I had a few e-mails asking about Direct X. Direct X is Microsoft’s software to run the videos. To run the Microsoft Zune software on your computer you will need a 64 MB RAM video card and Direct X 9.0b for video. As of this writing Microsoft Direct X is on version 10. Full details on Direct X here.
For those that are interested in buying a Zune or have a Zune, please read the system requirements especially before you purchase a Zune for yourself or a friend or family member. Full details here.
Zune System Requirements
- Windows Vista
- Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 2 (SP2), Windows XP Professional SP2, Windows XP Tablet PC Edition SP2, or Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 with KB900325 (Rollup Update 2 for Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005)
- Mac OSX with BootCamp (running either Windows Vista or Windows XP).
Zune software won’t run on versions of Windows earlier than Windows XP SP2, any 64-bit version of Windows XP, or any version of Windows Server
I also suggest using the Windows Update Page to update to the newest version of XP or Vista.
Before you by a Microsoft Zune player you should fully understand the system requirements. I hardly ever read the system requirements when I buy new software, but for the Zune you will want to really understand what it takes to run the Zune software and store lots of media files before you buy your Zune. It is also good to understand the system requirements for a Zune even after you have purchased it. It may help explain any system issues or slow downs you may have. This article will have a list of requirements and explain the reasoning.
1. You will need a Microsoft XP or Vista operating system. There is no getting around this. The Zune software is very powerful and modern, and needs the most modern Microsoft operating system. If you own a Macintosh or older Windows software you are completely out of luck. Hopefully, you have not boughten a Zune and own one of these out of date or incompatible systems!
2. USB Port. If you understand the amount of data you are transferring to and from your Zune then you should understand that a USB port and cable is required!
3. 1.5 GHz processor. Yes, you can run the Microsoft Zune software with a lesser processor, but forget about running video and expect long dwell times while running the Zune software. You can get by with a 500 MHz processor if you just intend to do pictures and music, but I recommend closing down all other programs before starting the Zune software.
4. 512 Megs of RAM is the minimum requirement, but I recommend at least 1 Gig of RAM. Again, if you do not have a lot of RAM either upgrade (RAM is so cheap!) or close down all programs before running the Zune software.
5. A large hard drive. The minimum requirement is 200 Megs of hard drive space. That is the minimum for the Zune software! You will need 10-100 times more space than that if you intent to have a large library of music and videos. Clean out your hard drive of useless stuff, unistall un-used programs and defrag your hard drive. Or stop being so stingy and buy a new hard drive!
These are the minimum system requirements if you plan on buying a Zune. If you already own a Zune I suggest you upgrade you system to the suggested resources I stated.
