vcsjones

I bought a Zune

On a whim I bought a Zune. I needed a new Music Player. I didn't want an iPod because iPod's can't play any of my WMA music library. So the Zune seemed like the right place to go. Here is what I expect from a portable music player:

1. Attach my Zune to the computer. Install drivers if need be.
2. Copy files to device. Using Windows Media Player
3. Play music.

Not that complicating, right? Here is how it really went:

1. Attach Zune to 64-bit computer. Find out it doesn't work in a 64-bit computer. (It is not Vista compatible yet either)
2. Attach Zune to Laptop using 32-bit XP.
3. Install Drivers (that actually went well)
4. Install Zune Player.
   What? I can't use Windows Media Player to sync my library? That is rediculous!  Instead I have to use a watered down version of Windows Media Player.
5. Copy files over (that went quickly)

So I ran into a few bumps, no biggy. Here is where I get pissed off. The Zune can NOT play DRM protected music unless it was purchased from the Zune Market Place. Let me explain why that makes me angry.

A while back Microsoft Started a Program called PlayForSure. Basically it certifies that a device is capable of playing Windows Media Audio/Video. Included in that Certification, is DRM. So the Zune doesn't meet the PlayForSure logoing. What DRM music am I talking about? Music I bought from MSN Music . It is another example of Microsoft not supporting it's own products. It also cannot play music from URGE, which Microsoft built into Windows Media Player 11 and spent tons of money marketing during the beta releases of WMP 11.

What I ended up doing is burning all of my DRM protected albums to CD (All 35 of them) to a CD-RW, and re ripping them.

Though once I got past the kinks, I did like it. Great sound.

UPDATE: I played around with it a bit longer and I am really starting to warm up to this thing. It is a tad bulky compared to the iPod, but it is was worth sacrificing to me. One thing that I did find out that I though was great is this thing can play iTunes music provided it doesn't have DRM on it, like the XBox 360.

New Job

I recently went into a job interview for Thycotic . (No coinicidence that's where Ryan works) and I am happy to say I got the job. I am very excited and eager to start working there, they have a lot of wonderful concepts such as Peer Programming. I'll be moving DC area in the middle of December.

ASP.NET Moderator

I was recently asked to join the ASP.NET forums moderation team. I accepted - of course - and am looking forward to helping the community.

Windows Media Player 11 RTM

About a week ago (as of November 7 ^th ) Windows Media Player 11 was finally released. I was excited about it because I couldn't use the Betas, they weren't designed for x64. So when RTM was announced, so was the x64 edition. Sweet. I had seen my roommate's laptop had it installed, and I could have installed it on my laptop, but my laptop is in Russian and I wanted to wait for the MUI editions to come out. So downloaded, installed. Installation went without a hitch. It migrated my library, all seemed to go well. I am dissappointed that even though there is a special x64 download for WMP 11, the large portion of it is still 32-bit running on WOW64. A couple of personal opinions on WMP 11.

Dislikes: I like the Classic Windows Shell. Windows 2000. Windows Media Player 11 has the Vista look, whether you want it or not. I prefer the old fashion way. I'm an ol' fashion person. I don't like that it is always black. Yeah you can change the tint of it - slightly. Oh well. Nothing that effects the performance of it. The UI doesn't respond as quickly as I would like it to if I ask it to do something intensive. I also wish it were pure x64.

Good stuff: I had issues where MP 10 wouldn't recognize my CD burner (though Windows Explorer would). Now it does. Excellent. It also supports Ripping CDs in the Professional Codec.

It also rolled out a new version of the Windows Media Codec: 9.2 and Windows Media Professional 10.

Overall I like it.

Delta Airlines Suck

I am an avid flier. I fly all over the world, Belarus and Russia mostly. Those a pretty far away (about 6,500 miles for Belarus) so I rack up Frequent Flier Miles pretty quick. Well I decided to attend Dev Con with Ryan, so I got some airline tickets to Vegas using my FF miles.

So I go to the ticket counter after spending 30 minutes trying to find a parking spot in Long Term Parking. No tickets. No Tickets? no tickets. OK, I so I am delayed a day. I was getting there early, no problem, I will get there on time instead. My Frequent Flier miles are gone, but, no tickets. Time to head home. (Oh and pay my way out of the long term parking that I was in for 15 minutes.

Time to make some calls. I give them my transaction ID, all that jazz, they said:

OK. Since you are using Frequent Flier Miles, it will take a day to process.

Translation : We don't value our top customers and we don't want to give free airplane tickets.

Why did this happen? They sold my seat to a paying customer, even though I have previously spent thousands of dollars flying with them.

So I got my Frequent Flier Miles back. Oh, but I can't get tickets now. They are booked. And I am not in the mood to fork out money for tickets that I deserve as a valued customer.

Microsoft Drops the ball with OneCare and x64

I was surprised when the press release for OneCare came out. Microsoft making an Anti virus Suite? Sounds interesting. And something I would probably be interested in. Microsoft made Windows, so why shouldn't the maker of Windows make good programs for Windows? When RTM was released, I downloaded a trial. But guess what. It wouldn't install. Windows Live OneCare is not x64 compatible.

Ouch.

Microsoft has been trying to push the x64 platform on developers and the program industry, and now they release a software suite that is not x64 compatible? What about when Vista is released? The Windows Vista logo program requires that software be x64 compatible for it to get the "designed to run on Windows Vista" logo on the box. Is Microsoft going to make a software suite that will fail it's own logo program?

I got an e-mail asking if I wanted to participate in the OneCare v1.5 Beta. I checked it out, thinking. "OK, they know the release of Vista is close. It has to be x64 compatible."

Nope. So far, the beta for 1.5 is not x64 compatible. Seems ironic to me.