MIcrosoft Zune Project.....

OH...wow, it seems like the "Big Boy" is coming back with a vengeance as they try to take over the already saturated market of MP3 players. I really wander how Microsoft is going to achieve that given that Apple(obviously), Creative(duh!), Samsung, Sansa, iRiver and other 3rd party brands already flooded the market with bewildering choices of MP3s for consumers. Not that I'm anti microsoft, but just buzz off and focus on Vista.

It seems that when some companies dominate the market, you will definitely see Microsft coming from behind hoping to get the lion's share of it. Take Adobe, seems like Microsoft tengah tak puas with their pdf format, so they decided they are now going to come out with something bigger in Microsoft Office 2007. The X box 360 came after Sony PS2 was a great success. Alright Xbox didn't do badly and now MP3 players??.

from JupiterResearch

This is an acknowledgement that Microsoft is clearly not happy with Apple's dominance in digital music. I don't think it is concern about new growth scenarios. It's more a concern that Apple controls a key endpoint in the digital home and that Apple bits flow only to other Apple controlled bits or devices. That scenario doesn't bode well for Microsoft's larger ambitions

I wander what are their larger ambitions, to take over the digital world?? face it Microsoft, u need to share....

Creating a platform - iPod is more than a single device. It's a platform in and of itself with a whole eco system of cases, car kits, speakers and docks. No doubt that MSFT will work hard to make sure that they fill some of the gap directly with first party stuff, but this is one area where consumer choice goes a long way in making the platform a success.

First and foremost, their so-called "Zune" will never be as successful as iPod, iPod will always and surely continue to receive support from the public. I doubt that they could extend their platform to an entire new Microsft Ecosystem. HANDS UP WHO WILL GET SICKER IF THEY SEE MICROSOFT IN THEIR CARS AND THEIR HOME THEATRE SYSTEM

Creating a lifestyle device - Microsoft is clearly going to face a battle here. It's good that they're building a unique brand and following the Xbox tradition, distancing themselves somewhat from Microsoft identity but that's not enough. Zune isn't a bad name (and yes, that's the real name it seems although i did like Argo a lot better). It's going to be hard for them to create the same level of cachet that Apple has with the iPod.

Yup... absolutely correct... to see Microsoft actually having the same amount of success as the iPod would be difficult given their bad reputation of the famous bluescreen, their security holes and their promise of a better OS.. which hopefully is fulfilled in Vista

Good Luck MS