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Short Bits: Zune Ratings, Extender Release Date, Buy Music

In another case of Microsoft not understanding how to integrate products, it seems the Zune’s will use a brand new rating system outside of what Windows Media Player/Media Center use.  The new system doesn’t even work on a 5-star principle, instead a like it-don’t like it system will be used.  I don’t understand what is so hard to get about your products working together.  Thanks Matthew!

 CostCentral is apparently expecting their stock of the Linksys DMA2200 Extender on 11/14.  I don’t know about other retailers, but I would expect retailers getting theirs in very soon.  Thanks Michael!

Update: PCAlchemy has them listed now.  Linksys DMA 2200 at $319 expected Thursday 15 and Linksys DMA 2100 at $269 also expected on the 15th.

Every Media Center beta I bug the fact that the stupid Buy Music link has never gone to a Media Center formatted website.  Whoever suggested that Buy Music should be there and linked to a 2-foot view of MSN Music should be fired.  Oh well, I just noticed that the webpage that was there has now been replaced by an odd black and green image.  It just screams “Buy Music”, doesn’t it?

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Published Sun, Nov 11 2007 14:28 by chrisl
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# v2 extenders available for ordering | Ed Bott’s Windows Expertise |

Pingback from  v2 extenders available for ordering |  Ed Bott’s Windows Expertise |

Sunday, November 11, 2007 3:50 PM by v2 extenders available for ordering | Ed Bott’s Windows Expertise |

# New Vista Media Center Extender Site, Ready for Preorders

As I posted earlier, the holiday season is in full force for Microsoft. I'm not sure when they put this

Sunday, November 11, 2007 8:32 PM by Robert McLaws: Windows Vista Edition

# re: Short Bits: Zune Ratings, Extender Release Date, Buy Music

I realise this is slightly off-topic but does anyone know if these Media Center Extenders will work in the UK if I import one?  A transformer solves the power problems but I don't know how it'll work with the PAL system we have over here.  UK prices on these things are crazy - the equivalent of nearly 600 dollars!

Monday, November 12, 2007 3:50 AM by MATTHIAS

# re: Short Bits: Zune Ratings, Extender Release Date, Buy Music

Don't know for sure, but UK retailers have them listed too so I don't know if that would be considered an "import" or not.  No information has been released to know if they support PAL.

Monday, November 12, 2007 10:22 AM by chrisl

# re: Short Bits: Zune Ratings, Extender Release Date, Buy Music

The new Zune rating system is a classic example of trying bring a little-used feature into focus by making it simpler at the cost of the power-users.

The majority of media users don't even bother with rating their music, thinking along the lines of, "Duh, why would I even own music I don't like? It's all 5 stars to me", while the power-user minority has all sorts of arcane uses for the star system.

I thought the new "Love It/Hate It" was a poor idea until I got real about how I actually use my ratings.  My ratings are only useful to me since 3 stars means something different to me than I'm sure it does to you.  I never listen to just all my 4 or 5 star songs because my music tastes range from psychobilly to swing to electronica to punk and mixing a 5-star tune from a punk band with a 5-star classical piece makes for a 0 star listening experience.  The bottom line for me is that I don't use the current star ratings for anything useful at all.

Plus, the whole "Love It/Hate It" idea isn't that new, Pandora uses it to great success.

Monday, November 12, 2007 7:56 PM by Shawn Oster

# re: Short Bits: Zune Ratings, Extender Release Date, Buy Music

Shawn, you fail to understand the issue I'm bringing up.  Why change it in one platform and leave other platforms with a different system?

I like the concept of the new system (but then again, If I "don't like" the music why do I have it on my Zune in the first place?), but fail to see why I would support it if they can't be used or scene within other Microsoft programs and products that happen to play my music.

Some people do use the current star ratings and have spent hundreds of hours adding ratings to their music.  Instead of thinking about the obvious, Microsoft makes changes to a single platform without providing some method for transferring or converting the existing ratings to the new system.

Bring something into focus the smart way, the way that doesn't alienate current users.  

Monday, November 12, 2007 8:27 PM by chrisl