James Clark

Those of you with an iPod can recognize Apple’s brilliance in design and simplicity. Not only do they give you a media player that is sleek and low profile, they give you a device that works.

Microsoft has announced what some are calling the “iPod killer”. Zune, the brand for the device, the software accompanying it, and the service for aquiring, sharing and discovery of multimedia, will focus on connected entertainment. The devices will have WiFi capabilities and, like the iPod, is drive based.

Microsoft is said to be releasing the first of these devices this year focusing solely on music with more devices out in 2007.

Though the push seems to be away from personal media and toward shared media, [Apples focus has been on personal media, in part, because of the ongoing backlash from the recording industry over internet filesharing.] I think the iPod has dominated the market for long enough to have established itself as the music player. I’m leaning toward too little, too late on Microsoft’s part.