Full FeedZ2K9: Zunepocalypse
Seeing as how “Zune” and “Failure” are practically synonyms, it’s surprising that Microsoft could buckle down and take the rabidly unpopular music player to a newer, and lower, level. But as of 2 a.m. today, and apparently part of some suicide pact/calendar-related coincidence, 30GB Zunes have been bricking themselves.
Gizmodo reports:
The crisis has been dubbed by Zune users ‘Z2K9’, due to the apparently synchronized faceplantings across the country. According to tipster Michael, the Zune users experienced something like this:
Apparently, around 2:00 AM today, the Zune models either reset, or were already off. Upon when turning on, the thing loads up and ... freezes with a full loading bar… . I thought my brother was the only one with it, but then it happened to my Zune. Then I checked out the forums and it seems everyone with a 30GB HDD model has had this happen to them
The problem has become so widespread, in fact, that even Microsoft is aware of it, and has updated their Zune.net support page (image above). There’s no word yet on what the cause of the problem may be, or a fix/workaround for those people who own Zunes. Users are asked, however, not to offer to help by looking for answers on their iPhone/iPod touch.
Via [Gizmodo]
Subscribe to keep up with the latest Apple news and rumors! - 
Subscribe to our feed
Black Friday 2009
Black Friday is almost here! Gadgetell's got you covered with all the latest news on who's offering the best deals. Dangerous crowds? You're on your own.
Our new podcast: Meet...
We know. Podcasts are so last year - but this one you won't want to miss. Whether it’s a rumor that won’t die, a new product announcement, or just a really good Macintosh or iPhone app find that we have to let you know about, we’ll make sure it’s covered on Appletellcast.
iPhone App Reviews
iPhone Apps. They were great when the App Store was first announced and we could all pick and chose what we wanted, but the number is now overwhelming. Here at Appletell, we'll detail the great iPhone apps we find, and steer you clear from those that aren't worth it even if they're free.
iPhone Game Reviews
As Apple turns the iPhone into one of the most popular gaming devices, the staff of Appletell--gamers and Apple fans alike--are here to help you get the most entertainment value out of your app store purchases.
It’s a pretty low blow that you say Zune is synonymous with failure. I have had mine for exactly 2 years last week, and this is the first problem I’ve had with mine. While my girlfriend’s iPod have crashed on us multiple times, resulting in a reformat of all the songs.
on December 31, 2008 at 04:40 PM - LINKUmmm…...Your story contained ONE faulty iPod versus a world wide issue with the Zune….... and a software company that is proven most unreliable worldwide. Hmm. An unreliable software company, unreliable OS proven time and time again, and finally (and now) an unreliable competitor for the iPod. I’m sorry, am I missing something here? Get a Mac. Get an iPod. Get iTunes. Get Happy!
on December 31, 2008 at 08:38 PM - LINKOh please.
I’ve lost track of the times people in my office have had problems with their iPods, and my “state-of-the-art” G5 crashes daily while running After Effects. The advice from my Mac zealot co-workers (like you, Kev)? “Did you try zapping the p-ram?”
Um. Yeah.
You ARE missing something. It’s called reality. Drop the blind devotion and realize that all tech, no matter the company it’s created from, will have issues.
Zune synonymous with failure? It’s just sad when you have to pander like that.
on January 1, 2009 at 11:21 AM - LINKI can’t speak for Bill (in this case, anyway…I can when we’re talking about 80s television), but I’m pretty sure his comment about “Zune” being synonymous with “failure” has more to do with the device’s sales than with its reliability. It was launched to be an iPod killer, you know, and now…well, as Bill said, seems the only thing it’s good at killing is itself.
on January 1, 2009 at 12:12 PM - LINKOh Nooeesss!1!!1!
The older zunes had to power down for the time change. How does that proves that Apple is better???
For years Apple spouted the Motorola processors were faster now you run on Intel. Why? Because they are faster. huh?
Mac’s can’t be hacked? Nope… 30 minutes root control was had in the Hack-A-Mac challenge. HAH!
I won’t even go into the I-Pod and I-Phone issues. I don’t like to kick dogs when they are down.
So please stop, you only make it worse.
on January 1, 2009 at 04:27 PM - LINKI am certainly not at battle here. I was commenting on ‘one iPod’ story versus a world wide Zune glitch. I am a fan of vista, this I will not deny. I just prefer Mac OSX. As far as a comment about the iPhone, I would assume that you would say that you cant use it with internet explorer. This is true, BUT it’s also a bad taste in the mouth when a Mac user years ago was stopped dead in it’s tracks from using internet explorer and windows media player, thanks to Microsoft on OSX. So the word ‘freedom’ cannot be viewed from a Mac or Windows standpoint. It’s a matter of preference. And I personally feel that the writer on the original story here was merely commenting on the fact that it is a shame that Microsoft, with it’s several known loop holes in their several OS’s over the years was dumb founded by such a small glitch as date and time in it’s Zune devices.
on January 1, 2009 at 05:25 PM - LINKYep… There dead, some won’t even restart WITH the fix.
Someone on the popular t shirt site Cafepress is selling Z2K9 T shirts - I might even buy one.
Go to CafePress.com and search Z2K9
on January 1, 2009 at 05:27 PM - LINKHmmm, this article may be a bit bias… Perhaps the writer could have used more tact instead of raping us with your mindless babble. Honestly bill, pull your head out of your ass.
on January 1, 2009 at 07:07 PM - LINKHere and I thought that it finally bit the dust. lol
Has anyone heard if MS has a fix for it yet?
on January 1, 2009 at 07:43 PM - LINKYes, Bryan. It’s a weird fix, but a fix nonetheless…until December 31st, 2012, anyway.
The cure for Zunepocalypse
on January 1, 2009 at 09:14 PM - LINKZune and failure synonmous? I scoured the intertubes for articles about Zune fialures and came up with only the Zunepocalypse - which affected **ONLY** the first Gen devices. These are the devices which were releases in 2006.
Considering that the devices have been in use consistently for 2 years is a testament to their reliability.
Additionally, if you had any sense about technology, which you do not because you write an Apple blog, you would realise that infintie loop errors related to leap year are fairly common.
on January 2, 2009 at 09:48 AM - LINK“Additionally, if you had any sense about technology, which you do not because you write an Apple blog, you would realise that infintie loop errors related to leap year are fairly common.”
Obviously not common enough to be noticed by those super-savvy, innovative, ultra-techie Microsoft programmers.
Priceless.
on January 7, 2009 at 10:36 AM - LINKsw00p
That’s funny, because it had *nothing* to do with programmers at Microsoft. It had everyting to do with programmers at Toshiba: http://i.gizmodo.com/5122659/the-culprit-of-the-zune-massacre
I realize that some on this forum want all the world’s woes to be cause by MS and only occur on MS hardware/software. But lo, they are not and this kind of glitch is common: http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/02/leap-year-code.html
on January 7, 2009 at 08:35 PM - LINKYes, Microsoft has no QA. *Rolls Eyes*. Everything is always someone else’s fault, isn’t it? Sad.
on January 7, 2009 at 10:31 PM - LINKIf that’s what you believe ... My thought is that considering this was a TOSHIBA built piece of hardware and TOSHIBA built the drivers that while we can say that MS should have done a better job, its Toshiba’s faulty driver.
Jesus you people really have a bias against MS that clouds all logic and reason.
on January 7, 2009 at 10:47 PM - LINKNo, my reason is not clouded. If my company put out a device with our name on it that hadn’t passed the most *basic* QA, the people responsible would be out looking for a new job; we wouldn’t be trying to blame someone else for it.
The only thing I find more annoying than a Mac/Apple/iPod zealot is a Windows/Microsoft/Zune zealot, and man, you’re really starting to sound a lot like those iSheep that swarm all over Microsoft and Windows boards whenever there’s a virus discovered for OS X, and then prattle on incessantly like the sun shines out Jobs’ and Apple’s collective ass—- so they can *obviously* do no wrong; give it up, nobody cares, get over your little consumer product and find something more productive to identify yourself with.
I hope they’re at least paying you for this.
*shakes head. waves*
on January 7, 2009 at 11:12 PM - LINK