Certified for Windows Vista | The Coffeehouse

Bas
It finds lightbulbs.

I probably don't fully understand the hows and why's of this, but... this is the most nonsensical thing I've ever seen coming out of Microsoft.

Massif
aim stupidly high, expect to fail often.

Bas wrote:

I probably don't fully understand the hows and why's of this, but... this is the most nonsensical thing I've ever seen coming out of Microsoft.

It's odd looking, but when you think about it deeply it makes sense.

Essentially they're trying to make the "Certified for Windows vista" sticker the universal "it works! woo!" sticker. Which means all the old tests that plays for sure devices had to pass are now part of the CFWV certification process for digital audio players.

That's not a very good explanation, but it makes sense in my head.

Bas
It finds lightbulbs.

So what does this mean for PlaysForSure music? That's Certified for Windows Vista now. So is my Zune. But that same Certified for Vista music won't play on my Certified for Vista Zune, right?

Massif
aim stupidly high, expect to fail often.

Bas wrote:
So what does this mean for PlaysForSure music? That's Certified for Windows Vista now. So is my Zune. But that same Certified for Vista music won't play on my Certified for Vista Zune, right?

I have no idea... And if they don't then you're definitely right and it's all gone off half-cocked.

I see no reason why the Zune shouldn't be able to play music purchased from elsewhere though. If they do of course, then it'll get very interesting... Can I buy things from the Zune marketplace and play them on my clix for example? (Which would be going the other way.)

That being said, the zune site doesn't mention being Vista Certified, does the box or the marketplace say different?

Bas
It finds lightbulbs.

Massif wrote:

I have no idea... And if they don't then you're definitely right and it's all gone off half-cocked.

I see no reason why the Zune shouldn't be able to play music purchased from elsewhere though.

Well, AFAIK, the Zune doesn't support PlaysForSure music. Which is sort of why this could get needlessly confusing.

Massif
aim stupidly high, expect to fail often.

Bas wrote:

Massif wrote:
I have no idea... And if they don't then you're definitely right and it's all gone off half-cocked.

I see no reason why the Zune shouldn't be able to play music purchased from elsewhere though.

Well, AFAIK, the Zune doesn't support PlaysForSure music. Which is sort of why this could get needlessly confusing.

Seems odd to do that, I'd have thought a "make it easy for people to switch over, make it hard for them to switch back" approach would be better for the Zune's market share.

Granted, if they can continue to use other shops it spoils the whole "we control the whole ecosystem" advantage, but why would anyone stubbornly insist on using shop A, having to import to the Zune software and then sync to their Zune when they could use the Zune marketplace with less hassle. (And no-one particularly cares which digital shop they get things from, as digital music is much of a muchness once you've got it.)

Dodo
I'm your creativity creator™ :)

indeed.. questionable... why looking for the Vista logo, if your device or content doesn't have a thing to do with Vista?

PaoloM
Hypermediocrity

Bas wrote:
So what does this mean for PlaysForSure music? That's Certified for Windows Vista now. So is my Zune.

No, I don't think it is. Not mine, at least.

Ray6

Mmm ... nothing seems to have changed, apart from 'PlayForSure' being renamed as 'Certified for Windows Vista'. The odd thing is that 'PlayForSure' really has nothing to do with Vista; so I think we're looking at two plays by Redmond here.

1/. Microsoft is forcing its long-suffering 'PlayForSure' partners into marketing Vista for them.

2/. Microsoft has finally realised something that Apple knew from day one; if a technology is unpalatable to consumers, don't draw attention to it. After all, you don't see Apple sticking 'FairPlay' stickers on iPods, do you? PlayForSure isn't going anywhere until the record companies see sense; until that time, MS will just throw a blanket over it and call it 'Certified for Windows Vista'.

It has nothing to do with the Zune.

It's a surprisingly clever move for Microsoft, but as usual it's already confused everybody with its poorly thought out execution.

Minh
WOOH! WOOH!

Geez guys, it's very simple.

My iRiver Clix 2 can play DRM WMA, which was previously known as Play4sure. So, I can say "my iRiver Clix 2 is Play4sure". The wording is now changed to "Certified for Windows Vista." Just Find+Replace and you'll get "my iRiver Clix 2 is Certified for Windows Vista."

Now, my Zune 30 works on Windows Vista, so I can call it "my Windows Vista Certified Zune 30". But my Zune doesn't do Play4sure, so following my Find+Replace above, you must say "my Windows Vista Certified Zune 30 is not Certified for Windows Vista."

Cybermagellan
Live for nothing, or die for everything

...and/or...

Next gen Zune's will be based around Windows Vista CE or whatever...which then Microsoft can market the Zune Market Place + Applicable music as Windows Vista Certified.

dalesun

Microsoft likes getting spanked by Apple. If not, they better learn to like it, because they keep positioning themselves to be a better target.

I'm a happy subscription music user. It's a great option if you like to explore lots of new music (if you don't, it's not). However, Microsoft hasn't been successful promoting it, and this is another bad move. Although I've spent hundreds of dollars happily renting music for years, I've never purchased DRMed music and never will.

Forking PlaysforSure into incompatible Zune was a bad and disturbing move, but it didn't affect me directly. Changing it to "Certified for Windows Vista" is so idiotic--it's hard to imagine much non-Zune Windows media stuff surviving. Unfortunately Zune is foolishly based upon the one bad thing about the iPod (a closed ecosystem). I guess I should start looking for alternatives.

Microsoft's Reality-Distortion Field apparently allows them to convince themselves that Vista will soon be ubiquitous. And, they should prepare for and encourage this by giving Vista more visibility; Vista-branding all the Zunes and music they expect to sell, even forcing music partners to use Vista branding ('till they're extinguished by Zune). It's crazy; and Microsoft doesn't appear to be coming up for air anytime soon.