Microsoft shipping non-functional Zune 2 devices
Here’s an interesting tactic on Microsoft’s part…The company has shipped a number of flash-based Zune 2 devices a bit early. They’re not scheduled for public consumption until the 13th of November, but some retailers have been selling them off a bit in advance of next week’s official drop date. That’s great news for any die-hard Zune fans that have been chomping at the bit to get their hands on the 2nd generation DAP, right? Yes and no. While some customers have certainly been able to hold the little buggers in their sweaty palms, it seems that the devices themselves are less than functional. Microsoft has preprogrammed them with a non-functional iteration of Zune firmware. The Zune 2s need a new firmware version to function. The catch is that the company isn’t releasing the new firmware until the 13th. Yikes! The Zunes don’t ship with any form of physical install CD, so it looks like the anyone that got their hands on a Zune 2 is, well, SOL. Sorry, guys!
Wow, Microsoft has thus screwed up something again!!!!
Yeah WHAT A FAILURE
:rolleyes:
This isn’t a screw up.
The new Firmware, which is a substantial change from the current firmware will be released for ALL Zune devices on the 13th (new and old).
Microsoft simply didn’t want the Firmware out in the wild before its actual release date.
They’re controlling their product, good for them. If they can’t keep the stores from actually selling the device, at least they can make the device unfunctional until everyone has an official chance to use it.
Cuts out the cheating some users like to do. :-/
this can only mean one thing, and thats trouble if you where to ask me knowing microsoft, and you know what that means you will have to wait another year for a firmware update if something goes wrong
thats awesome! go microsoft. very clever idea so retailers dont screw them.
anyone who thinks this is wrong (cough cough Jeff B) is stupid.
Thank you, Mike, but I don’t see what the point is because if they could ship it on time then great but Msft (nobody) knows how to do that so if they could learn to control the shit then they wouldn’t have to do this crap.
I’ll admit, yes, they should simply ships things closer to their release date, but that could get them in a danger zone.
Most companies ship things a few days before they’re ready for release, so they’re bound to get to the stores before the actual release date.
Now, it is the companies responsibility to send a rep to these stores (at least the major ones) and make sure they aren’t selling them early.
Wow. I love it. Watching these guys fail YET again. GOOD JOB MICROSOFT!!
A big softwear/computer company that makes you take it home and plug it into your computer before it can be used. I think I’ve heard that before.
Mike you are currect. I believe this is a GOOD thing from Microsoft. They want to keep the launch for EVERYONE to be on the 13th, no it does not matter how “special” you think you are becuase you got a unit early, it will not work until then.
I think I could see this model getting used more and more with products going to market a week before launch then use an online activation system. The only problem would be if the activation system crashed…that would SUCK for Microsoft.
Josh c you are right on the money with that. If apple did it then people would be heralding their genius.
Screwup or not the stock is up 20% in the past 3 months and for a company that size (315 BILLION dollar market cap) that’s pretty impressive in my book. They must be doing something right. Granted MS had not been performing all that well over the last few years but I for one am going to buy some of their stock on this latest market pullback….
It doesn’t sound like a screw up to me. It sounds like taking preventative measures.
There are reviews of these things all over the place. The people that Microsoft wants to have access to the software, have access, and are writing glowing reviews BTW.
Everyone else, you’re just going to have to wait.