ReesClark.com
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Zune: Is the worst yet to come?
Early Wednesday, Dec. 31, a Y2K-like excursion created its own small-scale panic for some owners of Microsoft's Zune music player, leaving Hip Hoppers and other owners without their ration of trashin'.

Microsoft said that it had traced the problem to a bug “related to the way the device handles a leap year.” Apparently the Zune was expecting 2008 to have 365 days, not 366.*

Now normally we don't worry much about airy-fairy prophecy, but if the gods of Mt. Redmond could overlook this leap year, what dire events might the Zune trauma presage for the one in 2012 that's driving believers in the latest folly to wring their hands with trepidation over the forecast end of the Earth (after all the failure of one's Zune is surely almost the same thing).

Be afraid, be very afraid! The perspicacious might want to discard their Zunes now to let the aura dissipate.

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* Now in actuality, the Zune cannot "expect" anything. It's a machine. The problem originated with the programmer(s) at Microsoft who are too young to understand the consequences awaiting those who ignore Leap Year. Had they grown up with a proper dose of Al Capp and Sadie Hawkins they'd have been more respectful of the date.

NYT Article and Microsoft Statement


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