Zune Software Updated in Annticipation of Mango

Written by Alan Thursday, 25 August 2011 12:00

It didn’t seem to make much of a splash in the tech news today, as Mango has been know to do recently, but Microsoft announced that Zune version 4.8 is now available.  This update brings Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) support to the service.  In other words, if you want update your Windows Phone, you will need to update your Zune software.

The update will support 22 languages – Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese (traditional and simplified), Czech, Danish, Dutch, English (US and UK), Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish.  It will be available to users in the following countries and regions – Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom, and the United States.

But, enough boring details, here is what Microsoft is saying about how it will improve the user experience when Mango is released:

• Progressive updates: In Zune 4.8, you only have to click the update button once for multiple updates. Once an update is finished, the software automatically checks for more and repeats the installation process until your phone is completely up to date.
• Streamlined backup: By synching media separately from other phone content, we’ve lowered the overall time it takes to back up your phone. The backup file is also more compact, so it should take up less space on your computer.
• Skip phone backup: If you don’t have enough room on your computer to store a phone backup file, you’ll now have the option to skip this step so you’re not blocked from updating your phone.

Microsoft is also claiming some improvements to the Zune service have been rolled into the version 4.8 release, including changes to movie rentals and parental controlsThe point specifically to the following:

• 48-hour movie rentals
• Parental Controls now support M-rated (Mature) content
• Option to hide purchase confirmation dialog for faster app checkout
• See what apps are compatible with the Windows Phone you own

You should see the update available the next time you open your Zune software.  So far, we have seen or heard of any problems.  If you have one, or just want to give an opinion, then let us know in the comments below.

Alan

Alan is the owner and editor of Making Windows Easy. In addition to writing about technology he is also an avid distance runner and hiker. Read More

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