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Microsoft Launches Portable Music Player

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the crowded-marketplaces dept.

prostoalex writes "Microsoft announced Portable Media Center, a digital music player, to be available in the second half of 2004. The announcement follows Dell's foray into portable digital music. Microsoft plans to license their software for the Media Center to third-party manufacturers as well. Samsung Electronics, Sanyo, ViewSonic, and iRiver are already on the list. The actual Microsoft-branded devices are promised to start at $350."

2 of 382 comments (clear)

  1. Future-proofing? by Carnildo · · Score: 5, Interesting

    What will happen to people using these things when Microsoft deprecates the WMA format, just like they did with the AVI format?

    --
    "They redundantly repeated themselves over and over again incessantly without end ad infinitum" -- ibid.
  2. Ut-oh... by Ianoo · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Sounds like Windows CE all over again. Sure, it won't be any good until 2008, but after that, better throw those damned IPods away!

    I also find it slightly unbelievable that it plays MP3, a DRM-less media. I thought Microsoft assumed all customers wanted DRM (which is why it's going to feature so much in Longhorn!). Don't tell me they've actually come to their senses and realised that no-one is going to buy a device that only plays licensed music!