Zune Software 2.5

[rickfc]

Has anyone else downloaded it?  There are some cool updates such as being able to see your friends' zune cards, etc on the software itself.  The firmware for the player was also updated as I think they're ramping up to testing xna games next month, IIRC.

[SpicyJ]

I downloaded it @ home...where did you find a changelist of what's new?

[Brendan]

There's a couple of features that were must-have (like editing the names of albums!), but the big buckets of improvements are the Zune video store which has a bunch of television programming including Heroes, BSG, and The Office, and the new elements around the social networking.  If you're a Zune pass subscriber, I think the most intriguing thing is the ability to select friends to synchronize to your Zune - it pulls down their favorite songs and most recent played songs to the device so that you can listen to what they've been listening to.  There's also now, uh, achievements for music playing (for lack of a better term).  If you go to someone's Zune page, you'll see they can get awarded medals for artists they listen to a lot.

[Mookee]

And Gapless playback finally. It's better than nothing, but still not truly gapless. I hope they can improve it.

[rickfc]

One thing I noticed after syncing some stuff last night is that it reads MP3 tags a lot better.  Whereas before files would be out of order, etc, it now takes the filenames into account as well when indexing them in the software.  I normally download a file, fix the tags with MediaMonkey and then upload via Zune.  I didn't have to do that after I dl'd the software.   

[SpicyJ]

Some nice additions...I wish they would bring back the "organize my music for me" option...if I just drop a tagged mp3 in my music folder...in v1 of the software, it would create a directory structure for it and move it for me...which was nice...don't see a way to do that now.

[EngineNo9]

It's funny (and frustrating) that they still haven't gotten version 2.5 to have the features that the first version did.  I wish there was an option to just use that software with the new firmware on my Zune. 

[Dante Rising]

Any word regarding if the Zune will ever support Xvid, or act as a hard drive device so that I can just drop and drag my music, ala my Archos 604?

[Blackjack]

I didn't have it in me to do a new Zune thread so I hope ya'll don't mind me piggybacking the upcoming Zune HD device here. 

Gizmodo has a video and lots of photos (it's an all-touchscreen device, and much thinner than the current Zunes):

Zune HD Hands On: Photos and Video Tour
http://gizmodo.com/5272228/zune-hd-hands-on-photos-and-video-tour?skyline=true&s=i

oficiale Zune HD site:
http://www.zune.net/en-us/mp3players/zunehd/default.htm

So far, all the gadget places seem very impressed with it (esp. the very bright OLED screen), and compare it favorably (at least in terms of UI, size, etc.) with the iPod Touch. Their article doesn't talk about Wi-Fi and web browsing, but it is supposed to offer that along with Wi-Fi music downloading. Of course it won't have a zillion downloadable apps at launch, and who knows if devs will want to develop for it, but I guess that's something they're hoping to encourage.

I'm always weirdly off-kilter in my gadget brands which is why I'm using a tiny Creative Zen Mp3/video player and an old Palm for my music needs for now. For my music needs (which is largely playing through my car stereo on the road), a device with some simple hardware 'clicking' button is still safer/easier for me to use on the fly than something I swipe through, but I might change my mind about that some day. 

Oh, and I'm trying to see if someone mentions whether it can be used as a drag-n-drop hard drive type device.

[EngineNo9]

For my music needs (which is largely playing through my car stereo on the road), a device with some simple hardware 'clicking' button is still safer/easier for me to use on the fly than something I swipe through, but I might change my mind about that some day. 

I have the same opinion.  I'm not really sold on touch-screen only interfaces for using in my car.  Not to mention that you can't just apply a clear screen protector and still use it.

[Kagath]

Kinda related, is there a good cheap sleeve/case for a 4gb Zune? I got one here not long ago and haven't really been using it due to wanting to keep it nice. I see lots of iPod stuff that looks like it would fit but haven't actually tried anything.