Zune Firmware Update 2.3: No New Features

The Zune team just released the Zune firmware update 2.3. There are no new features with this update but we should notice the following:

• Zune battery issue resolved
• Improved device recognition
• Improved stability and reliability on sync (both wirelessly and while connected to a PC).

Let everybody know (in the comments) if you have specific experiences with the new firmware.

Source

Zune

Comments

[Stephane]

Both my Zune 8 and Zune 30 have been upgraded...

It took a few seconds and everything went smoothly.

Let's wait to see if I can really see improvements...

[williamc]

I had no problems with this upgrade, but I have experienced a number of frustrations with the player and new software that I don't think are being addressed by this particular update:

1) purchased music skips on player, which I could fix perhaps by redownloading the tracks but
2) the Marketplace only shows 6% of my purchased music catalog.
3) I've also had some weird problems with purchased music not having any album art,
4) and some purchased music has had its metadata rewritten by the Zune software so that it no longer appears in my collection as the music it was when I bought it.
5) Podcasts are showing as duplicates on the Zune 80 for no reason that I can understand.
6) I get a lot of network errors for the podcasts I subscribe to, but there is little useful info described in the software to manage or control either the podcasts or the error.

Finally, I hope they really do up this software to a version 3 that brings back some of the depth V1 had, giving a bit more control back to the user. To be honest, the v.1 Marketplace was clunky, but it was a lot more straightforward too. I miss being able to bookmark songs and albums for later purchase using the Inbox, I miss having greater control, within the software, over the metadata. I also dislike how now I have to open up the file in Windows Explorer to get at the metadata at all, at least beyond changing basic album and track titles.

I don't doubt the zune team is working on fixes to some or all or other fixes, but it is frustrating to be a month into the new software, with more curses than Wows for its features and fallbacks.

[Johnny Rotten]

williamc...
yes the new software is a HUGE step backwards in any measure besides prettyness.

You said that you "con't doubt the zune team is working on fixes.. with more curses than Wows." I am sorry, but I do not hold the same optimism. I have found that MSFT is moving towards a model where they do a few focus groups with people who do not use the product and decide they are the "holy grail" and refuse to backtrack from those directions.
A couple examples Vista has much less functionality for personalization but MSFT keeps saying "focus groups" showed this new method is easier.
The love it hate it ratings system is another area.

Oh well..
p.s. The limits to metadata control in the Zune software definately BLOWS GOATS

[Sam Zebian]

I just finished updating my zunes... All 4 of them!! Well, I got a few errors trying to update at first, so I restarted the zune software, and it fixed the problem. I guess it was because I had the zune software running all day, and then when the firmware released, I was already signed in, so I had to sign out and then in again to get the update.

[Bob Penn]

Did the update. No problems at all with a Zune 80. Feels like the scrolling up and down through long lists feels more "natural," though that's a very subjective comment, I realize. It feels more responsive in an unobtrusive manner.

Other than that, don't see any difference.

[JohnSk]

I have tried the 2.3 upgrade without success so far. I am now in the process of downloading the whole 2.3 package and planning on doing a fresh install. 2.2 had my 30G re-starting apparently randomly, as has been reported by others. This fix is not seemless in my case.

[Mike]

I also did the 2.3 update with some problems. I lost my Zune connection twice and had to restart my application and Zune in order to finish. I also had some strange battery drainage twice in the week before this update. I will monitor much more closely now.

[ACE]

Not true. It's been discovered that there's new podcast features....http://www.zuneboards.com/content/view/256/1/

[Casey]

I just purchased the Zune 8 and updated the firmware to version 2.3. In the last two days the device has re-booted 3 times in the middle of playing a song. Anyone else have this issue?

I also noticed that the headset connection is very picky on this device. If I push it all the way into the device it doesn't work. I have to pull it back out a little bit. This is a pain whenever I am running and accidentally hit it. Any ideas or people having a similar issue?

[chad]

I would like to know what is with the new update version 2.3 and why it will not let me put videos of my family and pictures of my family and some other events which i would like to have the ablity to take with me for viewing i mean isn't that what making it mine means? the whole thing about ( you make it you ) is bull and a marketing strategy)the version i got with it when i bought with it was just fine