14 DAY TRIAL // As of version 4.7, the Zune Software has been less about the Zune devices and more about Microsoft’s mobile platform. Zune 4.7 was tailored to Windows Phone 7 and Zune 4.8, which was just released to manufacturing and is now available for download, is designed for Windows Phone Mango. Zune 4.8 RTM can be grabbed as a standalone download, but users running older versions of the software can simply Check for Updates via Settings > Software > General.
Matt Akers, Program Manager at Microsoft in the Interactive Entertainment Business notes that users should not expect any major changes between versions 4.7 and 4.8.
“Most of the changes were designed to pave the way for the next release of Windows Phone, codenamed Mango. Our primary goal with this release was to make the Zune software the best companion for your Mango phone, so the team implemented a few new features and made a bunch of under-the-hood refinements and fixes, including several based on your feedback,” Akers added.
Zune 4.8 RTM has been developed to support updating the Windows Phone software, enable users to synchronize photos and videos, and even connect to the Windows Phone Marketplace and download applications.
While Zune 4.8 may be found somewhat lacking in terms of new features and functionality, the update does introduce a consistent expansion to the number of languages supported.
As of the latest update, the Zune software is now localized in a total of 22 display languages such as 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.
According to Microsoft, customers in no less than 39 countries around the world can now download Zune 4.8.
There are also a number of modifications that are not related to Windows Phone Mango, Akers said. Zune 4.8 supports 48-hour movie rentals and introduces Parent Controls that cover M-rated (Mature) content.
But for the most part, Zune 4.8 was designed with Windows Phone mango in mind, including such new enhancements as streamlining the app purchase checkout process and enabling users to easily discover Mango compatible applications.
Akers highlighted some of the most important aspects of the evolution to Zune 4.8:
“•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.”
Zune Software 4.8 RTM for Windows Phone Mango is available for download here.