Microsoft Corp (MSFT) has announced it line of software and hardware products named Zune. Microsoft's website for Zune "Coming Zune" is also live asking users for their email id's to get updates. Andrew Orlowski has this note on the visuals for Zune in The Register.
This post continues from my previous post: Is Microsoft Corp. competing with just about every Tech Player? where I had argued that Microsoft could be getting into another me too by using its huge market presence and money power.
The only real chance that Microsoft has in giving a big hit to Apple is to create an Open System. Yet it seems that Microsoft's iPod killer will be a properietary closed-system quite like Apple's iPod which has been the main pain for most consumers. According to a report on News.com SanDisk's CEO is happy about Microsoft's decision to build a closed system -- this would allow other players to stay afloat and appeal to consumers that dont want to get locked into either Microsoft Corp (MSFT) or Apple Computer Inc. (AAPL):
SanDisk, meanwhile, said Microsoft may alienate consumers by too closely imitating Apple's closed approach--that is, by making the Zune player and service work only with one another.
"Based on what they have publicly said, we believe that Microsoft will mimic Apple's proprietary closed-system solution, SanDisk CEO Eli Harari said... If so, that could allow SanDisk's Sansa player, among other devices, to succeed with a more open approach, particularly at the low-end of the market. "The partnerships that we are developing with the various music services will become more visible in the coming quarters and will further enhance the Sansa user experience," he said.
Continued...How will Microsoft Corp. differentiate Zune?
