Eventually they got it right with release 7.0.1 but by then alot of brand damage had been done.  More to the point, they are shooting them selves in the foot especially when Microsoft is launching the Zune and you can pre-order it today.  Perhaps i will give it a try.

But the above rant is not my real point.  The real point is that when you create a walled garden, the expectations for customer service go through the roof.

So what is a walled garden.  Well, quite simply, it is a proprietary system or process that means you are reliant on one provider (or a small group of providers).  AOL is the classic example of a walled garden as is Apple.

Therefore, if i am to sign up with you for a proprietary system, you have to get it right and you have to make sure that the customer service is second to none.  The reason is simple, i just cant plug and play third party software or hardware to get around the problem. I am reliant on one provider.  For iTunes, the problem gets harder as they have their own DRM system (DRM = Digital Rights Management) and therefore i cant even transfer my songs to another player.

All in all this is what they call a great suff up … if only they had taken the time to test is properly.

Now … how much is the new Microsoft Zune again?