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Why Microsoft's Zune Scares Apple to the Core

BoredStiff writes "Computerworld has an article examining Microsoft's plans to launch a competitor to the Apple iPod, the wireless media player called Zune. The article lists five reasons why Apple may fear the Zune, and why it won't be as easily smacked down as the dozens of mp3 players before it have been. The Zune isn't just a music player, the article argues. Think of it as a portable, wireless, hardware version of MySpace. With the Zune, Microsoft is trying to launch a consumer media 'perfect storm.'" From the article: "Microsoft will make the movement of media between Windows, Soapbox and the Zune natural and seamless. The Zune interface is just like a miniature version of the Windows Media Center user interface and is very similar to some elements of Vista. Apple fans are overconfident in the iPod because Apple once commanded 92% of music player market share, a number that has since fallen to around 70%. About 30 million people own iPods. But Microsoft owns more than 90% of the worldwide operating systems market (compared with Apple's roughly 5%), representing some 300 million people. The company expects to have 200 million Vista users within two years."

3 of 574 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Antitrust ? by 99BottlesOfBeerInMyF · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    No it's not.

    Antitrust. Perhaps the relevant quote in the section titles "Prohibited Anti-competitive Behavior" would be, "Tying - The practice of making the sale of one good conditional on the purchase of a second distinctive good." It has been illegal since the Sherman antitrust act in 1890.

  2. Re:Antitrust ? by Pop69 · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    That would be because the US courts say so

    http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/cases/f4400/4469.htm

  3. crazy by benicillin · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    u people are absolutely crazy. in terms of market share and size and monetary value (and, for that matter, anything else that matters at all) myspace owns and so does microsoft. the haters out there need to just get over it. apple was cool when they were the only ones making a portable music player. ipods are stupid because they practically necessitate ITunes (the biggest piece of crap software ever made) and since everyone already has windows zune will be a breath of fresh air for the, what, 90% of the market that own a windows pc... hope you all enjoyed the "apple is cool and different" phase, cause its about to be overrrrrrrr "ah, nuprin. little. yellow. different" -wayne's world

    --
    "i stand on the edge of destruction" -shai hulud