Non-music discussion. Discuss things that are on your mind or things that don't have anything to do with music. Lets try to keep it clean people, there are little children present.
Microsoft said on Friday it plans to release a new music and entertainment player and accompanying software under the "Zune" brand this year, in a belated attempt to challenge the dominance of Apple Computer's iPod player.
Microsoft confirmed the plans for an entertainment device and software in a statement after touting those products to record companies in recent months.
What I found interesting was on a wiki article about the Zune:
Microsoft is said to be offering the chance to swap already-purchased songs from the iTunes Music Store, in exchange for WMA versions, for playback on Zune.[8] This would help iPod and iTunes users move to Zune, as Apple's FairPlay content protection scheme that protects iTunes Music Store purchases is not available on any non-Apple device.
A move like that would be clever; but would it work? IMHO, WMA sucks the balls of an overly sweaty sheriff...but I digress, would this attract people away from the iPod?
Will this be an iPod killer?
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I think that iPod already has the market cornered. This may provide competition, but only if it's priced to move. I mean, seriously, who the hell would go buy a new device for really no reason? If anything, their market is new buyers, and price will be the only thing they can hang their balls on.
iPod is THEE name in portable music these days, and I don't see them losing much of their market share over the release of this product, and I don't see people flocking to the ZUNE unless there are some SERIOUS price and feature benefits to chucking a $200+ device that already works well.
1. What 'til you see what Apple is cooking for the next iPods.
2. WMA blows.
3. iPod has already created and dominated the market.
4. Steve Jobs is now a majority stockholder in Disney and therefore a major player in the entertainment business, not just the software biz.
5. Redmond will continue to gnash their teeth.
6. "Zune" becomes a punchline in the style of "Zima."
It's true that Redmond has demonstrated a willingness to lose millions of dollars on hardware in orer to penetrate a market (an XBox cost twice as much to make as to buy), and conventional wisdom is that they always get what they want. but that's not true; Gate's hard-headed "Failure is not an option" approach has netted more losers than winners. You just don't hear about the big stumbles. I expect this to be Microsoft's most public humiliation. You saw how Apple ate Sony's lunch, two or three times in a row.
Oh hey! if it works as well as Windows OS, I'm switching!!!!!!
(sarcasm)
"Yesterday Mr. Hall wrote that the printer's proof-reader was improving my punctuation for me, & I telegraphed orders to have him shot without giving him time to pray." -Mark Twain
"There is a level of cowardice lower than that of the conformist: the fashionable non-conformist."
Ayn Rand
". . .and the trees are all kept equal by hatchet, axe, and saw."
