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Interesting indeed:

I tried my 2003-vintage Hewlett-Packard printer, which hadn't worked properly with the original Vista. It still didn't work well with SP1.

Maybe he should try telling HP to make a Vista-compatible driver?

Meh.

Um, what disaster, and how do you automatically know it's Microsoft?  Lenovo pumps updates through Windows Update.  So does Intel (which is the video card maker in this Lenovo I think).  Or maybe it's even a H/W failure that just happened at the same time?

All possible.

Now, if he booted to the install disc he doesn't have, rolled back to an install point, and it worked, then I'd say failed update or driver install (and still might not be Microsoft's fault.)

What he also leaves out of his post is that Lenovo will send you a set of discs for $50 or so.  They don't just not support you; it's just not free.

JM2C of course, but don't fix the blame - fix the problem.  And in this case, if you want to blame someone, make sure it's the right someone.

300+ innovative features but are they good features?

Remeber kids, Innovation != AutoMagicallyGoodness

Clippy was innovative.  See how that turned out.

ACT10Npack wrote:

It should be about to sync to [ ... ] iTunes. Thats right iTunes too. [ ... ] It needs to be able to play protected music files like play4sure and protected acc files from the iTunes store.

Talk to Apple about opening up their protected AAC files.  They have a completely closed system and will not licenses their DRM technology to anyone.

I agree Zune 2 should support P4S, but you can't blame Microsoft for not supporting iTunes' DRM - Apple is operating as a closed market in DRM - I would even question the fairness of the business practice since iTunes is included in OSX, even in Europe and South Korea where Microsoft had to offer a WMP free version). 

Just another example of how Apple gets special exceptions to rules...

PocketXP wrote:

>> Further, how often do you use CoverFlow in iTunes?
>> I know I use it when I want to show it off to someone.
>> Innovation is good, but not everything that is innovative is good. (tm)

Stop thinking like an engineer and use the right side of the brain a bit.

CoverFlow is useful eye candy. It entices new users to the device.

More importantly, it's a cool social feature.
Zune is all about the social aspect.

It's a fun way to show friends what's in your iPod or Zune.

That's all just as much UX as it is Engineering.  And I totally agree that it's eye candy and it's a draw - but I still don't find it as usefull as the current scrolling mechanism through 500 albums or 2000 sonds on a iPod.

More about usability than engineering or social implications.

Ray6 wrote:



The next generation iPods will be running OSX

Does that matter?  I mean, has anyone ever cared what OS the iPod line hus run?

Further, how often do you use CoverFlow in iTunes?  I know I use it when I want to show it off to someone.  I never use it to select an album, and that's on a 20" monitor.  What are the odds of me using it on a 3.5" screen, touch or no?

Innovation is good, but not everything that is innovative is good. (tm)

Depends on the resolution frankly.  I've been doing .NET and native Win32 work on a 14.1" Lenovo for years.  Literally: a T40 and now a T60p.

In both cases, however, I had the 1400x1050 screen.  Maximize VS to full screen and it's good to go.

At least that my take on it... resolutions and screen sizes are always subjective

hahaha

Sorry, but all ten just scream "I'm cheap - gimmie free stuff to make me happy"

Not only that but each and every item on this list also applies to the iPod - except for the mass device support and I believe that's available via registry hack for the Zune - and that seems to have been plenty successful.

Oh and backing up the licenses... I believe that's already available since the Zune software is based of WMP11 - check the Options dialog.

FWIW, I'm not trying to be mean or mocking but honestly: everything on the list sounds more like a "gimmie free stuff" than anything else - and that's fine, but I don't see how it improves the Zune as a product...

AndyC wrote:

Software is like sex, its not always a great idea to get it from someone who gives it away to anyone.

ZING!

It's not BillG that's changed - it's the entire company that has changed.  Like I said, it's not like the company makes MS-DOS and Word any more.  Or even "just" Windows 95 and Office 95 - it's far larger than it was 11 years ago, nevermind 20 years ago when 3.1 popped out.  As I see it, there's retail software, enterprise software, software services, and then hardware, be it keyboards/mice, Zune, or 360 - which one would you bet the company on?  I mean, that's my point: there's no ONE product that the entire company can be risked on... even Sony, for all their talk of "betting the whole company on the PS3" has so many other divisions working that they didn't bet it all...

Get BillG in here - he'd agree. 

As an aside, if you want to talk risk, leave your sports car for a valet parker: http://forzamotorsport.net/devcorner/pitpass/pitpass27.htm - look for "This Week at Turn 10..."