/support)."

http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djf500/200812311403DOWJONESDJONLINE000504_FORTUNE5.htm

Wouldn't want to be the workers on a New Year's Eve trying to remedy this.

[ryanmuegge]

21. Unlike Apple, at least they admit that the problem exists.

[Tuttle]

25. C'mon! Apple is hard at work right now...

Hi I'm an iPod

and I'm a Zune!

Tut-tut

[MessiahRp]

15. Strangely enough Zune came from the same group in MS as the Xbox 360 did...

Which might explain this a little better. Geesh. Glad I asked for and received an Ipod Classic 120 GB for Christmas rather than a Zune.

Rp

[lapfog_1]

19. Yet another POS from the group that Rick Belluzzo formed

when he was at Microsoft. Pretty much everything he ever touched turned to shit, before, during, and after Microsoft.

[WriteDown]

20. Yeah, because the iphone 3G(which I have) had no problems...

....when it launched. :sarcasm: Fanaticism is dangerous.

[strategery blunder]

16. My MP3 player froze up last night.

Center button stopped working. A few hours later, when I plugged it in to charge it (it was low battery, too), it went into recovery mode.

Strangely enough, it was not a Zune. It was an Ipod.

[tridim]

17. Impossible, Apple is perfect.

;)

[Orrex]

18. You're a filthy liar

Everyone on DU knows that Apple and all-things-Apple are absolutely perfect, and any suggestions to the contrary are blasphemy.

Shame on you. Shame!

[Shardik]

22. What's worse than finding a worm in your Apple?

Updating the hardware.

[strategery blunder]

26. Well, in fairness to Apple,

It is still under warranty, and I have an appointment to get it fixed on New Years' Day. :)

[Fireweed247]

23. Back in the old days

we had our own tape player hooked up to our own speakers and they weren't strangely connected to others and the world wide web and we liked it that way!

[Ichingcarpenter]

24. The Day the Zune Stood Still.

[skyounkin]

36. Ahahahahahah!!

[Mudoria]

29. Mine is frozen at the moment. The first problem I've had with

it since I bought it around a week after the Zune's release. Not too worried about it since I know they'll get it sorted out.

[harmonicon]

30. HA-HA

[Ian David]

31. This is how it begins...

[skyounkin]

37. Terminator is the IPod

and the Cyclons are the Zune.

[Duer 157099]

32. Are they made in China?

Do they contain melamine?

Maybe it's one of those Chinese viruses, like all those photo frames had?

[Psephos]

38. Zune is not a "core product" n/t

[RCinBrooklyn]

39. The "simultaneous" aspect of the problem is kind of eerie. What else can "they" freeze up?