Microsoft to Enter IPod Market

[zippyjuan]

http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/multimedia/display/20060130091146.html

Microsoft to Build iPod, PlayStation Portable Rival – Magazine.
Microsoft May Release a Digital Media Player

Category: Multimedia

by Anton Shilov

[ 01/30/2006 | 09:13 AM ]


Microsoft Corp., the world’s largest maker of software, may enter the lucrative business of digital music players by releasing its own device that will rival the successful iPod player from Apple Computer. Currently Microsoft is considering the market potential and its chances there and it is unclear whether the company will end up with a real product.

BusinessWeek magazine reported that the software giant was working on plans to develop its own portable digital media device would rival iPod and offering gaming capabilities to customers. Even though Microsoft executives have not confirmed the company’s intention to enter the new business, they also have not denied such a possibility and also implied on more capabilities that the device may have.

“It can’t just be our version of the iPod,” said Peter Moore, the chief of Xbox division at Microsoft. So in addition to playing music and videos, a Microsoft device would include games. Microsoft would probably use the Xbox brand to market the gadget. “I think the brand is an opportunity,” Moore said.

The gaming nature of the device would put it into position to compete against Sony’s PlayStation Portable, in addition to the iPod music player. In fact, selling players means some additional revenue for Microsoft – Apple sold 14 million iPod players during the Q4 2005 – and also some profits from selling digital music. Theoretically, Microsoft would also benefit from selling games for mobile flavour of the Xbox.

Microsoft Corp. currently makes keyboards and mice for PCs. Additionally, it offers MSN TV 2 Internet and media player product that allows to playback music and video downloaded from the Internet in addition to a bunch of other features.

The reason behind the iPod popularity is its ease of use and also sleek look. A device that would allow both gaming and media playback may not offer these two features. Nokia recently abandoned its N-Gage phones that once offered both media playback and gaming.

[OremuS]

Very cool idea, but removing the iPod will be difficult considering how the general public has embraced it. Will be interesting to see where things go with this. Good post.

[Cubsfan]

I'm not sure that everyone is ready for the portable gaming market to merge with the MP3 player market.

I think that there is a very large segment of people who don't care/want any games. They'd rather have a device that works well and does the one thing they want (play music). On the other hand, the people looking at portable games would love to have all of the MP3 player functionallity built-in.

[Grubbie]

You forgot to add this important word to the title of your thread... "may"

From the first part of the story

Microsoft Corp., the world’s largest maker of software, may enter the lucrative business of digital music players by releasing its own device that will rival the successful iPod player from Apple Computer. Currently Microsoft is considering the market potential and its chances there and it is unclear whether the company will end up with a real product.

[Grimm]

Ok, I am gonna trademark the name "xPod" right now!

If they do it, it will be a tiny handheld that will play games, movies and music. It might even have a phone built into it.

So, basicaly it will be like a modern cell phone with a bigger screen and 20+ GB of storage.

[zero2dash]

I think we're all forgetting one key point here -
If Microsoft decides to do this - they still need the app to organize the music in a simple and effective manner, and then distribute it on the device.

I don't think Windows Media Player is worthy. (Not on an iPod<->iTunes level at least.)
And I certainly don't think the WMA format is either. I may not be crazy about AAC, but it's the highest quality at the lowest file size audio format available. (Unless we're counting AAC Plus.) I've never thought of WMA files as anything but pure garbage...about 20 rungs below mp3 on the audio format ladder.

[zippyjuan]

You forgot to add this important word to the title of your thread... "may"

From the first part of the story
Thanks Grubbie! I forgot the question mark I intended to put after the title. IPod is popluar because it does one thing and does it very well . The proposed item may be trying to do too many things and as a result be too complicated and large to take off.

[Memo]

I don't see it happening. IMO, Microsoft has a huge problem with interface design and style in general when it comes to their products which are really the 2 things that make the iPod the premier mp3 player. Adding games to something like an iPod would complicate the design with extra buttons and just size in general.