Thousands of 30GB Zune owners have formed a “My Zune is a Brick” club on this New Year’s Eve day after a Y2K-like issue killed their Zunes. Some sort of clock bug related to 2008 having 366 days is causing 30GB models to reboot and then hang before completing boot-up. Brick!
While I have an 80GB Zune that still boots up, I’m here to report that there’s trouble in Zune 80GB Paradise as well. I was listening to an album on my Zune that I downloaded with my [up to now, fantastic] Zune Pass while stacking wood this afternoon when the music stopped. The screen displayed “rights to this song are expired,” or something to that effect. All DRM content continues to play in the Zune software on my laptop, but my Zune is hosed for all Marketplace Pass or DRM content, even the music that I purchased.
The software also fails to recognize my Zune when I attach it to my laptop unless I reboot the Zune and then plug it in. That gets old, too. Then when it IS recognized I have to login to the Zune Marketplace because the account associated with the Zune is no longer valid.
I’m a developer who is not without sin and cannot cast any stones. I also love my Zune and believe that the Zune team is working hard to build something special. But geeeez, guys.
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Pre-resolution update: I tweeted that I’d bet the problem resolves itself tomorrow. Seems my Tweet was validated by this official response. I’m thinking that there were other 2008y-366d problems as well and that my DRM will kick back into self-awareness mode tomorrow as well. Will let you know…