h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Without doing any home-work, how do they compare in price and size? I know that an 8 GB iPod was twice the price of the 8 Gig Zen MicroPhoto that I bought.

It might also help to explain why subtle changes in that MTP might not be so concerned with "backwards compatibility" under WMP 11.

The Zune would be comparable in price to the iPod.. it has a feature that the iPod doesn't have though... if you're in a public area and "broadcasting" others can listen to the music on your Zune and vice versa... you can also transfer songs Zune to Zune to sample.. the only difference is when you borrow a song from another Zune you have up to 3 plays in 3 days before you would have to buy it.. a pain, but it's how MSFT was able to do that where others couldn't - by setting a limit so the record companies didn't say it was stealing.

That IS an interesting feature, the broadcast aspect. I imagine that the range will be somewhat limited, to keep the battery power conserved. Still, if you're out hiking, biking, even driving ... A nice way to share.

And of course, I understand the need to keep proprietary licenses of music protected. I'm a rather odd duck, in that I don't have ANY downloads of music that haven't been properly paid for.

I don't either... when Napster and all that was around I did download a CD I wanted to listen to it and see if I'd like it. I did like it so I bought it, even though the downloaded version was great quality. So I've had this CD for a couple years and it still has the plastic wrapper on it because I never needed to open it to put it in my jukebox.

The distance on a Zune for accessing someone else's is actually pretty good. Someone I work with has one also and his office is a good distance from mine (though still in the same area). We're still able to see each other's machines.

If you were in a coffee shop or something and another Zune were broadcasting even if they were across the shop you'd still have access. And of course you can choose to broadcast or not.

Plus it also shows movies and photos and all that.

The ZEN is pretty simple, and doesn't do movies. But the display is reputed to be far superior for pics than most other models of it's day. Say a year or so ago.

When something works you don't question it. I still have an old Arcos Jukebox - it's about 20 GB.. it's about 6 or 7 years old and works great so I still use it too. As a sort of external drive.

Being the techy-, I do like to know how stuff works. But not necessarily to the point of taking everything apart, and then finding "spare pieces".

PC is an engineer through and through...

By the definitions that I am familiar with: the engineer theorizes the out of a problem, and then gives it to the tech who just makes it happen anyway. I've filled both roles, though predominantly as the technician.

Oh PC is the hands-on type... the in him I suppose..

None of the personal stuff here, eh?

Oh, and BTW? WMP 9 was removed, and all major entries in the registry. Then a run of RegMechanic, a couple of restarts ... Then back with WMP from the OEM CD.

No gains as relate to the ZEN. Simply? Stuff is broke, and even if Creative does play catch-up with the new M$ handshakes, I suspect it isn't going to fly on this installation of WinXP.

Have you contacted Creative? Surely they'd have to have some sort of patch in the works..

I haven't directly called on them yet. I've just searched their downloads and updates every week or so. Being a year or two old model, they may simply shrug, and revise newer models to meet the new standards. I'm patient ...

you should contact their tech support.. often times they have something but their site isn't overly useful in finding those things..

I did a day or two ago. Their suggestions was to re-apply Service Pack 2, and also linked to an M$ patch from the KB. I've given them a try, but haven't had time to re-install the Zen CD. I have a house full of in-laws for a time.

I can see where that might occupy your time..

It pretty much has, yesterday and today. But I'm working Monday and Tuesday, so I get a break from all the wandering about, shopping which they never seem to tire of ...

I hate shopping... how I ended up in love with a shoe horse I have no clue..

Going to malls and shops to get something that is wanted or needed, I don't mind too much. It's the aimless wandering, just to see what there is today, that drives me bonkers. The father-in-law is the worst old-woman of the lot in that reguard.