I'm still insanely happy with Genius, now I'm really pissed I can't use Pandora (Canadian). This looks nice, butttt.... I'll stick with my Apple stuff for now. I've spent so much damn money on it :P

The Magnificen7

This makes it sound like Microsoft bit Apple, when I knew about this before Genius was unveiled

burnblue

Microsoft's Zune team is consistently proving itself to be a microcosm of bureaucracy-free innovation in the company's otherwise neanderthalic business practices. I love it.

J.T.

i really really want this to run on mac. goddammit, they would have an instant zune8 customer if they would just let it work on mac.

ronnsprocket

<3 my zune

ZetaCrossfire

I can't believe no one thought of this long ago. Genius has already coaxed me into purchasing (legally, believe it or not) three albums I otherwise would not have, and its recommendations are not even that good.

regnez

Awesome. Can't wait to try it out.

Evangelion

It is cool. MSoft has definitely been getting better with their UI designs, especially with Zune and XBox. Too bad the rest of the Zune software is still inexcusably lacking in basic features like inline tag editing though.

JHB8000

Thats really cool. Too bad it has the word Zune affiliated with it.

Blinklink11

It sure looks pretty. I like what Genius is doing though. I will give it a shot either way.

Strider-No.9

@SwapMeet: The Zune software replaced my WMP a long time ago...Of course, VLC still is my main video player.

Darkest Daze

Microsoft is now biting on the iTunes Genius song feature?

I though Microsoft brought this out a day b4 apple announced their Genius thing?

I'm loving the direction the zune team is going, sweet U.I's that engage the user. the 16th will be a nice day indeed. ...zune rocks!! :)

wetworker

The Wired article clearly states that they are only judging the layout. While MS' layout is fancy, it's somewhat like their Aero in Vista, ultimately poor for usability. Does MixView poll users habits to better itself, like Genius?

The image above is showing a total of 10 overall recommendations with two of them being really small icons. Also, you have mouse over to get the artist and song name. Album covers are great for music you own but music you it's a poor method to look for new music.

However, while Apple's sidebar is vastly more informative, sorts in different categories and much faster to absorb info it is still very limited. When you highlight a song and choose Genius the entire iTunes window should wipe itself and only show you the text but in a more visible format, lie [liveplasma.com.] The circles really help to show the connections.

Leonard Nimrod

Is this a replacement for Windows Media Player? Because that's one of the worst pieces of crap with the Microsoft name on it, and that's saying a lot.

SwapMeet

I'm wondering how this fits in with their software. Is it a seperate program, part of WMP, or part of the zune software. Microsoft should incorporate their Zune software into windows as well instead of having multiple media players, but someone will probably start screaming monopoly like they always do, like with word or internet explorer. Funny how monopoly suits make you pay more for a product you could get for free with an OS (office)

Zomb

Wow! this is awesome. I'm glad MS is doing something like this. Honestly "Genius" while one of the coolest most anticipating things for me at the recent apple event, has a LONG way to go. This looks much cooler, only thing is I'm all Mac.

One of my favorite tools with yahoo music was the ability to find matching artists.

This kind of functionality is what really makes a subscription service useful.

I'll have to try this out on my virtual box install, maybe even look into a Zune pass.

socioecoboy

Again microsoft is leading from the rear by attempting to copy others... will they ever CREATE anything?

If this works well I'm all for it... but so far they are batting 0.

Ednonymous

@JHB8000:

"Too bad the rest of the Zune software is still inexcusably lacking in basic features like inline tag editing though."

Eh? You've tried 2.5's(soon to be 3.0) drag and drop metatag editing right? One of the most effective and easy ways of editing I've come across.

@Leonard Nimrod:

"Does MixView poll users habits to better itself, like Genius?"

Yup. It learns as well. Remember MS has been doing the whole social networking site for a while now. This combined with customized dynamic Channels + Zune Pass make for a compelling service.

Jander

The Zune 3.0 Feature that compares to Genius Bar is called "Channels" and this Mixview is just another simple way (not feature rich) to find related music. Please get your facts correct.

VasiS

All you Zune haters and your fascist viewpoints, your so cute and cuddly.

I'm glad they are doing something to challenge the Genius feature of the ipod line. I'll be getting a Zune 120gb at some point and look forward to trying this out.

rainfever

I've said it since v2: The Zune software is so elegant and easy-to-use that you'd think it was designed by Apple.

DW

What I'd like to know is whether MixView is built from human analysis of the artists/albums/songs (like Pandora/Music Genome) or automated and unbiased computer analysis (MusicIP). For example, could it be that MixView gets its list of "influences" from a source like AllMusic? Knowing Microsoft, I'm betting they did something like this. In my opinion, that can be useful, but I much prefer MusicIP which can analyze any song in my library based on the sound alone and not somebody's opinion.

ezkcdude

Genius, in comparison is so one dimensional. While the programming is sound, it's just a sidebar that suggests you should BUY something. As a Zune Pass subscriber, Zune will offer me more possibilities and ways to explore music (my horizon for music has gained exponentially thanks to the Zune Pass). Services like MixView, personalized Channels (which is overlooked, but I predict will be extraordinary) and Picks will give me a much larger bredth of choices I will have nearly free reign to try thanks to unlimited downloads. I'm sorry, a sidebar on my media software is so late '90s-early millennium...

ACEzWILD

@Ednonymous: so from your point of view this is copied from apple? start thinking again.

Who let the Trolls out?

Ednonymous.

Microsoft DID create the whole Genious/Mix Veiw thing. Giz just won't give them their due.

Cursemaster0

"Ednon"
Hey Asshole!

If you didn't realize, the Zune announcement was on Monday and the ipod announcement was on Tuesday, so if anyone was to have copied anyone, it would have to be apple, it's not like genius was leaked out a few weeks in advanced, so MS couldn't have even known about it. But I doubt anyone would be able to code something up like genius a day after an announcement either way, whether it be MS or Apple.

SO YEAH, MS DIDN'T COPY APPLE, GENIUS!

Sam_Zebian

Genius blows... Hopefully MixView will send Apple's R&D back to the drawing board for something a tad less slap-together, and start a nice UI innovation war... the only people who will benefit will be us.

tamoko

MixView looks like a pretty intuitive way of seeing the relationships between like artists and genres... Good job Microsoft, I like it...

@Sam_Zebian: Zoloft much? Ignore him/her and take the moral high ground.

tamoko

@Ednonymous: How can you say they copied apple? Just because apple put theres out sooner?

You cant possibly know how long microsoft has been working on this.

We knew all this was coming back when microsoft announced 2.5

majortom1029

I sold my Zune. I am not looking back.

Though before they broke it with update 2.3 (and fixed it with 2.4.....three months later!) the one thing I liked was the software.

But I'm not looking back.

bana

Drummer,

Zune only. Infact it's only in the Zune software

Cursemaster0

I like this. I can't access the video at work so is it Zune only or do you think MS will roll it out to all PMPs that can sync through Windows?

Drummer_Boy

@ezkcdude:

MixView, like genius learns on its own...for all you people out of the Zune loop, Zune has already been collecting data on our play counts for the past year. The system is more sound compared to 'Genius' who's probably uploading everyone's iTunes songs...

Every Zune Card tracks plays and displays most played songs, albums, and artists... y'all should really just try it out...

ACEzWILD

Zune and TechFest 08

part 1.

+ Watch video

Part 2.

+ Watch video

wetworker

@Protocol X:
Especially when we read something like this.

Why, this is downright preposterous! How dare the copyright-ignoring, astonishingly uncreative minds of those at Miao copy Apple's latest iPod nano design a full year in advance? They should be implausibly embarrassed by churning out a so-called Cottage MP3 player in 2007, all while the brains at Cupertino sat and pondered how to make its tiny little PMP that much better. This, people, is an outrage. An outrage!

[www.engadget.com]

wetworker

In follow up news, tens and tens of Zune owners rejoice.

Protocol X

@warkrismagic: err, should mention I mean in the winamp media library, not the playlist editor.

warkrismagic

@regnez:
Actually, people did think of this a long time ago. Winamp has had this feature for years. Used to be called Predixis(which is now available as a stand-alone program that just exports the playlist to winamp) and its now using a proprietary one built by Gracenote. But yeah, right click on any song in winamp and just click "Play all similar tracks.."

warkrismagic

like Blinklink11 said, too bad its associated with Zune and Microsoft.

[my mind is going aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!]

juddcarlos2003

As someone with two dud iPod classics who has gone back to Windows (Vista is pretty goddamn good), that makes me want a Zune.

WTF?! Ponies!

I love the fact that my $89 Zune I picked up from Woot continues to get all these useful features. Most techies laugh at first (until they actually use it) but it really is an awesome device. The software's much improved and the UI on the device itself is far and away the best out there IMO.

For now, I just wish they could tighten their integration with other MS platforms like the Xbox and Windows Mobile.

Ron-Mexico

@J.T.:
Totally agree, only if the OS team was like this , maybe they should split the OS into two divisions ,one business and one consumer , that way we can get yearly updates as well as new innovation instead of waiting 5+ years.

wetworker

@Blinklink11: You've never even touched a Zune have you. Give it a shot, you may be suprised.
@ronnsprocket: I'm gonna guess your beef is with Apple. I doubt they want to give the Zune any bigger chance to gain marketshare than they have to.
@Ron-Mexico: It's going to be heavily integrated into the 360 very soon. Full marketplace support will be coming to the new Xbox software.

boo_radley32

@WTF?! Ponies!:
welcome to the social :)

wetworker

This is what the genius should have been. Without a subscription model that allows playing new music or a pandora new music type radio fun box, the genius is completely useless. Lets hope this lights a fire under their asses.

ALT

"Microsoft is now biting on the iTunes Genius song feature as well"

How can you imply Microsoft is copying the iTunes Genius feature when Microsoft showed off MixView (along with most of the other 3.0 update features) THE DAY BEFORE iTunes Genius was announced/released?

Anachronism much?

zeroprime

@Zomb: " Funny how monopoly suits make you pay more for a product you could get for free with an OS (office)"

Hmm, so that forces Microsoft to charge $315 for a standard office license? If they really wanted you to have office in the OS they would see it for a $1 to you. But they don't, they sell them way overpriced and at a million different of flavors so the consumer is confused and think he is getting the best by paying the most.

Late_Night

*Looks* great, but a bit premature to say that it's more intuitive than Genius. I really like Genius, btw -- it's been eerily accurate.

d3h872

@Ednonymous: Microsoft announced Mix View the day before Apple's event...but being "Zune," it didn't get the press coverage until later because Giz was busy hyping up the Apple Spin Machine.

@JHB8000: Inline editing has been in the Zune software since 2.5.

Fifth Echo

Here's the test:

Will the software recommend that I buy music that I already own?

I installed iTunes 8 and an hour later (after it processed my 15,000 song, 80GB music collection) tried out Genius. I randomly clicked on "Ill Communication" by the Beastie Boys. While it played "Root Down", the Genius Store recommended that I buy "No Sleep Till Brooklyn". Fairly certain that I had ripped "License To Ill", I quickly found it in my library and played "No Sleep Till Brooklyn". While playing "No Sleep Till Brooklyn", the Genius Store recommended I buy "No Sleep Till Brooklyn".

Genius failed the simplest test of all. I would like for iTunes 8.1 to have the ability to turn off the Genius Store or, failing that, stop recommending that I buy music I already own.

My patience with Apple is stretched thin. Next time a Zune 120GB goes on Woot, I'm buying one. In brown because I think it looks nice.

OMG! Apple Stinks!

Interesting. Genius so far isn't that great for me. Then again, my taste in music (trip hop etc.) has never been well serviced by Itunes. I like to run the album art finder to laugh at the cover choices it picks.

Turael

Everyone keeps saying that Microsoft just announced this feature on Monday. They first demoed it back in March (6 months ago) and Gizmodo reported on it then. [gizmodo.com]

jasonsplace

I love my Zune 30GB as well. Plan to mod it and stuff a 120GB into it.

I'd like to note, MS revealed Mixview a day before Apple unveiled the Genius feature. So please, refrain from being a fanboy by saying "MS is biting Apple"

Gurrchan

@c-sharp: I was reluctant to get the Zune at first (and I got a Zune 1.0 30GB), but as more and more awesome features get added to a solid player, the happier and happier I get with my purchase.

Fifth Echo

@Late_Night: I don't see that at all. Most people go with the Office Home route (Word, Excel, Powerpoint) for less than $100. Why would I want Microsoft Access on my home computer?

The boxes tell the customer what apps the suite comes with. If a customer is too dumb or lazy to read, I have no sympathy for them.

And to be honest, I feel that Office Home is a far better value than iWork. I can't stomach Pages and Keynote doesn't offer any compelling reason to switch. As far as iCal is concerned, when Tiger .10 broke my iCal, I went to Google Calendar.

OMG! Apple Stinks!

Welcome to the social. NOT FANBOISM PLEASE THIS IS SERIOUS, I do read all tech news not only the apples ones.

Zune's features where unveiled one day before "Lets Suck" event. They are many more. Now zune is only missing the use as external HDD feature and xBox market place integration. I think I am getting one zune this hollydays.

c-sharp

I'm really excitedly looking forward to the 16th. I love my Zune, but these new updates are really going to make it shine. And I'm going to have to subscribe to Zune Pass because of this. I think Microsoft has a genuinely strong product on their hands. This and the Xbox 360 (initial reliability problems not withstanding) prove that they're quite capable of innovative, compelling products with good UIs. I hope they find a way to apply these design philosophies to Windows Mobile and even desktop versions of Windows soon.

TurboFool

Sweet! I can't wait to use this with my iPhone . . . . . . err, with my Mac? wait, uhm.. well my dekstop runs Vista.. can I sync it with..

oh nevermind. Stupid tie-ins.

maztec

Hmmm... MixView... Genius... Where have I seen them before...

Oh that's right. Some Sony Walkman had it all before all of this craziness. Too bad for the ATRAC cancer.

Damage

So the one thing that's never been clarified here is wether or not MixView carries over to the Zune device. Genius is great in iTunes but it's utility really shines off-deck. On my iPhone I simply tap the Genius logo and I've suddenly got an interesting new playlist. It's like a super smart shuffle that I can save for later. @OMG You really haven't given Keynote a shot if you can't find the value in it. I use it weekly to build presentations and the audience is always begging to know how I "got powerpoint to do that". Same goes for Pages. I recently put together a comprehensive technical white paper using Pages and I can't tell you how many people asked me if I had enlisted the folks from over in print graphics. I did it in a matter of hours on my Mac at home. Can you honestly say that Office Home Edition is a better value than iWork when iWork gives you 3 great tools (Pages, Keynote and Numbers) for $79? Actually given the quark-like page layout capabilities of Pages, it's almost like you're getting 4 apps. Sent from my iPhone.

WaldoEgonon

Maybe the zune guy could come back?

unkpku

Hmm...Strange...Every time I try do to MixView for Dimrain47 I get John Mayer...

spyguy99