Obama's "ZuneGate"

theodp writes "Barack Obama supporters were left shaking their heads after a report surfaced that the president-elect was using a Zune at the gym instead of an iPod. So why would Mac-user Obama be Zune-ing out? Could be one of those special-edition preloaded Zunes that Microsoft bestowed on Democratic National Convention attendees, suggests TechFlash, nixing the idea that the soon-to-be Leader of the Free World would waste time loading Parallels or Boot Camp in OS X just to use a Zune."

Comments

so?

[n3tcat]

Here in Germany I see more no-name mp3 players than ipod and zune COMBINED. What does it matter if he's an apple or windows guy? It's not linux, so why does it matter?

Re:so?

[theaveng]

You took the words right out of my mouth.

An MP3 player is an MP3 player - you don't have to use an Ipod. Me, I use an Insignia that I got for free from Best Buy and it works just fine.

Re:so?

[bobmarleypeople]

I can see CNN now
Our top story tonight... Obama: To Apple or not to Apple, that is the question posed to our team as rumours surface about major Mac user President Obama using a Microsoft Zune to listen to his music. We bring you the detailed analysis after this commercial for iPods.
.........actually, I can't see that happening. Give us some real news please!

Re:so?

[BrentH]

Apart from the fact that iPod bought after summer 2007 can't load Rockbox, there's a bazzilion players out there that play Ogg Vorbis and FLAC right out of the box. If these free codecs are so important to you, why not buy the device that actually already does what you want (and support the kind of manufacturer that actually builds these players)? BTW, the Zune works fine with Songbird, so the Zune can be used natively on any platform.

Re:so?

[tao]

The Samsung YP-U[123] (BTW, don't import one from the US; the US firmware has no support for Ogg Vorbis) devices seems to be quite easy to get hold of all over Europe; I bet you can find that one in Italy as well. But I'd recommend trying to find a Cowon iAudio instead (possibly by ordering it online). Less bugs in the Ogg Vorbis support plus support for Ogg FLAC.

Re:so?

[Curtman]

What does it matter if he's an apple or windows guy?

I am absolutely thrilled that the dumbest thing this president has done so far is use a Microsoft product. Dubya had already planned to blow up half of the world by now.

Re:so?

[WhatAmIDoingHere]

Sometimes you just want to listen to some music while you're working out.

I thought this was /. not TMZ.

In other news...

[dreamchaser]

Obama is said to have been wearing Fruit of the Loom underwear instead of his usual Hanes...

WTF...*this* is news for nerds? I could care less what any politician uses to listen to his or her music.

Re:In other news...

[thesolo]

Thank you. Not only is this not "News For Nerds", it's not news, period.

If the presidential choice of MP3 player seriously matters to you, kill yourself. With all of the problems facing the US and indeed the entire planet, this is the most trivial of matters, and people reporting on it should be ashamed of themselves.

Next we'll be hearing about Obama getting a hangnail. Just shut up.

You guys

[sleeponthemic]

I will seriously kill myself if he likes Star Wars better than Star Trek.

oh my god

[papabob]

He is one of those f*** bastards who use the tool that best fits him (for example being free, if it is really a gift from microsoft) instead of "what he should use"!

(or better)

He is one of those f*** bastards who only want to listen mp3 ignoring how stylish is his player!!

Impeachment now!!

God help us.

[msgmonkey]

Maybe he cares more about the music he's listening to rather than the make/model of the player.

If I did n't have an mp3 player and got a zune for free, as long as it played my mp3s correctly I'd use it. Sometimes I wonder if Apple is a religion or just some company that makes tech products.

Re:God help us.

[Threni]

Maybe he's found out about how Apple make it impossible to use third party hardware with the iPod classic, or maybe he got one of the crippled EU ones with a volume limiter which precludes the use of a lot of high end headphones. Or maybe he doesn't like the fact many iPods have problems with batteries, or the effort Apple goes to to thwart people's attempts to use their own software or firmware in the Apple so you can't play ogg/flac etc format files. Apple's successes with the iPod are chiefly marketing related, not technological. They're like Microsoft - they adopt other people's work and stick it inside fancy cases. There's no reason why Obama should use Apple instead of Microsoft stuff - it means nothing.

Reality Check Needed

[Macthorpe]

I can't believe that some people care more about which MP3 player he uses than what policies he's going to implement.

Can I get a reality check to aisle S, please?

Great

[Anonymous Coward]

As MAC user with a Zune, he will be able to experience the true value of DRM. I hope he'll remember that the next time some DRM lobbyist asks for a favor...

I don't care!

[A12m0v]

I'm posting to let you all know that I don't care!

Re:Jesus...

[Loibisch]

Actually, I didn't mean to repeat "holy Christ" twice in the same post. I'm very sorry everybody.

That's ok, you actually have to call his name three times in order for him to...oh wait, I think that was the other guy...

Watergate is a God Damned Hotel You Turds

[Spasmodeus]

I have this fantasy in which I am kind of superhero who travels the country tracking down hack reporters who slap the "gate" suffix on anything vaguely resembling a scandal, then jabbing them with a cattle prod until I'm satisfied justice has been served.

Re:Jesus...

[stimpy]

Beetlejuice.

Re:"soon-to-be Leader of the Free World"

[Chrisje]

As a Dutch citizen I have the perfect freedom to:
- get abortions
- do soft drugs of various kinds
- drink alcohol from the age of 16
- get serviced by a hooker
- get euthanasia
- get married whether I'm gay, bi or straight
- get divorced
- speak my mind
- drink on a sunday
- have sex in public places so long as it's not visible from the street
- go where I please (we don't need visa for 99% of the planet)

None of which are freedoms I've seen Americans enjoy.

So I second that motion. Obama will be president of the USA. Calling him "Leader of the Free World" pisses me off too since he sure as shit don't rule my country.

Zune sighted in real world!

[Tom]

You guys are all missing the point! The "news, things that matter" part of this isn't that Obama is using a Zune, but that a Zune has actually been seen being used by someone. Happens to be the president-elect, that's just the bonus celebrity factor. But have you ever seen a Zune outside a store? See, now you know why this is news. :-)

Re:"soon-to-be Leader of the Free World"

[Anonymous Coward]

- get married whether I'm gay, bi or straight

Americans can get married whether gay, bi or straight... as long as they marry someone of the opposite gender!

Take that cloggie!

Maybe because Zune Pass is a great deal?

[harlows_monkeys]

iTunes Store: millions of songs. Download and keep any song for $1.

Zune Pass: millions of songs. For a flat rate of $15/month, download as many as you want, for use on up to three Zunes and three computers. Each month, you get to designate 10 of these as permanent. If you cancel your subscription, you keep the ones you designated as permanent, and the rest go away.

I have two iPods and an iPhone, and I'm sorely tempted to get a Zune for Zune Pass. That's a fantastic deal.