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Tuning in to Microsoft's iPod killer

July 11, 2006 | Comments: (0)

Tuning in to Microsoft's iPod killer

Information is finally starting to come in about Microsoft's forthcoming wireless media player, reports Engadget.

The project, called Argo, will apparently spawn at the very least one device, which Engadget reports it saw yesterday.

Microsoft faces an uphill battle in its efforts to take on Apple Computer, which shipped 8.5 million iPods in the second quarter of 2006 alone, marking a 61 percent increase from its sales for the same quarter in 2005, we've reported.

But to get people to trade their iPods in for Microsoft's Wi-Fi enabled media player, Microsoft says it will let users download for free any songs they have already bought from the iTunes Music Store.

"They'll actually scan iTunes for purchased tracks and then automatically add those to your account," Engadget reports.

So Microsoft shoulders the cost for the songs, but how else to pry an iPod out of Gen X and Y's fingers.

Microsoft's new player sounds promising, but what is even moreso is some competition, what with Apple simply dominating players much like Microsoft does with Windows.

If Microsoft is successful in stealing away any masses with its next big thing in digital music, Apple may have to come out with the next, and so on.

I'd be happy with my OS X-powered iPod dream gadget.

But will the masses? With the verdict still out about converged devices vs separate phones, PDAs etc, for example, would converging a music player and mini PC all-in-one even fly?

Talk back to us...

Posted by Mike Barton on July 11, 2006 02:38 PM

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COMMENTS

The choice is between devices "fit for the task" with a simplified and human centered design (a.k.a. the reason of the success of Ipod) versus complex and most of the times technology and feature oriented designs for all-in-one OS based devices. My guess is that the non-tech user, the majority of which are not yet visible in the market, are only interested on the second, on convenience. That explains the sell 8.5 M Ipods per quarter. This sets a new ground for Microsoft with 2 choices, (1) to compete at the same ground with simple task oriented devices but not being able anymore to leverage their OS advantage, or (2) to try to leverage again the OS and propose more complex and feature/technology oriented devices. My personal view is that option 2 is myopic; it may work for the tech freak but will fail with the population at large.

Posted by: Frisco at July 12, 2006 11:31 PM

I have been a Mac user since 1992 and if my memory serves me correctly: Microsoft can just steal from Apple again and duplicate the Ipod. Does anyone remember the lawsuit Windows 95 created?

When I bought my Ipod Nano, I envisioned a PDA/Cell phone all blended with the Nano. Apple must be working it up as we speak. Apple has more forsight than MS and makes much, much cooler, gotta get me one of those, products. I would bet that Apple would continue to blow MS away if they both worked on an all-in-one devise and released it at the same time. Apples would just look so much cooler.

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