Tech & Biz

Zune to Get Free Wi-Fi at McDonald's

by Jordan Yerman | September 17, 2008 at 06:28 am

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More and more is coming aout about the Microsoft Zune's newest model, the 3.0. First was iTunes library compatibility, a must if they're to win over the white-headphones crowd. Now we hear word of a deal with McDonalds (that other megacorp that starts with an M) to allow unfettered Zune access to the Internet in select restaurants. This is perhaps the largest-scale workaround for a hardware limitation I've ever heard of.

Microsoft signed a deal with public Wi-Fi provider Wayport and McDonald's restaurants that will give Zune users free access, no password or Web page log-in required, to hot spots in more than 9,800 McDonald's. This addresses a potential "gotcha" with the Zune's download-from-Wi-Fi feature--the fact that users can't access any hot spot that requires a browser redirect (either to enter a password or accept terms). Now they'll have nearly 10,000 guaranteed places from which to buy or (with a $14.99/month Zune Pass) stream music wirelessly.

Inability to enter a passkey indeed hampers a device's Wi-Fi capability, though I'm not sure how one could easily type one in via the Zune's user interface. For example, every Wi-Fi hotspot in my area has some kind of access control, be it password or network signup, so if I were to buy a Zune, I could only use this fature at the local Macca's.
... and I hate McDonald's. Sorry, Ronald. It's nothing personal.

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Jordan Yerman

at 06:34 on September 17th, 2008

I'd think that an easier fix would be enabling the pre-loading pf pass keys via the PC interface, i.e. I could enter my home or office network password ahead of time, and then just bust out the MP3 player to impress my friends and win over iPod fanboys and -girls... but I guess that's not in the cards, at least not yet.

(The Zune doesn't have to suck, since its core feature set is pretty cool, but its restrictions force it to do so: all that DRM made the device only reliable for thoe who pirated music, as the Plays-For-Sure "feature" guaranteed loads of headaches for law-abiding music fans. )