Fly me to the Zune and let me sing among the iPods

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Saturday, 11 November 2006 16:23

Your IT - Entertainment

Microsoft’s moves into downloadable content for the Xbox 360 are mirroring iTunes in its content breadth, although they’ve still got a long way to go. Why not let the Zune store be accessible from an Xbox 360 so you can buy music direct to your Xbox 360 hard drive and play it from there?

It’s still a Microsoft product after all, and with Zune being compatible with an Xbox 360, as is the iPod, for playing music, it’s something they could easily do if they wanted. Maybe it’s something they’ve got up their sleeves.

The Zune has a long way to go to prove itself. Microsoft has already tried very, very hard to crack the digital music market. Anyone remember the Creative Portable Media Center? Or what about all those iRivers and Samsungs and Toshiba Gigabeats he’s held up at CES keynote speeches and other events over the years?

They’re all still available. But the Zune’s biggest competitor is not the iPod. Both the iPod and the Zune have a bigger competitor to worry about: the mobile phone. Nokia wipes Apple and Microsoft into the dust with the number of mobile phones it sells, most of which are music players these days.

Nokia only has to get the interface right and their own iTunes type software and they’ll have an instant hit on their hands. But with the Nokia N91 they rely on Windows Media Player. Please, give me a break! In any case, getting the interface on the phone right is a big ask, and if Nokia could easily do it, they’ve have done it by now.

Still, work is progressing for Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Creative, iRiver and all the others, with Sony Ericsson in particular enjoying fantastic global sales of their excellent Walkman branded mobile phones.

But it might be too late for them all. Apple might release their widescreen iPod on Monday to spoil Microsoft’s party. I’ve no idea if they will or not, but whenever they do, the global news will be Apple Apple Apple. And then everyone would Zune out completely... at least, for a while. Good luck for Tuesday, Microsoft!