Filed under: iPod Family, iTS
Microsoft ponders creating an iPod killer
Businessweek is reporting
that Microsoft is considering whether or not it should start producing an iPod type product of its own in response to
Apple's runaway success. The Microsoft party line has been that people want choice, and enjoy having to pick between
150 'Plays for Sure' media devices that offer no true distinguishing features. Apple's model of a simple product line
and seamless integration between the player and the service has worked out fairly well; Microsoft thinks it might
be able to do the same.MS is considering leveraging the XBox brand to create a mobile device that would integrate with the XBox and offer up media playback (kind of like the PSP, I assume). Will Microsoft actually do this? Time will only tell, but if they do they run the risk of pissing off a boatload of 3rd party developers that would be hard pressed to compete with a product straight from the labs at Redmond.
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
bt said 1:44PM on 1-26-2006
If Microsoft wants to kill the iPod's success, they're going to have to do more than just create a media player that's easy to use and tightly integrated with Windows. It's going to have to do something, make it easy to do, and make us think, "Why couldn't we do this so easily before? And how did we live without it?"
The same applie if *anyone* wants to create the next iPod killer.
Reply
scoyle17 said 1:46PM on 1-26-2006
I think that microsoft have proved with the 360 that they should stick to software and even at that their softwares not the best either.
Reply
Brett Edwards said 1:47PM on 1-26-2006
Love the photo, that's classic.
Reply
Maha10k said 1:48PM on 1-26-2006
That picture is hilarious.
Reply
Jacob Varghese said 1:51PM on 1-26-2006
Considering that gaming has been a success story for Microsoft, I think they will come out with a portable media device that will play games and also happen to play mp3s and movies ala PSP. But like the PSP, this device won't be a direct competitor to the iPod. No one who carries around a thin iPod will replace it with that brick.
Reply
kevin said 1:57PM on 1-26-2006
technology is there to cure yourself
trust microsoft
Reply
iFelix said 1:57PM on 1-26-2006
Having compared a lot of mobile devices, I still think nothing comes close to the iPod.
The PSP is nearly there, but lacks storage and video conversion can be hit and miss.
Reply
Graham said 2:02PM on 1-26-2006
Yet another example of M$oft capitalizing on Apple's sucess.
Reply
Chris said 2:19PM on 1-26-2006
Microsoft-branded DAP: Guaranteed To Suck.
Sorry Microsoft. Your days of clumsily bulldozing your way to the top of new markets are over. Can't you just live with that and be satisfied?
Reply
mat said 2:22PM on 1-26-2006
jacob, 4.9 billion in the hole for the original xbox is hardly successful in my book.
Reply
Wheels said 2:31PM on 1-26-2006
HA!
That's all I have to say about that.
Reply
Quicksilver said 3:01PM on 1-26-2006
I know this is an Apple blog and all...but it woudl really be nice to actually read intelligent comments. Not just MS bashing. I use both platforms. If they want to make a media player that is portable...whats the big deal...and Graham how is MS trying to Capitalize on Apples success? I guess Apple invented the whole portable media market. They are #1 in the market not the first. What is wrong with competition in this marketplace...hopefully there will be something that comes along to knock Apple off their high horse and make them cut their prices...
Reply
alangenh said 3:04PM on 1-26-2006
Just wanted to say that that iPod image is the most frightening thing I've seen in a long time. ;)
Reply
Splashman said 3:10PM on 1-26-2006
"...has worked out fairly well..."
Heh. Yeah, and the Pacific Ocean is fairly damp.
MS is between a rock and a hard place. If they bring out their own device, they will instantly doom Creative and all the other MP3 player mfrs, which will result in a lot of bad press and bad karma. If they don't bring out their own device(s), their attempts to sell content (music, movies, etc) are doomed, because integration is key, and currently only Apple can pull it off.
If MS does bring out an integrated device/service, they can license it, but that won't help all the mfrs recover their current investments.
In some ways, I feel kinda sorry for poor ol' MS. But the feeling will pass. Heh.
Reply
effzehn said 3:21PM on 1-26-2006
The iPod KILLER can be seen here: http://www.newtechspy.com/articles06/mbox.html
This is it! Goodnight, Apple!
Reply
Adam said 3:45PM on 1-26-2006
In my opinion, Microsoft missed out on a HUGE opportunity when it launched the Xbox 360. If the hard drive for the system was a removeable audio player, it would have been in every sytem that shipped, and xbox live could have been utilized as a music service as well. Basically, if you bought an xbox, you'd have this device as an audio player, and would most likely use it since it was alredy there, as opposed to shelling out another $400 on an iPod
Reply
Wheels said 3:58PM on 1-26-2006
elfzen, I just read the newtechspy page. Are you kidding? That thing looks like a figging juice box. It reaffirms my first comment - HA!
Reply
Splashman said 4:00PM on 1-26-2006
Thanks for the laughs, effzehn. One, you messed up the link to your iPod killer. Two, you should know by now that if the hardware specs were crucial, the iPod would have been killed off a long time ago.
iPod/ITunes/ITMS is a solution. The MBOX is a piece of hardware.
Reply
Jon said 4:30PM on 1-26-2006
iPods will only die if Steve is stupid enough not to license FairPlay and the Apple dock connector to third parties. Such "iPod/iTunes compatibles" would guarantee Apple a piece of the pie for the digital music player business until the next hot thing comes along in 10 years. As hardware prices come down and more and more enter the market, it will become less and less profitable for Apple to continue to make iPods. Licensing is the answer -- they can still make iPods, and perhaps still have a 25 percent share of a much LARGER market (meaning more absolute sales), but they would be high end. Low end "iPod compatibles" would be made by others, with a nice little "Apple tax" on them ala the "Windows tax." If Steve doesn't pursue such a course in the next year or so, Apple's stockholders ought to sue.
Reply
Graham said 5:00PM on 1-26-2006
Quicksilver -
I never insinuated that Apple was the first. But Apple is hands down doing it 'best.' They are at the top of the market for a reason. Now that the iPod is a runaway success we are beginning to see the halo effect. Because the iPod is so renowned, people are slowly getting their feet wet with more of Apple's hardware. Mac sales are up. And Apple's market-share is expanding. This has Microsoft scared to death.
It's a classic story. Apple begins gaining ground, and then Microsoft tries to shove them away by making grossly similar products. Happens all the time. Most new features in every new Windows iteration have already been utilized in one form or another in an OS X build years before.
Microsoft knows that if they don't do something to stifle Apple's largest market, and steal the spotlight away from them, then Apple will eventually start gaining ground with their hardware. However; I'm not worried, because of the iconic status of the iPod it would be difficult if not impossible for Microsoft to steal the spotlight unless they actually innovate with their DAP product -- and we all know that Microsoft and Innovation have never really been all that congruent.
Reply