Microsoft confirms plans for iPod rival

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited January 2014
Microsoft Corp. on Friday confirmed that it's working on music and entertainment products that will compete with Apple Computer's iPod digital music players and iTunes jukebox software.



In a statement obtained by the Associated Press, the Redmond, Wash.-based software developer said it will release the first of the hardware and software products, dubbed "Zune," later this year.



The statement confirms several months of speculation on the subject that began earlier this year after reports surfaced that the company had been briefing music industry executives on the project and showing prototypes.



While Microsoft has reportedly refused to provide any details beyond its simple statement, Jupiter analyst Michael Gartenberg told the AP that he received confirmation from the company that it would release a wireless device that would play both music and video this year.



According to Gartenberg, the device will have an accompanying content service.



The move is expected to pit Microsoft against several of its own partners, including Creative Technology and Samsung, which are already using its software for their own players.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 89
    mikehackmanmikehackman Posts: 11member
    It's good to know that Apple will have some competition. Although the iPod will be better, at least it gives Apple reason to innovate again...plus competition is always a good thing
  • Reply 2 of 89
    dzigndzign Posts: 27member
    What a ridiculous name !
  • Reply 3 of 89
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Dzign

    What a ridiculous name !



    Someone at MS heard that iTunes was already taken.
  • Reply 4 of 89
    dmwogandmwogan Posts: 36member
    lame.
  • Reply 5 of 89
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by dmwogan

    lame.



    Yes, it doesn't exactly flow like, oh, let's say "MacBook" for example?
  • Reply 6 of 89
    eckingecking Posts: 1,588member
    They should call it iZune. And all the dumbasses on engadget will be like "iZune is the shit just like that iRiver thing we like so much......I just wish apple wouldn't have copied MS and iRiver's naming strategies, goddamnit."
  • Reply 7 of 89
    mauimacmauimac Posts: 26member
  • Reply 8 of 89
    mauimacmauimac Posts: 26member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Dzign

    What a ridiculous name !





    ... "MacBook Pro" flows a whole lot better...
  • Reply 9 of 89
    sphereboysphereboy Posts: 2member
    a little late.
  • Reply 10 of 89
    alpichalpich Posts: 96member
    Well I am glad my iMac can run Windows. I am quite worried that Apple does not have the power to take on MS in this area. MS is entering the market when the product is finallly mature and of course they have already started to make their jukebox software to feel like iTunes (Well the good bits anyways... not that Apple was the first either) So MS with their MS iZod will probably have an impact. Another concerns is the recent report stating MS will give people a copy of their music purchased from Apple free with Windows Media Player. This is not good news. If Apple does not release new products that compete with MS and of course match their price point (remember that the XBox 360 is subsidiesed by Microsoft to get market penetration and the flow on royalties from software) Apple has a serious problem. Still Apple knows how to innovate and as the market grows in its maturity Apple might just be happy with having a two horse race. I look forward to reading about the software geek who gets MS protected music working in iTunes. Probably wont be that hard to convert. Just like you can put any crap video with a protected ACC file in iMovie and then rip out the audio with Quicktime to remove the protection, you will probably be able to do the same thing just by using a Flip4Mac WMV plugin... not that I recommend doing such a thing. I do actually like keeping to the law in respect to copy protection... No really.
  • Reply 11 of 89
    bryandbryand Posts: 78member
    It will be an interesting contest. On the one hand, Microsoft may be able to bring in features that Apple can't because MS can afford to sell at a loss like they have with the xbox. On the other hand, they can't innovate, so will their product actually be any good? The old saying that Apple is MS's R&D department isn't exactly true. Often, they just buy out the smaller companies to get the products, but in this case Apple is the only game in town. So what will MS do? Will they just pack the product with wireless, a big hard drive and a big screen? Will it weigh less than 10 pounds? And how much will they lose on every sale?
  • Reply 12 of 89
    benzenebenzene Posts: 338member
    three years too late...(probably) typical microsoft design...WMF DRM...lame.



    This won't be about the money either. People have been shown to willingly pay more for an iPod. Price undercutting by microsoft might have a small effect, but it's going to be no iPod killer.
  • Reply 13 of 89
    recompilerecompile Posts: 100member
    It is pathetic at best for the lame, mindless sheep of this world to believe that once Microsoft enters a market, that they are so rich and powerful that they get anything they want. That the only reason anyone else can enjoy any successes, is because this 200 lb. Gorilla MS is letting them out of the kindness of their non-interfering heart.. There are and have been lots of ipod competitors. Apple can hold their ground against all of them put together. (Literally). The infamous analysts and the general mindless masses all seem to think that every-time Apple creates something cool and unexpected and industry changing, that they SURLEY cannot ever do it again! But time and time again, I keep hearing the same, say wow. I didn't see that coming.

    It reminds me of football. Coaches and players change teams almost daily. Each knows each other's playbook. But the true champions are the ones who can keep writing and executing NEW plays, taking the others by surprise and with skill and superior execution. For all of you brainwashed, MS hootin' sheep out there, who cannot see the lack of their innovation, their cowardliness to step up with NEW things, I pity your sense of being. I truly hope you enjoy XP sp4, or excuse me Vista, or otherwise known as a poor imitation of what OSX LOOKED LIKE 3 years ago. Rich, yes, Oppressive, yes, but always a follower, never a leader. What would they do if the sheep finally got their way and eliminated all of their competition? What is it they would copy? Who would they follow?
  • Reply 14 of 89
    apparatusapparatus Posts: 78member
    At least it's not called the xPod.



    Or the XBOY, which just sounds like some sort of gay porn site.
  • Reply 15 of 89
    aegisdesignaegisdesign Posts: 2,914member
    Microsoft won't sell Zune at a loss like the Xbox. Xbox is sold at a loss because they can make money back on selling expensive games for it. On the consoles, the profit is in the software sales.



    That's not the case with music players. There's very little profit in selling music. Almost all the profit comes from the players and the accessories.



    Unless Zune comes with an aisle of cases, iTrips, headphones, docks, cables, socks! and other 'essential' kit, it cant hope to compete there. The other thing it needs is good software. WMP is horrible but it's been gradually getting better. iTunes on Windows isn't everyone's favourite application as it's often slow and consumes too much memory on lower end PCs.



    Then there's podcasting. So far Microsoft just doesn't get podcasting.



    It'll be interesting to see where MS go with software for Zune. Hopefully it'll get Apple to update iTunes from it's creaky OS9 origins to a true OSX application,
  • Reply 16 of 89
    bdkennedy1bdkennedy1 Posts: 1,459member
    How innovative.
  • Reply 17 of 89
    trtamtrtam Posts: 111member
    What in the hell (Redmond) is a.. "Zune"?!



    That's a terrible name for a really innovative and original concept and device.
  • Reply 18 of 89
    strawberrystrawberry Posts: 181member
    I'm interested in how the wireless-ness effects battery life
  • Reply 19 of 89
    trendannoyertrendannoyer Posts: 776member
    dear GROTH dont tell me im going to have to hear about ZUNECASTING!



    if zune is a crap name, what do you think is better?



    ipod is a crap name also, in the end with penitration it ends up just being a name.
  • Reply 20 of 89
    stniukstniuk Posts: 90member
    They will mess up the software and it will be full of security holes.



    Next...
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