Microsoft arms its iPod killer with Wi-Fi

Posted by T3 Online on Thu 6 Jul 2006

Microsoft guns for the iPod with new Wi-Fi enabled music and movie player

After sitting on the sidelines watching Apple dominate the music market, Microsoft is finally readying its own branded player to take on the iPod.

According to analysts that have been briefed by the company's top executives, Microsoft is developing a new music and movie player that will hit stores in time for Christmas.

And one of the key features of the new device will be built-in support for Wi-Fi to let users download songs directly from a PC or the internet without the need to connect any wires.

Microsoft has tried its hand at this game before. Back in 2003 it came up with its own Portable Media Center software that it then licensed to hardware manufacturers. Creative, Samsung and iRiver all produced multimedia devices using the software, but none of the players were particularly successful.

This time, however, Microsoft will produce both the hardware and software and sell the device under its own brand. This combined with the fact that the MTV Urge online music store (which is part owned by Microsoft) will play a key part in the company's new Vista operating system might give the new Microsoft music machine a bit more credibility.