Learning and Loving the Zune Social

Posted under A Geek Dad's Life, Blog Posts

I just started exploring the latest version of the Zune desktop software.  The “Social” feature is new to this version, and its presence in the user interface is quiet and understated.  But after clicking on the button… I say ‘wow.’

First of all, the Zune Social Network and the XBOX Live social network are linked. Click the two links to see my two profiles in the two networks.  I suspect that they are the exact same network driven by the same technology and infrastructure.  In fact, see my XBOX and Zune ‘badges’ in the margin of this blog.

My XBOX Live friends are displayed in my Zune Social friends list, and I can view their libraries and favorites, and hear samples of their songs with links to the albums and artists and [of course] a button to buy the music.

I will admit that only one of my eighteen twenty-five XBOX Live friends actually own a Zune, but that one (hi h00d00!) has friends with Zune devices, who have friends who have friends who have friends.  I just spent 20 minutes diving into other peoples music collections and listening to generous 30 second samples.  I finally grok what Microsoft has been up to for the past few years. This feature alone makes the purchase of a Zune a no-brainer.

I have harshed on the Zune software in the past, but this latest version of desktop software and firmware is solid.  More than merely usable, it has become… dare I say… easy.  Easy to find, subscribe to, and listen to podcasts.  Easy to find, share and buy music.  Easy to rip CDs and manage collections.  Combine all of that with their “Sync” automotive media platform and the XBOX/Media Center initiatives, and you can see their plan coming together. 

I’m no Microsoft fan boy, and I took a gamble when I bought my Zune two years ago.  The gamble has paid off.

Microsoft is always fashionably late to the party, but they always go home with the hot chicks.

Now… if they could just bring some more ‘sexy’ to the devices.