Bought 2 Zunes on Woot, sold one on E-Bay for the cost of both, my Zune=Free. Add in unlimited music and the fact I really like the marketplace, sounds like a winner to me.

awraynor

@winmac: nevermind that...helps if you read the article first

winmac

are these 10 songs mine forever to do with as i please...meaning i can burn them to disc, put them on an iPod, or whatever i want to do...or are they perma-locked to the Zune exclusively?

winmac

Sweeeett !!!! Too bad any of the zune`s attract me. 10 songs + all you can eat for 15 bucks its really nice. So the 10 songs I keep are mp3DRM-less ? Amazon and Walmart, you must do something now or I'm gone.

Mannyatic

I'm sure the iSheep will be along shortly with the usual selection of comments.

I think it's important to mention that you don't need a Zune to take advantage of Zune Pass. Zune Pass works with any PlaysForSure Subscription-capable player, you just use the Zune software to download the songs, and Windows Media Player to sync them.

UnnDunn

The marketplace treated me pretty well already!
Thanks zune - err microsoft....err jesus.

jamiesoncostello

If they had the marketplace i would be over this like a fat kid over cake.

Nahirk

Why do they bother selling the Zune in Canada without the Marketplace?

KSPRAYDAD (TAWKN.com)

@UnnDunn: Really? That's a big deal. I have a Zune, which I like, but I thought it was the only device ZunePass content could play on.

mrweatherbee

Really, M$oft has make great strides with the Zune since its inception. I really think they have a very real iPod equivalant on their hands, with the recent 3.1 update and this new ZunePass bonus. All they need now is a stronger bond with the 360 and a touchscreen model/Zune-phone and Apple will need to play catch-up.

whiteknight89

the killers = poo

onewiththewurlitzer

zune marketplace is still windows only though, right?

bmbnbs

@Mannyatic:

Yeah, you can select from over 4 million DRM-less MP3s. Free and clear. Use them on your iPod/PS3/360/iPhone/Wii/PSP/Android, whatever.

Jander

@awraynor:

Don't forget about Space Battle, SuDoKu, and Checkers... for FREE!

justinpe

@bmbnbs: Yeah.

Warll

@awraynor: Would people please stop reminding me that as a Canadian I can not order from woot! I mean please, its inhumane!

Warll

hmmm. i cancelled my emusic subscription when they went from unlimited downloads to X number per month...

but short of (some) major labels... what does this get you that emusic doesn't get you? seems like a ripoff compared to emusic really.

x23

oh man, microsoft, shame for not making the zune OSX compatible!!

MrBlahBlah

LOL, so let me guess, they give you 10 tracks of their choice every month while you pay $14.99 a month for listening just to music, have ya heard of Pandora? is free you know, Limewire is also free. boy i have to tell you microsoft sure has some loyal Sheep s willing to flush $14.99 a month down the toilet

snitch29

@snitch29: hehehe, I love you.

Not in an admiration sort of way. I guess I have to tell a little back story. I'm an EMT and stupid people make sure I have a job. Also, they make the day way more interesting. You are one of those people.

It's a decent deal man. If it's not for you, that's fine but at least read what they are offering. BTW, the Zune market place already offers a song for free every week. Usually some indie band or recently signed talent.

oh that's great, you called me a sheep......I really love you man!

egyptomix

@Sid1: What if everyone was singing the praises of the iPod? Would you cry bribery then?

Sorry but the ZunePass is awesome. $15 a month (the rough equivalent of a premium album on iTunes) and I download all the music I want coupled with software that encourages finding new music. I can understand you being upset that Apple doesn't have a subscription plan but that's your sour grapes.

OMG! Ponies!

How many of these comments are from people paid by Microsoft?

Sid1

The only real big problem with ZunePass is that it is possible to get too much music. I went on an "angry old man" music binge and have a whole helluva lot of Tom Waits and Neil Young to catch up on.

username - Hipster Union

OMG! Ponies!

@MrBlahBlah: If you're very very quiet, you can hear the strains of a violin playing just for the people who voluntarily locked themselves into a walled garden.

OMG! Ponies!

@bmbnbs: The difference between Apple and MS is that when the iPod was Apple-only, it stifled the iPod's growth.

Microsoft is nowhere near the point where it needs that last 10% of the computer market for market saturation.

OMG! Ponies!

@x23: The major label aspect is no small thing by itself, but the Zune Pass also lets you carry all of your "sample" songs with you as long as you have the subscription.

You're still basically buying 10 mp3's a month (at a standard price), but you're also getting a portable "celestial jukebox" for $5 a month.

Halfwit

My ex-girlfriend tried to tell me a few months ago that the Killers were "way better than the Beastie Boys"...... Ex-girlfriend.

Just had to share that after looking at that pic. I'll never forget that everytime I hear the killers or see them.

shalegac

@shalegac:

You did the right thing.

Islandkiwi

@timak:

WTF is up with the reply system on this site. It posted my reply in the wrong place...

timak

@shalegac:
Beastie boys give me a headache. I let your girlfriend play the killers in the background while I pounded her.

She was alright.

timak

@snitch29:

Yeah, and all those people paying per month to use their phones, and watch cable, and get internet ect. They are all stupid! All those people willing to pay money for something you could get for free with a little stealing.

I bet you don't pay money for any of that, because you're not a sheep right?

timak

@justinpe: Really? That's the best fanboy comeback you got for this great service? Making fun of the things you get for free? You can argue that those games are crap all you want but I don't think anyone would argue that not having the games is better than having them. You can say all you want about how the ipod is better or whatever, but you have to admit this is great. I'd you to go on record, right now, and say yes or no that is a great move, so I can hold you to it when Apple offers the same in less than a year.

MajellaCabatan

@snitch29: Limewire isn't legal though.

sgtteddybear

i really enjoy my subscription music. From yahoo to napster then to rhapsody when napster's music all turned into 30 sec samples. Would love itunes to do one so I could fill my iphone like crazy, but doubt that will ever happen.

bohn002

I love zunes ipods macs and pcs, now lets all have a big group hug

wookiepeasent

i love my first gen zune, 10 free songs and it now has a clock!

awesome since i bought it what feels like a decade ago.

edd

edd9000

@mrweatherbee: The Zune is the only one that's officially supported, but other PFS devices work. This is especially nice if you have Windows Mobile phone.

The DRM is locked in the other direction, though. The Zune device will only take DRM content from MS's Zune store.

typoink

I've been using the ZunePass since its inception, and I've always loved it. The only thing that drove me crazy was that there would be the odd song on an album (usually a popular single) that I was forced to buy because it wasn't available via subscription. Looks like those days are gone now. For $15 a month - about the price of a CD - you get all the music you can listen to, plus you can now keep ten tracks. Which is about one CD's worth. Plus Mixview, which is ridiculously good. Plus free games. And I can put any ZunePass music on my WinMo phone and it plays just fine. Seriously, if you can get over the fact that you're using 'evil' MS products, this is a great deal.

theoldwolf

@MrBlahBlah: One word: Parallels.

SynMonger

@bmbnbs: I know the Linux purists will want to crucify me for this but...

I bought two zunes from woot.com last year, one for myself, and one for my fiancee. I use linux as my primary operating system, no dual-boot. I setup Windows XP as a guest OS in VMWare with the zune software, and it works just great.

Oh and the zune pass works for up to 3 computers, so we both use the single zune pass :)

SynMonger

So clarify for me.

I can keep 10 songs a month. These are songs I CHOOSE to keep, not some list of freebies that I can choose from right? AND they are DRM free when I purchase them?

I might dig out my Zune and resub for a bit to take advantage of the keepable songs if I can choose the songs I want to keep.

aybara

@edd9000: I know right? I got mine on woot for 80 bucks and I have never looked back. ++zune goodness

Necromatik

@OMG! Ponies!:

and even if you get all the neil young available, he still has a stash of unreleased stuff just as big as what's out there. a prolific writer of epic proportion.

godwhacker

@OMG! Ponies!:
a very, very small violin, playing zztop's "me so stupid"

godwhacker

Im still rocking my first gen zune, got for christmas from the GF. love this thing, use it everyday and I love the fact that I get firmware free. This new addition to the zune pass is a great idea, I really hope it gets more people to hop on the zune train. I want the new zune but I hope they go back to the matte faceplate, so much better looking imo.

Try a zune out and you will know why its better than IPOD. Well at least the classic.

xxenclavexx

I love the Social, but it's basically Last.fm all over again. I wish there was a way to link the two accounts.

Kiamat

@OMG! Ponies!: Just sent you a friend request, OMG!P.
[social.zune.net]

Kiamat

And DRM free.

Robert Lee Anderson

I just did this. You basically get 10 song "credits" which you can use when you go to buy a song. They're 320Kbps, too.

I love my Zune.

Robert Lee Anderson

@Kiamat: Just sent a friend request aswell

[social.zune.net]

KronikFpLiOnYkD

@Robert Lee Anderson: Excellent answer to all the FUD going on above, thanks for checking! I'm all over it with my 1st gen zune.

onetrueu

Microsoft gets SERIOUS brownie points for pushing all of these updates to the 1st gen zunes.

Robert Lee Anderson

The Wii doesn't play MP3's anymore...
:/

brandizzle

I'm no MS fanboy by any means but it's not too often that you get a device that just keeps getting better and better the longer you have it like the Zune has been. I have a Zune 30 and I kind of lust after the newer ones but I really can't bring myself to replace it when there's nothing wrong with it and they keep basically upgrading it every few months.

maven2k

@snitch29: 1st of all jango owns pandora!!! but no you can get any song you want for free and like sgtteddybear said limewire is illegal.

ReapdaSlaughter is teh owner its just what he does

@UnnDunn: iSheep reporting for duty.

Are the 10 tracks any 10 tracks of my choice? If so this sounds like a pretty fair deal. I'd prefer 1 free album of my choosing per month but then who wouldn't right?

Douch3er

@aybara: that's what i read.

DirtyDogg

@onewiththewurlitzer: no u

Chroma

@MajellaCabatan:

I wasn't making fun of things you get for free. I was simply trying to point out that free shit is still shit. Nobody runs around talking about how they got a free kick in the balls and how awesome it was.

I will admit that the Zune is a solid product, but it doesn't even come close to the iPod. Microsoft has definitely made some improvements, and I expect them to get more competitive. In order to do that, though, they will have to diversify their lineup a bit. You don't have very many choices when it comes to the Zune. You can get the big one or the little one. If you are shopping for an MP3 player at an Apple store, you have the choice between the big one, the little one, the really little one, the one with the big screen and the one with a phone. If I were going to invest in a device for listening to all of my music, I would want to have a lot of choices so I can find a product that best fits my needs. If I happened to workout a lot, I might choose the shuffle. If I want to watch a lot of movies on the go, I might choose the touch for its larger screen. If I want something that I can fit a lot of files onto, and use it as an external HD, I might choose the iPod classic.

justinpe

@snitch29: yeah I think you aren't quite grasping this concept. you get to KEEP these songs forever and play them anytime you like legitimately. Pandora is a fantastic tool, but often times its littered with repeats and you cant exactly listen to a certain song you like whenever. Zune Marketplace and Zune Pass are iTunes killers. if only the Zune itself was more refined... mine died of software/hardware failure last week =(

senekerc