Use Zune on WP7 & W7 PC- now getting a Surface

[Jimbo Mizen]

Hi All,

I am new to this forum, and could not find an exact answer to my question, so I am hoping that someone can help.

I currently have a Zune Music Pass, which I use on my Windows Phone 7.8, and a Windows 7 PC (at work). However, today I am getting a Surface to add to these. I just have a couple of queries:

1) I assume that I will be able to log in to Xbox music on the Surface, and just start Downloading/Streaming with no problem?

2) Once I have done the above, will my Windows Phone 7 still sync ok with the Zune program on the Windows 7 PC I have at work?


Thanks in advance
James :excited:

 

[doadrian]

I have both WP7.8 and WP8 phones and both work perfectly with zune pass so i would say yes to both questions

 

[Jimbo Mizen]

Thanks- so if you use/listen on the WP8, I presume the interface is an xbox one, rather than a Zune one? Or are you using 'old' Zune on WP8?

 

[mattcald]

Zune will not connect to a WP8 device. You have to use the sucky sync program to do that..

 

[Jimbo Mizen]

Zune will not connect to a WP8 device. You have to use the sucky sync program to do that..

Ok- so I presume I wont be able to sync my WP7 with xbox music on the Surface?

 

[rhodri22]

Are you getting a Surface RT or Pro? The RT doesn't do anything but charge a WP7 device, but you can install Zune on the Pro.

 

[Jimbo Mizen]

Are you getting a Surface RT or Pro? The RT doesn't do anything but charge a WP7 device, but you can install Zune on the Pro.

Surface RT. Bit annoying that I wont be able to sync- but from reply I had above- I will at least be able to use xbox music on there to stream/download yeah? (just making sure I got that right). Using the Surface will mean I am using 3 'devices' in total

 

[doadrian]

You will be able to stream/download on all the devices but the surface rt will sync only the wp8 device.

 

[rhodri22]

Surface RT. Bit annoying that I wont be able to sync- but from reply I had above- I will at least be able to use xbox music on there to stream/download yeah? (just making sure I got that right). Using the Surface will mean I am using 3 'devices' in total

The Pass works fine on everything, Surface RT, Zune and WP7 at the same time.

 

[RTGent]

I have a WP 7.5 Focus phone and Zune running on 2 Win7 PCs, and I'm on my third joyous year with a Zune/XBox Pass. On your second question, your WP syncing will/should not be affected in any way. Adding an RT to my account last November did not affect my PC nor phone-syncing in any way.

On your first question, the tricky thing I found about the RT is that it doesn't seem to sync with anything except the servers; that is, with your Pass music, and not with your phone, nor even with your PC's Collection, which includes your Pass music, plus any personal music you have ripped or otherwise added to your PC/Collection. Also, note that from the moment you set up the RT, you are signed on to your WinLive/Pass account. Thus, unlike the PC, the RT is always connected (through apps) to your cloud-based everything -music, SkyDrive, MarketPlace, etc. As I recall, what I did initially was to load all of my PC's My Music folder onto a USB drive and then drag the music to my RT. I had all sorts of problems, early on, playing music on the RT, with rights and XBox-shut-down issues, among others. Then. at some point, I just deleted all the music I initially transferred -using WinExplorer on the RT. Then I shut down or restarted, and the next time I ran the Music app, I waited and after a few minutes the 4000+ Pass tracks (purchased and not) started downloading to the RT, with a small unintrusive message in the upper-right-hand corner alerting me and counting down. This took a while, but after that, I had to transfer my non-Pass music (only) via the USB, and my rights and shut-down issues went away.

But, again, unless there's something I haven't figured out, the RT will not/cannot sync in any direct way with your Collection, and you will have to continue to add or delete non-pass music. Also, the syncing with my PC Collection isn't as immediate and logical as it is with my phone or Zune HDs. Collection deletions, for intance, are not always deleted -or deleted right away- as they are with my other devices.

Enjoy your new RT. It's a new device with new software, and the RT, in particular, is unlike most other devices. So, as early adopters, we need to be patient and curious to learn and enjoy --and sometimes to share, and ocassionally to teach.

Of course, I hope others will help all by correcting, qualfying, or adding to my notes/recollections. It's also possible that RT or app updates make my early experiences outdated.