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Microsoft, Sony Announce iPod Competitors
Pfhreak writes "According to the Denver Post -- Las Vegas section, a little over halfway down the page -- Microsoft will begin selling a $50 music player that will 'look and feel as good as the iPod' later this year. Yusuf Mehdi, a Microsoft VP, is quoted as saying that the player will give customers more choices than Apple."
In related news, Tetsugaku-San writes "The Register has the scoop on Sony's new portable audio/visual playback device. Impressively it plays MPEG2, MPEG4, BMP, GIF, PNG, TIFF and MP3 (finally they got the message Apple was gonna whoop em!) straight out of the box. Not as good battery life as I'd like to see, but real world tests remain to be seen."
Finally some competition in Apples handheld audio monopoly? Good to see the underdog(s) stick it to 'em.
What a coincidence. Apple's lawyers are already filling out a lawsuit with the very same title!
You know what?
Really? I can't wait to rawk to my
...does the first reply in an article get modded "redundant".
"A great democracy must be progressive or it will soon cease to be a great democracy." --Theodore Roosevelt
Ours will be just like Apple's, only better.
This time we're serious. It's really cool.
Really.
Quantum materiae materietur marmota monax si marmota monax materiam possit materiari?
It will be the size of a postage stamp and hold one song.
The difference between Canada and the USA is that in Canada healthcare is a right and gun ownership is a privilege.
It's a fun game! Moderate the first mention of OGG Vorbis as a troll, because, you know, people aren't allowed to express format preferences... and then, moderate the second mention as redundant, because it is too politely worded to be a troll!
Yeah, I know "don't complain about moderation". Good thing this is an open forum and I can complain about retarded moderation if I want.
-- sudo.ca
Microsoft will begin selling a $50 music player that will 'look and feel as good as the iPod' later this year
Please note thatt by "look and feel as good as the iPod" they mean they're selling a rounded green and blue plastic shell, they also threw a couple a couple beads inside which you shake, when they rattle it makes the shell a music player.
I stole this Sig
Pardon my cynical attitude but I cannot imagine an item that sells for $50 for 20G versus the Apple model for the same size at $399 looking and feeling remotely the same.
I have one of the original 5G iPods. I have used, abused and it runs beautifully. The design and looks are without peer IMHO.
This sort of reminds me of plastic surgeons who claim silicone breast implants have the same look and feel as the real deal.
Harpo Tunnel Syndrome--my wrist feels funny.
Not to mention really ugly and hard to use. What a bargain.
I write in my journal
"Blue note of death"
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
As for Microsoft being cool? Yep, it's called MSN Messenger, and if any computer doesn't have it, it's NOT cool. *cough* *barf*
Don't believe me? Remove MSN Messenger from an average teenager's Internet-Connected PC and wait for them to scream bloody murder. Oh, and download it again.
The Microsoft Marketing Machine continues....
640KB is enough for me, you insensitive clod!
-- James
The Microsoft music player will feature a complete selection of air guitar tunes, encoded in the new MT format.
Remain calm! All is well!
My imaginary girlfriend would totally agree with you if she didn't live in Canada.
Underloved Movies and Pub Quiz: donotquestionme.org
Except there's already another monopolistic group determined to make an obscene profit on the music sales, who will probably not appreciate being squeezed by MS. But if MS wants to get into a licensing brawl with the RIAA, part of me thinks "go for it".
They could also comprimise on the form factor a little. For example, one of these could be adapted into an "iPod-Killer" for less than $50.
Whenever I hear the word 'Innovation', I reach for my pistol.
they'll make it up on volume!
--
Anyone else notice that MS stock is going for less than Apple?
Faith is the very antithesis of reason, injudiciousness a critical component of spiritual devotion. Jon Krakauer
Time to hire more janitors and double the amount of toilet paper in all public bathrooms.
Apparently someone got their grubby little hands on a beta version of Microsoft's iPod killer. I must say, it's very stylish, and I wouldn't mind losing the portability of my iPod to show off this baby. Hot!
"Nothing exists except atoms and empty space; everything else is opinion." - Democritus
I doubt you'd need windows. Considering its microsoft it's safe to assume it'll actlike a normal USB mass storage device with FAT32 file system. Plus MS seems to like Macintosh, so that'll be supported. And MS may not wish to piss the linux ppl off, so may toss them a bone too. Plus they'd love linux people to like MS stuff.
I doubt it will compete with the next gen of iPods.
If you've ever spent hours on end staring at and fondling your iPod, then the Microsoft audio alternative is for you!
Dunno what you're gonna do if you actually want to *listen* to the damn thing....
I think you might be shopping at the wrong grocery store.
That's, "Sucks the sweat off a dead man's balls" to you.
You can verify this? You've actually requested OGG and they've said "NO! You didn't buy our product so we're not listening! LALALALALALALALALALA!!!!!1!"?
...or are you just jumping to conclusions?
fs