- published: 27 Dec 2010
- views: 113719
Zune is a digital media brand owned by Microsoft which includes a line of portable media players (now discontinued), a digital media player software for Windows machines, a music subscription service known as a 'Zune Music Pass', music and video streaming for the Xbox 360 via the Zune Software, music, TV and movie sales, and the media software for Windows Phone.
In October 2011, Microsoft announced the discontinuation of all Zune hardware, encouraging users to transition to Windows Phone.
The first-generation Zune device was created by Microsoft in close cooperation with Toshiba, which took the design of the Gigabeat S and redeveloped it under the name Toshiba 1089 as registered with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) starting in 2006.Xbox 360 overseer J Allard ran the project, codenamed "Argo," staffed with Xbox and MSN Music Store developers who worked on "Alexandria", finalized as Zune Marketplace. Both products were later united under the Zune brand name in the U.S. market.
At midnight on December 31, 2008, many first generation Zune 30 models froze. Microsoft stated that the problem was caused by the internal clock driver written by Freescale and the way the device handles a leap year. An intermediate "fix" was to drain the device's battery and then recharge after 12 noon GMT on January 1, 2009.