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Microsoft Confirms Zune Music Player
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2006-07-23 06:42:30
Microsoft, Friday, confirmed the existence of Zune, it's hardware and software effort to steal the digital music player throne out from under Apple. As reported by Gizmodo, Billboard magazine will be running an in-depth interview with Microsoft next week that lays out all the details surrounding this effort from the Redmond giant to bury the iPod.
Some early details from the upcoming interview:- Microsoft officials for the first time have confirmed that the Redmond, Wash.-based company is readying a portable music player and integrated service, shedding new light on a topic that has fueled rampant speculation in news reports and blog postings for weeks.
- In an exclusive first interview with Billboard, Chris Stephenson, Microsoft's new GM of marketing for MSN Entertainment Business, says the company will later this year launch Zune, an umbrella brand for what he says is "a family of hardware and software products" targeting various digital entertainment services.
- The first implementation of this will be the portable music player and digital music service, in what is the company's strongest effort yet to rein in Apple Computer's iTunes/iPod juggernaut, currently responsible for about 70% of the digital music market and 75% of the portable digital music player market.
It has been confirmed that Zune, which will hit the market before year's end, will offer portable gaming, portable video, WiFi, and an add-on gamepad. Could this be what has apparently prompted Apple to include a powerful Nvidia 3D gaming graphics chipset in the upcoming iPod?
An interesting detail to note is that Microsoft will not only be competing with Apple in bringing the Zune to market; it will be competing with all of its previous digital music player partners such as Creative, iRiver, etc.
Will Apple's upcoming Video iPod make short work of stomping Zune? Should Apple be afraid? Stay tuned....
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